Hello! I haven't posted anything in a while, I know! And I'm sorry! This was written for the flash_rider comm on livejournal, go check it out! It's also posted on my livejournal page (link on my profile page) and in the yassen_alex comm.

This is my first time writing yassen/alex, so I hope it's alright! And many thanks to capeofstorm (on lj) who had to put up with my super crappy first draft that made me want to vomit when I read it over. Maybe I should get a beta more often...

Disclaimer: Sorry, I'm not a middle-aged man who decided he's going to charge for his book singings because he's just THAT important.

Warnings: Slash, as in boy/boy. A kiss! If you don't like it, please go away.

The gunshot rang out along the metal walls of the underground lab.

Alex Rider clutched the gun with both hands, blood painting his face and shirt along with the wall behind the body. The sight could be called artistic, in a morbid way.

It was Alex's first outright kill. There were so many indirect kills, one would assume they were blur into one. But for Alex, each of them was as clear as the next, visiting his dreams and haunting his nightmares.

And now there was another victim to add to the list.

Alex pulled himself away from the sight, the spatter of blood from the wall permanently imprinted in his mind. His vision was dotted like the pattern as he walked towards to door, resigning himself to sit outside – away from the corpse – and wait for MI6 to come pick him up once he sent a message through his shoe communicator. He recoiled as someone entered the hallway, raising his gun and gripping it with two hands.

"Hello, Alex," Yassen Gregorovich said. Alex's gun didn't waver.

"What are you doing here? Now really isn't the time," Alex narrowed his eyes at the assassin.

"Do I need a reason to come visit my favourite spy?" Yassen spoke. It was so unlike something Yassen would say that Alex took a moment to process Yassen's words.

"Favourite?" Alex asked incredulously.

Yassen didn't speak, only stepped around Alex to survey the body. "A chest shot. Crude, but perhaps an execution style shot to the-"

"All shots are crude! And you still haven't answered why you're here."

Yassen's only response was a quick smirk flitting over his lips, then it was gone. Abruptly, he turned on his heel and disappeared the same way he had entered. Alex followed him, not exactly liking this turn of events, but that door was the exit and Alex definitely wasn't staying with the corpse.

Once Alex had joined Yassen in the late afternoon sun, Yassen said, "Come with me."

Yassen sauntered over to his waiting car, swinging his hips a little, perhaps unconsciously. Alex almost figuratively turned his gun to his head when he realized he was looking at Yassen's butt and just maybe liking what he saw.

"Get in," Yassen said, opening the passenger door for Alex.

"Why?"

"Do you have anywhere else to go?"

MI6 popped immediately into Alex's head but he laughed at the thought and immediately dismissed it. Of course he didn't have anywhere to go other than his small apartment he had purchased once he had gained access to his trust fund. Since Jack was gone, it wasn't like anyone was waiting for him.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Alex," Yassen said. "Unless of course you enjoy that kind of thing."

"Wha- no!" Alex said. Yassen just raised an eyebrow and motioned at the passenger seat. Alex complied, strapping himself in. The door slammed shut and soon Yassen joined him in the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" Alex finally asked, breaking the silence after about a minute of driving.

"Away."

"Away?"

"Away."

"Okay, since you're obviously not getting the hint: What the heck?" Alex said, looking sharply at the assassin.

"I'm taking you away from that blasted MI6."

Alex blinked. "Please elaborate."

"I see how every death affects you. The rate you're going, you'll go insane before you reach twenty."

Alex was silent for a few minutes, completely thrown. Where had this caring side of Yassen sporadically appeared from? "You're one to talk with all of the killing that you do." Alex finally mumbled.

Yassen chuckled. "I never claimed to be unaffected with killing. I've learned to accept it and move on. You, however, dwell on it."

Alex wasn't sure how to reply.

The car pulled up to a small house that was void of life. "Is this your home?" Alex asked.

Yassen nodded, "One of them."

They went inside and Yassen took his jacket off and laid it on the couch. He pulled Alex into the bathroom, reaching for the hem of Alex's shirt.

"What are you doing?" Alex cried, pulling away.

Yassen looked amused. "If you're thinking anything naughty, save that for later when you're not covered in gore."

Alex blushed when he realized Yassen was trying to remove his shirt because of the blood spatter that adorned it. He glared at the man to hide his embarrassment and turned away and took it off himself.

Unknown to him, Yassen sent him a lingering, hungry look.

Alex's eyes followed Yassen as he reached into a drawer and pulled out a washcloth, running it under warm water and putting some soap in it. Alex flinched when Yassen's hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him closer. As uncomfortable as Alex was, he didn't pull away or respond with words. To alleviate his conflicted emotions that sprung up from the close proximity, he told himself he was simply afraid for his neck were he to piss off the assassin. However, a slight feeling in the pit of his stomach told him otherwise.

Alex closed his eyes as Yassen brought the warm washcloth to Alex's cheek, wiping away the dried blood. Alex looked up as Yassen moved a bit closer. Yassen's face was a mask of concentration and Alex couldn't help but stare at the man's lips.

Alex blamed hormones. Hormones and insanity. How else could he describe the impulse that led him to press his lips against the assassin's full ones?

Fortunately, Alex didn't meet imminent death. Unfortunately, Alex felt himself pressed up against the glass door of the shower. Maybe not-so-unfortunately, Alex decided, as Yassen kissed him roughly.

A bite on his lower lip shocked him into opening his mouth, allowing Yassen's tongue to enter and completely yielding to the older man.

And it must have been the insanity and hormones once again when Alex kissed back just as ferociously.