I awoke slowly, feeling dazed and stiff. I was in a bed I didn't recognise; in a room I didn't recognise. There wasn't any pain when I moved so I have a sneaking suspicion that I have been asleep a lot longer than a couple of hours. I felt something warm by my knee. I looked down and saw Umi yawn and roll over in his sleep. I stared at him; trying to find the signs of vampirism. Finding no outward signs, I carefully slipped my legs out from under him and crawled down the bed. I gently parted his soft lips and moved my face until it was inches from his; inspecting his fang with my finger in his mouth.

'Gin?'

'Wah!' I cried out, leaping back across the bed in fright.

'Jin, why did you have your finger in my mouth?' asked Umi.

'I...uh..' I floundered.

Umi chuckled,'You're so cute,' he said.

I blushed.

He chuckled again.

'W-what happened?' I cringed inwardly at my small stutter as I tried to change the subject.

Umi frowned,'he's not dead if that's what you mean.' Umi did his best to keep his face impassive but I could tell that I had upset him.

I sighed; feeling the need to change the topic again. 'How come I couldn't tell what you were?'

'I'm older than you are.'

'So,' I pouted, feeling disappointed in myself. I Iooked up from underneath my lashes to see him sporting a small smile - which only made me pout more... 'Hey, how did you know Kazuya was a vampire?' I asked, fearing I wouldn't like the answer.

'We both work for X.'

I was right; I don't like that answer.

'So you two work with Ace.'

'Correct.'

'You're crazy.'

Umi guffawed and his whole body tilted back in shock. 'Look who's talking! I didn't get tortured by my boss now did I?'

'Matsumoto wasn't my boss.'

'No,' he agreed, 'but it was your boss that ordered him to do it.'

He had a point. But, I had disobeyed Inran's orders - I mean, what did I expect him to do; let me get away with it?

Of course not. And I would expect X to be the same.