A/N: written a while ago. Just felt like posting it following Freaky_Person_O.o's review... saying (basically) that I needed to write more Liu/Atsuki that wasn't, ah, just smut for smut's sake. Derr. :feels stupid:

Summary: He realized, the first time they met, that he was truly weak. //: Liu Yee/Atsuki drabble oneshot.

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"Atsuki, this is Liu Yee. You'll be working with him." Commander Ray's soft baritone swept over Atsuki, the hand on the small of his back urging him gently forward.

Atsuki looked up cautiously, taking in the black leather shoes, dark gray slacks, and stunningly white oxford of the teenager of Chinese descent before him.

The teenager sneered in contempt. "Have I been relegated to babysitting duty, sir?"

Ray chuckled softly, shaking his head, and moved his hand to Atsuki's shoulder, making him straighten up. "No, Atsuki is a Signum Anima user just like you. He uses Gawain."

His commander's proud tone of voice made Liu Yee stand up straighter and inspect Atsuki more closely. Sure enough, there was the relic- on his thumb because it was too large for him to wear properly, but he wore it all the same. He was still studying the boy's cold, angry face when Ray announced that he was going to go get the file for the briefing and he would be right back.

They both looked up when the door clicked shut, but Liu Yee looked back at him first, pursed his lips shortly, and then snapped out a hand, curling his fingers under Atsuki's chin. Immediately, Atsuki's gaze flew to watch Liu Yee's expression, eyes flashing gold for a moment as he checked the older teen's shinen for harmful intent, but he found none. The hand on his chin tilted his face from side to side slowly before letting go with a thoughtful "hmm."

"Hey, Atsuki-kun," offered Liu Yee, tone deceptively light, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and leaning back, "let's play a game." Atsuki continued to stare at him with an unreadable expression, a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks, which was an understandable reaction after having been touched like that by a near-stranger on such short notice, so he pressed on. "I'll think of a number between 10 and 100. You try to get past my barrier and find out what it is. You have until Commander Ray gets back. Go."

Almost immediately he felt the telltale beetles-on-paper sensation of someone trying to read his mind, but it was… different somehow, more controlled and focused, almost liquid—

And then it was gone.

"49," said the young boy as his golden eye dimmed.

Liu Yee was stunned. The 'game' he had proposed was in reality a common exercise used among telepaths to gauge the strength of others. In fact, it was taught to him by Commander Ray himself, back when he had joined FORT, but not even he had been able to read his as-yet-unprotected mind so quickly, and this time he had prepared a mental barrier.

His shock must have shown on his face because Atsuki smirked; thankfully for his already-smarting pride, however, he said nothing, and maintained said silence, staring thoughtfully at him, until Commander Ray's return.