Title: Appetites
Author: tsutsuji
Fandoms: Cardcaptor Sakura, Death Note, Get Backers, Yugioh, Yami no Matsuei
First posted fic for Kink Bingo 2012!
Kink: Food, plus elements or hints of Blade kink, Danger kink, implied offscreen Bondage, Vanilla kink.
No warnings; actually pretty fluffy for a kink fic.
Summary: A series of five crossovers with Cardcaptor Sakura, all about Touya in his infamous part-time jobs, delivering various sorts of food to various other characters who are kinking on it in some way, and he - is privately aware of this.
Notes: Was meant to be five drabbles for a total of 500 words, but they turned out to be three 500-word ficlets and two 1000-word ficlets. Those are the word counts according to Open Office, which is notoriously out of wordcount-sync with the rest of the known universe so YMMV. #1 is for AmethystHunter, inspired by her fic-verse where Ban & Akabane are an established couple living together. #3 is based in my Just A Fantasy-verse featuring kinky Ryou & Bakura.
Now that he and Yuki are in college, Touya Kinomoto still has a lot of part-time jobs.
1. (Get Backers)
Touya's first delivery of the week is from the pizza place he works at on Mondays. Almost every week he delivers to this particular apartment, where the door is answered by the man with spiked black hair and the hip little sunglasses he always wears, even indoors.
"Pizza's here, Jackal!" this man yells over his shoulder. "Get yer skinny ass out here! I'm short on cash this week." He is always short on cash, Touya has noticed.
"No need to shout, Ban-chan; I heard the doorbell!"
Then the very polite, rather lanky man with violet eyes comes out to pay for the delivery, while Ban takes the gigantic box from Touya. He opens it while Touya is still writing out the receipt.
"Ah crap," Ban mutters, poking at the huge, overloaded pizza with one hand while balancing the box on his other arm. "They forgot to slice it up again!"
He pulls up an edge of the crust, showing that the pizza is one whole 15-inch disc rather than the usual wedge-shaped slices.
"Oh... uh. I'm sorry about that," Touya apologizes quickly. "There's a the new kid in the kitchen this week. I can give you a credit toward the next one..."
"No, no," Jackal says serenely, turning to peer over the edge of the box. "It's no trouble at all!" he insists.
White steel flashes in Jackal's hand. It's a slender blade, like a scalpel, not much longer than his long fingers, with which he deftly slices the pizza into eighths in the space of a breath.
Touya knows that blade was not in his hand a moment before, when Jackal handed him the money for the pizza. Since he gave his power to Yue to save him and Yuki, his eyes may not see the unseen as they used to do, but they are still quick and observant. The first time this happened, he was puzzled; the second time, he was watching, and he saw how the blade slid right out of the thin man's palm. Sometimes there are several blades, delicately held between his agile fingers.
It doesn't take supernatural sight to see how Ban's attention snaps to Jackal when that blade appears, nor to see how blue eyes, peering over the rim of his sunglasses, follow the quick, intricate dance of the scalpel so intently, even when it is only slicing up an ordinary pizza. There's nothing supernatural about the low growl Ban makes in his throat, and the way he parts his lips and leans forward when Jackal holds up one skewered slice for him to bite into.
Ban usually remembers to kick the door shut at about this point. Touya takes no offense, but walks away smiling. After all, there is a reason that, every second or third week, he grabs and boxes up their pizza order before the chef has had a chance to slice it up.
Rather than a complaint, Touya will find later that he's been given an extra large tip.
2. (Death Note)
On Tuesdays, it's the candy shop. Touya watches children stare with shining eyes at sweets in every shape and size they could imagine, and his deliveries might be anything from a party full of already hyperactive kids to a quiet hospital ward.
Every week, he delivers one particular order, an array of candy and confections large enough for several birthday parties. The address changes periodically - a hotel room for a while, a suite in a high-tech office building, then a nondescript house tucked away in some quiet neighborhood - but it's always the same solitary individual who shuffles to the door.
The young man with round, dark-circled eyes, hunched over and barefoot, stares at him for a few seconds as if pondering the question of his existence. Touya holds up this week's assortment of candies and sweets. He can almost see the gears turning in the young man's head, his dark eyes going even rounder, as if he's planning his strategy of dismantling and eating it before it has even crossed the threshold of his current home.
After a few seconds of this intense study, the young man silently steps aside, and Touya brings the delivery in.
There's no supernatural aura about this man, although there is something different about him that Touya can't quite place his mental finger on. Despite his hunched posture, the dark circles under his eyes as if he has never slept a night through in his life, and his alarming consumption of sugar, Touya senses no illness in him. In fact, he seems more alert and alive than many apparently healthy people. His body looks like a wreck, but isn't; his mind seems sharper than the Jackal's mysterious blades. There are always a few computers and other electronic gear in the man's temporary living quarters, stacks of files and papers, and at least three chess games in progress.
Touya hangs around long enough to see him take his first, carefully considered choice of candy from the basket. The rapturous yet absent expression that crosses his face when he consumes the sugary morsel reminds Touya of the way Yuki used to look when he was happily devouring a meal.
He'd noticed Touya watching him one time as he plucked a chocolate-covered marshmallow teddy bear from a Noah's Arc of sweets and popped it into his mouth, and stared back at him while he'd chewed it.
"I remind you of someone?" the man said after he'd swallowed that treat and was reaching for another.
It was more conclusion than question, but Touya nodded.
"In a way. He loves all kinds of food, though, not just sweets."
The man studied a smear of melted chocolate on his thumb.
"Sugar helps me think," he said. He stuck his thumb in his mouth to suck the chocolate off of it, and his big, round eyes almost closed.
Touya is pretty certain there's more than that in the man's obvious delight, but he hasn't felt any need to say so.
3. (Yugioh: Just A Fantasy-verse)
On Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, Touya works at the pastry shop.
He gladly takes deliveries on Fridays, when the shop fills up with after-school kids and groups of teenagers stoking up on coffee for Friday night study groups. He knows some of them from the college he and Yuki attend now, and many of the younger ones are Sakura's high school classmates. He doesn't mind getting away from that noisy crowd.
One of his almost-weekly deliveries is to the apartment of another student he knows from college, though it's never Ryou himself who opens the door. He thought it was, the first time; it took him an awkward moment to realize that this guy was not quite Ryou's perfect twin after all. He'd stammered, asking for Ryou, since the order was called in by "Bakura." The other man grinned, showing very white teeth, and paid him for the pastries.
He looks a year or two older than Ryou, Touya thinks; more angular in the face, definitely sharper in the eyes, and the white hair that is a marshmallow cloud around Ryou's head is more like sunbleached straw on this man. The faint, crossed lines of the scar on his cheek are the most definitive difference, if not the most obvious. More than all that, though, Touya has a feeling that this man is far, far older than he appears.
The same man opens the door today. Ryou is nowhere in sight, as usual.
"I'm afraid my host isn't able to come to the door right now," Bakura says. "He is... indisposed. But I'm sure he'll appreciate your delivery!"
His smile widens when he sees the assortment of cakes inside the box.
"Excellent," he says, a purr of satisfaction through those white teeth. "Just as requested!"
Touya nods to acknowledge the compliment, and tries not to think too much about the double-extra frosting or the excessive amount of jam filling they'd requested.
He hadn't thought much of those things after the first delivery, until he'd happened to meet Ryou on campus the next day. He was more curious about the other, older Bakura. He didn't want to pry, of course, but it seemed reasonable enough to inquire about the delivery.
"I hope the baker didn't overdo it with the icing on those cupcakes yesterday? They looked kind of messy," he'd said apologetically.
Ryou had turned an amazing shade of pink, but he'd insisted the cakes were excellent, just exactly as creamy and, well, yes, as messy as he and Bakura had ordered.
Over the next few weeks, Touya noticed how blissful Ryou always seemed to be on the day after one of these deliveries; a little spacier than usual, maybe, but definitely happy. He stopped wondering, and just made sure there was always plenty of syrup or frosting or whipped cream, whatever the order was that week.
The older Bakura was nowhere near as good a tipper as Ban-chan, but the blushing smile on Ryou's face made up for it.
4. (Yami no Matsuei)
Saturday is cinnamon-bun day at the pastry shop. The kitchen is filled with the exotic scent of spices and warm yeast dough rising when Touya arrives.
Sometimes, he gets to make his own personal delivery on cinnamon-bun day. While he's serving coffee and buns to customers rushing through on their way to classrooms and offices, he keeps one eye on the front window. One morning, way back when he'd started this job while still in high school, he'd noticed a man staring in through the window. It wasn't unusual for people to stare hungrily at the baked goods on display, but this man's amethyst-colored eyes were so big and round and wistful, he reminded Touya of a hungry puppy.
The man didn't come inside, and when Touya had glanced up again a second later, he'd disappeared. That didn't surprise him either; he still had his power then, and he'd known right away that the man wasn't exactly human.
The next time, Touya had been ready with an excuse to leave the counter and a bag of buns already paid for. He slipped out the side door and around the corner by the display window in a heartbeat.
He'd glanced around quickly, making sure he wasn't observed by anyone else when he held the bag out to the man with the sad-puppy eyes whom no one else could see.
"These are for you," he said quietly. "I know you can't come in the shop, but that's no reason you should go without."
The buns were fresh from the ovens, creamy icing melting on them. The smell was enough to make Touya's mouth water, and cinnamon wasn't even his favorite. The man leaned forward and breathed in the scent with a rapturous sigh. Touya almost laughed; it was easy to picture perked-up ears and a happily wagging tail on the guy.
The man had the bag open in his hands when it finally hit him. He stopped short and blinked at Touya.
"W-wait," he said, drawing back. The sad puppy was gone; he was confused but alert and wary now (though he did not let go of the bag).
"Yes, I can see you," Touya confirmed. "I don't know who you are or why you're here, but." He shrugged. "Any time you want, if I'm here, I'll be glad to bring those to you."
The man looked relieved. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling through obvious embarrassment.
"Ah, I get it. You have the Sight! It's not what you're thinking, though. I'm not a ghost!"
Touya shrugged. He'd already figured that out, but he didn't bother to ask what kind of supernatural creature the man really was. He saw spirits, like his mother's ghost, but those weren't the only things his power revealed to him.
"You looked hungry; that's all know. I guess I just don't like to see anyone go without something they want, if I can do anything about it."
"Thank you," the man said. He inhaled the scent of the buns again, smiling the smile of the blessed. "You're very kind. Mmmm, these are the best!"
Blushing a little, Touya shuffled his feet and looked away. It wasn't just that thanks were unnecessary. He'd been touched by the longing on the man's face when he'd seen him in the window, but when he smiled like that, Touya thought, he was truly beautiful. He sensed hidden power there, but he also sensed terrible shadows behind those amethyst eyes. He seemed fragile, though not in the same way Yuki was fragile back then; Touya didn't get the feeling he was going to fade away to nothing. It was more as if some part of him was already missing, and he'd just about given up looking for it.
Well, that wouldn't do. If cinnamon buns made him happy, Touya was glad to provide them.
So he did, every chance he got after that. Tsuzuki introduced himself after the second encounter. When Touya gave his name in return, Tsuzuki already seemed to know it. Touya didn't think too much about that. He was just gratified to see that, after a while, the look of starving puppy was replaced by the anticipation of sensory bliss whenever he spotted Tsuzuki through the window.
Then he gave up his Sight for Yuki's life. For a while, he'd worried about Tsuzuki. He imagined the starving puppy returning, more dejected than ever. When he'd seen Tsuzuki again after all, a month after giving up his power, it was his turn to feel confused.
"I'm working this time," Tsuzuki had said gently. "I need to be seen by the living, for now."
He confided this as if it was a troubling confession, but Touya had already figured what Tsuzuki was by then, that he was not a spirit himself, but one who guided spirits to where they needed to go beyond life. Touya didn't press for details. He didn't want to know if Tsuzuki's current job involved anyone he knew.
"How can I deliver these when you're not working?" he asked instead. "I gave up my power; I won't be able to see you anymore."
"You don't need to," Tsuzuki answered. When Touya scowled at him like there was no argument on the matter, he laughed. "All right! But you may discover you're not be as blind as you think you are, Touya. Generosity should carry its own reward; didn't someone wise say that?"
Touya wasn't sure about that, but he wasn't about to argue a philosophical question with a Shinigami.
However, on this particular Saturday, Tsuzuki turns out to be right. It's only a fleeting glimpse, like a reflection of light across the front window, but Touya knows he's there. When he goes outside with the package of fresh cinnamon buns and sets them on the ledge around the corner, he can easily imagine Tsuzuki's rapturous smile as he breathes in the delicious scent of them, just as clearly as if he still had the Sight.
5. (Yukito)
When Touya gets home to their little apartment near campus, he finds Yuki in the kitchen. Yuki spends nearly as much time cooking now as he used to spend eating, and he's getting good at it. Touya just watches from the doorway for a few minutes, while Yuki moves efficiently from counter to stove to fridge and back, humming quietly to himself, pausing to peer at a cookbook or check the timer in between slicing and stirring.
Yuki is so intent on his work that he doesn't seem to notice Touya standing there. Finally, Touya goes up behind him at an opportune moment, when he's not lifting a hot ladle or flicking a knife with deft fingers. He slips his arms around Yuki's waist, leans into him from behind with a contented sigh.
"I'm home," he says. At last, he thinks, even though it's been a good day. A good week, really, but coming home is still the best part.
"Touya!" Yuki is not really startled; he smiles and twists his head around for a quick kiss. Touya sighs again, even more happily. The kiss tastes like plum sauce, and like Yuki. No wonder Touya is hardly ever tempted by all the treats at his jobs; Yuki's mouth is always sweeter.
"Mmm," he says, trying to tell Yuki "you taste good" while their lips are still pressed together.
"Mmm?" Yuki responds, sounding playful.
His lips curve into a smile before slipping away from Touya's, and he turns his attention back to his cooking. Touya frowns with exaggerated disappointment, until Yuki reaches back over his shoulder and pops a cherry tomato into Touya's mouth.
"How was work?" he asks.
Touya shrugs while he chews the tomato.
"Same as usual," he says. He rests his cheek against the side of Yuki's head. "Mostly," he adds.
Yuki gives him a quick, questioning glance, but doesn't ask for details. He offers Touya a sliced carrot stick, which Touya accepts as consolation when Yuki moves away, going over to stir sauce in a pot on the stove.
Touya crunches that while he goes back to watching Yuki. His attention is caught again by Yuki's hands. Long, pale fingers move, quick and sure, as he chops and mixes vegetables, then stirs them into batter.
He used to enjoy watching Yuki eat, back before it became more worrisome than amusing to see how much food he could consume. It was an excuse to admire Yuki's hands and stare at his mouth, and sometimes it was an opportunity to touch his lip, to wipe away a crumb or feed him a morsel, back when they were both too shy with their feelings for each other to do more than that. Now it is more often Yuki who feeds him a treat, giving him an excuse to kiss clever fingers, even though they don't really need excuses anymore.
He wanders around the kitchen in Yuki's wake, and they chat a bit about who he saw at work or at school that they both know. Then he remembers that one of the people he almost-sort-of saw was a Shinigami.
"You know..." he begins, then pauses. If he's seeing spirits again, what does that mean for Yuki, and for Yue?
Yuki turns to him, head tipped in response to his change of tone from chatty to thoughtful. For a second, Touya is caught, deer-like, as he gazes into gentle brown eyes behind Yuki's glasses.
"What is it, Touya?" Yuki asks. His tone is light, but his gaze is steady.
"Nothing, I guess," Touya says after a moment, but then he has to ask. "Are you all right, Yuki?"
"Of course!" He sets down the tasting spoon and turns to face Touya. "Are you all right?"
After a second, Touya nods. There is nothing wrong with him, and there is nothing wrong with Yuki, he's sure. He hardly knows how he can tell for certain, now, but he can.
"Yeah, it's just that... I think my power might be coming back."
He feels more uncertain of it with every word, but Yuki's face lights up.
"Oh, you finally noticed!"
"Wait. What? How did you...?"
Yuki leans towards him and, grinning up at him, puts a dollop of sweet cream on his nose.
"Your appetite. Haven't you noticed how much more you're eating lately? Yue guessed that had to be the reason."
His smile softens, and he touches Touya's cheek.
"I'm glad, Touya. I know you missed being able to see spirits, and you helped so many of them. Besides," he adds, eyes twinkling, "it means I get to make lots of food for you!"
Touya frowns, a little disgruntled that Yuki, or Yue, knew about this before he did. He can't be annoyed when Yuki smiles like that, though, and especially not when Yuki puts a finger to his lips, enticing him to lick the rest of the cream off.
Then that turns into a kiss, and they bump noses, and the cream gets onto Yuki's nose so he has to lick it off, and Yuki laughs. That laughter is muffled by another kiss, a little deeper and hungrier than the first. A thrill of anticipation, sweeter than a sugar rush, runs through Touya's body.
"Now that you mention it," Touya says, nearly growling, "I am pretty hungry..."
"Good," Yuki says. "Because I love feeding you, Touya."
Yuki grins so sweetly that Touya simply must lick those smiling lips. He's about to suggest that he could happily satisfy his appetite with Yuki himself, rather than actual food. Then a timer goes off. Yuki, probably reading his thoughts on his face, giggles and slips away.
He stirs the sauce, sets it to cool, then pours batter into a sizzling hot pan. The kitchen fills up with delicious scents that make Touya's mouth water and make his stomach growl.
"Itadakimasu!" he thinks, silently, gratefully, and prays that all his customers are as satisfied with their deliveries as he is in every meal he shares with Yuki.
~~ The end ~~