Hello, fellow Legal Drug fans :)
Just as a side note, the title for this fic is taken from a Blink182 song. And here's my usual disclaimer where I complain about 's horrible formatting (single line spacing, double-spaced paragraphs, and a complete lack of indentation) and then apologise for it, even though there's nothing I can do (sigh).
Please enjoy this fic - I certainly enjoyed writing it.
(P.S. I apologise if there's a glitch or two. I did proof-read it on my computer, but I noticed the web-version had already added an extra few words to the beginning, and I don't want to skim through 7,000 words again -.-)
Rikuo stared at his eggs. Or rather, what used to be his eggs. They were now blackened blobs, unrecognisable to the untrained eye. His toast was a charred square, not unlike charcoal, that no decent human being would eat. His bacon was burnt to a horrible crisp.
"Where's my breakfast?" Rikuo asked.
"There, on the table." Kazahaya replied from across the room, as he wrestled with fish-tank gear.
"There's something on the table, but it sure as hell isn't food. It looks like a nuclear bomb went off in the frying pan."
"Well maybe—" Kazahaya struggled, trying to do something complicated with a fish net, "if you'd help with thi— argh, with this stupid fish tank—"
"Hey, you're the one who took the job from Kakei. That's got nothing to do with me, and it doesn't change the fact that this morning was your turn to cook breakfast."
"I did cook breakfast!"
"I wouldn't feed this to that thing in your fish tank. Maybe animals like you like it, but human beings can't eat this." Rikuo folded his arms, waiting for Kazahaya's next outburst.
"Well if your cooking is so good then why don't you cook your own damn breakfast!?" he shouted, hackles raised.
"Because you're a spoilt brat and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you off the hook that easily." Rikuo replied matter-of-factly.
"Bastard!" Kazahaya shouted as his fish net snapped in half. "You're a real jerk sometimes, Rikuo!" He stormed out flushed and glass-eyed, slamming the door behind him.
It was suddenly very silent.
Rikuo wandered over to the other side of the room, stooping to pick up the broken net. He had kept his mouth shut over this job, but he really did wish Kazahaya wouldn't agree to jobs without knowing the details, no matter how badly he said he needed the money. Especially when they involved looking after mystery animals. Heck, he was staring at the animal in question, and it was still a mystery. Whatever it was, it was staring at him with unusual ferocity for a fish. Or what he assumed was a fish, anyway. As he inspected it through the – rather thick – glass, the… thing… growled at him.
"Hey, no use growling at me – it's not my fault he never learnt to cook." Rikuo told the thing in the tank.
.. o .. o .. o ..
Early though he was, the fuming Kazahaya was nevertheless surprised not to be rebuked by his employer for making such a noise stomping down the stairs. In addition, there was no Saiga teasing him about a lovers' tiff or trying to get under his skin (or more accurately, his shirt). There was, however, the muffled sound of raised voices coming from Kakei's office. That was odd. Kazahaya had never seen his seniors arguing before. In fact, with the exception of Kakei's (successful) attempts to terrify him, Kazahaya would have said the two of them were eternally cheerful.
Evidently not.
In any case, it was really none of his business, and he tried his hardest not to listen to the cries of "Don't treat me like one of your lapdogs!" and "At least a lapdog is around more often than you are." while he readied the store for opening.
When Rikuo finally sauntered in, he found Kazahaya hiding in the aisles, stocking shelves that didn't really need stocking and generally trying to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible. So naturally, it took Rikuo less than four seconds to figure out that Kazahaya was eavesdropping on the fight going on in Kakei's office. Then again, it was hardly difficult to eavesdrop on the voices, now raised so loud they had ceased to be muffled by mere walls. Rikuo was under the impression that walls of lead wouldn't be sufficient enough to hold back the angry words between Kakei and Saiga. Even so, Kazahaya looked decidedly guilty when Rikuo gave him a surprise tap on the shoulder, immediately transforming his awkward feign of indifference into a sulky scowl.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"If you want to eavesdrop, at least make it look like you're doing something useful." Rikuo replied bluntly, watching Kazahaya's face burn in shame, even as he tried to protest.
"I-I'm not! I just happened to be here and, uh, they're…. I mean… Do you think they're okay?"
"It's not my business," Rikuo shrugged, "It's not yours either, you know."
"Y-yeah. Um."
And with their own argument seemingly forgotten, the two boys got on with their morning, tactfully ignoring Saiga bursting out of Kakei's office, slamming the door and leaving the store; diplomatically disregarding when Kakei came out a few minutes later, eyes red-rimmed.
It wasn't until mid-morning that Saiga returned, but by lunch time both boys were willing to do anything to get out of the store themselves, and escape the silence and the tension. Even the customers could sense the weighted air, making unusually quick purchases and forgoing their habitual perving on the drug store employees, in an effort to get out as quickly as possible. In a rare moment of mutual agreement, Rikuo and Kazahaya opted to take their lunchbreaks together, leaving the store for the respite of a nearby café.
"So…" Kazahaya sat toying with his menu, aware of the fact that the number of civil conversations he and Rikuo had held was rather limited. Rikuo rolled his eyes at his co-worker's awkwardness.
"What do you want?" he asked bluntly.
"Wh-huh? I was just trying to make conversation, you jerk."
"Yeah, it was riveting." came the sarcastic reply. "I meant to eat. What do you want to eat?"
"Oh. Uh…" Kazahaya eyes flickered indecisively over the menu while he fiddled nervously with his napkin. "Ummmmmm…"
"Calm down, kitty. It's not like we're on a date or anything," Rikuo clasped Kazahaya's hand across the table, "unless that's what you want." He suggested with a mischievous grin.
"Ah! What are you talking about!? Let go!"
Rikuo savoured the sight of a very flustered Kazahaya, who had gone from zero to bright red in ten seconds flat, accompanied by a funny lurch in the brunette's stomach region that probably wasn't due to acceleration or a lack of lunch. And thus the conversation had resumed its usual course. Not wanting to cause a scene before lunch was ordered, however, Rikuo was forced to back off, returning them to their previous awkward silence.
Rikuo cleared his throat.
"That thing you're looking after, in the fish tank – what is it?" it was a feeble stab at conversation, but it was better than silence – and truth be told, curiosity had been niggling at Rikuo ever since yesterday, when Kazahaya had taken on the job.
"It's a fish" Kazahaya replied in the tones of one stating the obvious. "Um, at least, I think it is. Kakei just said I had to look after it for a few days. He gave me some really weird looking food to feed it, though." Kazahaya tried not to think of the slimy, entrail-esque globs he had been given, especially not right before lunch.
"Right."
Silence.
"Um…"
They were running out of conversation topics, but neither wanted to discuss the morning's happenings. Maybe if they didn't mention it, they would return to the drug store and find that everything was back to normal, instead of the warped and unsettling reality they were facing. It just wasn't right – Kakei and Saiga never fought. It had never occurred to anyone that they were even capable of animosity towards one another. They were the steadfast rock, anchoring the other two in the face of instability (and enchanted book-women, and near drownings, and breaking-and-entering charges); they were the glue that held them all together, the unwavering reassurance that life would probably, maybe, quite possibly, work out okay. And now all that was unravelling before their eyes. It was unnerving, to say the least.
"Rikuo, do you think that… Will they be okay?"
Rikuo was saved from having to answer by the appearance of a waitress, ready to take their order. Unfortunately her customers were less ready (well, one of them, at any rate), and there was a lot of frantic indecision involved until Rikuo just picked something for both of them.
Munching away on their midday meal, the two boys found that they were, surprisingly, capable of carrying out almost entirely civil conversation (despite Rikuo's attempts). They were even able to forget about the reason they were out together in the first place.
.. o .. o .. o ..
Things at Green drugstore seemed to pick up for the afternoon, despite the elder inhabitants' silence. Kazahaya managed to break the atmosphere with his usual cheerful demeanour, drawing in plenty customers (most of which seemed to be giggling schoolgirls, much to Rikuo's annoyance). Even so, both store employees were looking forward to closing time, and going home and occupying themselves with their own arguments, which they'd had to put on hold all day. Unfortunately Kakei had other plans, as he beckoned them into his office. Rikuo and Kazahaya followed him in, wary of a potential Talk about Things.
"I have a job for you boys." Kakei stated with forced cheerfulness.
Rikuo breathed an audible sigh of relief; Kazahaya's ears perked up at the prospect of money; Saiga was silent.
"I'll do it." Kazahaya barely hesitated. For once, Rikuo could understand his eagerness – anything to get away from building, where the tension hung so thick in the air. In this room, with Saiga sitting at one end, seemingly ignoring everyone through his dark glasses, and Kakei sitting at one end, apparently disregarding Saiga's existence, the hostility was almost tangible.
"Very well then," Kakei clapped his hands together, "There's a man downtown who'd like to meet you and… make use of Kudou-kun's ability."
Rikuo narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean 'make use of'?"
"Oh, nothing too dramatic. I believe he needs help finishing something – nothing the two of you can't handle. Don't be so suspicious, Rikuo." Kakei feigned a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Kakei-san, I'll be fine." Kazahaya chirped, misinterpreting the exchange between Rikuo and Kakei.
"You're entirely capable, Kudou-kun. I'm sure you boys will be back in no time."
"They'll be back when the job's done. As long as it takes."
The two boys' heads swivelled over to Saiga in surprise; the biting remark was the only thing he'd said so far.
"It's a quick job." Kakei said coldly, not turning to look at Saiga.
"Maybe you should dedicate a little more time and patience to the people who are always trying to please you."
"Then maybe they should try harder." this time the chill in his voice was unmistakable. If words were capable of dropping the temperature, these ones would have caused an ice age. Without another word, Saiga got up to leave. Rikuo beat him to it, dragging Kazahaya out the door, before either of them could become victims of collateral damage.
"Let's get this job over with."
And they left.
.. o .. o .. o ..
Kazahaya and Rikuo were in a dingy apartment block downtown, searching for the door number matching the one Kakei had sent to their phones.
"Sixty-two… sixty two… Ah – I can't see anything properly in this light." Kazahaya whined in frustration. True, it was difficult to pick out the numbers in the fading twilight, especially as the building's lights hadn't flickered on yet. "Half of these numbers have fallen off. How are we supposed to find the right door?"
Rikuo ignored his partner's complaining. He was starting to regret agreeing to this job – it seemed very suspect, even by Kakei's standards. They were half way across Tokyo in a rather dilapidated apartment block, looking for some strange guy who was going to 'use' Kazahaya to finish some mysterious, unnamed task. It was all more than a little fishy. In the back of his mind, Rikuo had to admit that Saiga might be right about Kakei – sometimes he didn't seem to appreciate just what lengths people had to go to, to satisfy him. But then again, who knew what went on in Kakei's mind? It wasn't like he didn't have that extra advantage…
"Hey! This is sixty-four. That means that door over there must be it." Kazahaya exclaimed cheerfully, ignoring Rikuo's silence. The brunette strode purposefully across the hall with Rikuo trailing after him.
"Hey. Kazahaya."
"Hm?"
Rikuo hesitated.
"You don't have to do this, you know."
"But… I need the money." Kazahaya explained. "Besides, at least it gets us away from the store."
Rikuo sighed.
"Look, if we go home right now, we could go upstairs, go to bed, tell Kakei we changed our minds, and you miss out on a few yen. If we walk through that door, anything could happen. We could be helping this guy cover up a murder, for all we know."
"Huh? But… Kakei wouldn't send us to do anything bad." There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"He sent you to drown in a lake."
"But … You saved me." Kazahaya replied a little self-consciously. "Sometimes the stuff Kakei gets us to do is kinda dangerous, but, well, nothing bad has ever happened to me when you've been around." He reasoned, sounding as if he were repeating a familiar train of thought.
"Oh yeah? And what about when I'm not? I don't like the sound of this job – what if I go home?"
"You wouldn't leave me here alone." Kazahaya countered accusingly.
"Maybe I'm sick of saving your ass all the time. Don't you ever think for yourself? You can't just walk into danger expecting people to bail you out."
"Fine! Go then! I don't need your help." The brunette snapped as he yanked on the door of apartment sixty-two.
An incensed Kazahaya suddenly found himself on the threshold of a small studio apartment that seemed to be entirely draped in sheets. He stared at the softly lit room in wonder, until his eyes found purchase on a figure sitting in an old wooden rocking-chair in a shadowy corner of the room. Kazahaya started forward with Rikuo at his back, despite the taller boy's words to the contrary.
"Um, excuse me," Kazahaya started nervously, "we're here about—"
"I know what you're here about." A hollow, gravelly voice interrupted him. "It's about time, too. I've been waiting."
Rikuo's eyes scanned the unidentified sheet-covered objects that filled the room.
"Um, right. So… What exactly are we doing?" Kazahaya asked curiously.
The man in the rocking chair still hadn't lifted his head to look at the strangers in his apartment.
"You're going to help me finish it. I'm going to finish it all." He replied with ominous resolution. "Come here." The man beckoned Kazahaya, who started forward cautiously, Rikuo making sure to keep close by. As Kazahaya neared their client, he realised that the man wasn't actually as old as he had thought – he was barely middle-aged.
"You there!" The man suddenly barked, pointing in Rikuo's general direction, "Lift off one of those sheets. Go on."
Rikuo looked sceptical, but followed the man's order, whipping off the closest sheet. Kazahaya gasped.
"Wow, that's beautiful. Did you paint that?" the boy asked with a renewed admiration for the man in front of him. A life's work was in this room; a life's work untimely put to an end.
"Yes. And now I need you to help me finish it. All of it."
"But why…?"
For the first time, the man lifted his head to meet Kazahaya's gaze, and the young man understood – his eyes were a pearly white, forever staring unseeingly at nothing.
"O-of course we'll help you." Kazahaya pledged, glancing once again at the half-covered canvas next to Rikuo.
"Good. Paint box is over there, next to the easel. The man from the Anything Store said that'd be all you'd need."
Kazahaya shuffled over to where Rikuo was standing, meeting his gaze for a reassuring glance; all he got was a cautionary look from the taller boy as he was handed a battered old paint box. The moment he touched the box, the world wavered and spun, and he found his mind slipping away. Part of him was aware that he was squirting paint from tubes, expertly mixing colours on a palette and covering the canvas before him, but it was a distant part. In a way, it was a relief to be able to slip out of his own mind for a moment; to forget the trouble at the store and ignore his quarrel with Rikuo. He wasn't even sure why Rikuo was being so snappish, especially after having what could be called a rather good day together. In fact, for the parts where he and Rikuo had been alone, he had actually quite enjoyed himself – until they had started fighting again. Then again, he realised, with Kakei and Saiga fighting, you couldn't help but be on edge.
Before Kazahaya knew it, four and a half hours had passed. He came out of his trance feeling dazed and surreal; his paint brush fell with a clatter. Rikuo edged imperceptibly closer, ready to catch him should he faint.
"Thank… thank you." a gruff voice sounded from the corner. "All my paintings. Thank you." There were tears welling in the man's sightless eyes.
"You're welcome." Kazahaya replied exhaustedly. After that, the man didn't say another word, and Kazahaya let himself be ushered out by Rikuo.
"I told you everything would be fine" Kazahaya drowsily prompted Rikuo.
Rikuo let the comment pass, just glad that for once he wasn't carrying Kazahaya home. Although, at the pace Kazahaya was shuffling along, Rikuo was tempted to sweep him up and throw the boy over his shoulder. As if aware of Rikuo's objectionable thoughts, Kazahaya turned to look at his partner.
"Hey, Rikuo, I'm sorry about before."
"Forget about it. I'm the one who started it." Rikuo's concession was the closest Kazahaya was ever going to get to an apology from him, but it made him happy all the same. "Besides, it was worth it to see you like this." Rikuo grinned as he wiped a smudge of paint off Kazahaya's cheek, broadening the boy's placid smile just a little. That was, until Kazahaya looked down at himself and realised that he was completely covered in paint.
"Ahhhh!" he wailed, "It's all over me! People on the train are going to stare." He muttered in despair. The darker haired boy laughed at his reaction.
"Relax, it's late – there probably won't be anyone on the train." He reminded his troubled, paint-covered partner. And true to his word, when they boarded the train, there were only a few solitary, withdrawn passengers sharing their compartment. Whether it was the lack of onlookers, or maybe just his good mood, it wasn't long before Kazahaya was leaning sleepily on Rikuo's shoulder. For some reason, the thought popped into his head that he would be much more comfortable if Rikuo would put his arm around him.
"Rikuo?" Kazahaya mumbled through a yawn, "I had fun today."
.. o .. o .. o ..
The two boys returned to the store to the sound of more raised voices. Trying to ignore it, Kazahaya hurried up the stairs; but Rikuo couldn't help overhearing a few angry words. They were arguing about her. He could already feel his nerves being ground. It was bad enough that they were arguing at all, but they didn't have to bring her into it.
"Hurry up, Rikuo – you've got the key."
Rikuo shook his head, trying to banish his inflamed feelings, and quickly joined Kazahaya at the top of the stairs.
As soon as they entered the apartment, they knew something was wrong. The room felt… eerie. Not just simply eerie, but ominous in a gates-of-hell-in-your-living-room sort of way. Rikuo could almost swear he could see extra colours on the spectrum; Kazahaya was sure the temperature had dropped a good ten degrees. And both were aware of a low rumbling that filled the entire second floor.
It was coming from the fish tank.
Cautiously, Kazahaya inched his way over to that side of the room, wielding the snapped fish net as his only means of defence. Rikuo, still at the door, refused to be drawn in to what he considered to be entirely Kazahaya's problem. As the brunette neared the tank, he realised the low rumbling he could feel through his sneakers was actually the thing in the tank growling. He really hoped it wasn't growling at him. Creeping closer, he was two steps away from the now bubbling tank, when he gave a sharp cry. Rikuo, forgetting his impartiality, darted forward.
"I know what's wrong! I, um, forgot to feed it before we left this afternoon." Kazahaya admitted guiltily. Rikuo ran a hand through his hair in exasperation, but not before treating Kazahaya to an eye-roll, followed by a withering glance. Somewhat perturbed by this, the boy turned his attention back to the creature in the tank, which hungrily snapped its jaws at Kazahaya.
"Er. I guess I'd better feed it then." He said it the same way someone might say 'impending doom'.
Very carefully, Kazahaya dropped a mess of slimy gizzards and nameless green wobbly bits into the churning waters, where they quickly disappeared from view. The creature apparently satisfied, the sinister air in the room faded away. Kazahaya gave Rikuo a relieved smile.
"That was a close one, eh." He said weakly. Rikuo didn't answer, and when Kazahaya looked over at him, he had to dodge a ferocious glare.
"You don't have to be like that about it." He huffed.
"This is what I'm talking about, Kazahaya!" Rikuo started angrily, "You don't seem to think about consequences! Anything could have happened just then. You could have— we could have been hurt. Or worse."
"Kakei wouldn't get us to do these extra assignments if they were that dangerous! He wouldn't let us get hurt. And he wouldn't keep them right above the store." Kazahaya argued back.
"That's just it. I think Saiga was right about Kakei – he doesn't always think about the consequences for the people around him. Just like someone else I know." Rikuo glared pointedly at Kazahaya. Kazahaya glared back.
"Well then don't get involved, if you don't like it. The consequence of me turning down a job is not getting paid."
"Is the money that important to you?" Rikuo asked incredulously.
"Some of us don't have a choice. I'm all alone." Countered Kazahaya.
"What about us?"
"Sure, my new family." Kazahaya replied sarcastically. "Mum and Dad are downstairs fighting, and you take every chance you can get to be an asshole to me. I'm nicer to you than you ever are to me. And after all the crap you put me through, I still like you."
"Get real. What crap? I tease you because you're a baby."
"I am not! You're the immature one – you ruin all the nice moments we could have by being an asshole. I guess I like you a lot more than you'll ever like me, because I do think about you, Rikuo. And I think about other things, too! Things other than you! All the time! And I get along just fine!"
"Yeah, because dying in the snow shows real foresight."
"Can you shut up for one minute, you jerk, while I try to tell you that I might be in love with you!?"
Rikuo fell silent, looking at Kazahaya in disbelief.
Wait… what? Oh crap. Kazahaya had time to think through the roaring white blank that filled his mind, before fleeing. He had no idea what he'd just done, but he wasn't sticking around to find out.
Wait… what? Oh crap. Rikuo thought as Kazahaya ran out the door.
.. o .. o .. o ..
Kazahaya's head was a panicked mess as he dashed down the stairs. Why had he said that? That stupid argument had just mixed up all his bad feelings with his good ones, creating some sort of chaotic confusion of feelings that somehow, somehow, had led Kazahaya to blurt out his growing suspicions about his feelings for Rikuo. Sitting on the bottom step with his head in his hands, he willed the cool night air to calm him down. When he could finally hear something other than the pounding of his own heart, he realised that Kakei and Saiga were still arguing. He was right next to Kakei's office; if he listened carefully, he could make out what they were saying.
"You care more about Rikuo's needs than mine!" That was Kakei.
"And you don't care overly for that boy? You spend so much time arranging things for him, that you don't have any time for me. Even when I'm with you, you feel far away, lost in your visions." So that complaint was Saiga's.
"Well maybe if you were here more often, I would make time for you. I'm sick of spending my nights alone."
"I'm sick of spending my time with someone who isn't here even when he is. You spend more time meddling with their relationship, than you do with ours." Kazahaya had no clue what they were talking about.
"We haven't made love in over a month!"
He suddenly realised he really shouldn't be hearing this. He knew he should have felt guilty about eavesdropping in the first place, but he had been glad of the distraction. He heard the door to Kakei's office slam, followed by heavy footsteps. A moment later, the front door to the drug store opened and Saiga appeared, carrying what few possessions he had around the store. Kazahaya stood up.
"Where are you going? You're leaving?" He asked in disbelief. Saiga only looked mildly surprised to see him out here alone.
"Sorry, kid. I gotta get outta here. Tell Rikuo not to worry – I'll be in touch with him."
Wait… what? Oh crap. Kazahaya thought, dumbstruck, for the second time that night. All thoughts of his argument with Rikuo were gone in an instant. He raced upstairs.
"Rikuo! RIKUO!" he yelled.
Rikuo looked up to see a distressed Kazahaya. After their last exchange, he had no idea what to expect, so he was expecting anything.
"Saiga is leaving!"
He hadn't been expecting that.
"What?"
By unspoken agreement, their own fight was on hold until this crisis was over.
"Well? Aren't you going to go after him?" Kazahaya implored expectantly.
"What? Why me?"
"You're big and strong – you can drag him back here. Then we can make them make up." The boy explained simply. Rikuo rolled his eyes at Kazahaya's thought process.
"Not everything works like that, Kazahaya." There was an edge to his voice, somewhere between hostile and amused.
"But…" Kazahaya looked genuinely upset by this. "Fine then." He said quietly, eyes downcast, "I'm going to bed."
Rikuo watched him get half way across the room before the boy stopped and turned around.
"Oh – he told me to tell you not to worry. That he'd keep in touch with you." Kazahaya reported impassively. Rikuo at once felt very relieved, then incredibly guilty that he'd been more concerned about his search for Tsukiko than for the wellbeing of the two people who took him in and were helping him with that search when no one else would, and when it would have been impossible for him to do it alone. Rikuo sighed.
"We can't just drag Saiga back. They probably need some space." He explained to Kazahaya. There were other reasons too, but he wasn't about to let the boy know that they had been arguing about Tsukiko. It didn't seem to matter anyway, as Kazahaya had walked off without a word.
.. o .. o .. o ..
The next morning, for the first time in Rikuo's memory, Kazahaya was already up and making breakfast before Rikuo had even gotten out of bed. Groaning with the memories of yesterday, he rolled blearily out of bed. When he had finished showering, he walked out to find his breakfast laid out on the table. Kazahaya had already washed up and was ready to leave. Rikuo didn't know what he was supposed to say, but it was Kazahaya that spoke first.
"About… about yesterday," he addressed Rikuo quietly, "I… I didn't mean it. What I said, I mean. I was just… I was still feeling strange from channelling those paintings, and I was really tired, and Kakei and Saiga…" he trailed off.
Rikuo nodded. It was easier to accept Kazahaya's excuse – if he wanted to pretend it never happened, then Rikuo would go along with that.
"I just meant that… I thought we were friends. I mean, that's what I wanted to be with you. Just friends."
Before Rikuo could say anything else, Kazahaya left for the store. Rikuo sat staring at his breakfast, absently moving his food around the plate. Eventually he decided he wasn't hungry and left too.
When Rikuo entered the store, he was just in time to see Kakei emerge from his office with red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes, looking drained and in a foul mood. He could tell Kakei had spent the night crying, and he wondered how much sleep the man had gotten last night. Kakei walked over to Kazahaya at the register, faking a smile, which, in typical Kakei fashion, was more than a little scary. This morning's was worse than usual, and Rikuo saw Kazahaya conceal his own uneasiness with a matching counterfeit smile. Rikuo sighed.
More playing along he thought.
"Ah, Rikuo. Good morning." Kakei greeted him in a horrible cracked voice.
"Morning." He nodded.
"I expect your best today. We – we might be… short staffed." Kakei looked as if he were ready to cry again.
"We'll do our best, Kakei-san!" Kazahaya chimed in quickly.
"Thank you, Kudo-kun." Kakei looked at him gratefully before turning his attention to his managerial duties.
All three inhabitants of Green Drugstore spent the day losing themselves in their work, distracting themselves from their thoughts and the feeling that everything around them was falling apart.
.. o .. o .. o ..
A week went by, and with every day that passed, the boys' hope that Saiga would return and everything would be back to normal, grew. Each day they came down to the shop earlier and earlier in anticipation. Each day Kakei arrived in a worse and worse mood, although he would put on a façade. He had been unnerving enough before, but now even Rikuo was wary around him. He was sharp and irritable, and when he wasn't working the boys to exhaustion, he would be flirting outrageously with the customers.
Rikuo and Kazahaya, in the hope that Saiga would somehow appear, had taken to leaving doors open or unlocked, going outside more often than was necessary, and frequently heading off the more attractive customers before Kakei could get to them. Eventually Kakei had had enough.
"Stop it. He's not coming back."
Kazahaya looked up at Kakei's stern face and guiltily backed away from the back door he had been trying to leave open. He watched his dejected employer close the door with finality, and tried to ignore the tears that welled behind Kakei's glasses.
The week at home wasn't any better. The two boys were awkward and uneasy with each other, their nerves already strained to breaking point. After working in the store all day with Kakei, neither had the energy to do anything but eat and sleep, let alone try and face the their own problems. Besides, there were no problems to face. Kazahaya had told Rikuo to forget about it, and that's what Rikuo was going to do. It should be easy, since the two of them were ignoring each other as much as possible. Their fight had stretched out so far that Rikuo wasn't even sure if it was still the same fight anymore.
He wondered if Kakei and Saiga's fight had taken a similar turn. Then again, at least they had been arguing about something. He and Kazahaya weren't even arguing, and if they were, what would it be over? Whatever it was, Kazahaya hadn't even meant it. Rikuo's throat tightened. Damn – why did he care?
He knew very well why. His entire side of the argument all along had been about Kazahaya's wellbeing. Sure, he had said he was sick of bailing the boy out of trouble all the time, but he hadn't meant it. What he had really meant was that he was scared. Scared that one day he wouldn't be able to save him.
He wanted to talk to Kazahaya. Despite the already present discord, he wanted to push things; but things were going to be bad enough, without him getting his feelings involved and making the whole thing even worse. Especially if Kazahaya had been telling the truth about not meaning what he had said.
Rikuo's mounting frustration wasn't helped by the air of restless turmoil that hung over the store. To top it all off, tired though they were, Kakei had no side assignments to give either boy relief from the store and take their minds off their troubles.
And so, the week was spent awkwardly with unsaid words and tension between all of them.
.. o .. o .. o ..
By the second week, the mounting strain on the Green Drugstore inhabitants was almost unbearable. Even the customers had started avoid the store. Kazahaya and Rikuo had barely exchanged more than a few words, and the only communication they had with Kakei was the few directions he would give them at work.
Kazahaya had actually snapped at a customer earlier that day, and Kakei had almost taken him off the register, but the alternative was to have Rikuo on the register – even Kakei in his current state had more sense than to subject innocent shoppers to Rikuo's indifferent glare. The second time it happened, however, Kakei decided that the customers would have to be subjected to his own bad temper, and he sent Kazahaya moving stock from the back store room as punishment. As Rikuo was on the floor, Kazahaya spent the rest of the morning trying to dodge him; every time Rikuo needed to enter the aisle Kazahaya was currently stocking, he would suddenly change items so that he could move to the aisle farthest away. After this had happened five times, fed up, Rikuo followed Kazahaya back to the store room. It looked as though the tension had finally found a way of breaking.
"This is stupid." He said flatly. "We're going to spend our time avoiding each other because we can't tell each other how we feel?"
Kazahaya looked away sullenly.
"Just because… because…" Kazahaya started resentfully.
"Because you love me?" Rikuo's words announced the unspoken that they'd been trying so hard to painstakingly avoid for over a week. Kazahaya flushed and looked away with a scowl.
"Just because I said I did, it doesn't mean I have to like you. I still think you're a jerk!"
"And I still think you're a loud annoying brat."
Kazahaya spluttered with apoplectic rage.
"But I still love you" Rikuo continued, causing the boy in front of him to cease his angry flailing. Kazahaya waited for his mind to frantically back-pedal, like windmilling on the edge of a cliff.
Wait… what? Oh crap.
"Um. What?"
Rikuo looked away, putting his hands in the pockets of his tight jeans.
"You…" Kazahaya said softly in disbelief, "you… you bastard!"
That wasn't exactly the reaction Rikuo had been expecting.
"Eh?"
"Why the hell didn't you tell me before!?"
"You didn't give me a chance, you moron. You ran away like a little girl before I could even answer you." Rikuo replied, rolling his eyes.
"I- I- I ran away because you didn't say anything, you jerk!"
"Well I'm telling you now."
Kazahaya glared at Rikuo, reminding him of a vexed cat. Rikuo voiced his opinion, brushing strands of golden-brown hair away from Kazahaya's face. Kazahaya ignored him.
"I'm not an animal, dammit!" he hissed.
Rikuo paid not attention to this remark, and just moved closer. The slim brunette failed to realise how close his hulking counterpart was getting, and was about to go off at him once more, when he found that his shout had become a muffled mess because his lips were covered by Rikuo's.
"Well at least I know one way to shut you up." Rikuo smirked.
Kazahaya returned to kitty-mode, shouting indignantly until Rikuo practiced his new found trick to silence Kazahaya.
"Hey, remind me to do this earlier next time – we could save a lot of time by just talking to each other instead of being stubborn. It's stupid to lose the person most important to you because of a stupid fight."
There was a clatter behind them.
Just outside the door, Kakei was standing with a clipboard at his feet, all traces of his façade shattered as he stared dumbly at the scene in the store room.
"So he heard us." Rikuo said.
"What? Who?" Kazahaya asked, puzzled. Rikuo motioned to the door, but when Kazahaya poked his head around the corner, Kakei was already on his way to his office, leaving his broken clipboard behind.
"What just happened?" Kazahaya was too curious about Kakei eavesdropping on them, to blush about being seen being kissed by Rikuo.
"Come on, our lunchbreak started ten minutes ago." Was all the answer he got.
.. o .. o .. o ..
In his office, Kakei picked up the phone, dialling one number he knew by heart.
He spoke only one word.
"Sorry."
.. o .. o .. o ..
"Well, our work here is done." Rikuo proclaimed at the foot of the stairs.
"What?"
Kazahaya followed Rikuo up the staircase.
"Answer me, you stupid jerk!" He demanded. "You just… just used me to get Kakei to make up with Saiga!?" Kazahaya fell silent as he realised he had just answered his own question. And… the answer really wasn't so bad. But where did that leave him and Rikuo?
"Oi, cat-boy. What do you want for lunch?" Rikuo asked in his usual careless tone.
Upon hearing Rikuo's cavalier insult, Kazahaya wondered if maybe he had gotten the wrong idea. All of a sudden he felt confused and taken advantage of.
"I… uh, well…" he tried to reply, uncertainly.
Realising what was going through the boy's mind, Rikuo walked over nonchalantly and slowly slipped his arms around Kazahaya's waist, provoking an annoyed blush.
"Come here, kitty." Rikuo leant forward with a smile. Looking at that smile, which was now not so far away from his own off-guard lips, Kazahaya felt light-headed. He wished Rikuo wouldn't play with him like this, because it made his heart do funny things, like beat faster.
Rikuo inched closer.
A lot faster.
Kazahaya swallowed nervously trying to will himself to pull away from Rikuo, but at that moment his tormenter chose to close the practically non-existent distance between their lips and draw him into a forceful kiss. Kazahaya moaned quietly, mentally kicking himself for giving Rikuo that small satisfaction. It felt like melting, only much nicer.
When Kazahaya finally opened his eyes again, the first thing that caught them was a figure about to walk through the front door of Green Drugstore.
"Look!" he exclaimed, grabbing Rikuo's hand and running down the stairs, almost crashing them both and breaking their necks. They entered the store right behind Saiga, who was standing still, staring at Kakei at the other end of the room – his poor beloved Kakei, usually beautiful and vibrant and gorgeous and commanding, now ravaged by crying, a lack of sleep, and over a week of misery and stress. In three long strides he had crossed the room and swept his darling sweet-heart into his arms.
Rikuo and Kazahaya both sighed.
Like an imperceptible shift in reality, all was now right with the world. And the world, as far as Kakei and Saiga were concerned, seemed to be filled with passionate, fiery, not-particularly-G-rated kisses that went on for a long time…
Kazahaya and Rikuo stood in the doorway awkwardly, waiting. After about a minute, Kazahaya cleared his throat. After another minute of uncomfortable voyeurism, they were still going…
"Okay, guys. We get the point." Rikuo called, looking unimpressed. The two adults looked up with sheepish smiles. "Geeze, what are you? Teenagers? Get a room." Rikuo teased, reflecting that it was usually Saiga who did the teasing, and he and Kazahaya who were the targets.
Kakei reprimanded him with a mischievous smile
"You're one to talk".
"Oh – so you guys finally got together eh? Had sex yet?" Saiga snooped jovially, laughing at Kazahaya's furious blush.
"Wha? We-no!"
"Speaking of which…" Kakei said meaningfully. Rikuo got the hint.
"Uh… we're going for a walk…" He suggested, in an attempt to save Kazahaya from traumatisation for life.
"Huh? But… don't we have work?"
Saiga picked up Kakei like a new bride and headed towards the office.
"You've got the day off, kid."
Rikuo dragged the boy out of the shop before his poor innocence could be corrupted. Well, corrupted by anyone that wasn't him, anyway.
"So, what do you want to do today?" He asked Kazahaya, who looked at him in surprise. It wasn't often that they spent their days off together, and it was even rarer that Rikuo let him pick what they did. Then he noticed Rikuo was still holding his hand.
"I don't mind." He smiled.
.. o .. o .. o ..
The End.