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Description
30. Thief

If I was a villain, I would steal your heart ~ Something With Numbers, 'Stay With Me Bright Eyes'

   It had all started with a spurt of robberies in the area. Seifer and the rest of the Disciplinary Committee were worked to the bone just trying to keep up with this new guy in town, let alone prevent him from his next escapade.
   The few people who'd seen him were resolutely unhelpful – he was rumoured to wear a black half-mask with a beak (like a plague doctor, Seifer thought wearily). How appropriate – he might as well have given himself the name the people were calling him – The Magpie. He was said to wear mostly greenish 'camouflage' material and black suede gloves with a devilish smirk. Seifer thought that it was a load of piss and people should stop half-hero-worshipping this guy for his 'daring' and 'cunning' and just help them catch him.

   Twilight Town was a small place, you see, and they lacked a proper, efficient police force as they were on the border between counties and so neither one counted them as under their jurisdiction. So Seifer, Rai and Fuu had started the Disciplinary Committee. They had a mere handful of members, but it was better than nothing, and they were quite good, if Seifer said so himself.
   Fuu was very good at handling paperwork and researching, while Rai was perfect for the brawling aspect, and Seifer was a born leader with good intuition. Vivi, their newest (and youngest) addition, was somewhat of a wildcard – he was quite weak but would sometimes stun everyone with a sudden, unexpected display of strength – he wasn't a bad thinker, either, but most of all he was lucky. He seemed to have an almost unholy amount of good luck, and that was not something to be ignored, whether it sounded improbably or not.

   That was how, after weeks of trying to snare this 'Magpie', they had finally lucked out – Vivi had suddenly suggested that the Hotel Baielleur might be the Magpie's next target, and so they'd sneaked on over and found him in there. Rai had run in and tried to bash the guy's lights out, but he disappeared like smoke into the darkness. Luckily, Fuu was as silent as a cat and had been waiting with a sharp blow to the back of the head which sent the slender man out like a light.

   So now, Seifer was sitting on a fold-out stool in the DC's holding house, warily watching the unconscious Magpie. They'd so far left his mask on, though why they'd shown the bastard this courtesy was beyond Seifer. Nevertheless, he was a skinny little bugger with long, elegant hands, about head and shoulders smaller than Seifer. The clothes were a little odd, though – camo cut-offs and a black tank top with an abstract skull and crossbones on it, with a long black trench coat that no doubt flared when he made his infamous jumps over rooftops. Flashy bugger, Seifer thought sourly. The hat was also a bit stupid, he thought – black, with a wide brim. It mostly concealed his hair, though (which was blonde, from what he could see), so maybe that was why he wore it.

   The Magpie stirred and groaned before sitting up.
"Gnnh… What time is- oh fuck, I forgot. Yeah, jail, right." He sat up properly and attempted to rub his eyes through his mask, looking around. "Pokey little place you got here."
"We make do."
"Huh." The Magpie pursed his lips distastefully (rather a nicely shaped mouth, though, Seifer couldn't help noticing. Yeah, he liked men, even though it was illegal. Since he didn't believe in God, he didn't care that it was probably a ticket to Hell as well). "S'not as bad as some places. Anyway, so, you caught 'the Magpie'," here he made air quotation marks, "What're you gonna do with him?"
"And does the Magpie usually speak in third person?" Seifer asked amusedly, smirking at his captive. The masked blonde shrugged and sent an answering grin.
"When the mood takes him."
"Awake." Seifer looked up to see Fuu standing with a flask of whiskey. He nodded and she offered him the flask. He took a swig and gave it back, returning to his observation of the Magpie.
"So, 'Magpie', care to tell us your real name?" The man smiled at him.
"Oh, that's an easy one. I'm Jessica, the princess of Colorado." Seifer rolled his eyes. Great, a smartass. "But you hardly need introducing. Seifer Almasy, the leader of the Disciplinary Committee and, quite frankly, a – what do you lot say down here… ah yes – a 'hot piece of ass'." The smirk that followed that statement was purely mischievous, and those brown eyes sparkled with amusement. Seifer sighed and rubbed his temples.
"I think I'm gonna need more of that whiskey, Fuu." The silverette handed him the flask again silently, eyeing the Magpie.
"So, I'm asking you again nicely. What's your name?"
"Would you believe me if I said John Smith?"
"No." Seifer replied shortly, taking another drink from the hipflask. The Magpie pouted.
"You're no fun."

~*~*~*~*~*~

   That had been several weeks previous. After further, fruitless, questioning, Seifer had given up and gone to catch some sleep while Fuu kept an eye on their captive. She had made a quick dash to the little girls' room, during which time the Magpie had miraculously escaped.
Seifer had at first been unspeakably frustrated, but as they examined every inch of the holding cell for possible weaknesses, he'd just resorted to being thoroughly bewildered. And he found himself holding a grudging admiration for the young man who had so easily evaded them and escaped as soon as he was taken into custody.

   That didn't mean he wasn't surprised when he awoke one night to find himself pinned in place by the Magpie.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked as soon as his eyes opened and he saw that all-too familiar grin. The little bugger had been teasing them for the past week, hanging around just long enough for them to give chase, when he'd turn with a smirk and seemingly evaporate into the night.
"Friendly, aren't you?" The blonde man inspected his nails absently, which Seifer couldn't help noticing were filed to sharp points. That was when he realised the Magpie was without his usual black gloves. "Anyway, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I'd invade." Seifer groaned and covered his eyes with his hand, lying back against the pillow.
"What do you want?" He wanted his sleep, and he'd had enough of this guy to last a lifetime. He had a feeling that the Magpie didn't really want to kill him, or he'd have done it already.
"You." The slighter man replied with a wry half-smile. "You're interesting, because you don't give up. Because you managed to catch me once and still haven't stopped trying. You don't freak out when you find a wanted villain in your bed either."
"Well fuck off, I need sleep. I'll play chase with you tomorrow." Seifer rolled onto his side with a frown, ignoring the distracting way the slender thief was sitting on him.

The weight disappeared after a moment, followed by a dip in the mattress. He opened his eyes with a frown to stare immediately into laughing chocolate brown ones, ringed by the usual black mask. He opened his mouth to either ask the thief what he thought he was doing, or demand that he leave (he wasn't sure which), only to have lips firmly pressed against his own. He didn't react for a moment, his sleep-fuzzed mind merely trying to process the fact that a) there was a wanted criminal in his room, b) he wasn't doing anything about it and c) he was being kissed by said criminal. Well hell. If this didn't make things confusing, he didn't know what did. So he did the only thing his current state of consciousness would allow, and kissed back.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   After a few weeks, this had become a routine; the Magpie would show up, they'd screw, the thief never removing his mask, or giving a reason for his sudden interest in the leader of the Disciplinary Committee, and Seifer would immediately take him down and put him in the cell. He was, after all, only sleeping with the guy to keep him out everyone's hair for a night, right? Unless he fell asleep, in which case he'd wake up alone with the hint of a cheeky grin still hovering in the air with the unspoken message 'Beat you'.
   However, tonight nothing made sense, and it reminded him horribly of that first night, when the Disciplinary Committee had tried in vain to keep up with a quarry who vanished like smoke and left nothing in his place but a chuckle. It was the same way he'd felt when he'd woken up to find the Magpie hovering over him in his sleep.

   Because tonight, the Magpie was reaching up with those long fingers and was untying the ribbon that held his mask in place, willingly removing all that stood between his freedom and Seifer. The taller blonde half-wanted to reach out and prevent him from taking it off – if it was gone, then there was no excuse as to why he had not turned the bugger in properly yet. 'Properly' meaning handing him in and knowing that he had done everything possible to make escape from that cell impossible.
And yet he didn't, and he lay there, breathlessly watching as his nightly lover's face was finally revealed, large brown eyes boring into him with an intensity that felt like it would leave burns, a small, slightly turned-up nose and high cheekbones. Seifer pulled himself into a sitting position and cupped the now seemingly vulnerable man's face, drawing him into a slow kiss that seemed the very opposite of the heated, rushed passion of a few minutes before.

   Then they were continuing as they had before, only now Seifer looked into that pretty face as it ended, saw the hot blush and fluttering eyelids as that small, pliant mouth opened into an 'o' of ecstasy. And it felt like a barrier had been crossed, an impenetrable law violated. It just wasn't the same any more, and he didn't know whether to be relieved or worried.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   A few nights later, in the middle of everything, the Magpie had leaned down and whispered, somewhat breathlessly, that his name was Hayner. Seifer had simply pulled him closer in reply.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   Exactly three evenings later, after a suspiciously quiet day, the Magpie sneaks in again, and even though Seifer doesn't fall asleep until long after the younger male is lost to dreams, he feels no inclination to put him in the cell. He doesn't hold him, and they lie on separate sides of the bed, but this is getting too close for his liking.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   And this leaves them where they are now. Seifer, curled around the Magpie, the smaller man's back pressed to his chest. He nuzzles his face into the shorter blonde's hair and sighs, a worried crease wrinkling his scar. He doesn't know how much longer their little affair can last – it is wrong on so many levels that he doesn't dare to count them. He doesn't know if he loves the thief, but he knows that even if it isn't love, it's something he doesn't want to give up just yet. Doesn't want to give Hayner up yet. That's the first time he's so much as thought the Magpie's name. And now he feels as though it's too deep. He's in this too much for his own good, and he's floundering.

   But he pulls the man closer in his sleep, and kisses the nape of his neck before closing his eyes. They have tomorrow to work this out, if his little heart-thief stays.

Description
30. Thief

If I was a villain, I would steal your heart ~ Something With Numbers, 'Stay With Me Bright Eyes'

   It had all started with a spurt of robberies in the area. Seifer and the rest of the Disciplinary Committee were worked to the bone just trying to keep up with this new guy in town, let alone prevent him from his next escapade.
   The few people who'd seen him were resolutely unhelpful – he was rumoured to wear a black half-mask with a beak (like a plague doctor, Seifer thought wearily). How appropriate – he might as well have given himself the name the people were calling him – The Magpie. He was said to wear mostly greenish 'camouflage' material and black suede gloves with a devilish smirk. Seifer thought that it was a load of piss and people should stop half-hero-worshipping this guy for his 'daring' and 'cunning' and just help them catch him.

   Twilight Town was a small place, you see, and they lacked a proper, efficient police force as they were on the border between counties and so neither one counted them as under their jurisdiction. So Seifer, Rai and Fuu had started the Disciplinary Committee. They had a mere handful of members, but it was better than nothing, and they were quite good, if Seifer said so himself.
   Fuu was very good at handling paperwork and researching, while Rai was perfect for the brawling aspect, and Seifer was a born leader with good intuition. Vivi, their newest (and youngest) addition, was somewhat of a wildcard – he was quite weak but would sometimes stun everyone with a sudden, unexpected display of strength – he wasn't a bad thinker, either, but most of all he was lucky. He seemed to have an almost unholy amount of good luck, and that was not something to be ignored, whether it sounded improbably or not.

   That was how, after weeks of trying to snare this 'Magpie', they had finally lucked out – Vivi had suddenly suggested that the Hotel Baielleur might be the Magpie's next target, and so they'd sneaked on over and found him in there. Rai had run in and tried to bash the guy's lights out, but he disappeared like smoke into the darkness. Luckily, Fuu was as silent as a cat and had been waiting with a sharp blow to the back of the head which sent the slender man out like a light.

   So now, Seifer was sitting on a fold-out stool in the DC's holding house, warily watching the unconscious Magpie. They'd so far left his mask on, though why they'd shown the bastard this courtesy was beyond Seifer. Nevertheless, he was a skinny little bugger with long, elegant hands, about head and shoulders smaller than Seifer. The clothes were a little odd, though – camo cut-offs and a black tank top with an abstract skull and crossbones on it, with a long black trench coat that no doubt flared when he made his infamous jumps over rooftops. Flashy bugger, Seifer thought sourly. The hat was also a bit stupid, he thought – black, with a wide brim. It mostly concealed his hair, though (which was blonde, from what he could see), so maybe that was why he wore it.

   The Magpie stirred and groaned before sitting up.
"Gnnh… What time is- oh fuck, I forgot. Yeah, jail, right." He sat up properly and attempted to rub his eyes through his mask, looking around. "Pokey little place you got here."
"We make do."
"Huh." The Magpie pursed his lips distastefully (rather a nicely shaped mouth, though, Seifer couldn't help noticing. Yeah, he liked men, even though it was illegal. Since he didn't believe in God, he didn't care that it was probably a ticket to Hell as well). "S'not as bad as some places. Anyway, so, you caught 'the Magpie'," here he made air quotation marks, "What're you gonna do with him?"
"And does the Magpie usually speak in third person?" Seifer asked amusedly, smirking at his captive. The masked blonde shrugged and sent an answering grin.
"When the mood takes him."
"Awake." Seifer looked up to see Fuu standing with a flask of whiskey. He nodded and she offered him the flask. He took a swig and gave it back, returning to his observation of the Magpie.
"So, 'Magpie', care to tell us your real name?" The man smiled at him.
"Oh, that's an easy one. I'm Jessica, the princess of Colorado." Seifer rolled his eyes. Great, a smartass. "But you hardly need introducing. Seifer Almasy, the leader of the Disciplinary Committee and, quite frankly, a – what do you lot say down here… ah yes – a 'hot piece of ass'." The smirk that followed that statement was purely mischievous, and those brown eyes sparkled with amusement. Seifer sighed and rubbed his temples.
"I think I'm gonna need more of that whiskey, Fuu." The silverette handed him the flask again silently, eyeing the Magpie.
"So, I'm asking you again nicely. What's your name?"
"Would you believe me if I said John Smith?"
"No." Seifer replied shortly, taking another drink from the hipflask. The Magpie pouted.
"You're no fun."

~*~*~*~*~*~

   That had been several weeks previous. After further, fruitless, questioning, Seifer had given up and gone to catch some sleep while Fuu kept an eye on their captive. She had made a quick dash to the little girls' room, during which time the Magpie had miraculously escaped.
Seifer had at first been unspeakably frustrated, but as they examined every inch of the holding cell for possible weaknesses, he'd just resorted to being thoroughly bewildered. And he found himself holding a grudging admiration for the young man who had so easily evaded them and escaped as soon as he was taken into custody.

   That didn't mean he wasn't surprised when he awoke one night to find himself pinned in place by the Magpie.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked as soon as his eyes opened and he saw that all-too familiar grin. The little bugger had been teasing them for the past week, hanging around just long enough for them to give chase, when he'd turn with a smirk and seemingly evaporate into the night.
"Friendly, aren't you?" The blonde man inspected his nails absently, which Seifer couldn't help noticing were filed to sharp points. That was when he realised the Magpie was without his usual black gloves. "Anyway, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I'd invade." Seifer groaned and covered his eyes with his hand, lying back against the pillow.
"What do you want?" He wanted his sleep, and he'd had enough of this guy to last a lifetime. He had a feeling that the Magpie didn't really want to kill him, or he'd have done it already.
"You." The slighter man replied with a wry half-smile. "You're interesting, because you don't give up. Because you managed to catch me once and still haven't stopped trying. You don't freak out when you find a wanted villain in your bed either."
"Well fuck off, I need sleep. I'll play chase with you tomorrow." Seifer rolled onto his side with a frown, ignoring the distracting way the slender thief was sitting on him.

The weight disappeared after a moment, followed by a dip in the mattress. He opened his eyes with a frown to stare immediately into laughing chocolate brown ones, ringed by the usual black mask. He opened his mouth to either ask the thief what he thought he was doing, or demand that he leave (he wasn't sure which), only to have lips firmly pressed against his own. He didn't react for a moment, his sleep-fuzzed mind merely trying to process the fact that a) there was a wanted criminal in his room, b) he wasn't doing anything about it and c) he was being kissed by said criminal. Well hell. If this didn't make things confusing, he didn't know what did. So he did the only thing his current state of consciousness would allow, and kissed back.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   After a few weeks, this had become a routine; the Magpie would show up, they'd screw, the thief never removing his mask, or giving a reason for his sudden interest in the leader of the Disciplinary Committee, and Seifer would immediately take him down and put him in the cell. He was, after all, only sleeping with the guy to keep him out everyone's hair for a night, right? Unless he fell asleep, in which case he'd wake up alone with the hint of a cheeky grin still hovering in the air with the unspoken message 'Beat you'.
   However, tonight nothing made sense, and it reminded him horribly of that first night, when the Disciplinary Committee had tried in vain to keep up with a quarry who vanished like smoke and left nothing in his place but a chuckle. It was the same way he'd felt when he'd woken up to find the Magpie hovering over him in his sleep.

   Because tonight, the Magpie was reaching up with those long fingers and was untying the ribbon that held his mask in place, willingly removing all that stood between his freedom and Seifer. The taller blonde half-wanted to reach out and prevent him from taking it off – if it was gone, then there was no excuse as to why he had not turned the bugger in properly yet. 'Properly' meaning handing him in and knowing that he had done everything possible to make escape from that cell impossible.
And yet he didn't, and he lay there, breathlessly watching as his nightly lover's face was finally revealed, large brown eyes boring into him with an intensity that felt like it would leave burns, a small, slightly turned-up nose and high cheekbones. Seifer pulled himself into a sitting position and cupped the now seemingly vulnerable man's face, drawing him into a slow kiss that seemed the very opposite of the heated, rushed passion of a few minutes before.

   Then they were continuing as they had before, only now Seifer looked into that pretty face as it ended, saw the hot blush and fluttering eyelids as that small, pliant mouth opened into an 'o' of ecstasy. And it felt like a barrier had been crossed, an impenetrable law violated. It just wasn't the same any more, and he didn't know whether to be relieved or worried.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   A few nights later, in the middle of everything, the Magpie had leaned down and whispered, somewhat breathlessly, that his name was Hayner. Seifer had simply pulled him closer in reply.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   Exactly three evenings later, after a suspiciously quiet day, the Magpie sneaks in again, and even though Seifer doesn't fall asleep until long after the younger male is lost to dreams, he feels no inclination to put him in the cell. He doesn't hold him, and they lie on separate sides of the bed, but this is getting too close for his liking.

~*~*~*~*~*~

   And this leaves them where they are now. Seifer, curled around the Magpie, the smaller man's back pressed to his chest. He nuzzles his face into the shorter blonde's hair and sighs, a worried crease wrinkling his scar. He doesn't know how much longer their little affair can last – it is wrong on so many levels that he doesn't dare to count them. He doesn't know if he loves the thief, but he knows that even if it isn't love, it's something he doesn't want to give up just yet. Doesn't want to give Hayner up yet. That's the first time he's so much as thought the Magpie's name. And now he feels as though it's too deep. He's in this too much for his own good, and he's floundering.

   But he pulls the man closer in his sleep, and kisses the nape of his neck before closing his eyes. They have tomorrow to work this out, if his little heart-thief stays.