FicWad

Instinct

NOTES: I'm thinking that having Jack as 15 is a good idea, maybe even 16, reader's discretion. If you wanna read him as younger, feel free, I'm not too fussed really. If you want a concrete age, about fifteen is what I was thinking. And I know it's short, and the ending's a bit poo, but my one-shot's always end abruptly.

DISCLAIMER: The characters portrayed herein are from Xiaolin Showdown, which I make no profit from and I do not claim ownership. Well I do, but with no authority so nobody listens.

PAIRING: D'uh. Maybe a smidgen of Raimundo as well, but not much! Don't panic! Chase will set everything right!

WARNINGS: Language, slash, some serious sap that I couldn't dispose of

~~~

It was night and it was full moon. There was a December chill in the air, but the shadow approaching Spicer Mansion cared little for such trivialities. Eyes with vaguely demonic pupils narrowed up at the roof, where two young figures were illuminated by the dull glow.

Chase landed silently on the ledge, his lack of noise not meaning a lack of presence. Both boys looked up at him fearfully. Unable to stop himself, Chase growled at the Brazilian and lifted him up by his collar. The boy struggled in vain to escape from the evil overlord's grasp, but was unable to free himself until Chase decided to let him go. Let him go, throwing him of the roof, it was all the same thing really.

The other boy scrambled to the edge, nearly slipping on the frosty tiles as he tried to see over the ledge where his 'friend' had been dropped. Chase approached quickly, digging his fingers into soft red hair and pulling the boy's head back roughly so they were looking into each other's eyes. Chase found he could barely speak for rage, but managed to snarl out 'Home. Now.'

Jack stood up and tried to pull away, but Chase gripped his arm and when Chase has hold of something it stays held.

"But you said home, I'm going home. This is my home, right here! We're standing on it! Let me go!"

Chase pulled the redhead firmly against him and teleported, taking no small measure of pleasure in Jack's startled yelp.

Then they were in the foyer of Chase's grand lair. Chase dropped Jack on the floor carelessly. Jack whimpered, he'd landed on his wrist and hurt it.

The young boy watched, bewildered, as Chase walked away from him, only to stop at the steps and hang his head as though deep in thought. Jack noticed all the big cats were slinking away, as though scared. He began to feel a little apprehensive himself. He cradled his injured wrist to his chest and decided to ask what the fuck was going on.

"Uh, Chase?" Not quite the impressive and demanding voice he'd intended, but it served to draw the older man's attention.

"Not now, Spicer."

"Hey, you brought me here. And I thought you'd stopped calling me by my last name now?"

"Not NOW!"

Jack flinched and shuffled backwards until his back was against the stone entrance. It wasn't so much the shouting, he was used to that, but the flash of lizard that had glimmered for a second, that was what scared him. Chase had a lot of control over himself. Jack had never seen him so angry that his steel will lapsed, even for a moment. It couldn't be his fault, something must have happened. Chase didn't care enough about him to get this angry because of him. Right?

But if he wasn't furious because of Jack, then Jack knew he could still be in major trouble. Because if he wasn't furious about him that meant he didn't care, and if he didn't care he wouldn't hesitate to take his wrath out on Jack! If he did care and he was angry because of Jack, then he'd still have good reason to harm him. This was bad, very, very, bad...

Chase could sense Jack's fear across the room and tried to find the small drop of shame that he knew must be somewhere in his soul, even after all this time. He had to calm down, he was scaring the boy. But damn it, that didn't help because he enjoyed scaring people. Power was an aphrodisiac, that was why he tied Jack up so much. This was getting him nowhere though. He'd have to deal with this problem at its source. He turned to Jack.

"Stay. I will return."

"Where you going?" Jack still looked frightened and unsure, his voice meek as though he didn't know whether he should ask or not.

"I am killing Raimundo, then I will return."

"What?!?" Jack jumped to his feet, hissing as he jarred his wrist.

"Are you hurt?" Chase walked towards him, coldness replaced by concern on his handsome face.

Jack tried to back away, but his back was already against the wall. "You did drop me on the floor...ow!"

Chase inspected the wrist thoroughly. "It may be a fracture. Jack..."

"What the hell is going on with you? First you're horrible to me, then you're acting like a crazy person, now you're Mr. Nice Guy? You're fucking with my head!"

Chase pulled the teen to his chest again, gently this time, and ran his fingers gently through the wild hair. "I was in a bad mood. You were being exceptionally annoying."

Jack looked up at him, red eyes watering slightly. "Then why didn't you just say that, you big..." he looked as though he was about to say something offensive, but changed his mind and buried his face back in Chase's chest. Chase supposed he hadn't quite eased Jack's mind yet.

"I should have just pointed it out to you I suppose. But is this how you intend to react whenever I insult you? You plan on running off to whichever monk will kiss you?" He felt the anger bubbling up again and let go of Jack, walking back to his previous standing place at the foot of the stairs.

Jack stood where he'd been left, staring at Chase Young's back, feeling a little confused. Then he realised, Chase wasn't just angry that Jack had disobeyed him, he was insanely jealous! Jack would have smiled if it weren't for the fact that Chase had still pissed him off a lot that day and he had shooting pains in his right arm.

"You didn't just insult me, you practically wrote a book on why I should be erased from existence. That's hurtful, you know. Just because you're an emotionless bastard, doesn't mean that..."

"Do I LOOK emotionless!?!" Chase said, whirling on Jack and grabbing him again. Jack whimpered as his arm was tightly held in Chase's vice-like hands. "Do you honestly think I feel nothing for you, you stupid boy! You think I keep you here because you're useful? You're useless! Fit only for warming my bed! And that is where you will stay! If I ever see you near that boy ever again..."

"You'll know you fucked up again?" Jack said, finally feeling something like defiance take hold of him. Then again, it could be the dizzying pain in his arm.

"You can't honestly blame me for your lack of self-control!"

"My lack of self-control? Look at you! You're yelling at me and going to kill Raimundo and...and... I think I'm gonna faint..."

Chase's eyes widened as Jack grew even paler and the older man quickly slipped his arms around behind the evil boy genius as he lost consciousness and collapsed into Chase.

~~~~*

When Jack opened his eyes, he noticed that the room was full of tigers and panthers and lions. It was Chase's room, well his and Chase's room. Sort of. A black panther down on the floor right next to the bed stretched when it saw he was awake and took a note in its teeth from beneath its paw. Jack took it sleepily. The cats were nice to him these days, seemingly knowing why he was around their master so much.

He looked at the paper, folded over with Chase's dragon seal. Does that man seal everything? Jack wondered, feeling a little light-headed and dizzy. He ripped open the letter, playing with the broken wax for a moment before remembering to read it.

'Jack, I have gone to sort out some business. Your arm was quite badly fractured, you need to drink more milk. I have given you something for the pain, so STAY IN BED or you will probably trip over your own legs and cause more damage than before. The cats will look after you. Chase. X.'

"Heh, Chase put a kiss at the end. Look kitty," Jack said, dangling the note over the panther's face, "he put a kiss on it." He fell back onto the bed, chuckling at something he couldn't quite remember, until he started to doze again.

~~~~*

The next time Jack woke up, he didn't open his eyes straight away. It was his ears that got the first benefit of being awake, Chase's refined voice speaking softly near him. Jack kept his eyes closed, still not entirely sure if he was awake yet.

"I didn't kill him, of course. I know how annoyed you would be. I can wait a couple of years until you are more confident with true evil. But then he dies, Jack. Nobody who touches you can live, except me. You are mine. But I lose control over you. I am at a loss as to why I am provoked over the smallest matters that involve you. This is not the first time I have noticed it. I was watching your showdown last week against that little fire bitch, and I could have ripped her to shreds when she left you under the rubble. You test my control, Jack Spicer. The first to ever truly do so."

Jack heard a sigh and yawned in response. "Chase?" he mumbled drowsily, opening his eyes to see his idol sitting on a stool beside his bed.

Chase smiled at him and it made Jack feel all mushy in his stomach. "Are you hungry?"

"Nah."

"Do you still hurt?"

Jack flexed his fingers experimentally. "Nah."

"Do you want anything?"

"Just you, in all your wrath-filled vengeful glory."

Chase raised an eyebrow and climbed into the bed beside Jack. He didn't have to pull him close, Jack snuggled in first.

"You know, I've been thinking Chase."

"Hmm?" Chase wasn't too pleased about that.

"I was thinking that if you had killed Raimundo, I'd be very upset."

"Is that so?" Chase's voice was a contrast to his early ire, it was now dangerously calm.

"Yeah. I can't help but think it would be nice to watch you kill for me."

"Well when you're more awake, we can visit the Xiaolin Temple. How about that?"

Jack nodded, his red eyes sparkling with malevolence. "I can even flirt with him to get you in the mood."

Chase growled and flipped Jack onto his back. "I think you'll find the simple fact of your existence gets me in the mood, Jack." He frowned and looked around the room.

"Of course, handcuffs are always a bonus..."



End.