Between Two Extremes

Yasuhara rushed headlong into the deserted cabin.

Noll followed closely behind him and screeched to a halt when they arrived in the entranceway. There was little time to lose, so Noll turned his head at once to ascertain all four of them were safe. Three figures were visible among the trees in the dark forest. One of them, Hirota, sprinted into the cabin. Some blood had splattered on his clothes, but otherwise he seemed uninjured. Hirota steadied himself against the log wall next to Yasuhara. Both were catching their breaths. They had run quite a long distance from their previous destination. Noll still looked ahead, holding the door with his hand. He was waiting for one more person.

The tall figure in the distance whistled. Faint lights scattered in the darkness and forcefully gathered against 'something' that wobbled between the tall trees. An inhuman groan escaped. It seemed like Lin's 'magic' was working, but for how long?

"Lin!"

Noll could vaguely see Lin's form holding up a hand, gesturing at Noll and the others to wait.

The shiki warded 'it' off in another attack. 'It' had grown considerably weaker, and soon gave up on attempting to follow them. The trio in the doorway watched the 'thing' stride away, presumably to join the others of its own kind. After a while Lin lowered his hand back to his side, indicating it was safe for now. Noll finally let out a breath he had been holding in. The other young men followed him, collectively letting out a gasp.

Noll moved to the back and unthinkingly leaned his head against Yasuhara's shoulder out of exhaustion. That was when he noticed Yasuhara had frozen up. His shoulder was stiff. Noll looked up at him. He was still staring at the door as if 'it' could show up at any time.

"Yasuhara-san?" he said between his breaths.

"W-what?" Yasuhara blinked.

They stared at each other. Noll put a reassuring hand on his other shoulder, then straightened up.

"I can't believe it! A zombie! Of all things -" Hirota blurted out.

Noll let go of Yasuhara's shoulder and steadied his breathing as he spoke.

"We have yet to confirm it's a zombie."

According to Mai, there should be even more. The sight of one had not been appetizing, let alone a dozen more.

"But that thing!" Hirota said. "Did not live!"

Noll decided to ignore Hirota who had lost his wits and looked at Lin. Lin had just returned to the cabin; he gave the outside one last look, and closed the door behind him.

Then he turned back to Hirota.

"It will be fine. The shiki can keep it at a distance. Right?" Noll said.

Lin nodded. "They're keeping guard. I don't think the… zombie will come closer because of them."

Both Yasuhara and Hirota sighed, finally calming down.

"Is everyone alright?" Noll asked.

"I'm fine."

"M-Me too," Hirota said.

Yasuhara smiled lightly. "A little bruised, but otherwise fine."

Noll headed into the cabin and looked around. They had visited this place before the other day and were told it had some basic necessities.

"Will the others be okay?" Hirota asked.

"They can handle themselves. It's better to worry about our own situation," Noll said as he walked towards a wall. He wiped off the dust on a square mirror the size of a window, then placed his hand on it.

The others watched as the expressions on Noll's face subtly changed while he conversed with the person at the other end. Then he let go.

"What did he say?" Lin asked.

"The situation is calm. Nothing is going on at the other cabin either. The zombies are laying low somewhere," Noll said. "Don't turn the lights on. Let's find some candles instead."

He began examining the room for useful tools and found a torchlight. Yasuhara and Hirota investigated the small kitchen. Only Lin sat down to take a rest.

Once they gathered some foodstuff they could eat to replenish their energy, the four silently gathered around the table with a candle at the center. After discussing their plans for a possible retaliation, and deciding to keep put until dawn, Noll pointed a torchlight at the staircase.

"There should be a room upstairs."

Hirota frowned at the dark door at the end of the stairway.

"…No thanks. I'll take the couch," he said and moved back to the living room.

Lin also took a look at the narrow space which lead to the room. He didn't seem keen on staying upstairs either or potentially hitting his head due to the low height.

"I'll keep watch downstairs. Go catch some sleep."

"Alright then," Yasuhara said, putting a hand on Noll's shoulder. "Coming with me, Boss?"

Yasuhara followed Noll into the room.

The 'bedroom' was actually a small attic. It only contained a small two-person bed and a night table.

"Oh, a two-person bed? We're in luck."

There was barely any space for two grown men to move around. Not exactly comfortable, but otherwise it was relatively clean.

"Now's not the time for frivolous talk."

The floorboards creaked as Noll walked in the room. He bowed his head to avoid a lamp protruding from the slanted wall. Beside him Yasuhara dropped down on the bed. Noll flinched at the sound it caused. He nearly expected the floor to collapse below them, however, it didn't happen.

"I'm trying to stay positive," Yasuhara mumbled, face down on the pillow.

"As usual," he responded dryly while looking out of the small round window.

Noll was too fed up to stand around with his head bowed, so he laid down next to Yasuhara on the bed. Their arms were touching due to the bed's size. Noll wondered if it was actually an over-sized one-person bed. He looked around the room. The room was dark. The only light in the room came from the small window.

Noll closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. It would be best if they both got enough sleep before Lin or Hirota needed their own well-earned rest.

A warm hand suddenly moved over Noll's own. Noll sighed and let their fingers intertwine.

Yasuhara chuckled.

"It would be inappropriate to kiss right now, wouldn't it?"

He didn't bother responding.

"I mean. A zombie nest is likely out there. Downstairs, a terrified Hirota is attempting to sleep, Lin is preparing for the worst -"

"Yeah."

"And here I am with my hot boyfriend on a two-person bed."

"…You always talk too much when you can't sleep."

Yasuhara turned on his side and moved his head on top of Noll's shoulder.

"Well… there's a zombie after our throats."

Noll could feel his warm breath against his collar. It would have been comfortable if the room wasn't already warm. The summer temperature had made the attic a rather stuffy space to sleep in.

"Just between you and me. I'm absolutely terrified of zombies," he whispered.

"…Then I wonder how you coped with the Yoshimi case."

"I didn't. That's when my phobia started."

Noll opened his eyes to look at him, but Yasuhara moved back into his initial position and stared at the ceiling.

"You're still wearing your glasses," Noll commented.

"I can sleep with them," he said. "I'd like to see properly if a zombie barges into our room."

"That won't happen."

He let out a nervous laugh.

"Don't jinx it."

"Osamu…"

There was no reply.

Yasuhara's gaze was still fixed at the ceiling. It bothered Noll that he was so afraid. How was he going to catch any sleep like this? Noll wondered why he thrust Yasuhara needlessly into this situation. Yasuhara was only an office worker. He researched off-site while they were on a case and brought the results of his work to them. However, this time the case caught up with them. It was too late to send him away, so it couldn't be helped. Noll briefly played with the idea of using cards or coins to distract Yasuhara, but he quickly realized that he didn't have any of those props on him. Not to mention it was too dark to see clearly.

Noll let out a long breath through his nose in resignation and sat up. A kiss. Why not? A long and good kiss to make him forget about the zombie.

"What's-" Yasuhara started to say, but silenced when Noll moved on top of him, straddling his hips.

He made a strangled noise as he stared up at Noll.

"Um… This is highly inappropriate, Boss."

Noll leaned over and placed his hands beside Yasuhara's arms. His face was inches away.

Yasuhara continued, "You're breaking your own rules…"

He smirked as he leaned down to his ears.

"Osamu, some rules are meant to be broken."

Yasuhara smiled.

"See, this is what I like about you."

Noll removed Yasuhara's glasses, and put them on the night table. Yasuhara looked expectantly at him. They were together for about two years, but they infrequently slept in the same bed as they didn't live together. On top of that Noll scarcely initiated intimate contact, so an occasion like this was rather rare.

He let out a shaky breath and moved his right hand to touch the side of his face. Warm. Yasuhara's eyes closed in anticipation. He took it as a sign to lean down and kiss him on the mouth. His lips were warm and soft. Noll could faintly sniff earth and a hint of sweat, and wondered if both of them actually smelled like that. He wouldn't be surprised. Yasuhara's lips parted, inviting him in. To his surprise he felt two hands up his back, urging his body to come closer. But Noll gave in and laid down on top of him. Yasuhara shifted his head to gain deeper access to his mouth. Then his hands shifted down and grasped at Noll's dress shirt, eagerly pulling it out of his trousers to explore the skin on his back.

Yasuhara's fingers were somewhat colder than his own skin. It felt good in the warm space of the attic.

Their lips parted.

Yasuhara shifted his head down to his jawline. Noll's body tightened when he felt teeth grazing against his jaw – warm lips slowly trailing down his neck. He continued on like that until Noll decided to push Yasuhara back in the pillow. The bed creaked lightly in response. Noll kissed him just below the jaw, sucking slightly. He wrapped an arm around Yasuhara's waist, one hand slipping inside his shirt. His muscles tensed and relaxed at his touch.

"…-feels good," Yasuhara whispered.

He ran a hand through Noll's hair and encouraged him to explore lower.

Noll reached the collarbone and gazed up. His eyes were closed.

"Osamu…"

He moved up. Yasuhara's eyes fluttered open.

Noll hovered above Yasuhara for a moment, staring down at his face. He could see him quite clearly now that his eyes got used to the dark. Yasuhara looked very different without glasses and his hair tousled. His facial expression and body behavior was liberated from everyday constraints. Noll loved this look a lot.

The half-open mouth looked inviting, so Noll went down and kissed him deeply.

In response Yasuhara spread his legs and wrapped his arms around Noll's waist. Noll unconsciously moved against his groin, resulting in a low moan from Yasuhara. Their lips parted again. Noll folded his arms around his neck, while Yasuhara moved him back on the bed beside him. Noll placed his head sideways on the pillow. Something below them creaked as they shifted their positions – Noll wasn't sure whether it was the bed again or the floor, or both. It didn't matter anymore because this was feeling very good right now. And incredibly comfortable despite their current situation. He wondered if Yasuhara had already forgotten about the zombie. He must have, Noll thought, pleased with himself.

Yasuhara held him close, breathing into his ear. His breath was hot. Noll felt warm all over his body. His skin felt sticky from the sweat.

"Naru, you're so…" He didn't finish his sentence; he started kissing his neck again. His hands travelled down to Noll's hips, caressing him there and fiddling with his belt. Noll breathed out against the pillow.

Yasuhara took his shoulder and pushed him down. The bed creaked again, much louder than before. Noll had his eyes closed while Yasuhara straddled him. Yasuhara had stopped kissing or embracing him, but his fingers were quickly unbuttoning his dress shirt. The air gradually cooled his skin. Seconds later he felt two hands touching his chest – they traveled down to his waist and even lower. He felt a mouth on his collarbone. It gradually kissed its way down.

Suddenly his belt slipped out of his trousers. It was promptly discarded on the floor.

"Ah…"

Yasuhara's mouth stopped just below his navel.

"No?"

Noll looked down to see Yasuhara's questioning face. He suppressed a grimace. No, he was supposed to…

"…Other way around," he merely said. Noll wasn't used to taking the lead.

"Okay."

Yasuhara complied and let Noll on top of him. The bed groaned under their weight – Noll's attention went to the side for a moment. Or had that been the floor? He moved his body to get a closer look, but then he heard a low moan from Yasuhara's mouth. Noll looked down at where their groins had met. Yasuhara's fingers were hooked on his trousers and urged for a repeat.

"Naru…"

His voice was low… and needy. He sounded really good. Noll slowly slid back down. A jolt of pleasure went through him as he watched Yasuhara's needy expression change. Soft moans emitted from his half-open mouth.

I can please you like this too, even if it's just his.

The bed continued creaking. Gasps escaped from both of their mouths.

"Haa…. I think I'm…"

Noll pushed his lips against Yasuhara's mouth. Any further words were silenced. They kissed slowly as they rode out the momentum.

Suddenly, Yasuhara's hands moved to grab his butt, pushing him against his body. Noll could barely prevent himself from gasping loudly into the kiss. At the same time Yasuhara threw his head back into the pillow, and –

"Ahem!"

A different voice took them out of the moment. Noll froze all of his movements instantly.

Yasuhara looked over Noll's shoulder and found Hirota in the doorway. If it hadn't been dark, he would probably have seen a fiery blush on his face.

"C-C-Could you two not-"

Hirota was obviously flustered.

"Ah, Hirota-san! Care to join us?" Yasuhara casually suggested with a shaky voice. "It'll take your mind off the case."

Noll groaned beside him.

The man muttered something along the lines of 'we can hear you guys downstairs'.

Yasuhara watched the door close. Now that was a total mood killer.

Noll sighed.

"…I forgot to close the door. Sorry."

Yasuhara looked down at the other boy, who was still sitting in his lap.

"We could continue?"

"I didn't mean to go so far…"

"…What?"

Noll disentangled himself from Yasuhara and laid down.

"Never mind. You've already calmed down. Let's sleep."

Yasuhara could barely believe what he was hearing. He was anything but calm!

"But we just…"

In a rare moment Noll apologized for the second time that day.

"Sorry, I let myself go."

Yasuhara laid down and let the words sink in. He stared at the ceiling, contemplating his life decisions.

"I don't mind. The offer still stands."

There was a groan.

"The walls are thin – not to mention the floorboards," Noll said. "And Gene's watching us. Probably."

Yasuhara chuckled bitterly. "Well, I hope he enjoyed the show."

Noll let out a very miserable sigh against the pillow.

"…Don't make me ask him."

"I won't!"

He didn't reply anymore. The excitement of a few minutes ago was slowly ebbing away.

Still, Yasuhara couldn't steer his mind away from that direction.

He sighed and put an arm over Noll's waist.

"Boss, I can't take my mind off you…"

This time Noll sharply replied. "Just think about the zombies outside."

Yasuhara groaned and moved his arm away. He was back to square one.

This was going to be a long night.

Neither Lin or Hirota bothered to go upstairs again after the 'incident'.

Hirota was barely able to look at the two young men when they came downstairs in the early morning. He was told that they were in a relationship, but had at least expected a shred of decency from them as two rational twenty-year olds in a life-or-death situation. Hirota had obviously expected too much.

On the other hand, Lin seemed to pretend he had not heard anything.

The four quietly waited until they heard the voices of the other group outside the cabin. Hirota sprinted to the door, and pulled up his nose after opening it.

Takigawa stood in front of him. The others were a little further apart.

"You stink."

"I know." Takigawa grinned. "Zombie guts and all that."

Soon, Noll and the others came out to meet the other group.

"Takigawa-san, you made it out alive!" Yasuhara chirped.

"Of course I did! We took care of the zombies," Takigawa said, gesturing at the group behind him. "Mai located the zombie for us."

Mai scratched the back of her head with an awkward grin on her face. "Ahaha, it was easy."

"Turned out there was a nest of zombies, so John and I bashed their heads in with shovels 'till they stopped moving!"

Hirota cringed and unconsciously looked at the innocently smiling John. Were those zombie guts on his jeans or was he just imagining things?

"Masako was the one who purified the ghost of that missing girl."

Hirota had been quite concerned about that. It was the reason he asked them to help him. "Thank you."

"No need for that," Masako simply said.

Takigawa continued. "Oh, yeah …An old living tree happened to be around so Ayako made sure they wouldn't revive till the end of time."

Well, that was convenient. Hirota looked at Ayako. She glared at Takigawa.

"Hey. Don't add me in as an afterthought! Remember that I was the one who saved you all!"

They ignored Ayako.

"Good job," Noll said.

"And what have you guys been up to?" Ayako asked.

"Nothing much," Yasuhara replied. "We basically holed ourselves up in this cabin."

"At least you got a good night sleep." Takigawa yawned.

Yasuhara shook his head.

"Well… Not really. That zombie kept me awake all night."

Ayako sniggered.

"Are you sure it was a zombie?" She said with a smirk. Mai elbowed her. "Hey!"

"What do you mean?" Yasuhara raised an eyebrow.

Masako put her mouth behind her sleeve.

"A little bird told us something amusing…"

Mai's cheeks reddened. "M-Masako!"

A silence enveloped the group, putting Noll and Yasuhara at the center of the women's attention.

"You… saw?" Yasuhara asked.

Noll glared at her. "Mai."

She raised her hands in defense.

"Look, I was worried about you guys! I couldn't help it!"

Takigawa frowned.

"What were they up to?"

Yasuhara put both of his hands against his face, hiding a furious blush.

"…They were in a room together," Mai clarified, not exactly meeting their eyes.

Takigawa's mouth formed an 'O'.

John looked away as well. "I don't think I want to know."

"Point taken," Takigawa said, turning around.

Ayako wiped a strand of hair out of her face.

"Anyway, whose idea was it to put those two together in one room on a case?"

They stared at Hirota and Lin who were with them. The two men seemed very embarrassed. Hirota's gaze immediately moved to Lin, excluding himself from any responsibility.

Lin defended himself. "I was merely considering our safety."

Noll decided to ignore the entire conversation. He had enough of this.

"Let's go back to the base."

The others followed his suit, muttering along the way.

On the way back to Tokyo, each person brooded over their lack of privacy whenever Mai did her astral walking.

As for Mai herself, she wasn't able to look the two young men straight in the eye for quite a long time.

Author's note

I wrote this in response to a prompt for the Ghost Hunt Prompt Meme Challenge 1: Parapsychology on AO3. See my profile for more information on these challenges.

The prompt was:

zombie: A corpse that has been partly brought back to (soul-less) life by magic. See also Voodoo.