Priorities
by Chronic Guardian
A/N: Written for the Twelve Shots of Summer Week 2 (Romance most contrived).
Spoilingly spoilers! THIS FAN FICTION CONTAINS TOXIC LEVELS OF CONTRIVED ROMANCE AND JOSHUA BEING JOSHUA! ALLERGIC PARTIES ARE ADVISED TO ESCAPE WHILE THEY ARE ABLE! Also, being post game and all, you should watch your back. Of course, it's also slightly AU, so if you haven't played the game, just pretend it's all AU, A'ight? A'ight! Guardian, out!
"Going out Friday?"
Neku blinked twice before he realized who it was. His expression promptly shifted into a glare and he muttered, "None of your business, Josh. Stop reading my calender behind my back."
The other boy giggled. Not a chuckle, or a light laugh, he had to friggin' giggle like a gossiping school girl. And you're... how old, again?
"It will be if I coincidentally happen to be there."
Neku grunted and went back to walking home from school. "Sorry, I already told Beat this isn't a third-wheel compatible date."
"Which he answered by saying if Rhyme came then there'd be four wheels, right?"
A disgusted knot began taking up residence in Neku's stomach. "And here I thought the whole Composer thing was gonna make you too busy for stalking."
Joshua shrugged. "I can always make time for my friends."
The corners of Neku's mouth twisted into a miserable grimace as he glanced over from under his orange bangs. "First off... you friggin' shot me in a back alley. I'm pretty sure that's not what friends do."
"Considering how many friends you've had, I'm shocked you'd know so much on the subject."
Neku rolled his eyes and moved on. "Second: Even if we were friends, it's a kind of couples only sort of date."
"Oh, my," Joshua gasped mockingly and put his hand to his mouth. "I hadn't realized you were going that far with things already! Do her parents know?"
There was a beat of silence as Neku realized what the other boy was insinuating.
He proceeded to stop and shoot a death glare fit to erase at least a dozen Reapers.
"It's not like that, you dirty—"
"So you're just trying to go for a romantic atmosphere then?"
Neku paused again, wary of that self amused smirk the Composer was wearing. In addition to having shot him –twice–, Joshua also had a nasty streak of bending the truth. A trait that probably served him well when managing a ruthless group like the Reapers...
Still, it wasn't like denying the nature of the date would get Neku anywhere. He looked away. "Umm... yeah. I guess..."
"So if it coincidentally turned into a double date, you'd have no objections?"
"...Screw you."
Another giggle. This one followed by the Composer finally deigning to leave Neku alone. The blond boy gave one final smirk and a coy wave before suddenly disappearing into the crowd.
"Hmph," Neku snorted. He'd have to keep an eye out tomorrow; Shiki'd been looking forward to this shopping date for over a month and a half. No way was some snot nosed Composer about to ruin it.
-o-0-o-
"I still don't get why we can't come, yo!" Beat grumbled over his shoulder as he shot down the side of the half pipe. "Is he bein' a cheapsnake or sumthin'?"
"I'm sure he just wants some time alone with Shiki," the voice of reason, Rhyme, intoned from her perch at the top of the skatepark construction. "Although... it probably wouldn't hurt for you to stop leaving Neku to pay the bill whenever we all go out somewhere."
Beat frowned, pausing a moment to execute a handplant on the opposite lip before cutting back and rocketing up the way he came. "I told you, I's gonna pay 'em back when I gots the dough, aight?"
"...With they way your debts are stacking up, that could be a very long time, big brother."
"Pfft, whatever." The boy launched himself into the air and performed a flip, just barely landing the maneuver safely back onto the half pipe. His sister was probably right, as usual, but he didn't want to think about it right now. Right now he was just steamed about being excluded from whatever Neku and Shiki were up to. Still... paying Phones' back for the numerous times he had saved his bacon didn't sound like too bad of an idea.
The only difficult part about it would be figuring out how to come up with that kind of cash...
He narrowed his eyes, ducking his form for maximum gain as he again slid up the far side of the pipe. He'd figure it out later when he was done. Right now, he needed to concentrate on not crashing.
A gasp from Rhyme stole whatever efforts he'd been intending for the latest trick. His eyes shot up to her as she pulled out her viciously vibrating phone.
He almost grinned and made a comment about how easy it was to surprise her sometimes. It would've been a smart idea if he hadn't been airborne that particular moment. As it was though, he opened his mouth, suddenly realized his landing wasn't going to be compatible with his health, and twisted in a desperate attempt to both separate from the board and not land on his head. One of these days, he was gonna have to stuff something soft up his trademark skull beanie exclusively for that purpose...
He succeeded in avoiding a concussion at least. His right shoulder felt like it might be dislocated, but he'd fixed that before. It wasn't anything he couldn't walk off.
...Probably.
He winced once and scooped up his board with arms that felt like twisted rubber from being landed on before trumping up to his sister's position. She was still on the phone and talking in hushed tones. She glanced up at him as he arrived, offering a brief nod and a "mm-hmm" that he wasn't sure was to him or the person on the line.
"Could you hold on a moment?" she asked into the phone, pausing for confirmation before pressing the device to her chest and looking up at her brother, a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Who is it?" he said, the pain in his arm roughing his voice a little.
Rhyme pursed her lips. "Kariya."
"Kariya?" Beat made a face. "We don't know no—"
She took a small breath and tried again. "Lollipop."
His expression cleared with understanding, then darkened again as suspicion took over. Kariya was a Reaper, and Reaper's weren't to be trusted. "What's he want?"
The girl's eyes rolled back for a moment as she tried to come up with an explanation. "Well... apparently his partner's gone missing."
"Yeah?" Beat grunted. "An' why do we give a whoop?"
"Because he says he'll pay us to find out what she's up to."
He blinked. Well... yeah, as Rhyme had been saying earlier, he really could use the money. Trying not to sound too interested, he looked away and said "...I'm listenin'."
"He says... here, I'll just put him on speakerphone." She punched a button and held her phone out between them.
"Hey there, Skulls," Kariya's voice came out. "So, you in?"
"In what?" Beat demanded. "You ain't told me nothin'!"
"Ten-thousand yen."
"Thats—!"
"Plus expenses."
"I ain't—!"
"No mortal danger involved. You in now?"
"..."
The phone emitted a fuzzy chuckle. "Look, it's just a little recon job. Find out what the heck Uzuki is up to for me and I'll make it worth your while. She's due at Ten-Four in about an hour."
"Hang on," Rhyme frowned. "If you know where she's at..."
"Why have you check it out? Let's just say this is the only puzzle piece I have, and I wasn't exactly meant to find it. I can't get any other Reapers involved and Neku's busy. Hence: Plan B."
"An' why come you don't just stalk her yourself, Lolly?"
There was a brief, barely noticeable pause. "...Priorities, Skulls. You'll understand someday. Well... okay, maybe you won't. But at least you'll be ten-thousand yen richer, right?"
Beat shrugged; Kariya had a point. "'Aight... you win. Ten-Four?"
"Ten-Four, " the Reaper confirmed. "Call me when you see her."
-o-0-o-
It didn't take long to get from the skatepark to the Ten-Four Mall Center. Even following Kariya's roughly given time frame, they had at least half an hour to spare. Still, Rhyme insisted they remain vigilant.
...Right in front of the D+B section.
Beat shifted in place, eyes longingly drifting towards the other shops. D+B was a chain mainly targeted at women, particularly women in search of a little spice to add to their wardrobe. Racks upon racks of mini skirts, leather boots, skinny jeans, and all other manner of form hugging apparel sought after by the female populace. Naturally, it was the kind of place respectable guys only ventured into to show their dedication to their girlfriends.
"Do we hafta hang here?" he asked in a loud whisper. Loitering in front of any shop tended to draw looks from passersby. Loitering in front of this one...
"It's the best look out spot," Rhyme answered, watching the crowds intently beside him. "Besides, if Uzuki got here before us, what store do you think she'd be at?"
"Pfft, easy! At the..." It dawned at him that she was referring to the storefront they were currently inhabiting. He felt his shoulders deflating into a slump as he sighed. How was she so good at this?
"We've got to work with what we've got, Beat. A bird in the hand—"
"Is one more thing to throw at the next bird," he interrupted, waving it off. "Yeah, I gots it."
"Beat..."
"What?"
"That's not how it—oh!" One hand flew to her mouth, and the other shot out to point something out in the surrounding sea of people.
"What? WHAT?" he fell into an alert hunch as he tried to pinpoint the disturbance.
The cause was heart stopping.
Uzuki. The pink haired Lady-Reaper, the swift hand of vengeance in the UG, was strolling purposefully towards the shop in a positively uncharacteristic nonthreatening ensemble that made her almost look like a normal person.
Like the guy she was linking arms with.
Beat felt his jaw drop even further at the sight of unruly blond hair just brushing the collar of a pale lavender dress shirt, untucked and open at the top two buttons. Those violet eyes, that stupid smirk. The young man's gaze gleamed a second before he leaned over to give his companion a light peck on the cheek.
She smiled.
"Pri—mmggf?!" Beat's exclamation was cut short by Rhyme shoving her sleeve shrouded arm over (and slightly into) his mouth. Her other hand was already dialing into her cellphone as they both watched on in a mixture of awe and disgust.
It didn't take long for Kariya to answer. "That you, kid?"
"Mm!" Rhyme nodded, her eyebrows furrowing. "Mr. Kariya? We found Uzuki."
"Oh? And?"
Beat wrested his sister's arm from his mouth to desperately half-whisper, "She's on a freakin' date, man! With that Joshua kid from week two! How'd you not know about this?!"
"..."
"Yo, you still there?"
"...Does your phone have a camera?"
The sibling duo blinked at each other. "Ummm... yeah?" Rhyme replied hesitantly.
"Good. Take a few pictures and stay unnoticed. I'll see ya down at the Scramble when you're done."
Beat made a face. "Take a few pictures of what, yo?"
But it was too late, the call had already ended and they were left to once again watch on in horror as perhaps the most terrifying elements of the UG fluttered eyelids at each other.
And then Rhyme gasped.
"Beat?"
"What?"
"Things just got more complicated."
"Mmm?"
He looked down to see where she was looking. Quickly following the cue, his eyes darted into the shop they were standing in front of.
"Oh, crap!"
Neku and Shiki, the former dutifully carrying a bag or two emblazoned with the shop's logo, were just heading out. Grabbing Rhyme by the arm, Beat vaulted behind the closest planter and ducked before the couple could catch sight of them.
"If they catch us here, we're dead!" Beat groaned, pulling his skull beanie down over his eyes. "'Phones respectively told me this was a him an' Shiki only deal. What do we do?"
"'The sly eagle doesn't strike at will', Beat," Rhyme told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just catch up to Uzuki and her date after Neku and Shiki... wait, nope, scratch that."
He jerked his head up to peer out of their hiding place. "Scratch what?"
"Looks like we'll be tailing all of them."
Sure enough Uzuki and Joshua (Was he a little taller than usual?) were now decidedly on an interception course with Neku and Shiki. Beat cringed as his stomach dropped. This was not going to end well. Even with his limited mental capacities he could recognize that sticking around meant a world of trouble for all of them.
Ten-thousand yen, Kariya's voice reminded him in his head.
"...Ah, hell," he groaned and scooped Rhyme up once more. "C'mon... le's jus' get those pics and get outta here."
"Right!" Rhyme flipped open her phone and began waiting for the perfect moment to snap a shot while Beat handled the legwork. "Just leave it to me!"
-o-0-o-
This is a good day.
Shiki smiled at him. It took a moment for his usual stoic exterior to give way for a smile of his own. Not that he wasn't happy, he just... didn't see the point in broadcasting it.
"Y'know, Neku..." she sighed, turning her gaze ahead. "You can be kind of weird."
The smile disappeared. What's that supposed to mean?
She noticed, and quickly tried to back peddle. "I mean, not like a bad kind of weird, just like a you're-not-at-all-like-anyone-I-know kind of weird, you know? Like.. you don't smile unless you really mean it. Or how you don't care when people make fun of your clothes."
His eyebrows involuntarily lowered. Who makes fun of my clothes?
"Or how about his flawless record in friendships?"
His expression morphed into a full-on suspicious glare as he wheeled around to face the voice that definitely wasn't Shiki's. He was met by a smirk he really wished he wasn't familiar with.
Suddenly this didn't feel like such a good day anymore.
"I mean, he chose me, right? How could you possibly top that?"
"Joshua..." he growled, stepping in between Shiki and the newly arrived Composer."You're taller than last time."
Shiki's eyes widened, her hand came up just in time to stop her glasses from slipping off. "Hang on, Neku. You know this guy?"
"Of course he does," Joshua supplied, leering playfully. "Neku and I go waaay back. Isn't that right, Nekky?"
N-Nekky?! Neku shifted a wary look to Shiki. She couldn't believe this, right? She saw Joshua at the end of the Game. Of course she knew who he was.
Then again... it'd only been for a sum total of about fifteen minutes; plus he'd looked a little different back then. She hadn't had to spend a whole friggin' week with him like Neku had.
"He's lying," he told her gruffly, just to be safe. If Shiki somehow got in her head that Joshua was the kind of person he made friends with, they'd be estranged in a heartbeat. "I've known you longer than I've—"
"Like, so rude! My 'Nillysweets doesn't lie."
Who the—? Neku's words suddenly froze in place and consequently blocked his windpipe. Was that Uzuki? Like, the psychopath who'd tried to kill him during the Game Uzuki? Not dressed in a ridiculous hot-pants and claw-corset-blouse combo? "Holy..." She almost looked normal!
Then his mind caught the rest of it.
"...'Nillysweets?"
"Uh-huh!" she giggled, ruffling Joshua's immaculately mussed blond hair. "'cuz his hair's like a cute vanilla color? Get it?"
Neku grimaced. Please don't let Shiki be buying this...
"Neku..."
Crap. She was using that gentle tone that she only used when she was afraid of how he'd react.
He gave her a pleading look. "I... I don't—"
"Aww, you're too adorable Nekky. Isn't he, 'Zuki-chan?"
Uzuki giggled again and hugged Joshua's arm. "Absolutely, 'Nillysweets."
Neku cringed. This was going south in a hurry. He wished he could just sock the dumb kid and be done with it (His Pre-Game self probably would've), or at least unleash a verbal barrage (Which would admittedly have absolutely no effect on Joshua, but might make Neku feel better), but a single restraining pillar held him back.
He was with Shiki now, and he wouldn't ruin her reputation by shouting like a lunatic at some stupid Composer with social thrill issues.
So he let out a strained breath and tried to calm down. He couldn't change how Joshua acted, only how he chose to react. Blowing up would only be giving Josh what he wanted.
"Mmm? Oh, Nekky, you're blushing!"
Saying nothing had more or less the same effect.
Suddenly, just as he was about to reach his limit, he felt his clenching hand being enveloped. He glanced down, surprised, then back up at Shiki. She gave a small, knowing smile and nodded.
He nodded back. Right. She knew who he was.
"My goodness!" Joshua feigned a gasp. "Looks like things are serious; eh, 'Zuki-chan?"
"Not as serious as us." She said that last word with enough syrupy sweetness to smother the intended effect. "Right, 'Nillysweets?"
The blond boy giggled and stroked her cheek. "No, my lovely, not by a long shot." He began to lean in for a kiss.
*Click*
All heads (minus Joshua's) whirled towards the sound.
Frozen like a deer in the sudden headlights of attention, Beat stood with Rhyme on his shoulders. In her hands was a phone.
Pointed at them.
Uzuki's smile disappeared for a moment. A storm of emotions flickered through her eyes and was just about to take to her mouth too when Joshua grabbed her by the chin and smiled.
"Nothing can stop us," he whispered. "Not them, not anybody."
*Click*
Rhyme snapped another photo before Beat tore through the crowd, leaving a less-than-covert trail of disgruntled cries as he dashed for the exit.
Neku's gaze followed them, trying to figure out exactly what had happened, when Shiki finally gained the wits to pull, leading him into a shared escape from the scene.
In a way, it reminded him of their first few days knowing eachother, racing madly across the UG in a shared mission for survival.
"Just... like... old times. Huh?" He said in between breaths as they beat their retreat to the back entrance.
Shiki grinned at him and nodded. "Like I was saying... You're kinda weird... but..."
He raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"But... not... not that weird."
They shared a smile.
"Thanks..." He paused a beat as they got their bearings. "Was there... was there anything else you needed in there?"
She shook her head. "Nope, I've got enough for today."
"Shiki Misaki? Done with shopping?" He gave her a wry smirk.
"H-hey! I was trying to be sweet! Do you want to go back and—?"
"Yeah... not really."
"..."
"...Movies?"
"Sure. But... no more guest appearances, please."
He laughed. "Yeah, don't worry."
Because even if they show up again, he laced fingers with her once more as they started walking, so long as Shiki's on the same page as me, we're good.
-o-0-o-
Koki Kariya watched the crowds with a preoccupied interest, the sort that saw shapes and colors moving but didn't distinguish any of them unless it's what's being looked for. He was halfway through his current lollipop and he was expecting to start another before the wait was over.
Those plans didn't last long. The target in question showed up earlier than anticipated. Beat's bouncing beanie soon hastily bobbed through the crowd until the burly blond himself stood before the Harrier.
"'Sup, Skulls?" Kariya greeted the teen as the latter's younger sister slid off his shoulders. "Ya got the pics?"
Beat nodded, casting his eyes behind him as if he suspected being followed. "Yeah... Man, what you usin' 'em for anyway?"
Kariya shrugged. "Depends. What'cha got?"
Flipping open her phone, Rhyme punched in a few buttons and turned the screen towards him.
Kariya leaned forward to study the selections, before nodding and returning to an upright posture. "They'll do. Send 'em over and we're good. Oh, and before I forget," he dug into his pockets to produce a wad of bills. He handed it over to Beat and winked. "Don't go spendin' it all in one place now, a'ight?"
Beat shuddered, but took the money. "Tha's the last time I run recon for you. You lucky I don't charge you double, man."
Kariya flashed them a tight smile and turned to go. "Don't worry, Skulls, this should do just fine."
-o-0-o-
Finally... Uzuki stumbled into her flat and collapsed on the couch. She didn't bother to change or empty her pockts. Usually it took a full day of work to take it out of her like that; keeping up with the Composer was more draining than she'd anticipated.
Still, it would work. The promotion he'd promised her for playing along with the prank, or "test" as he'd called it (whatever...), was what she'd been dreaming of practically her whole life. She'd almost lost it when he'd attempted that kiss on the lips, but somehow she'd made it through the act and now there was nothing to do but reap the benefits and climb the ladder.
So long as no one else found out about how she'd humiliated herself, she might even remember this day fondly.
"Have a nice day?" Kariya's voice drifted in from the next room over.
She groaned and buried her face in the couch. "None of your business, Kariya," she mumbled over the mouth full of soft synthetics. Why couldn't he ever be this curious about his freakin' job?
He chuckled, coming up behind the couch to lean over her. "Isn't it though? Not every day you go out on a date."
Her heart skipped a few beats. "... How'd you know about...?"
"Photographic evidence. Didn't come cheap, mind you, but those Bito siblings sure have their uses for these kind of things."
"!" She sprung up into a crouch, blood vessels practically bursting in rage. "They— They were working for YOU?!"
"Correct, making yours truly the only other element of the Reapers to know how Uzuki Yashiro jumped from Harrier grunt to whatever position it is you bargained for."
"What?" She blinked. "How did you—?"
"Isn't it obvious?" He shrugged and walked leisurely out of range as she sat still in shock. "What could possibly make a workaholic like you put your job on hold other than advancement? I'm unmotivated, Uzuki, not dumb."
"Okay. Okay, okay, okay, fine," She sighed and hung her head. "So then... what are you trying to pull with the pictures? Why isn't just knowing enough?"
He stopped. Over his shoulder, he gave a tight grin and said "Well... once you get all high and mighty with your new position, I'd hate for you to forget to come back and visit now and then."
"Visit?" Her face started twisting into a snarl. "This is all because you're gonna be lonely without somebody to kick your sorry butt into gear? Don't ya think that's a little overboard?"
He shrugged again and continued to enjoy his lollipop. "Eh... Depends on your priorities."
A/N: Okay! This was way harder to write than I'd anticipated. You'll notice the ending is kind of rushed... But I did at least cover everything I wanted to! Rather than using the contrived romance as the center of the plot, I thought I'd use it as an element to emphasize my overarching theme.
Note that Joshua is taller with Uzuki because he's the Composer, so he can change his appearance and thus make it look slightly less creepy for the two of them to be going out by changing his physical age.
Sorry that the Beat section doesn't use Beat diction for the narration. As I said, I was in a hurry and that's just the natural way I write things. That's why I usually write characters like Amber Hanekoma instead...
Kudos for any theories on what Joshua's agenda was. Believe it or not, he's not just being awkward for awkward's sake.
Anyway, be sure to check out the other Twelve Shots of Summer! You can find the other Author's offerings by heading to our eponymous forum and checking out the Billboard. Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you next week!
Regards,
-CG