Guilty Gear, its characters and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being used in this fanfiction without permission.  This fic is rated…NC-17!!

 

Adult Yaoi content in this chapter!!  Duck and cover!!

 

I hope you like it ^o^

 

 

Culmination

Chapter 18

 

 

It was getting late, but Bridget hadn’t tired yet.  He hadn’t moved from his chair in the Records Room for what felt like hours; some time ago Sol had wandered off, returning with some snacks from the cafeteria for them both.  Since then Sol had fallen asleep in his chair, and as he looked like he needed it, Bridget left him alone.

 

“It has to be in here somewhere,” Bridget muttered to himself, crossing off another name on the list he’d been making on a scrap of paper.  He was running out of doctors and scientists to investigate with still very little luck.  He kicked his feet in frustration, and with a huge bite of his apple went back to searching.

 

*****

 

Ky and Testament walked back toward the House along the shoreline just as the sun was beginning to set.  It was a beautiful evening, with vibrant orange painting a distant, calm horizon.  Ky was beginning to feel peaceful again, with a soft breeze against his face, the slight weight of a paper bag in his left hand.  In the end, Testament had bought the tea cups for him—most of his own money had been damaged too badly during his fight in Genoa to be useful, and that which had survived he’d used to buy their lunch in Rome those days ago.  But Testament’s offer was a welcomed one, even if the Gear still didn’t quite understand the significance behind something so simple.  It was somehow important to Ky to have them; not only a keepsake of this place to remind him of its tranquility, but contained in a form in which he’d always appreciated the artistry.

 

“Do you think Bridget’s all right?” Ky asked as they drew to a gradual halt, turning to watch the last bit of day extinguish.  “I am still worried about him, out there by himself….”

 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Testament assured.  “He is a bounty hunter, after all.  He’s used to taking care of himself.”

 

“Yes, you’re probably right.”  Ky lowered himself to the sand.  It was a welcomed relief to be able to stretch out after all the walking and training he’d done that day.  “He’s a good boy, that Bridget.”

 

Testament nodded as he seated himself on the officer’s right.  “He is.  And from what I hear, he’s pretty fond of you.”

 

Ky smiled and set his shopping bag aside.  He couldn’t say that he was surprised—Bridget had been taking care of him this entire time, had always been right at his side.  “And you, too.  He was worried about you last night; he stayed with us both.”

 

“Yes; I appreciated it.”  Testament slipped a hand back through his hair, letting the breeze carry it a moment.  “He is a goody boy.  Johnny’s lucky to have him.  If he stays with the pirates, he’ll take good care of this place.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

They were quiet a while, just listening to the shift of ocean, watching it crawl up mischievously toward their feet.  Feeling youthful, Ky slipped out of his sandals and stretched his feet out so that the waves just tickled his heels.  “There’s something about this place,” he said thoughtfully, wiggling his toes.  “Maybe it’s because everything is so natural, so…clean.  It feels like it’s dragging everything inside me to the surface.” 

 

Testament watched him, waiting patiently for him to go on, as he’d been expecting this all along.  Though they’d managed to spend a peaceful afternoon together Ky’s worries and concerns hadn’t vanished; now, he was maybe a bit better equipped to sort through his crazed thoughts.

 

Ky lifted his head slightly.  “I think…I’ve finally come to realize what’s been wrong with me all along,” he began quietly, though his voice this time was without anger, bitterness, or sorrow.  “I’d recognized it before, but…at the time, I blamed it all on Sol.”  His smile was slight, and grim.  “I don’t trust people.  It was easy, once, to say that Sol’s abandoning us made me cynical.  After the war I was always wary of sending out officers on missions without me.  Not because I thought them incompetent, but…because I felt as if I needed to take care of everything myself.  I was their leader.  I was supposed to be the strongest.  And I came to distrust the outcome of a battle I wasn’t a part of.” 

 

He sighed quietly.  “But looking back, I can see that it had nothing to do with Sol.  I’ve always been that way.  It’s why I never trusted him enough—why I’m such an awful judge of character even now.  Like with Johnny…it’s hard for me to see past what my ideals of justice would label a man.  If I’d never seen this place, I don’t know if I’d ever be able to see him has anything other than a pirate.”

 

He turned his gaze on Testament.  “And you.  If not for all this….”  He sighed, displeased with the alternative.  “We’d probably still hate each other.”

 

He was fearful that Testament would take offense to his remark, but the Gear only nodded in understanding.  “You’re right.  And I understand, because I’ve been the same way.”

 

Testament shifted a little—closer, so that their shoulders brushed each other.  “I’ve never trusted humans, either.  I wanted to believe that it was something I couldn’t help; that, as a Gear, it was my instinct.  But I realized as soon as I met Dizzy that that wasn’t the case.”  He met Ky’s attentive gaze.  “She’s also a Gear, but she has none of my…bitterness.  Everything I’ve felt for humans is nothing more than my own injustice for what the Bureau did to me.”  He chuckled quietly.  “Which means I have no excuse for not learning to be more like her.  I should be able to move on, as she has.”

 

“I think it’s something we both have to work on,” Ky encouraged, already feeling a bit reassured.  “Though…I don’t even know where to start.”  He sagged a little closer against Testament’s shoulder, enjoying the warmth of another body.  “If all of this has shown me anything, it’s that I can’t trust my own judgment.  Everything I’ve believed in up until now, my justice, my order…none of it has helped me come any closer to the truth.  It’s only kept me from trusting the people whom I need the most.”

 

“Then maybe you should try putting your faith in something else,” Testament suggested, though his tone indicated he wasn’t naïve enough to think it was an easy prospect.

 

Ky frowned.  “What do you mean?”

 

“We’re the same,” Testament told him softly, and when he turned his head Ky could feel strands of thick black brush against his neck.  It tickled.  “And Dizzy told me once that if I was ever going to trust humans again, it would first mean coming to trust myself.”

 

The Gear shook his head with a slight chuckle.  “I know it sounds ridiculously cliché,” he confessed.  “And I didn’t listen to her back then.  But I think she might have been right.  Those of us who lived through the war knew only fighting…a world like this is still strange to us.”  He caught Ky’s hand between them.  “Maybe you don’t trust yourself in a peaceful world.”

 

“I don’t…” Ky echoed, his brow furrowing.  But Testament’s words made too much sense for him to not listen, and he sighed, accepting that they might be true.  “Maybe…you’re right.”  He closed his eyes, trying to imagine what that would mean for him.  He had thrown himself into his work because it was the only thing he knew—striving for order in their battered world, seeking out any injustice he could cure, any criminal that needed apprehension.  He was precise and unyielding.  And…sometimes, afraid.  Frightened of the years of bloody battle staining his experience; frightened of becoming the hardened, reckless warrior that he saw in himself when he trained and fought.  He had always depended on reason and order to guide his failing judgment, but if Testament was right, that shield of morality had brought him no closer to peace than he’d ever been.  It only allowed him to believe that he was justified in his selfish, ignorant prejudices.

 

Ky’s hand tightened around Testament’s, his eyes falling to the surf at his feet.  “Dizzy’s pretty smart, isn’t she,” he said quietly.

 

Testament smiled thinly.  “Yes, she is.”

 

Ky fell silent a while, letting that wisdom sink into his mind, hoping that recognition would lead to some kind of progress.  He certainly felt as if he were ready to move on, now; he was tired of uncertainty, anxiety, and loneliness.  He…was tired of a lot of things.

 

Ky sighed, turning his head so it could rest on Testament’s shoulder.  All those things would come in time; for now, he was grateful to have such accepting company.  As the evening dragged on he closed his eyes, listening intently to Testament’s breath, feeling the gentle pulse of magic beneath his skin.  There had always been something warm and almost nostalgic about the feel of the Gear.  Curiously his flexed his fingers, his senses reaching out as if he were pulling a bit of Thunderseal’s magic into shape.

 

Testament flinched beside him, and they were so close that Ky jumped as well.  “What was that?” Testament asked.

 

“I’m sorry,” Ky quickly apologized, though he was smiling a bit to himself.  “I was just curious—there’s so much magic in you, it reminds me of Thunderseal.”

 

Testament considered that, his features arranging themselves into a look of thoughtful confusion.  He lifted his free hand, palm up, and Ky could feel the dull surge of energy as several lines of red seal lifted into the air like tiny sprouts.  Ky watched in fascination as the thin stalks swayed and twisted around each other.

 

“Like this?” Testament asked, a slight movement of his fingers shaping the magic into the form of a bird.

 

Ky chuckled.  “Yes, like that.”  He raised his own hand, eyes narrowing in concentration.  Gradually, the bird’s shape melted and distorted, until it had taken on that of one of Ky’s teacups.  He grinned proudly.

 

Testament, meanwhile, was studying Ky’s work with serious interest.  “It’s not normal,” he remarked, “for a human to be able to manipulate magic like that.”

 

“I’ve always had something of a gift for it,” Ky explained, molding the magic until it resembled a simple house.  “When I was a boy growing up, I used to steal the mag-lights from the other boys’ rooms and hide them in drawers.”  He chuckled fondly with the memory.  “Madam D’vere didn’t take to that very well.”

 

“I can imagine.”  Testament smiled as well, allowing more of the thin red strings to flow from his fingertips, granting Ky more to work with.  “It tickles.”

 

“What does?”  Ky lifted his hand over the top of the small house he’d created, and when he moved his palm to the side the image swayed with it.  “This?”

 

“Yes.”  Testament pursed his lips as if embarrassed.  “I can feel it—it’s a little strange.”

 

Ky pulled his hand back, as did Testament, the magic disappearing without a sound.  “Your magic feels a little strange to me, too,” the officer replied.  “It’s not quite like the elemental magic I’m used to dealing with.”

 

Testament nodded.  “It’s a little different than man-made magic,” he explained.  “More…like ki, in a sense. It’s a kind of earth magic.”

 

“Earth magic?” Ky echoed curiously.

 

“Yes.  It’s not commonly used, because it existed a long time before humans discovered how to use magic for themselves.  Rael explained the principles of it to me once.  It’s a natural magic that comes from the earth, the kind used by…demons.  Vampires.  The undead.”  Testament shrugged slightly.  “That sort of thing.”

 

Ky frowned; it was eerie, putting it that way.  “The undead,” he repeated.  “Because you…were killed once?”

 

“Yes, I think so.”

 

The kind of magic Testament was talking about…sounded suspiciously like an evil power.  But if he was right and it came from the earth, then Ky had no reason to judge him.  All their magic, in the end, came from a source no one could rightly explain.  It did, however, remind him of the night before and all that had passed.  All that had occurred afterwards….

 

Ky licked his lips subtly, and before he could think twice he reached up, turning Testament’s head toward him so he could grant a gentle kiss to his lips.  The Gear froze, startled but accepting.  When Ky pulled back he was smiling.  “Then it’s no wonder you’re so powerful,” he said lightly.

 

Testament blinked at him and, as Ky had hoped, seemed to catch on to the acceptance he’d been offering.  “Maybe not.”

 

Testament looked about to move again, but Ky sagged back against his shoulder, turning his face toward the ocean.  “Why did you kiss me this morning?” he asked suddenly, his toes curling as a sudden, almost anxious energy spread into him.

 

“I don’t know,” Testament returned.  And in a playfulness Ky hadn’t experienced in a long time the Gear turned his head, so that his lips fumbled against Ky’s temple when he spoke. “Why did you kiss me just now?”

 

“Because….”  Ky’s shoulders crept up, but he was already leaning into the soft touch.  He didn’t offer anything else just yet, though, realizing with a dull blush that he was…being coy.  To think of himself that way made his heart flutter a little, as much as Testament’s childish affection was already doing to him.  “I don’t know.  I asked you first.”

 

Testament chuckled, and the feel of his warm breath spilling over his ear made Ky shiver.  “I’m glad,” he murmured, “that you’re in a better mood.”

 

Ky closed his eyes.  “I want this to be done with,” he confessed, trying to keep his voice light.  It was difficult to maintain his melancholy with Testament’s lips brushing over his ear, drifting across his cheek as if to coax him into another kiss.  He tilted his chin up, surrendering a quiet sigh.  “I want to feel like myself.”

 

Testament paused, drawing back slightly so he could meet Ky’s eyes.  There was something in the Gear’s face that made Ky stop as well, and there they hesitated, both coming to realize the meaning behind those words.  When their missions were done with, everything would end.  Ky returning to himself would mean his return to the Global Police, back to duty and service.  Everything would be over, and this place no more than a charming memory tangible only in a set of delicate, hand-painted flowers.

 

Ky reached out; if he were to trust himself, now would be his test.  He drew Testament once more to his mouth, but firmly, parting his lips for a deeper kiss.  Testament responded eagerly in kind.  Both turned, fingers still entwined against the sand as unbound hands sought out cheeks and hair.  Ky was shivering; Testament’s warm mouth drew from him a boyish excitement he hadn’t felt since his youth.  This was wrong of them.  He knew that, knew even better that he would probably regret it afterwards, but at the moment nothing mattered more than the tiny sighs of pleasure passing between them.

 

Ky pulled abruptly away with a gasp, and before Testament could draw him back he fell, stretching out on his back on the beach.  The Gear watched him, puzzled.  “Ky?”

 

“How long has it been?” Ky asked abruptly, his hands resting idly against his stomach as he watched Testament’s face.  “Since you…did anything like this.”

 

Testament’s eyes thinned slightly in good humor.  “A long time.  Why?”

 

“I was just curious.”

 

“Why?” Testament persisted.  He turned, and Ky didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Testament was leaning over him, braced on knees and elbows as he slowly lowered his weight.  “How long has it been for you?”

 

Ky tried not to look as flustered as he suddenly felt.  It wasn’t easy—the weight and heat of Testament’s body against his was quickening his heart.  “A long time,” he confessed.  “It’s…difficult, considering my position….”  He tilted his head back as Testament’s lips brushed once more over his.  “My reputation….”

 

“Of course….”

 

Testament kissed him again, parting his lips insistently as he pressed down into him.  Ky shivered despite himself; he had never taken a lover like this, so strong and yet careful at the same time.  They were both still getting used to the feeling of another’s breath and body, and it showed in their clumsy affections and appreciative sighs.  Ky twisted an arm around Testament’s shoulders, thrilling at the feel of toned muscle as his other hand sank into waves of soft, ebony hair.  Everything was so contradictory—from Testament’s sculpted body to smooth skin, his mouth firm but his hand tender as it slid up and down Ky’s ribs.  He was beautiful, and vibrant, and solemn all at once, and Ky was aware that he was being slowly, inescapably drawn away from all reality.

 

Everything was building too fast.  Though it may have been longer, to Ky it seemed to take only moments for him to become dissatisfied with the remaining distance between them.  Clutching Testament more tightly against him only seemed to make it worse.  He was only barely aware that his breath was coming in long gulps of air during brief pauses of their lips, thighs tensing against Testament’s thick limbs.  The Gear’s name hissed through him—this was not enough.  He couldn’t remember having felt this alive in ages, and his long-neglected emotions were getting the better of him.  “Testament….”

 

“I know,” Testament whispered back, all at once pushing up onto his knees.  He drew Ky after him as he climbed to his feet.  “Come on.  Let’s…let’s find somewhere more private.”

 

“Yes….”  Ky scooped his bag off the sand, glancing back up at the House as Testament started to tug them towards it.  He planted his feet, drawing him back.  “Wait.  Wait, I don’t want….”  He frowned—it wasn’t so late that the children would all be in bed, and he couldn’t imagine how to explain himself if they went dashing through the halls as they were now, flushed and disheveled.

 

Testament frowned but nodded, turning about in search of something better.  After a moment his eyes widened.  “Come on.”  He began to pull Ky once more, to a shaded area further down the beach that Ky had only taken notice of briefly before; a boat house of some kind, a few meters safe of the tide.

 

Ky frowned, not sure if he approved; it was little more than a shed, and the thought of slipping away into such a place only made all of this seem even less real.  “Are you sure?”

 

“It’s private,” Testament replied, glancing at him over his shoulder with a breathless smile.

 

Ky blushed despite himself, and was forced to speed up as Testament increased his pace.  It almost had the feeling of escape, rushing down the beach this way, and it kept Ky’s pulse from calming as they went.  He felt almost like a boy again, slipping away despite his better judgment for something so base and yet so desperate.  Even though he still had his concerns Testament’s intense eyes and parted lips were enough to fuel his excitement.

 

The shed turned out to be a storage hut, larger than it had appeared—it was rectangular, stretching out in front of them and piled high with rows of various beach toys, chairs, towels, and floating rafts, all in impressive disarray.  There was hardly anywhere to move, and Ky depended on his companion’s superior night vision to lead them through the piles of equipment.  He couldn’t help but laugh.  “There’s no room for us.”

 

“There will be,” Testament assured, pausing abruptly to grab something off of a nearby shelf.  He pointed ahead of them, to where a ladder was braced against the wall; it led to an attic space, like a loft, containing yet more assorted items.  “Up there.”

 

Ky shot him a doubtful look but he slipped away from him, reaching for the rungs of the ladder.  It would indeed be private, if not a bit cramped.  As he started up he felt rather than saw Testament follow.  A hand against his hip urged him along, sending another heated shiver through the officer and encouraging him to climb faster.

 

The loft area was, as it appeared, no less of a mess than below.  The roof came to a point at the center, just tall enough that Ky might be able to stand fully upright if aligned just beneath it.  Halfway up the sides, long beams protruded at a diagonal to form small triangular alcoves between themselves and the roof wall.  It seemed that because of these beams, the spaces closest to the walls had been spared of the same debris as the rest of the area; they formed an almost tunnel-like gap in the mess, just large enough for the pair.

 

Ky pushed a large inflatable dragon out of his way and set his teacups on it so he could back up, allowing Testament room to join him.  “There’s room,” he reported, licking his lips.

 

Testament looked for himself and, seemingly pleased, crawled back into the space with the things he’d gathered; a picnic blanket which, when folded over a few times would make for a good cushion, and several beach towels.  It wasn’t much of a mattress, but it would keep them from the unyielding wood of the shed.  That finished he turned, pulling Ky up against him once more.

 

Ky met him easily, twisting his fingers in curtains of silky black as they shared another heated kiss.  Gradually, Testament sagged, until it was him on his back this time with Ky hovering over.  The change of position was more familiar to Ky, and it gave him greater confidence as he leaned into the Gear, straddling slender hips.

 

Testament murmured quiet approval; his hands slid to Ky’s thighs, massaging gently in encouragement.  “Are you sure it’s been a while?” he teased, shifting slightly beneath him.

 

Ky’s pulse had sped again, his eyes wide and bright as he flexed his thighs against Testament’s strong hands.  “Yes,” he breathed, pressing his palms flat against Testament’s chest as he sank down to his mouth.  “Too long.”

 

Ky could feel the space heating around them; though the loft was dry, chilling in the growing night, in its confines he felt as if their breath was trapped, thrown back at them as they gasped quietly with each shift of friction between them.  Ky was having a difficult time keeping track of Testament’s wandering hands.  They slid, like warm liquid, over his thighs and hips, up to his ribs, his back, and chest, as if all in one smooth motion.  Every touch was deliberate and strong, drawing thin moans from the trembling officer.  And when his cotton shirt was parted over his collar he didn’t care that he hadn’t noticed the buttons being undone.  He struggled quickly out of the garment, and Testament’s was quick to follow.  The touch of flesh to flesh raised in him a greater sense of urgency as their lips met; he felt as if Testament’s magic itself were flowing through him and heating his blood.

 

Testament was changing him.  It was slow at first, as they were both adjusting to the other, learning each other’s flesh.  But Ky could feel it as if a wall were crumbling before his eyes—his barriers melting, allowing that deep, shameful center of his to creep to the surface.  Here, there was no one depending on him, no principles to uphold nor anyone to protect.  There was no war, no duty, no officers and no Gears.  No need to trust anything but the man at his side.

 

Testament’s hands moved again, and this time Ky was keenly aware of their actions; he was urging Ky up long enough to undo the front of his pants.  Ky braced himself on elbows and knees, carefully watching Testament’s face as he worked.  “Are….”   He gulped amidst harsh breath.  “Are you…?”

 

“Sure about this?” Testament filled in for him.  His crimson eyes were gleaming in the dark, their light stronger than that of the moonlight filtering in through a vent in the far wall.  “No,” he confessed as he drew the waist of Ky’s pants over his hips.  “Are you?”

 

“No.”  But Ky was already reaching back to help him, casting the material aside.  They fluttered longer than they should have—probably falling to the lower level—but he didn’t care.  He sat up, trying not to blush as he discarded his last bit of clothing and reached for Testament’s.  “But…I want to.”

 

Testament nodded, reaching down to finish his own undressing.  “Behind you.”

 

Ky turned curiously, his eyes falling on the object Testament had retrieved from a shelf below: a bottle of suntan lotion.  Ky couldn’t help but shiver faintly as he retrieved it, the slight weight in his palm finally coaxing him to accept that…this was real.  How they had gotten to this point he couldn’t see, but Testament was watching him, his own heart was fluttering against his ribs, and he knew this was what he wanted for himself.

 

Taking a deep breath, he emptied some of the lotion into his palm, raising his eyes to Testament’s to reassure himself as he reached forward.  But Testament stopped him, his smile thin but sincere, as he guided Ky’s hands back to himself.  “Please,” he murmured seriously.

 

Ky blinked, a little surprised after all that Testament had initiated, but he didn’t question as he spread the lotion over himself.  By now he was so drawn tight and anxious that even his own touch made his eyelids flutter in excitement.  When he was finished Testament was already tugging him closer, and Ky’s mouth went dry as thighs parted for him.

 

“Come on,” Testament encouraged.  There was just as much uncertainty buried in his face as Ky was experiencing, not only for the choices they’d made but simply for the long period of time each had gone without this; but he was bending his knees all the same, rubbing his ankles against Ky’s hips.  “Don’t hold back.”

 

Ky nodded breathlessly, setting a hand against Testament’s hip to help guide them as he slid forward, entering his partner deftly.  He felt Testament flinch, but it was no more than that.  He remained still all the same, allowing Testament to adjust to him in a long moment of heated pleasure before pulling back with a quiet murmur.  His restraint didn’t last long; the body beneath him was hot and welcoming, making his next thrust sharper than the first, drawing from them both low moans.  After that Ky wasted no time in developing a firm rhythm.

 

“Ky….”  Testament panted thinly, trying to urge his legs higher, to invite his companion deeper, but he was already trembling a little more every time Ky moved against him, quickening the pulse between them.  His fingers scraped against the officer’s forearm; obediently Ky reached down, hooking his hand under Testament’s thigh to urge it higher, nearly against his ribs. 

 

Ky himself was all but thoughtless to the action, but when a thick voice rose in sharp groans beneath him the last of his inhibitions were stripped away.  Gasping, he thrust harder into his lover—seeking a deeper pleasure almost desperately.  Flashing red eyes reminded him that he was free of restraint here, of anything.  And yet already that perfect bliss was slipping away from him; his stamina was already wearing.  His hand snapped out, catching one of the diagonal beams crossing over his head for greater leverage.  Somewhere below him Testament gasped at the extra force, gripping at Ky’s arm to keep from being pushed across the blankets as the officer moved strongly in and against him.

 

Their motion was harsh, clumsy, and raw, their breath ragged in the small space.  Ky could taste sweat on his lips as he mindlessly obeyed his body’s urgings.  When his climax finally swept through him it was hard and fast, choking a thick cry in his throat as his hips jerked in urgent release.  Pleasure flowed through his hips and stomach, throbbing and deep as if through his veins and unlike anything he’d felt in a long time.  Testament tightening around him in his own release only made it that much sweeter; for several long moments he could only gasp, quivering.

 

“Ky….” 

 

His breath was just beginning to calm when smooth fingertips found him, easing the tension from between his furrowed eyebrows, massaging his aching fingers until they released the unyielding wood overhead.  With a quiet murmur Ky slumped forward against a waiting body.  He was exhausted, utterly, and he twisted his arms around Testament’s neck as they sank together to the towels.  As a tangle of sweat-dampened limbs they curled together to regain their breath and senses.  Testament’s weak chuckle emptied against his forehead.  “Thanks…for not holding back.”

 

Ky smiled lazily against Testament’s throat.  He hadn’t thought he’d had such passion left in him, and he would have said as much if not for the interruption of a quiet yawn.  “I’m tired,” he murmured instead, settling himself comfortably against a wide chest.

 

Testament whispered something to him, stroking the line of his back, but by then Ky had slipped away from him.  He was drifting already into deep dreams.

 

 

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