“I’m telling you, he’s eighteen. It
was his birthday a few days ago and I’m bringing him out as a treat.” Tsuzuki
put on his best ‘not-bullshitting-you’ expression. From the club’s entrance, he
could both hear and feel the wild thump of music from within; a dirty bass line
that rumbled through the concrete beneath his feet and all the way up his legs.
Above his head, a neon strip-light spelled out The Crazy Banana in bright
yellow. The sign hummed and flickered and Tsuzuki tried not to look up at it -
earlier he’d noticed somebody had turned the mascot banana into a large penis,
from the look of the purposefully scrawled black marker across it.
The glow from the sign rebounded off the top of the bouncer’s shaved head as he
blocked the entrance with crossed-arms, and an even crosser face. Tsuzuki eyed
the bouncer’s biceps warily, wondering if they had their own postcode. ‘Burly’
didn’t even begin to describe this man.
The bouncer’s gaze narrowed and passed sceptically over Hisoka, who was standing
silently at Tsuzuki’s side. “Eighteen, you say?”
Tsuzuki nodded cheerfully and smiled.
The bouncer smiled back, a toothy grin. Some of them were broken and jagged.
“Yeah right, and I’m the Easter bunny.”
Hisoka let out an impatient huff and Tsuzuki couldn’t help but echo it. It would
seriously hamper their investigation if they couldn’t get into the place they’d
been assigned to hunt for the missing soul.
Tsuzuki silently cursed himself for not anticipating this. He should have
insisted on a disguise for Hisoka - he should have thought ahead, damnit!
Hindsight was a bitch.
“I swear - I can get some ID if you’d just -”
The bouncer scowled at him.
“Just leave it.” Hisoka curled his fingers around Tsuzuki’s arm and tugged,
pulling him away from where they obstructed the club’s entrance. A few patrons
cheered at their retreat. Tsuzuki refrained from turning and making a rude
gesture at them and instead let Hisoka drag him all the way across the road.
“Don’t worry about it,” Hisoka said in a defeated voice.
“What do you mean, ‘don’t worry’?” Tsuzuki stared at the boy incredulously. “Our
suspect is in there - right inside that club we would’ve got into if you
hadn’t-”
“Hadn’t what?” Hisoka interrupted. “Looked so young?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Hisoka sighed with exasperation, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring
down at his feet. After a few seconds, he mumbled, “Look, I’ll go back to
Headquarters, see if Tatsumi’s managed to dig up anything else.” He looked up
from beneath his fine blond eyebrows, his expression resolute, if a little
ticked off. “He might have another lead by now. One I can actually follow.”
Tsuzuki hated giving up such an opportunity to get ahead on a case, but really,
Hisoka was right: they weren’t accomplishing anything by standing around idly
talking. “Eh, I guess so. Let’s go.”
“Wait, wait,” said Hisoka slowly, taking hold of Tsuzuki’s coat sleeve. “Where
do you think you’re going?”
Tsuzuki stopped and looked down at the boy; Hisoka was staring at him with a
raised eyebrow. “… back to Headquarters, like we planned.”
“Oh no you’re not. Just because I can’t get in there -” Hisoka stabbed an
unforgiving finger in the direction of the nightclub, “- doesn’t mean you
can’t.”
“Wha-?” Tsuzuki said stupidly.
“You should follow up on this lead.”
“But-!”
“No ‘but’s,” Hisoka warned.
“But you know what happened last time you left me on my own in a club,” Tsuzuki
grumbled. He hadn’t meant to get quite so drunk at the time. Really. It was the
sweet stuff young people drank these days, in so many different flavours and
bright colours: light greens, violent reds, tropical oranges, like a streetlight
in a glass.
It wasn’t his fault they barely tasted alcoholic, either.
“Tsuzuki!”
“Huh-?”
“You’d better be on your guard tonight. I won’t drag you back to your flat
half-conscious again, do you hear me?” The boy glared at him. Tsuzuki tried to
remember the last time that had happened. In the end, he located a vague feeling
of guilt, as well as a fractured memory of a vicious hangover.
“Uh… I’m sorry for my past behaviour, Hisoka.” He bowed quickly. “But I really
think splitting up is a bad idea.”
Hisoka shrugged and turned away. Apparently, the conversation was over.
“Wait!”
“Just see to it!” Hisoka shouted over his shoulder. “I’ll either be at
Headquarters or wherever Tatsumi sends me.” He turned, walking backwards for a
moment. “And don’t worry, Tsuzuki. I’ll be fine.” Then he spun around again and
headed off.
Tsuzuki flailed his arms helplessly. “Always so harsh!” He was pretty sure
Hisoka wasn’t listening to him any more. With a begrudging frown, he glared
across the street at the nightclub.
Fine. If Hisoka was that determined, then Tsuzuki would live up to - no, surpass his expectations and figure out the case as quickly as possible. He
crossed the street resolutely, thankful to find the queue outside was much
shorter now.
“You again,” the bouncer said nonchalantly when he spotted Tsuzuki’s advance,
his head still shining under the club’s sign like a boiled egg in car
headlights. “Did you send your son home for beddie-byes?”
“Yes, me again,” Tsuzuki snapped. “And he’s not my son. Now let me in, you can
see I’m of age.” He was no longer in mind to play games or play polite.
“What’s the problem here?” asked an austere voice from nearby. Tsuzuki blinked
with surprise; the voice was familiar. Very familiar. The bouncer
frowned, then slowly turned his head. From behind the bouncer’s taut shoulders
Tsuzuki spotted a shockingly recognizable figure striding closer.
“Te… what?”
Terazuma, framed dark and tall against the red strobe spilling from within the
club’s belly, reached up and brushed his fingers through his hair. It looked
vaguely damp, like he’d been sweating. He eyed Tsuzuki with mild disbelief for a
second, then drew something small and square out of his jeans’ pocket.
Jeans that were too snug to be legal, Tsuzuki noted with distaste.
“Well, well…” Terazuma mused, as he perched a cigarette between his top and
lower lip. “Never thought I’d see the likes of you here.” The cigarette waggled as he spoke; Tsuzuki thought it stupid, but
nevertheless he could not look away. Terazuma switched hands and fumbled in his
other pocket, drawing out a lighter. With a quick snick of flint, a flame reared
and Terazuma sucked hard on his cigarette, igniting the end. He drew a
disgusting amount of smoke into his lungs before releasing it from the corner of
his mouth, the grey tendrils rising and curling like excited snakes.
Tsuzuki felt no inclination to be civil. “What the hell are you doing here,
Terazuma?”
Terazuma scowled at him. “Keeping your sort out.”
Tsuzuki snorted. “Pull the other one.”
With the grace of an archer, Terazuma reached up and plucked the cigarette from
his mouth, twisted it so that it left a battalion of sparks in the air, and then
deposited the ash on the ground. Tsuzuki rolled his eyes, unimpressed.
The scowl did not leave Terazuma’s face - but then, that was a normal feature,
just like the customary dark bags under his eyes. Tsuzuki wondered if the guy
ever got any sleep. Then he wished he hadn’t imagined Terazuma and bed in the
same thought.
“You think I’m going to believe you’re here for recreation?” Tsuzuki stepped
forward. “Move aside. I’m coming in.”
“This is not your jurisdic-”
“Don’t pull that American crap on me.”
The bouncer had fallen silent and was watching the exchange with narrowed eyes.
Tsuzuki was sure anyone within a twenty foot radius would be able to feel the
icy atmosphere passing between Terazuma and him, but he didn’t care. He let out
a frustrated breath, then strode past the other shinigami and into the club’s
small, dimly lit cloak room.
“Oy, Tsuzuki!”
Tsuzuki ignored Terazuma’s spluttering. As he entered the main part of the club,
he was met by a heady heat and much faster rhythm. The tune had been switched
and was now beating out something hard, but with an atmospheric melody and in a
minor key. Tsuzuki’s gaze was immediately drawn to the dance floor in the centre
of the room, where shadowed bodies swayed and bobbed in time to the beat. They
looked to him like rapt disciples of some ancient cult, all there for the same
single purpose, all turned to face the DJ at the front as if in worship.
Not wanting to hang around the entrance too long in case Terazuma found him,
Tsuzuki decided to scout along the sidelines where he could get a better view of
the crowd and venue. Looking around, the most striking thing he noticed was the
club’s layout: it was set in an octagonal shape, with a different feature
against each wall. Although this wasn’t Tsuzuki’s usual scene, he had to admit
it looked pretty nifty.
Writhing bodies pooled on the dance floor at the centre of the room, the DJ’s
booth situated against one wall the main focus of attention.
A bar was positioned on another wall, the brightest feature of the whole place,
casting out a warm light while people milled around it. Its wooden panels looked
too old to occupy a modern place like this, and Tsuzuki supposed it had been
taken from a more traditional pub and put up as a novelty item.
There was a section cordoned off for tables and chairs against two adjoining
walls, making up a cosy sitting area - though these seemed abandoned for the
more comfortable sofa section next to it, where a few people lounged while they
sipped their drinks.
Tsuzuki’s eyes were next drawn to a gigantic mural lying flat against another
side of the room, the picture busy and shadowed, too far away for him to
decipher what exactly was painted there.
Then, opposite that, there was what looked like a line of slot machines, their
multi-coloured lights blinking happily while the club’s patrons ignored them in
favour of their alcohol and dancing.
There was also a large fish tank against one wall, one that reached from floor
to ceiling, its light creating an ambient blue glow that touched everything
close by. The fish within swam lazily like little twinkling stars, drifting in
between plastic deep sea divers and various greenery. Tsuzuki rather liked it.
Behind him, a cool breeze blew in from the direction of the cloak room he had
just passed through. Beyond that stood the burly bouncer and no doubt Terazuma.
There was no way Tsuzuki was heading back there, at least not any time soon.
Maybe he’d been quick to judge the place based on outward appearances - it
wasn’t as bad as he’d been expecting. Although, there was something about it
that didn’t seem right to him, but for the life of him he couldn’t put his
finger on what. Nevertheless, he resolved to calm down and get on with what he
was really there for: to find the missing soul that hadn’t yet turned up in
Meifu.
But first, a drink!
Edging through a crowd of young men chatting animatedly to his right, Tsuzuki
made his way over to the wooden bar. After removing his coat and settling it
across a vacant stool, he slipped his wallet from his back pocket and leaned
across the bar.
“What can I get you?” asked the barman. He was tall and slim, with hair dyed
bright red and cut sharply in a bob around his chin. He winked at Tsuzuki,
coming over as quite the devil.
“Um, just a lemonade, please,” said Tsuzuki dismally. As much as he’d like a
real drink, he didn’t fancy facing the wrath of Hisoka should he find out.
“Ah, I’m afraid we’re all out of lemonade,” said the barman, in an exaggerated
apologetic tone. Tsuzuki tried not to stare at the tight fishnet vest the guy
was wearing, or the obvious nipple piercings beneath it that sparkled in the
light as he moved. The man leaned across the stained wood and winked. “But I
know just what you’d like.” He added a soft smile, and Tsuzuki felt himself
flush.
It was very odd service, unlike anything Tsuzuki had experienced before. “Oh?”
If he didn’t know better, Tsuzuki would’ve thought the barman was… flirting with
him. But no, that was stupid.
The barman’s smile remained in place as he moved away, towards one of the
fridges behind him. Tsuzuki watched him curiously until the he returned carrying
a tall glass of something fizzy and blue. His smile had spread to a full-on
grin.
Uh-oh. This looked familiar. “Oh no, I really shouldn’t-” Tsuzuki started to
protest, but the barman settled the cocktail in front of him and pushed it
towards Tsuzuki’s elbow.
“On the house.” At Tsuzuki’s dubious glance, he added, “All new customers get
one free drink on their first night.”
“How do you know I’m new?” There were an awful lot of people at the club, and as
far as Tsuzuki was concerned he didn’t stand out that much… unless you counted
his shirt, waistcoat and tie versus the scantily clad people surrounding him, in
all sorts of bright colours.
Oh.
“Believe me,” said the barman. “I would remember you.”
Well… Tsuzuki eyed the cocktail. It would be terribly rude of him to turn it
down, especially since the club was so generous to new customers. Although
really, he knew it was a bad idea to start on the great and winding alcohol
road, if past recollections were anything to go by - hazy as they were.
The image of a scowling Hisoka popped into his head again.
The cocktail shone brilliant blue in the bar light, like summer sky in a glass.
Tsuzuki took up the glass, brought it to his lips, paused. He sniffed. It
smelled sweet and tangy, quite possibly blueberry. Oh wicked temptation,
he thought, tipping the glass back and sealing his fate.
“That’s more like it,” said the barman, nodding with approval. “I’m Ryuu, by the
way. Welcome to The Crazy Banana!” Bowing his head quickly, he motioned
towards a new customer who had joined the bar. “Sorry to leave you so soon.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” Tsuzuki said with a smile. Drink in hand, he turned and leaned
back, watching the crowd while he sipped his cocktail. Everyone seemed to be
having a good time - either talking and laughing among themselves or on the
floor dancing. He could see how a soul would find it easier to hide out here -
it was hard to tell people’s faces in the dim flicker and warp of the strobes.
For the second time, the feeling that all was slightly off hit him. As before,
he couldn’t quite figure out what he was missing. He was used to getting a good
feel for a place and liked to think he was receptive to the atmosphere around
buildings and people. Not as much as Hisoka, by far, but he trusted his gut more
often than not. This place, though, was proving tricky to determine.
So engrossed was he in his surroundings, Tsuzuki didn’t notice Terazuma
approaching until the shinigami was standing directly beside him. Tsuzuki
swallowed his mouthful and bristled at Terazuma’s close proximity. It wasn’t a
new feeling - whenever they were near each other he always sensed the other’s
loathing, radiating off him like electricity. In response, the hairs on the back
of Tsuzuki’s neck rose, and a light shiver rippled unbidden down his spine.
“You again?” he said into his glass before taking another swig.
“Who sent you?” asked Terazuma, without preamble. “Tatsumi-san? On which case?”
“Why should I tell you? It’s my case.”
“Oh yeah, and where’s Kurosaki tonight?” Terazuma folded his arms across his
chest, which brought Tsuzuki’s attention to his black t-shirt, sitting snugly
over his broad frame. It was odd: as far as Tsuzuki knew Terazuma never went out
on a case in casual get-up, always preferring his stoic black suit and more
formal manner.
Could that mean… ?
“Wait a moment,” said Tsuzuki, ignoring the other man’s question. “You’re not
here on business, are you, Terazuma?”
Terazuma gave no response, only glared at him all the harder.
“Does that mean…” Tsuzuki laughed a little, taking another drink. The tasty
fizzy blue stuff in his glass was rapidly diminishing, he was sad to realise. “I
never would’ve pegged you as one who’d enjoy a place like this.”
“Oh really.” The other man spoke lowly, his voice barely audible above the thump
of the music. “The hell is it to you what kind of place I’d enjoy?”
Tsuzuki rolled his eyes and muttered an “Ugh”. They were getting nowhere with
this conversation, and his drink was almost gone! Time to remedy that. “All
right, have it your way. Let’s just agree to keep out of each other’s way. I
won’t bug you, so don’t bother me, got it?” With that, Tsuzuki turned and moved
back over to the bar. The last thing he wanted was an argument - he had to focus
and find the soul.
Within minutes, Ryuu was standing in front of him again, a new blue drink in
hand and a knowing smirk curving his mouth. “Told you I knew what you’d like.”
He accepted Tsuzuki’s bill, returning quickly with a few yen in change. The
drinks were reasonably priced, Tsuzuki noticed. He was glad about that, since he
was still paying Tatsumi off for the unfortunate library incident. Although, so
was Terazuma, which was one silver lining on that particular dark cloud.
“Ah, I can’t deny this is good stuff!” Tsuzuki laughed. He made short work of
his second cocktail, and as he started on his third he began to wonder if they
had turned up the heating in the club. Either that, or it was time to do
something about his waistcoat. Tsuzuki popped open the buttons and deposited it
on the stool along with his trench coat. As an afterthought, he rolled up his
white shirt sleeves and loosened his tie.
Much better.
He glanced around, quickly finding Terazuma’s tall silhouette standing at the
far end of the bar. The other shinigami cradled his own drink in his hands -
beer or lager, by the look of the tall glass and amber-coloured liquid inside.
Relieved Terazuma had let up on him, Tsuzuki picked his way further in to the
crowd, nearing the dance floor. The alcohol was already making his mind a little
fuzzy; he would have to be careful not to drink too much. As he wandered and
weaved through the people, careful not to disturb them too much, he lamented
that Tatsumi kept him so busy these days he didn’t have the chance to get out
more.
Someone laughed loudly to his right, and as he turned to check out the commotion
someone else bumped into him from behind. Startled, Tsuzuki quickly apologised,
turning on the spot.
“Whoa, go easy,” said a male voice, and Tsuzuki found himself eye to eye with a
dark haired man of around his height. The guy couldn’t have been more than
twenty, by Tsuzuki’s reckoning. He reached out and placed both his hands flat
against Tsuzuki’s hips, squeezing slightly. “Christ, if I’d known you were this
hot I would’ve bumped you on purpose.”
“Huh?” said Tsuzuki, blinking at him.
The guy smiled, his hands edging further around Tsuzuki’s hips, then down a
little way. “You’re gorgeous.”
“HUH?” Tsuzuki blushed as well as blinked and automatically brought his glass up
to shield his face. “Um… ah, got to go. Now. Um.” Before he could make things
worse, he quickly slipped out of the man’s grip and darted away, clutching his
drink like a lifeline as he ducked between two groups standing nearby. Once
hidden, he breathed out a huge sigh, wondering what the hell that had been
about.
Not that he wasn’t used to getting attention from men. It was just… not many of
them were that straightforward, except the Earl and he didn’t count because…
well, he was the Earl. It was almost expected of him, the pervy old sod.
Anyway, the Earl was harmless, for the most part. At least Tsuzuki knew him.
Ruffled, he returned to the bar area and its comforting light, although now he
kept a close eye out for the touchy-feely guy, not wanting to run into him again
any time soon.
With no sign of the lost soul during the first hour, Tsuzuki had no choice but
to remain where he was and keep watch. Luckily for him, that meant more of those
delicious fizzy drinks. By the time he’d polished off his fifth, he was feeling
quite upbeat, and more than a little restless.
In need of something to do and with alcohol-enhanced confidence, Tsuzuki decided
to brave the dance floor. He would have a much better chance of scouting from
the centre of the action, he reasoned. Anyway, it had been a long time since
he’d been able to let his hair down a bit, and since his sister had gone to the
trouble of teaching him to dance all those years ago - although, perhaps not
such contemporary steps - he figured it wouldn’t do to get rusty.
Once on the floor, he manoeuvred his way towards the middle, pushing through the
tightly-knit crowd. Bodies scooted up against him and hands wound around and
brushed his arms, wrists, shoulders, waist, as people continued to dance, most
completely unaware of his passage. Tsuzuki found himself moving to the music - a
raw, slower bass that seemed to pulse in his veins in time with his heartbeat.
He turned his face up to the lights and let the crowd and music wash over him
and pull him under; the heat and tang of fresh sweat in the air, the rocking of
nameless, faceless bodies pleasant and exotic against him. It was powerful, this
kind of euphoria; he felt more drunk than ever as he inhaled and swayed. Tsuzuki
hummed low in his throat, rotating his hips, revelling in the buzz around him.
Right before he completely zoned out, someone knocked against him hard, nearly
toppling him onto the ground.
Tsuzuki was immediately pulled from his blissful stupor and spun around, shaken
and a little irritated. He was almost unsurprised to find the source of his
discomfort was none other than-
“Terazuma,” he said loudly, narrowing his eyes.
Terazuma looked equally as ruffled. “I thought you said you were going to keep
out of my way.”
“I did. You bumped against me, idiot.”
“Don’t you dare call me that!” Terazuma advanced on him. His eyebrows were drawn
together, making his eyes look darker than normal and more fierce.
“I’ll call you what I like,” Tsuzuki countered, his entire body stiffening as
Terazuma closed in. He was pissed off now, his mellow mood ruined. “You’ve done
nothing but get in my way since I got here! What’re you hoping to achieve?”
Terazuma’s left eye twitched. “I just don’t see why you should be working on a
case here.” He put a slight twist of emphasis on the ‘here’, though Tsuzuki
couldn’t work out why. “You obviously don’t get it.”
“Get what?” Tsuzuki said angrily. “You’re just pissed that I was given
the case you wanted, aren’t you? You’re so childish, Terazuma.”
Terazuma’s nostrils flared.
“Uh,” said Tsuzuki, only now realising what a bad idea it was to get into a
fight in the middle of a large crowd. If Terazuma couldn’t hold back his shiki,
a lot of the humans could get hurt. “Crap. Listen, not here!” He indicated in
the direction of the door. “Outside.”
Terazuma’s face was pinched with effort, whether from holding his shiki back or
stopping himself from lunging at Tsuzuki, Tsuzuki didn’t know - both, probably.
All he knew was that Terazuma looked close to snapping, and that meant trouble.
He turned on his heel and headed out. He didn’t need to look to know Terazuma
was following him - he could almost sense the other man tailing him, silently
fuming. If Tsuzuki could get him outside to talk this through, without the aid
of shikigamis, then he could get on with his mission that much sooner (and buy
another one of those fruity blue drinks, while he was at it).
The bouncer spotted their approach and started grumbling. Tsuzuki ignored him,
striding past and out onto the street. Not content to discuss their differences
there for all and sundry to hear, he continued along the pavement for a moment,
eventually veering off into an alley.
Shadows wrapped around him as he headed a little way down, building walls rising
tall and sturdy at either side. On the ground he could just make out the shapes
of discarded newspapers, bottles, trash. It was pretty dingy, but it was a good
enough cocoon for him and Terazuma to air their differences without anyone else
getting hurt or bearing witness.
Tsuzuki turned and opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn’t given the chance to
say a word. Before he knew it, Terazuma was bearing down on him.
“You think you can talk to me like that, and in public, no less!” Terazuma’s
dark eyes seemed impossibly large in the dim light.
“I’m just here to do my job,” Tsuzuki countered, trying to keep his voice
steady. “Why can’t you understand that?”
Terazuma snorted. “Right, and I suppose your job description was to get drunk
and perform lewd acts with other men in public.”
Tsuzuki blinked at him. “For your information, I am not drunk.” He hiccupped,
right at that moment. Clenching his jaw, he pressed on. “And what the hell are
you talking about, ‘lewd acts with other men’ - are you on some kind of muscle
enhancement drink?”
Terazuma ignored the jibe. “I saw you, with that guy.” He folded his arms across
his chest again. That, coupled with his slight height advantage, made him seem
more bulky. Not for the first time was Tsuzuki glad he had twelve shikis to call
on if need be.
“Guy?” Now Tsuzuki was lost. He couldn’t think what guy… oh. Oh. “Wait,
you don’t mean… that guy is nothing do to with me!” He poked a finger at
Terazuma to enhance his point. “He came on to me. It’s not like I
had a choice.”
Terazuma shook his head. “You think so highly of yourself. Like everyone would
just throw themselves at your feet in worship.” His voice hardened. “Well I’ve
got a newsflash for you. You’re not that good-looking, Tsuzuki.”
“I never said I - gah! - you, Terazuma - I can’t believe-” Since when had this
become about his looks, anyway? Once again Tsuzuki found himself lost and
floundering; conversations with the other man were impossible. It always turned out like this and he wondered why they bothered even trying to exist in
the same airspace.
Airspace that wasn’t very wide any more, he gradually realised. At least, not as
wide as when they’d started yelling. Tsuzuki found himself a hair’s breadth from
Terazuma, close enough to touch if he just moved his hand a fraction.
Not that he wanted to touch him or anything.
Wait.
Tsuzuki was beginning to regret the last two cocktails. It felt like indigestion
was setting in; a nagging sensation was building in his stomach, a pressure he
didn’t like the feel of.
“This isn’t even about me,” he said lamely, trying to ignore it. “You’re just
annoyed that I found you in a gay club.”
If he could take back his last words, he would have offered up everything he
had, as little as that was.
Terazuma’s jaw visibly clenched, shadows dancing along the lines of his face.
The atmosphere seemed to plummet, and Tsuzuki was momentarily hit by the
strangest feeling of vertigo. Quickly regaining himself, he looked up at the
other man, the pressure in his belly growing in strength and insistence.
“What, you didn’t think I’d noticed? Well, I admit it didn’t click to start
with, but then I realised - not a woman in sight. Not to mention the behaviour
of some of the men in there.” He had to look away - he couldn’t bear the harsh
set of Terazuma’s mouth any longer. He let his gaze settle on a nearby rubbish
bin, part of him wanting to go over and bury his head inside it, forget he’d
ever lead Terazuma out here to have this god-awful, awkward argument. As a
second thought, and since Terazuma had yet to break the heavy silence, he added,
“It goes no further, I swear.”
Terazuma remained silent and stock still.
Tsuzuki’s breath was coming much faster now, faster than he wanted Terazuma to
hear. But for the life of him, he could not stop it. The ache in his abdomen
roiled and twisted, his body growing hot and mind swimming. He swallowed
thickly, wishing the ground would open up and consume him, spit him out
somewhere else, somewhere far away.
“Terazu-”
“Shut up,” growled Terazuma. His voice was loaded with something dark and
dangerous, though not the usual pressure of his shiki. The tone of it struck
Tsuzuki, made his breath catch. He found himself compelled by it rather than
worried. The same crackling energy that usually accompanied their close
proximity rose in waves, higher and higher, setting the hairs on his neck on end
and goosebumps to rise across his skin. Tsuzuki had to swallow again, lest he
choke on the breath he was holding.
If he could only find the previous ire and cling to it, but all he could find in
himself was embarrassment and that damn ache - it hadn’t subsided a whit.
He didn’t know what to do with his hands.
He didn’t know what to do with his entire self except fight against the
pressure, the overwhelming tension bursting and thrumming around him. His skin
tingled.
He inhaled a rich scent, something more expensive than the aftershaves he was
able to afford. It took him a moment to realise it was Terazuma he was smelling.
It took him a moment to realise he couldn’t just smell Terazuma, but feel him too, all around like a whirlwind he was suddenly caught up in. This
time Tsuzuki put out his hands and took hold of the nearest solid thing for
support, which happened to be Terazuma.
“I- I, um…”
“Is this what you wanted?” said Terazuma, speaking low and close to Tsuzuki’s
ear.
He didn’t know. God, he didn’t have a clue what he wanted. “I don’t…” He didn’t
have a hope in hell of articulating. All he knew was that he could have walked
away back in the club, but instead he had chosen to lead them out here, alone in
the dark and so close he was thrumming, hyper-aware.
He still had hold of Terazuma, his hands grasping the other man’s hips just
above his belt line, hanging on for dear life. The muscles beneath the soft warm
fabric jumped; there was a tensing. Something pressed against the small of his
back, and it was only then that Tsuzuki became aware of the fabric of his own
shirt - damp with his sweat. He wriggled slightly, though Terazuma did not
remove his hand.
When their hips connected, a current of shock sliced through him, but not as
fierce as the bolt of arousal that paralleled it. Tsuzuki whined in the back of
his throat, wishing it didn’t sound so desperate. At the same time, he arched
his body forward and realised noises were the least of his problem - he was rock
hard; he hadn’t been hard like this in a long time, and it was even longer still
since he’d felt another body against his own, solid and real and right there.
Terazuma’s breath was hot against his ear, on his neck, puffing through his
hair. Tsuzuki only had to turn his head a fraction, a little way before he could
taste the skin on the inside of Terazuma’s throat, salty and bitter and buzzing
with energy.
“What are we doing?” he whispered, and Terazuma moved his head and Tsuzuki
opened his mouth and breathed in deeply and sucked on Terazuma’s tongue, swaying
backwards until his back hit the wall behind them, the stone cool through his
shirt.
Terazuma kissed like he argued: fierce and heated and hard, his teeth
sharp against Tsuzuki’s lower lip. Tsuzuki found it all too natural to fight
back, reaching up to take hold of the back of Terazuma’s hair. He pulled and
Terazuma growled lowly, biting down on the corner of his mouth - just hard
enough to hurt a little.
He thought he would come in his trousers right then. Tsuzuki shifted his hips
and moaned, helplessly rutting against the hardness pushing at Terazuma’s
trouser front. The other man simply twisted his hand down between them,
awkwardly stroking Tsuzuki’s chest and stomach, then yanking his shirt up to get
at his belt. At this point, Tsuzuki didn’t care how Terazuma got his cock free,
just that he did it and did it now, or he was going to lose his mind. It
took mere seconds, but to Tsuzuki it felt like hours before Terazuma had his
belt unbuckled and hanging half way down his thigh, and his trousers open in a V
of glorious relief. He arched again and groaned loudly, clinging to Terazuma’s
shoulders like a lifeline as the other man pushed his hand down into the V and
wrapped his large hand around Tsuzuki’s erection.
There wasn’t breath enough left to kiss. Tsuzuki gasped desperately for air,
jerking his hips against Terazuma’s fist. The shinigami swore against Tsuzuki’s
cheek and released him long enough to open his own jeans.
Dazed, Tsuzuki merely hung on. The next thing he knew an equally hard cock was
pressed against his own. Both he and Terazuma gasped
at the friction and simultaneously reached for each other, hands tangling around their cocks,
fighting for purchase and more sensation, more anything, more everything.
Closing his eyes tightly, Tsuzuki rode the other man’s uncoordinated rhythm as
best he could, but his legs were shaky and he could barely make sense of what
was happening. Before long, he was forced to release Terazuma’s hands and
instead wound his arms around Terazuma’s neck before he collapsed on the spot.
Terazuma stroked them both, fast and hard and with both hands, curled tight in a
double fist around their lengths. Pre-come slicked his palms, making his touch
that little bit smoother, the slide all the sweeter. Although Terazuma was
panting hotly, his breath interspersed with grunts and curses, Tsuzuki knew he
was making the most noise. He couldn’t help it, even though he was aware how
loud his groans were becoming. He buried his face against Terazuma’s shoulder
and choked out his ‘pleases’ and ‘mores’ and ‘now, oh God nows’,
and as he felt himself fall he thought he was going to black out.
As he came noisily and messily into Terazuma’s hands he shuddered, a series of
violent lurches running the length of him like a never-ending crescendo. It felt
like his spine was trying to exit his body as his cock strained out all he had
to give, the euphoria so great he wondered if he’d ever be able to regain his
footing and stand again. Whatever he was babbling, he didn’t know. Didn’t care.
The descent was a long, slow process. Tsuzuki was barely alert and he wondered
how he was keeping himself upright. He gradually became aware of Terazuma, the
rise and fall of his chest and the hammer of his heartbeat against Tsuzuki’s
own. The shinigami was still cursing, there was still the aching slide of his
hands and his erection, though these things seemed vaguely detached, like
Tsuzuki was dreaming them.
Then he felt the press of Terazuma’s mouth on his neck, the scrape of teeth and
then pain, sharp, white-hot pain as those teeth pressed down and a fierce, wet
heat as Terazuma came over him, over his softening cock and abdomen.
If there were teeth marks and bruises there by the end, Tsuzuki was in no mind
to care. The pain at his neck was dulling, giving way to numbness. When Terazuma
released him, he also drew his mouth away and instead settled his head on
Tsuzuki’s shoulder, breathing quick and uncontrollably.
It wasn’t the first time Tsuzuki had seen the other shinigami out of control,
but it was the first time he’d felt Terazuma’s body completely boneless and
relaxed. He idly wondered what Terazuma’s expression was like. Was he slack
mouthed with his eyes closed, brow for once free of his frustration lines?
Part of Tsuzuki wanted to see that, just once, but he couldn’t bring himself to
move or wriggle out from beneath the press of Terazuma’s body. For a few minutes
he merely leant against the wall and breathed, supporting the other man as best
he could while he drew in blissful night air, sucking it into his lungs deeply.
He was still shaking, but not so badly now - it was bearable.
It wasn’t long before the onset of ‘what ifs’ kicked in.
What would happen now?
What would they say to each other?
What about work, or the fact that they hated each other?
Hated. It lingered there in his mind in past tense.
All these things swirled around his head, but the only conclusion Tsuzuki could
reach was that he wasn’t sure what they were any more, and he didn’t have time
to ponder it further. Soon Terazuma shifted, then started to straighten up. He
hitched his jeans up and pulled his t-shirt down from where it had become
bunched across his stomach. Tsuzuki didn’t mean to look, but he found his eyes
drawn to the planes and rises of muscle and bone, the way the shadows from the
buildings above moved over Terazuma’s pale skin as he moved.
Tsuzuki looked aside, reaching into his back pocket and locating the tissues he
kept there. He hastily wiped himself down with one and then held out the other
clean tissue, not looking up. After a couple of seconds it was taken from him,
leaving Tsuzuki free to re-button his trousers and ungracefully stuff his shirt
down into them.
One of his questions was answered, at least: right now, there was nothing but
silence and a sense of shock and, underlying that, a strange calm he hadn’t felt
for a very long time. It was almost awkward - almost, but not quite. He knew the
raw, uncomfortable atmosphere was only inches from them, lurking at the edges of
his perception, but thankfully it remained at bay for the time being.
Terazuma cleared his throat and for a second Tsuzuki thought he was about to
speak, but the other shinigami merely looked down at his feet, arms hanging at
his sides.
“Um…” Tsuzuki supplied unhelpfully, not quite sure what to say. ‘Thanks’ sounded
stupid, ‘goodbye’ was too cold considering- God, he tried not to consider too
much what they had just… and then… with the… and here of all places!
Finally, Terazuma turned away from him. “Tsuzuki,” he said softly. “I’m leaving
now.” He made to move.
“Wait-” Tsuzuki said, reaching for Terazuma’s arm. He stopped himself at the
last minute.
“You got something you need to say?”
Words clogged in Tsuzuki’s throat. None of them sounded appropriate. But there
had to be something! He knew this… this thing would eat away at him
otherwise.
Argh!
He wracked his brain for the right words - just something, anything that
would at least set them on a positive path the next time they met. At this rate,
Tsuzuki doubted he’d be able to show his face at work again.
Terazuma let out a sigh - soft, but audible - and Tsuzuki saw him close his eyes
briefly, seeing just the profile of his sharp, tired features.
“Truce,” Terazuma said quietly.
Tsuzuki closed his eyes, his mouth curving up thankfully. “Yeah,” he breathed.
“Truce.”
He didn’t need to look up to know Terazuma was walking away. He could hear the
other man’s footsteps, slowly fading as he rounded the corner back out onto the
street.
Exhausted, sticky, and still vaguely light-headed, Tsuzuki thought it time to
head back to his flat for a bath and some much needed rest. He would face the
wrath of Chief Konoe and Tatsumi - and most likely Hisoka, too - tomorrow about
the case, no excuses.
After everything, he decided he was in no mind to play games any more, and would
accept whatever was coming to him.
~Fin~
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