ARAAT3: The Forbidden Experiment

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A Rose And A Thorn 3: The Forbidden Experiment

Co-Written by Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

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Harley: Heous wins at the last minute for adknowleging that a homosexual Tails is cliché. It is a bit, I guess, but ever since I read ‘Manipulated Love', I’ve liked the idea of a Tails/Knuckles pairing. Besides, sometimes clichés work.

Froggy: So, Adrian, glad to see you, but don’t worry. We’re not changing pairings just because people want us to. But if there was serious yaoi in the story, it would be in the summary.

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Chapter Eight: New Place

Espio waited patiently at the meeting point. Mirage had been away all day. It wasn't that he couldn't have followed her. But he had a fair idea of what she was doing - acquiring money. And he'd prefer to not have anything to do with it. Furthermore, he had his own thoughts to dwell on.

"Hello, Espio," Mirage's soft, precise voice spoke behind him. She was as quiet as her brother. He turned to look at her. She'd acquired trousers and a clean jacket with a hood that shrouded her face. She didn't smell of a slaughterhouse any more either, so it could be presumed that she'd bought a new vest too.

As Espio took the new outfit in, he nodded his approval of it. Practical and concealing, just the way he liked it, "Much better,” he said, voicing his opinion of it, "I presume finding it is why you took so long to get here."

"I thought it best that I conceal my stripes," Mirage replied, "They are rather... obvious."

"Blood red stripes are sure to draw attention,” Espio replied in agreement, "There are not many out there with red and black fur, and we should blend in with the crowd." Obviously, it wasn't an issue with him. Once again, he was grateful for being born with the ability to change his scale colour, "Did you get anything else of use while you were out?"

Mirage reached into the jacket and pulled out a thick wad of crisp, fresh bank notes, "I rented a place for the week," she replied, "Nothing fancy. The landlord does not ask questions of his tenants, and I like it that way."

"Even better,” he said with a smirk, "You're pretty good at this, Mirage. Sure you haven't visited Earth before?"

"No,” Mirage replied, “I have certain emergency procedures pre-programmed into my brain. Such procedures would aid in the evasion of authority or the tracking of a target. It is nothing more than survival skills in a city. I expect that is why I prefer urbanised areas."

"It's what you're most familiar with," Espio moved away from the wall he had been leaning against and stretched out, a series of popping sounds coming from various joints, "Well, I've been standing around here long enough. Let’s see that apartment you've rented."

Mirage nodded and started walking quickly, leading Espio. She certainly knew where she was going - into the darker, more dangerous parts of Grand Metropolis. The streets grew narrower, and dirtier, the further they went. Finally they came to the apartment she'd rented. She fumbled with a key and opened the door, then took Espio up three flights of stairs and into the room. It was tiny - a bathroom, a bedroom, and a kitchen-cum-dining room, all badly furnished and all furniture and appliances bolted to surfaces.

"I've been in worse,” the chameleon admitted as he looked around the dingy room, arms crossed over his chest. "It'll serve its purpose,” he said with a nod. He didn't need all that many comforts to get by. Just a place to sleep and running water, really.

"I am glad you did not complain, because I would not care," Mirage took off the jacket and hung it on a chair, showing that she'd either bought a vest identical to her old one, or she'd had it repaired and cleaned.

"Humph," Espio smiled slightly, shook his head, and sat down in a nearby chair, sighing in relief. He had been on his feet for too long, and it felt very good to surrender to gravity again.

“There is only one single bed," Mirage pointed out, "So we will have to take turns with it."

Espio hummed and nodded his head, showing that he understood. He looked over into the small bedroom and considered suggesting that they just share it. But then it occurred to him that she might not appreciate that suggestion. The chameleon looked away from the feline suddenly and wondered why the thought made him feel strange inside. As soon as it had arrived, he pushed it to the back of his mind.

Mirage hesitated, "I would have bought food, but I did not know what you would like," she said quietly.

"I'm not too picky; I'll eat whatever you put in front of me,” the ninja assured her, looking back into her eyes again, "But I appreciate that you waited. What about you? What do you like to eat?"

"Fish," Mirage replied, "Red meat. White meat. Dairy products. I am… uh… a carnivore."

"Ah.” It made sense to the chameleon that she would be carnivorous. She was mostly cat, after all. "Just get whatever you feel like, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it too."

"I will be back soon," Mirage pulled on her jacket, took some money, and left the flat, leaving Espio alone with his thoughts.

Espio looked at the door long after Mirage had closed it behind her, his thoughts drifting around the subject of her, wondering what it was she thought and felt, about the world, about herself, about him. Shaking his head, he turned around and guided his weary body into the bedroom. He didn't show it to her, but he was exhausted by the events of the past few days. Without any of his usual grace, the chameleon flopped down onto the bed and closed his eyes. Almost as soon as he touched the covers, he fell asleep.

~~~

About an hour later, Mirage returned with two heavy bags in each hand, and dropped them on the table in the dining room cum kitchen. She could feel the extra silence in the air, and followed it by instinct into the bedroom. She smiled dryly as she looked down at Espio, fast asleep on top of the covers.

The chameleon had curled up on the covers of the bed after he had fallen asleep and had unconsciously rolled over into a beam of sunlight that was streaming through the window. His breathing was a slow, rhythmic sound, his chest rising and falling. He rubbed his cheek against the covers absently, some distant part of his mind knowing that someone else was in the room.

Mirage just smiled, watching him quietly. After several seconds she left the room and started to pack things away.

A few quiet mumbles escaped the chameleon as he shifted on top of the bed, followed by a slow sigh that reached the ears of the feline. Her ear twitched again. She finished packing away the food, and sat down at the table, bridging her fingers thoughtfully.

A new sound reached her ears, a quiet whimper of distress and the sound of the chameleon shifting around on the bed restlessly. She stood up again, and walked to the bedroom, standing silently in the doorway and watching Espio lying on the bed.

The chameleon's face was scrunched up in a look of discomfort, and he brought his arms up beside his head as if trying to shield himself.

"Espio?" Mirage called softly, "Espio, are you okay?"

The chameleon moaned again, shifting onto his other side, his tail latching onto and curling around a nearby bedpost.

Fu'sht, Mirage thought with fervour. She was not good with people. She moved over to the bed, "Espio?" she called again, bending forward a little.

"No,” he moaned quietly, curling into a ball, "No, stay away..." When he was awake, Espio never showed a hint of fear even when faced with the greatest of threats, but now… he looked terrified.

Mirage thought a rude word in feline, which had a great many of them. With some nervousness, she reached out a hand and shook his shoulder gently, "Espio," she repeated, "Espio, wake u-"

His amber eyes shot open. His hand snapped out, grabbed her throat, and yanked her down onto the bed. The chameleon rolled onto her and pressed a shuriken against her throat, a look of anger on his face.

Mirage didn't move or speak, her muzzle turning very pale. She started to move one hand slowly towards one of her knives.

The chameleon glared at her with a cold rage, the shuriken pressing harder against her throat. And then, the anger left his face, leaving his expression blank. Slowly, he drew the throwing star away from her neck, sighed, and rolled off her. "Just a dream..." he whispered to himself.

Mirage regained her breath, "What kind of dream was that?"

"The really bad kind,” he explained vaguely, strangely calm after the intense nightmare. He looked at the throwing star in his hand and imbedded it in a bed post, "Sorry about that..." he muttered.

"I gathered it was a bad dream," Mirage replied, "But they do not get any better if you do not talk about them."

"You were trying to kill me in it,” he said bluntly and without hesitation, "I think you had already killed Vector and Charmee. It took me a moment to realize it was just a dream."

Mirage sat up on the bed, hugging her knees absentmindedly, "It is a perfectly reasonable fear. I do not expect, however, that I shall need to kill you or your friends."

"I know,” he said quietly, shaking his head, "It didn't make sense. Just a dream..."

"Dreams do not have to make sense," Mirage answered, "They are just your thoughts sorting out what you meant to think about during the day." She shifted and wrapped her tail around her waist, then pulled the shruiken out of the bedpost and looked at it, turning it over in her fingers.

Espio watched as Mirage ran her fingers over the throwing star, avoiding its sharp edges. He focused on that as his breathing and heartbeat slowed down, "Have you ever used one of those before?" he asked.

"No, but I have a little skill with throwing knives," Mirage replied, still looking at the sharp metal.

"Then it shouldn't be hard for you to adjust to them,” he told her, "I'll give you a few of mine if you'd like to practice with them... I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Do not worry about it," Mirage held the shruiken in her claws, and offered it back to Espio, "Here."

"No,” the chameleon replied, carefully curling her fingers around it, "Keep it, as a gift." His way of saying that he was sorry for nearly killing her. If anyone would appreciate something sharp for a gift, he supposed it would be her.

Mirage smiled, and then a red tint, a slight blush, rose to her cheeks slowly as their hands intertwined.

Espio smiled back as he slid his fingers through hers, enjoying the feel of the fur which he himself lacked. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, mindful of the sharp object in it.

After what felt like forever, Mirage released his hand, placing the throwing star inside her open-fronted vest, along with her fighting daggers. She looked away, breaking eye contact, and the blush faded.

Espio released a breath he wasn't aware of holding and turned away from her, putting his legs over the side of the bed. "So... what'd you get us for dinner?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Microwave dinners," Mirage answered, "Lasagne. They looked easy, and there is a microwave in the kitchen - bolted to the surfaces."

"Mmm... sounds good to me,” Espio said as he stood up and walked around to the foot of the bed, "Thankyou, Mirage."

Mirage unfolded carefully and looked at the bandage on her shoulder, "What for?" she asked absently picking at the bandages, "It is only some shopping."

"It's one less thing for me to do,” he said with a shrug, "I needed the rest. I think that's worthy of thanks." He leaned forward and placed a hand on the bandage and peeled it away, looking at the stitches. "Mmm... the stitches look fine to me. We should put a fresh bandage on there. ...You heal awfully quick."

"Yes, I suppose so," Mirage agreed, "It... still stings though," she admitted. If she was admitting this, it was probably doing more than just stinging.

The chameleon frowned and ran a finger softly across the wound, "It will sting and itch a lot before it’s fully healed. Consider it a good sign."

Mirage found herself blushing again at the touch, her normally tan cheeks becoming red, and a shiver running down her spine, "Yes... yes, I know that."

Espio felt the shiver run through her smaller frame and noticed the blush in her cheeks. Again, his stomach felt like it was doing flips inside of him. Without thinking, his hands left the wound and gently stroked her arm.

Again, Mirage didn't flinch away. Her claws retracted and her gaze moved from his hand, to his face. Her ears tilted back slightly, nervously, and she looked away.

Espio swallowed, his throat feeling dry as his hand left her arm and rested against her face, his thumb caressing her cheek, "It's alright,” he whispered, looking into her crimson eyes.

Mirage nodded a little, and her paws moved, from hanging limp by her sides, onto his shoulders. When she opened her mouth, all that came out was a soft whimper; she could even feel sweat on her forehead. Why?

Espio didn't know what he was thinking, or if he was thinking at all, when he lowered his face to hers and kissed her lips. It was sudden and unexpected for both of them as he moved his lips against hers, feeling their warmth and softness. He continued to cup her face in his hands as he did so.

Mirage's eyes snapped wide open with shock. She couldn't move for a long time, but finally found the thought she was looking for. She could feel Espio's smooth lips moving on hers, his gloved hands stroking her hot cheeks. I like this, she thought.

Just as suddenly as it started, Espio pulled his lips away from hers, their faces still close and his hand still on her cheek, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that..." he whispered.

"N-no, d-do not be like that," Mirage stammered, "I... I just d-do not understand," she said finally.

"Me neither,” was Espio's quiet reply. He did his best to hide the confusion that was growing inside. The words of his mentors whispered in his mind about such things as remaining professional and detached during a mission, but those words sounded so hollow as he looked into Mirage's eyes. "I shouldn't have... this is... I can't..."

"What cannot you do?" Mirage asked him, confused. Her expression was one of naivety and innocence.

"I can't... get emotionally involved..." he struggled to speak, feeling like he was digging a knife into his own chest. Emotion had been so easy to suppress before, but now it seemed to come out of him in a flood, "I shouldn't do this with you... it's unprofessional. A distraction... I..." He looked helplessly into her eyes, uncertain of what to do. Yes, he could say the words, but for once he was having a hard time believing them.

"Oh. Was that what it was?" Mirage asked, "You are right, I cannot get emotionally involved either. Thank you for warning me."

Somehow, her agreeing with those words hurt him far worse. He caressed her cheek one more time and then slid his hand away from her face. She had looked... happy, for that brief moment... He leaned in again and brushed his lips against hers before pulling away quickly and rubbing the side of his head. "No. I... I need some time to think..."

"Okay," Mirage said calmly, "I'll - I will try to cook the dinner. I've - I have never done it before, so it might come out a bit odd." She was having serious trouble. Her voice was still clipped and precise, but only when she remembered.

"That's ok,” he replied as he stepped back, blinking, "You can... I'll be on the roof." He quickly turned away and walked towards the door of the apartment.

Mirage blinked, confused again. This was why she was glad she wasn't a people person. They were so... confusing. She went into the tiny kitchen and unwrapped the lasagne thoughtfully.

Espio stepped out onto the roof of the building and walked to the edge, sitting down with his legs dangling off it, hands together in front of him, and he stared out into space deep in thought. What the hell was with him? Why did he do that? Yeah, he could admit that he enjoyed being around Mirage. Her attitude, while surely abrasive to most in how blunt and straightforward it was, was one he appreciated and enjoyed. And yes, he found her physically attractive as well. But... that didn't mean he should get involved with her like that. It could endanger his mission, and beside, his lifestyle just didn't provide a very healthy environment for a romantic relationship. That's what his intelligent, logical brain told him. Why couldn't he listen to it?

Mirage busied herself with the meal. Why had she let Espio get so close to her? She should have given him such a pounding for trying it on with her. But she hadn't. His taste still lingered on her lips. And she found herself... wanting more of it? "What the fu'sht is wrong with me?!" she hissed to herself.

Espio sighed and took a deep breath, straightening his posture and controlling his breathing as he closed his eyes. He needed to clear his mind, get rid of all those conflicting feelings and find the right path to take. But as he went through the mental exercise, all he could think about was Mirage, remembering her scent, the feel of her soft fur, and the taste of her lips. The chameleon growled in frustration, perhaps one of his biggest outbursts in years. This, of course, only worried him further. He knew that most things were beyond his control, but control of the self was something he was supposed to have mastery of.

Mirage pushed the lasagne into the microwave and set it for ten minutes, "Freaking yawlp..." she muttered, sitting in a seat and putting her face in her hands, and only felines know just how bad a word that is in feline, "Think... think straight..." But the memory of his hands on her cheeks, his lips on hers and his tongue inside her mouth, even for a brief moment… those memories were not helping her. Not when she wanted to feel them again.

Espio knew many ways to kill a man. He knew how to hide himself, to become invisible. He knew how to gather information and track down a target. He knew how to hone and focus his mind and body, to sharpen himself into a living weapon, lethal and durable. What he didn't have much experience with was matters of the heart. Romance was something that had never entered his life. The ninja academy in which he spent a large majority of his young life heavily discouraged it, and in his life afterwards, he was too much of a loner, too involved in his work, to get heavily involved in such matters. Honestly, he never thought he wanted or needed it. But just that tiny taste of it he had with Mirage was addictive, tantalizing, leaving him wanting more. It had thrown his perfectly controlled world off course, frustrating him.

Mirage took several good, deep breaths, and tried to think straight, like she had used to. Like a machine, in fact. Logically, and decisively. Emotionlessly. What was necessary and what was not; making that decision had once governed her life. Now the choice was not so clear-cut. It clearly wasn't necessary to feel this way. It was illogical and inconvenient. Why then, couldn't she stop? Think straight. Espio had woken her up. He'd saved her life. Well, probably. She was one of the Ultimates, after all. So she was feeling... she searched her dictionary... grateful. As far as she remembered, she'd only ever felt grateful before to one person; Maria. And she certainly hadn't felt this way about the girl. This was a different feeling, a most unusual feeling, something that she couldn't put a word to.

Espio sighed and stood up, balancing effortlessly on the edge of the roof, looking out at the city as if he was expecting to find his answer there. Maybe it was there, but he couldn't see it. Shaking his head, he stepped away from the edge and paced across the roof. It was obvious that this was an issue that wasn't about to be resolved soon. He had to stay on task in the meantime, had to keep Mirage away from Ashura as promised...

Mirage was aware of the *ding* of the microwave. Dinner was cooked. She sighed, resolved not to sigh in front of Espio again - not that she seemed to have much choice over what her body did lately - and stood, heading up onto the roof. She saw Espio on the edge of the roof, "You should probably find somewhere safer to stand," she suggested, "Dinner is ready and I did not burn it. So come on and sit inside instead." Once again she had regained control of her voice.

"Yes. That sounds like a good idea,” Espio replied as he stepped down and walked over to Mirage, following her and trying to hide the signs of his inner conflict. He didn't want her to think less of him thanks to his brief loss of self-control... He winced. Personal feelings again. Damn.

Mirage's tail was twitching slightly, and her ears were a little back, sure signs of nervousness in felines. She took the microwave dinners out of the microwave, took some knives and forks out of the bags, and sat at the table, "Careful, it is hot," she warned him, before she started to cut her own meal up.

Espio heeded her warning as he sat down and began to eat his meal in silence. For a microwave dinner, he thought it tasted very good. He noted the brand and memorized it so he could tell Vector later... the croc needed all the help he could get when it came to shopping. But the meal and his reptilian friend were not what was really on his mind. The chameleon snuck in glimpses of Mirage as he ate, trying his best to hide the fact that he was doing so.

She ate and talked at the same time - etiquette, like sex appeal, had not been high on her list of priorities, and Shadow had been the one who really liked to hang with humans. They'd rubbed off on him, she considered. He'd absorbed ideas like vengeance, and arrogance, and best of all, insanity, which was extremely popular with the humans on the ARK. She, on the other hand, had been mostly a cat. Cats were rather like humans anyway, greedy, treacherous and self-serving. She left those thoughts very suddenly as she caught Espio glancing at her briefly. She watched him with shaded eyes, and saw him do it again.

Espio gave himself a mental slap and forced himself to look like he was truly fascinated with his meal. He demanded that he keep control of himself. It helped a little, but his thoughts still dwelled on Mirage. He just couldn't shake them, and he doubted that sitting across from her was doing anything to help.

"Distracted?" Mirage asked him nonchalantly, swallowing a mouthful, and raising an eyebrow, taking another mouthful. She could see he was embarrassed. She nearly sighed, stopped herself, and said, "Look, do not worry about the... the thing," she said with her mouth full, "It was... is... okay. It is okay."

Espio ignored her lack of manners as he looked up at her and forced a smile, "Yeah, it's ok. Of course it's ok." Believing it to be the clumsiest dodge he had ever done, he again looked down at his meal and took a bite.

Mirage continued to talk as she ate, "I..." she stopped, uncertain of what to say as they came to the end of their meal, "I... um... am not... very good at... people things of course. I would not... know."

Espio nodded. Realizing that his meal was now eaten and that there was no good excuse for staring at the empty plate, he looked up at her, "In many ways, neither am I,” he replied.

"But you are a person," Mirage corrected herself, "A real- a nor- a prop- Well, you know... a born person."

"True,” Espio admitted, "But that doesn't mean I understand everything about other people. That's a big reason why there is so much conflict in this world..." He shook his head. He was getting into preachy, philosophical mode, and he didn't want to do that with Mirage. He wanted to stand on equal ground with her, "I'm as confused about this as you are,” he continued.

“Maybe…” Mirage conceded slowly. She finished her own meal, picked up the empty packets, and binned them in the plastic bag she’d brought them in, “Hmmm…” she took a coin out of her pocket, “Let us flip, to see who sleeps in the bed tonight…”

"Sounds fair enough,” the chameleon replied, "I call heads."

Mirage flipped the coin and caught it on the back of her hand, then looked at it, "Tails," she grinned widely, "I call the bed."

Espio smirked and nodded. "So you did. I guess I'll just sleep here in the living room." Oh well. At least he got to sleep in the bed for an hour. It was better than nothing.

"I think... it is late," Mirage concentrated, "11 o'clock. Goodnight, Espio."

Espio stood up and bowed slightly in the feline's direction, saying, "Goodnight, Mirage. Sleep well." As soon as she turned, he checked his watch. Sure enough, it was 11 o'clock.

Mirage closed the door when she went into the bedroom, and stripped off quickly. The thought that there was a male in the house didn't worry her. She hung up her clothes on the end of the bed, briefly fingered the Power Rings banded around her tail, and crawled under the sheets, trying not to think too hard about the events of the past few days. If she did, she'd dream about them, and dreams were the last thing she needed. She curled up under the sheets, and fell asleep quickly.

Espio removed his few articles of clothing and managed to make a reasonable pad on the floor to sleep on. It wouldn't be nearly as comfortable as a bed, even a really bad bed, but it was better than sleeping on the carpet. He lay down on his back, looking up at the ceiling, and tried to fall asleep.

~~~

A couple of hours later, his eyes opened again. He wondered what had woken him, and then became aware of a soft whimpering noise from the bedroom. Frowning, the chameleon quietly rolled to his feet and sneaked towards the bedroom, ready to spring into action if there was any trouble. Shaking the fog out of his head, he peered inside the bedroom and saw Mirage whimpering in her sleep, presumably having a nightmare of her own, "Mirage?" he whispered.

Mirage didn't wake, curling into a tight ball and rocking herself back and forth. Her tail covered her face, concealing her expression, but her ears were flat against her head, and her fur was fluffed out, a sign of terror in any feline, "No... no... please stop..." she moaned, "You... cannot do this..."

Wincing in sympathy, Espio walked over to Mirage's side and laid one hand on her shoulder. Whatever she was dreaming about, it was frightening her. "Mirage? It’s just a dream. It can't hurt you." He doubted his words would make any difference, though.

But Mirage didn't seem to hear him, flinching away from his touch. Despite his hand on her shoulder, she didn't wake. Her entire body gave a sudden jolt, and she breathed in a gasp so sharp that she almost sounded as if she had cried out. Her claws tensed and slid out, even in her sleep, and her words continued.

“Midnight…” she whispered softly, “Please, Midnight... I do not want to have to forget you... No... no... I love you... do not do this... please do not-" she gave another soft sob, "Stop... please do not... I am sorry... I love you... please stop with me..."

Espio frowned, distressed by the obvious terror Mirage was experiencing. His thoughts drifted back to the kiss they had shared... He knew he should have probably just left the room and went back to sleep and let her go through the rest of the nightmare, or at least wake her, but... neither of those were Espio's choice. He crawled into bed with her. Slipping under the covers, he wrapped his arms around her warm, furry body and held her closer, hoping that his presence would help in some way.

Mirage's body continued to twitch for several minutes. But the whimpering she made became softer, and her claws retracted again. Eventually she was silent again, and uncurled a very little, "I cannot..." she murmured, and relaxed.

Espio sighed quietly into her fur and continued to hold her, unwilling to let go just yet. He wanted to stay there curled up against her until he was sure that the nightmare wouldn't return. What he didn't want to admit was how much he enjoyed it, so much so that he didn't catch himself before he fell asleep beside her.

And that was the first night they spent together.

~~~

Froggy: Who - or what - the hell is Midnight? We are cruel bastards, aren't we, leaving you hanging like that.

Harley: Here’s some trivia for you now that you know the pairing. If you didn’t know before. When the story was originally written, it was going to be a Knuckles/OC pairing. Hell, we completed the entire story. But we decided against it for a number of reasons.

Froggy: Mostly because it was Knuckles. He’s too important a character to subject to an OC pairing. Afterwards, we realised that it worked out wonderfully and made room for a whole new fanfic of totally insane proportions, and also a different pairing with Knuckles. And also because it was just some wish fulfilment on Harley’s part.

Harley: So you see, it is possible to change your mind. We had to rewrite the entire fanfic because of the different pairing, but that didn’t stop us. And if your fanfic sucks thanks to a bad pairing, it shouldn’t stop you either.