Itsuwari

by Ashurato

"Take responsibility!"

The face of Beelzebub, famed Lord of the Flies, was as crimson as a goldfish. His breath left his lips in great, heaving pants as he struggled to control his rage to retain the noble mien that he believed characterized his stature as an-albeit demonic-aristocrat.

Lord Satan and Great King Enma both had their hands raised in mirrored placating gestures, but their actions proved useless. Beelzebub's attention was unwaveringly fixed on only one particular demon in the room. But despite the anger that howled at him, Lord Hoozuki, deputy to Great King Enma, only inspected his Western colleague with cool detachment.

"And if we refuse?"

"Then you ask for war!" spat Beelzebub without pause. Had the devil been in a more reasonable state, he would have balked at the thoughtless threat, but his horrible mood left no room rationality. He wanted retribution for a wrong that was done. Vengeance against his self-proclaimed rival would suffice.

Hoozuki's eyes narrowed. The sharp, black obsidian shards stabbed daggers into both of the European visitors before him. A glorified skirmish was one thing, but actual prolonged conflict between the two Hells would be an extremely messy affair. Lacking the relief of death left lasting torture as the preferable means of warfare. The body would heal, but the mind of even the hardiest demon would not be left unscathed.

While all of this was fine with Hoozuki, the way King Enma's face paled when he saw Karauri, Nasubi, and Shiro peek into the room made him bite his tongue and force down the cutting retort that formed at his throat. The young demons would not be spared-not the young torturers, not the young spiritual animals, not even the young grandson of the powerful Fifth Judge of the dead.

This was Hell after all.

And from the badly hidden glee that caused Lord Satan's muscular figure to tremble in anticipation, bloody war was their preferred answer. The Western King was all but proclaiming it from the top of his lungs like a herald atop Needle Mountain. They were all aware that wars have been sparked with far less justification than something as small as a minute's satisfaction. Beelzebub would charge in with righteous anger and Lord Satan, rather than diffuse the situation, would certainly take advantage of it. Should Hoozuki refuse, the consequences would come swift and relentless.

But-

Lord Enma could only sit back in horror as the briefest look of helpless resignation flashed across his right-hand demon's cold features. It was the slightest downturn of lips and the tiniest darkening of Hoozuki's face that he had never seen in the thousands of years he had known his subordinate. And yet as soon as he saw it, the frown was replaced by a look that radiated what felt vaguely like veiled determination. Lord Enma was not privy to the solution that appeared so obvious to Hoozuki, but he could not quell the feeling of dread that traveled down his spine.

The only thing certain was Hoozuki's unpredictability.

The deep line between Hoozuki's brows smoothed as his scowl melted into his normal marble-like indifference. "Very well, I understand."

Lord Satan leaped to his feet as if in preparation to figuratively throw down the gloves, but he visibly deflated upon hearing the acknowledgement. Beelzebub's bared fangs and growl of indignation appeared almost comical as confusion slowly painted his features. When speech failed them at the unexpected turn of events, the two devils exchanged questioning looks of utter disbelief.

"Eh?"

Sigh...

Momotaro stirred the pot filled with a light peach-colored broth irritably as his superior sighed for the xxxxth time that day.

It was perfectly normal for the sacred beast to sit at the table and stare blankly out the window. It was a daily occurrence for the sacred beast to skip out on work. It was even expected for the sacred beast to surrounded by cabaret club invoices that noted more zeros than Momotaro had fingers. From all angles, Hakutaku looked to be his habitual self, but when five female customers can visit the store without being shamelessly propositioned on sight, Momotaro knew that something was wrong with the world.

Previously, not even the simultaneous onslaught of a monstrous hangover, five days' lack of sleep, slight poisoning, and a severe thrashing (courtesy of Hoozuki), could keep Hakutaku from pouring on the charm. Thus, when Hakutaku did not even spare a glance at the girls, Momotaro fully expected the god to fall over dead where he sat.

Momotaro continued to move his arm automatically in practiced circles for a few minutes until he saw Hakutaku break out the strongest bottle of alcohol in his possession. Momotaro shook his head in disapproval, but he could hardly say that it was unfamiliar for his superior to imbibe so early in the afternoon. But when Hakutaku's lack of attention caused him to fill his cup to overflowing, spilling the expensive liquor to the table and yet showing no sign of acknowledgement, Momotaro knew that intervention was necessary.

"Hakutaku-sama, your cup is spilling over."

Sigh...

Momotaro stopped stirring the delicate potion. He eyed the boiling pot darkly and seriously contemplated throwing the whole thing at his superior when all his concern rewarded him was another bone-weary sigh. Just as the courtroom in Momotaro's head tipped unanimously in favor of instant satisfaction over possible job termination, Hakutaku addressed him for the first time.

"Ne, Taotaro-kun."

At the sound of his name (Momotaro had long since given up trying to get Hakutaku to address him properly), Momotaro handed the ladle to an apprentice rabbit and gave the other man his full attention. The god's uncharacteristically quiet tone worried him. "Yes, Hakutaku-sama?"

Black eyes, blood-shot from both lack of sleep and the consequences of alcohol, looked back at Momotaro. "I'm in love with Hoozuki."

The man looked like utter shit. He looked like the pathetic remains of an unfortunate soul after having been trampled simultaneously by Gozu and Mezu during a particularly spirited tango session. He could sure use a bath and some extra hours of sleep... thought Momotaro before the concern on his face magically disappeared and was replaced by annoyance.

"Aren't you surprised?" rasped Hakutaku, unnerved by the lack of reaction from his assistant. Then again, the confession was particularly shocking. Who would have expected-

Sigh...

Hakutaku's train of thought broke and his tired eyes widened when Momotaro breathed a deep-suffering sigh similar to the ones he himself was giving mere seconds earlier. But the lines of Momotaro's body did not invoke confusion and weariness. Instead, the sigh inspired a complicated mixture of enduring patience and exasperation.

"Is that all?" asked Momotaro as he lost interest in the conversation and turned his attention back to the pot. "It took you this long to realize?"

Hakutaku was so surprised by his assistant's proclamation that the wine saucer slipped from his fingers. He jumped to his feet and regarded Momotaro in horror as if his assistant had grown an extra head. "Wait, Taotaro-kun! How could you have known?! I only realized it when Daji-chan said something last night!"

"Sir, I have only been trying to tell you this same thing for months."

"But I've never heard you say anything about it!"

The last string of Momotaro's patience snapped and he rounded upon his superior with a sharp accusatory tone. "Because the only advice that can penetrate your thick skull are those suggested by women! ... Sir."

Although the truth rang strong with Momotaro's words, the censure still stunned Hakutaku as he sat back down heavily and wondered in despair exactly what it was that gave him away. And exactly how many people knew before him. If Hoozuki knew...

Utterly satisfied as he relished the small victory of finally one-upping the sacred beast, Momotaro took the ladle back from the apprentice rabbit to finish the potion himself. He rarely enjoyed blindsiding his boss with things he may not be ready to accept, but when careful suggestions did nothing, he knew that he had to put things into blunt perspective. Now he knew why Hoozuki never sugar-coated his words and deep inside him, Momotaro was slightly relieved by it. "Are you going to tell Hoozuki-san?"

Hakutaku's face turned as white as a sheet and he shook his head violently; his earring sailed through the air like twin whips. "You're kidding! He would shoot me down before knocking me unconscious! And don't you dare tell Shiro-chan! In fact, don't tell anyone in Hell! I can't allow something like this to get out!"

Momotaro raised an eyebrow and decided not to argue with his boss that several in Hell were already quite aware of the situation. "If you say so..."

"Finish that potion as soon as possible, Taotaro-kun. We're going out for a drink," said Hakutaku in agitation. He all but ran to the door in a frenzy and threw it open as if he could not leave the small house soon enough. "I have to calm my nerves before some demon comes-"

Hakutaku turned white and froze when he saw Daji and the object of his affection/hatred conversing just fifteen feet away from his door.

"-and he actually said that! Isn't he just adorable?" Daji's normally melodic voice rang like a banshee's howls through Hakutaku's ears. She tittered in amusement at something only she and Hoozuki knew before she noticed Hakutaku, but instead of censoring herself, she only gave a mischievous smile. "Kyip!"

Hoozuki did not show any signs of having been told any earth-shattering confessions, but Hakutaku pegged it to the demon's unwavering calm. "That is the kind of person he is. It would be best not to get caught up in anything he suggests."

I'm dead, thought Hakutaku as he felt all nine of his eyes roll as a precursor of losing consciousness to save himself from the horrible scene. However, his pride was too strong to allow him to faint while sober in front of others, so he quickly got ahold of himself. He rushed to Daji, grabbed her by the shoulders, and for the first time in his many thousands of years, hissed violently at a woman. "Daji-chan, how can you betray me like this?"

Unperturbed, Daji just hid her smile behind her sleeve. "Eh? But I wasn't told that I wasn't supposed to say anything."

"Keeping your customer's secrets is supposed to be protected at your store!"

"But didn't you say 'I didn't come to your store as a customer' the last time you visited?"

"That's not what I meant!" thundered Hakutaku at the memory. "And you still took my money afterwards!"

Momotaro peeked out of the house, holding a bottle of the finished potion, when he heard the shouts. His eyes widened at the scene before him, but he almost laughed at the irony. He gave a slight nervous bow of welcome to Daji and Hoozuki when they nodded his way to acknowledge his presence. "Hakutaku-sama, is everything all right?"

By that time, all the fight had drained out of Hakutaku and left him as an empty shell. He no longer acknowledged either Hoozuki or Daji and simply made his way between them to head towards the red light district. "I've had enough excitement today, Taotaro-kun. Let's go get wasted in honor of first loves that are dashed into pieces on the ground."

"Oh?" Hoozuki addressed Hakutaku for the first time with mild amusement. "And whose first love are you talking about?"

Apparently, Hakutaku still had some reserves of energy left in him as he snapped irritably. "Mine of course, you idiot! I don't want to tell my story to some demon who is too cold to sympathize with this kind of hurt!"

"I didn't say anything about wanting to listen to your story," replied Hoozuki as he turned to Momotaro. "Is the potion I requested ready?"

"Ah, yes." Momotaro fumbled with the bottle in his hands, but managed not to drop it as he handed it over to Hoozuki. "Thank you for your business." He squirmed when he noticed that Daji's uncomfortably beautiful face was staring at him with playful interest.

"Much appreciated." Hoozuki pocketed the potion carefully before he straightened to make his way back to Hell. But before he could turn away, Hakutaku was standing close enough to him that some would consider it a violation of one's private space. The god's cheeks was colored an unfamiliar shade of pink too light to be caused by rage and his eyes were hazy as if he waged an internal battle, but his jaw was set with determination.

When Hakutaku spoke, he surprised himself by not stuttering. "I love you."

"I despise you." But Hoozuki's reply was instant and unrelenting.

Something inside Hakutaku broke as he choked back tears that threatened to fall. He was expecting the reply, but hearing the words take form from Hoozuki's lips as a response to his confession hurt much more than he was expecting. "I really hate you too, you idiot!"

"Oh?" Hoozuki's eyebrow twitched up with amusement. "Didn't you just say you loved me?"

"The person I was five seconds ago is dead!" Hakutaku's despair engulfed him so strongly that he could hardly stop the words that spilled out. He could only allow them to flow to help reject the unfamiliar feeling of heartbreak. "I am a different person from what I was before!"

Hoozuki sighed as his brows knit together into his familiar scowl. "I cannot accept such words from someone known to take the idea of love as a game. I am certain that this foolishness will pass for you and you will be back to chasing women again. I have too many obligations to seriously consider-"

Hoozuki's sentence was cut short as Hakutaku's hand slapped across his cheek. His eyes widened and he raised a hand to the slightly reddening skin-more in surprise rather than actual pain. When he looked back at Hakutaku, he was taken aback by the raw agony that was reflected in every inch of the god's body.

When Hakutaku spoke, the tone was low, intimate, and specifically meant for Hoozuki alone. "From the beginning, I've only ever thought of you."

"I... will take my leave." Hoozuki's reply was clipped but shaky as he brushed past Hakutaku without even the thought of retaliation. In another time, he may have regretted causing his rival pain, but he was first and foremost, a demon. And even if he may one day foster the same regard for the god, his hands were now irrevocably tied.

Daji felt what she thought were long-dead feelings of sympathy and affection rise within her as she turned her attention from the quickly disappearing Hoozuki back to Hakutaku. She empathized with the sacred beast, but she could not help but feel for Hoozuki as well. "You were too hard on him, kyip."

"I was?!" roared Hakutaku as his despair made way for anger. "Daji-chan, I believe you just saw me get turned down in the most brutal fashion that demon could possibly have thought up! And then he had the gall to try to rationalize it!"

"But don't you think that honestly turning you down was better than getting your hopes up when he is engaged to someone else?"

Momotaro swung to face Daji so quickly that he felt the whiplash for days after. "What?!"

Hakutaku took a staggering step back and the remaining blood drained out of his face as he stared at the hand that slapped Hoozuki in terror. "Engaged...?"

Daji gasped in mock horror as if she did not realize that she was revealing sensitive information. "Oh my, you didn't know. Hoozuki-sama just accepted a political arranged betrothal as of yesterday! I thought everyone in Hell had heard of it right about by now."

"Gossip of Hell doesn't travel as quickly to Heaven!" yelled Momotaro before he turned to Hakutaku. "Hakutaku-sama-!"

But Hakutaku was passed out cold on the grass.

End - Part One

Authors Notes:

- I'm notorious for not completing long running fanfics, so I'll keep this one around two or three parts. I'll put the disclaimer here that this entire story is not completely my idea (though the general idea is). I've been spoiled rotten by currently being in Japan and all the lovely doujinshi currently available, so this has a lot of material from the circles Hanamogana and Empty Brain. It's their stories that caused me to concoct this story in the first place when I haven't finished so many others (my weak-willed self). Since I won't tear apart my books to scan and translate them, I'll consider this story as my way of getting some of their material to the English-speaking audience (at least until the doujin scanlators get their hands on them).

- Hakutaku/Hoozuki (or HakuOni) is VERY strong in the Japanese HnR fandom. I've actually seen much more material with Haku-seme and it's penetrated my work. Sorry Hoozuki-seme fans, this story is HakuOni. Moreover, I can't see Hoozuki chasing after Hakutaku with his personality. I *can* see Hakutaku realizing first and being tormented by it *very* clearly though.