When and Where

This is a fanfic I did on a whim, based of the yaoi series 'Yellow.' It's really awesome, so if you want to read it, look up 'The Evil Empire.' Making an account is free, and once you've made 10 legitimate posts in the forums, you can read/download anything you want for free.

Disclaimer- I do not own 'Yellow' or any of its characters. If I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time here. It's not that I don't love all of you, but I would really like to make some money.

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A soft exhalation of breath.

The gentle glide of sheets on skin.

These were the only indications of life in the small room. Moonlight entered through the window, illuminating the two relatively still figures that occupied the bed. One's eyes were closed, chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. The other lay on his side, head propped up on one arm. His gaze traveled along his companion's body, admiring each curve and contour, softening when if passed over the slumbering face.

God wasn't afraid to admit that he wasn't the world's brightest mind. He knew that fact all too well. In all of his previous partnerships, he had usually let his co-workers handle the thinking while he supplied the muscle. That had always been the best way to get things done. Especially when he had worked with Kei. The kid had plenty of smarts, but not much else. He knew how to use a gun, but he just couldn't seem to hold onto during a real fight.

Perhaps that was where it had started, with a simple need to protect. Truth be told, Goh couldn't really recall much about his relationship with Kei anymore. He only knew that he had loved the boy, from thin hips to wide eyes, for that short time. But apparently his love hadn't been enough. Kei had still run off with someone else, taking every cent he had and leaving Goh in the dust. It had hurt like hell, being betrayed by someone he loved and trusted. It was like having his mother abandon him all over again. But he had bounced back, convincing himself that if Kei didn't feel the same way, then all the self-doubt and guilt wasn't worth it. He just had to be more careful about giving his heart away.

That was when Taki came along. When they first met, Goh believed that keeping the promise he had made to himself would be easy. This man didn't have any of the qualities he looked for. As he remembered saying, he preffered his lovers to be young and thin. Taki was tall, muscled, and (most importantly) straight. This partnership was going to be a breeze.

They had moved into the apartment above The Roost (so it would be easier to get jobs from Tsunaga) and quickly fell into a natural routine. Both of the pitched in around the house, taking turns doing laundry and cooking. Goh accepted the fact that Taki would always ask why the meals he cooked consisted of nothing but various meats, and Taki accepted the fact that Goh would refuse to eat practically every type of vegetable. And despite the obvious differences in their lifestyle choices, they never had any serious problems with each others. Even the snatching business seemed easier. Goh no longer had to worry about giving all he had just to keep his partners from getting killed. Taki's fighting skills surpassed his own, making the blonde more than capable of defending himself. Both of them got a huge confidence boost from the knowledge that they had each had someone to watch their backs and lend a helping hand when it was needed.

Unlike his hazy memories of the time he spent with Kei, Goh could remember every defining moment he had shared with Taki. The first time he really began to look at the other man that way was the day after a particularly rough job. Taki was sleeping in, so Goh had taken it upon himself to make breakfast. When the sound of a bedroom door opening met his ears, he had poked his head around the corner - and felt his breath catch. Taki's hair was sticking out in every direction, and he wore nothing but a loose pair of sweatpants, leaving his torso bare. His muscles rippled and knotted with each movement, and Goh found that he couldn't look away. The only thing he could think of was how drop-dead sexy his partner looked.

Lust. It had started as lust. Simply wanting the other man, desiring to claim him. Goh snuck a few quick glances when he could, and started glaring at the women that the other man brought home. Taki caught one of the death stares that was thrown at a particularly curvy brunette as she left. Not comprehending what it actually meant, he had casually told Goh that just because he didn't like women, it wouldn't hurt to be kind to them. Goh made a quick comeback, telling Taki that he should try to take a little trip on the other side of the sexual spectrum. Taki had flipped him off, and Goh had told the blonde that he was ready for it anytime.

The transition between lust and love had occured slowly, though it only became apparent at one specific moment, during one specific job. Everything had been running smoothly. They had located the drugs without any hindrances and they were just about to contact Tsunaga. Suddenly, a shot rang out. Goh turned around, and his eyes widened in horror as he watched Taki fall to the floor while he clutched his side in agony. He had seen red as he whipped out his own pistol and incapacitated the assailant, just barely remembering his partner's earliest advice. 'If you only remember one thing, the blonde had told him, 'Then let it be this: We are not killers.' So he had left the man who had tried to take the life of Goh's most important person alive. He practically screamed at the transmitter, telling Tsunaga to contact the police and "Call a fucking ambulance!" He had half-carried, half-dragged his unconscious partner outside and into a secluded alley, where he prayed that none of their attacker's friends would find them. He had wrapped his arms around Taki's limp body, using one hand to try and stop the flow of blood, all while begging other man to keep living. It was in that exact second that realization hit him. He knew that if Taki died that day, he would follow soon after. He sat there for what felt like hours, blinking back tears and holding his love close, until Tsunaga and the ambulance had arrived to take them to the safety of the hospital. Goh had paced back and forth in the waiting room until they finished working on the blonde. When was finally allowed to enter the room, Taki's smile made almost bowling over the doctors worth it.

Once all the nurses had cleared out, Goh took a few long strides to the side of the bed, grabbed a fistful of the hair on the back of Taki's head, and proceeded to ravish him senseless. A second later, Taki had administered a swift punch to the other man's gut, successfully cutting off his advances. Both of them had fumed for a while, each for his own reasons. Few words had been exchanged over the next week. When Taki was finally released, they returned home, and everything had gone back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

Ever persistent, Goh had refused to accept defeat. He took every opportunity he could get to proclaim his love or steal a kiss, and Taki kept deflecting him with ease. But the dark-haired man was sure that if he kept at it, he would eventually find a crack in his partner's armor. And his suspicions had been confirmed when Kei reappeared. Though he made it obvious that he no longer felt anything for the boy, Taki had his doubts. In fact, he even appeared - dare Goh say it - jealous. He could of danced with joy when he figured it out.

But despite his best efforts, Goh eventually came to a standstill. He couldn't seem to get any farther, no many how times he said 'I love you,' or stole a kiss from the blonde. For once in his life, he felt ready to admit that he just may have met the one man he wouldn't be able to get.

As soon as he had convinced himself that he was pursuing an unattainable goal, he received one of the biggest shocks of his life. Taki came to him willingly. He placed himself in Goh's arms, all defenses and ihhibitions gone, and gave the other man what he had wanted for so long. Goh's heart had soared with the knowledge that there would be no other men and women coming and going in their apartment. Neither of them would ever need anyone else, as long as they had each other.

And then there was Sandfish. Goh had never felt such an odd mix of hatred and gratitude geared towards two individuals before. In the end, he supposed that it was because of the threat that Katsuro and Mizuki posed that Taki had been so willing to give himself to his partner. But one good deed did not excuse all the bad. They had tried to take the blonde away, an unforgivable act in Goh's eyes. And Taki had been put through so much pain, physical and emotional, by their hands that it made Goh's heart ache. When his partner finally got around to telling him the entire story of his childhood, Goh hadn't said a word. He only held him tightly, letting every ounce of comfort and love he had flow through his arms and into the other man.

After everything had been resolved, Goh had kept his promise and taken Taki on their long awaited trip. Unfortunately, the blonde still seemed to be a walking magnet for every women within sight. Goh had his work cut out for him, making sure that anyone that wandered too close knew that his partner was taken. It had warmed the very depths of his soul when Taki informed the one woman in Rome that he couldn't accompany her because he was on his honeymoon.

When they had finally returned to Japan, they worked several different jobs, a little bit of bartending here, a litte table bussing there. But both of them knew that it was just a matter of time until they returned to snatching. It had been such a major part in their lives for so long that it was impossible to simply throw it away. And even though they both had so much more to lose, it was something they were willing to protect.

A low moan pulled Goh away from his memories. He watched as Taki sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The sheets pooled around his waist, leaving very little to the imagination. He turned towards the dark-haired man, gaze unfocused.

"Wha' time 'sit?" he asked, speech slurred with exhaustion.

Goh glanced over his lover's shoulder at the alarm clock. "Two in the morning."

"Why 'n hell's name 'er you up?"

He shrugged. "Just watching you sleep," he replied casually.

"Tha's a lil' creepy."

The dark-haired man began running one hand across the blonde's side and chest, feeling the shiver that passed through his body. "I can't help it. You're just so damn sexy."

Goh could just barely see the blush that formed on the other man's face. Smirking, he pushed Taki back down into the matress and captured the blonde's mouth with his own. His heart began to pound against his ribcage when he felt his partner respond with an equal amount of enthusiasm. Goh pulled away, and began trailing his lips across the twim jaw line and down the smooth neck, pausing only to leave his mark.

"But I have to admit," he murmured between gentle bites, one hand slowly gliding lower and lower, "You're so much sexier when you're awake." He gave a slight squeeze with one hand.

"Nn - Goh!"

Taki's voice and body revealed his growing desire, and Goh wasn't far behind. Together, they easily moved into the newest part of their natural routine, one of the few that they enjoyed every minute of.

Neither of them got much sleep that night.

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Taki and Goh forevah!!