Um....Hi everyone....Yes, I do know it's been forever since I've updated. Yes, I know I need to work on 'The Oddest Bindings', but the bunnies died!! My poor plot bunnies....Not to mention school's started up again, which means all most of my free time is nonexistent.
As such, this was written over the summer and is just now being posted. (Not to mention all my ideas for fics seem to involve Karasu dammit, I am such a fangirl......How the hell does KarasuBotan WORK anyway? I have no clue.)
I liked the pairing, Okay? That's why this thing was written. So, please enjoy and review.
Oh, and stories will end and start with a line of Xs. Because now bans all the punctuation I used to use.
And I spell it Mitari because that's easier, and I couldn't find anything on the net to contradict me (They all call him Seaman, dammit), and I'm too lazy to use the DVD credits.
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Drop.
Drop.
Drop.
Soft rain fell gently onto golden curls as Mitari walked home, eyes closed and head lifted to the crying heavens.
He loved when it was like this, all quiet and tranquil, nothing but the splashes of rain and himself. No one else, no other humans to mock and tease him, just the stars and clouds and rain.
Mr. Sensui had called them all together for another meeting today and it had worn long and late into the night as he ranted and told them more of his grand plan. But Sniper had been there. That made the long walk there and back worth it.
Sniper...The boy had always managed to make Mitari feel better. He was just that kind of person. He'd noogie GameMaster, high-five Doctor, play-wrestle with Gourmet and poke Itsuki constantly (Itsuki poked back, and often mini-wars were started until Mr. Sensui caught on and yelled at them to be more serious). And, he hugged Mitari every time he saw him. Every single time.
Sniper had always been an affectionate guy, ever since he had been introduced to the other six psychics. Mitari smiled at the memory.
- Cue flashback -
"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet the newest member of our little team, Hagiri Kaname, A.K.A., Sniper." Sensui drawled, one long hand resting on the new boy's blazing red jacket.
Raven hair fell gracefully into light amethyst eyes, an awkward smile tilted his mouth, and his hands were burrowed into his pants. Very tight pants, Mitari noted, that hugged long and slender legs.
"Pleased to meet you all." Sniper said, looking over all of them as Sensui introduced them, his eyes finally coming to rest on Seaman, their eyes locking.
One lightly tanned hand slipped out of its pocket and extended itself for a handshake.
Mitari returned the gesture, cool palm squeezed in Sniper's warmer one.
"Hiya, I'm Mitari Kiyoshi, and I can make stuff out of water."
"I'm Hagiri Kaname, and I never miss my target." The boy grinned mischievously. "Never."
They stood together like that a moment longer, until Doctor coughed and they turned to realize that Sensui had herded everyone else on to the couch for another detailed outline of his plan, followed by much ranting and yelling. There might even be some personality switching, and that was always fun to watch.
Mitari took his customary place on the beanbag couch, his rear sucked in past his thin hips, as it always did. Sniper sat down next to him, their thighs brushing. Tiny thrills ran through him at the touch, but he shrugged it off and quickly concentrated on his boss's speech.
-End Flashback-
Small tidal waves washed over his shins as a car raced past, swerving on purpose to soak him. Mocking laughter drifted back as he cursed under his breath. He didn't mind the wet; it was the cold of the night that worried him. Their family was too poor for life insurance, he couldn't afford to get sick.
"Stupid jerks, they could've hit me, not like they'd care. Aww, darn, my socks are dripping, this is bad..." he muttered to himself.
Warm arms wrapped around his slender shoulders from behind, his head suddenly shielded by a clear umbrella.
"Hi Seaman. Are you okay? You look...wet." Hagiri spoke from near his ear. Mitari grinned, leaning his head back onto the other boy's shoulder, gazing upwards through the transparent plastic.
"Yeah, I just got splashed by a car. I'll be fine though."
"Hmm. If I had been here, I would've shot out their tires. Dumb assholes," murmured Sniper, hugging his friend tighter.
A smile made it way onto Mitari's lips. Sniper was so protective of him, it was almost cute. He always asked how his day was going, he'd make him wear his jacket, told him to hold tight and wear his helmet on his bike, and he glared at the bullies from Mitari's school whenever they hung out together. He'd even flipped off a punk who'd dared to call his friend "Goldilocks".
Catcalls, jeers and yells jarred the peaceful silence, shattering the tender moment. A gang of boys from Mitari's school biked around them in circles, laughing and pointing.
"Hey Goldilocks, is that your boyfriend? Ooh, you're so CUTE together!" one boy sneered, his greasy bangs hanging limply into his narrow face.
"Cum'on, kiss him! Let's see some hot homo lovin!" Another guy called out, honking the horn on his racer bike.
Other, similar calls rang out through the dark street, encouraging and taunting him at the same time.
Mitari whimpered, looking down at the ground. He was used to being bullied, but not in front of the one friend he had, and just because it had happened before didn't make it any easier.
Sniper stepped away from Mitari, still holding the umbrella above him to shield him from the now pouring rain.
"Hey bastards, leave off, he gets enough of your crap during the day, can't you leave him alone for an hour?" He growled, lavender eyes flashing angrily.
"Ooh, so the nameless wonder stands up to defend his love, how sweet!" The leader exclaimed sarcastically, climbing off his bike to stand face to face with the punk who dared challenge him. Cries of;
"Hit him! Knock his teeth out!"
"Kick his ass, Mushi!"
"Give the bastard what he deserves!"
Resounded through the dark alley. The rain started to fall harder, lightning flashing faster and thunder roaring louder.
Sniper handed the umbrella to Mitari and punched the gangster solidly in the face, smashing his jaw with one solid blow. Staggering backwards, Mushi snarled a curse and charged.
Sniper dodged his fist easily, ducking and wheeling, letting the other teen run past and kicking him squarely in the butt as he charged by. Trashcans crumpled as the body went hurtling into them. Groans were heard from the resulting heap of trash.
Sniper spat nonchalantly on the ground in front of him.
All hell broke loose at this gesture of contempt. Several surrounded Sniper, the rest circled Mitari.
Sniper and Mitari's eyes met desperately as the punks closed in, Mr. Sensui had told them quite plainly to never use their powers unless they intended to kill. If word of their strange abilities got out, the entire plan would fall apart, and they would be punished most severely. They were on their own on this one, no shooting and no monsters.
Sniper drew his fist back, and threw his weight solidly into the punch. It hit the other boy in the stomach; he groaned and went down. Still more came, and surrounded the teen.
Mitari was far worse off. When it came to real fighting, he was defenseless, years of being the school's whipping boy does that to a person. A boy snuck up behind him and grabbed his wrists, trapping them behind his back. It was a classic bully move, pin the arms and let someone else hit with all they've got. Mitari winced and braced himself for the punches, scrunching his face up and tensing his entire body.
They never came.
"WHAT PART OF 'LEAVE HIM ALONE' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!?!?!" Sniper's voice screamed. It sounded close.
The grip on Mitari's wrists vanished. Blue eyes snapped open to find Sniper's face directly in front of him, his arm inches from Mitari's head. He had punched the kid directly behind him.
Sniper grabbed Mitari's hand and dragged him down the street.
"We can't win this. There's too many of them. We've got to get out of here."
"But.." Mitari began.
"WHAT?!" Sniper snapped, stopping and facing him.
"You left your umbrella back there...I dropped it when they grabbed me..."
XXX
They had escaped that night on Sniper's motorcycle, Mitari clinging on for dear life as his friend raced headlong through the wet streets, taking what must have been the craziest route home he knew. They had gone to Sniper's house, where he had spent the night, much to Hagiri's mother's delight. It seemed he didn't have many friends either, and she was immediately taken with his "cute" new friend.
She had fussed over his wet hair, got him towels and immediately set about making a huge hot dinner for them both.
Hagiri had taken Mitari upstairs, made him wear his own pajamas (Which were only a few sizes too big), and let him sleep in his own bed while he took to the floor in a sleeping bag.
It was that night that Mitari knew that he and Sniper would be friends for a very long time.
10 years later
Long fingers tapped impatiently on the steering wheel, drumming in tune to the radio.
Darnit...I have to be somewhere right now.... I hate traffic. Mitari mused to himself as he tapped the gas and moved forward a foot.
His wavy hair had smoothed out a little, and now fell into eyes that were still as blue as the skies after it rained. Boyish features had firmed into a manly face, if still a bit delicate. The main difference was the appearance of a slight goatee on his chin that he often stroked while he thought deeply. Most of his teenage insecurities had disappeared, and he was now a confident, if slightly anxious young man. After the hole to demon world had been closed though, his newly found powers had slowly seeped away with his youthful energy, much to the sadness of the one once known as "Seaman". He still missed the sense of power that creating monsters had given him, but that was how it was, and he had moved on with his life.
A tiny package lay on the black leather of the seat next to him. The man kept glancing at it nervously, then back to the road, then back to the little tissue wrapped box.
Finally, traffic sped up and Mitari raced for his home apartment. Hagiri was waiting for him, he wanted to get home quickly.
After the whole Sensui/Makai/Hole to Hell and the end of the world thing; both teens grew up relatively normal, going to college and finding jobs. They had decided to live together, for financial purposes at first. After all, they were poverty-stricken kids right out of college, and they hadn't been working long enough to make any decent money.
Hagiri had gotten a job as a mechanic due to his love of working on cars and motorcycles, and Mitari had become a marine biologist. Even though his powers with water had faded as the hole to demon world closed, Mitari had maintained a love of water and all that lived in it, and he wanted to study it more.
Several years had gone by since they had bought the apartment, and the two men had stayed close friends through every hardship, from the good times to the bad. They had both gotten raises in their pay, but had decided to stay together for mutual companionship, and hey, it was way cheaper when they shared the rent.
Then...it was hard to say what happened. It had been very gradual, their "manly" hugs becoming longer and more affectionate. They found more excuses to be together alone, and they often spent hours just talking, long into the night. When the first truly harsh winter had come rattling down through the city from the mountains, and the heating bill had been too much to afford, they had started sleeping together for warmth. By the time spring slipped back into the world, it had become a habit...and neither wanted to break it. It was no longer cold that kept them together in bed...it was love.
Now, 2 years later, Mitari was nervous and excited, anxious and trying desperately to get home to his lover.
It was the anniversary of the first date they had ever gone on, and Mitari planned to make the day even more special. He had saved for months and months and had worked like a madman to afford the gift beside him, but it was still painfully simple.
Stopping once more at a red light, Mitari looked over at his package once more. He could hardly wait to see Hagiri's expression when he asked him...
Only one more street till home. Mitari efficiently parked his car in the apartment garage and practically sprinted into the lobby, waving hurriedly at the receptionist and tapping his foot impatiently at the elevator.
Only when he was at the door of their tiny home did he hesitate. Was he truly sure he wanted to ask this? It was quite a question, and, well, so many things could go wrong...And...It didn't seem quite right for the uke to propose, wasn't that what the seme was supposed to do? But he couldn't wait any longer, he had to make it final, make sure the world would know how he felt...
Mitari shook his head and unlocked the door, stepping inside. A tiny bell rung a welcome as the door swung open, they had fixed it there to announce arrivals. Hagiri called a hello from the kitchen, and yelled that he was making rice balls for dinner.
The blonde man grinned and removed his shoes, gripping his parcel tighter.
He padded into the kitchen and smiled warmly at his love, exchanging a brief sweet kiss before being shooed out. Hagiri was very possessive of the kitchen when cooking, and was always a bit embarrassed to be seen enjoying such a domestic task.
Mitari decided he would ask after dinner, when all was soft and content in their home.
"Mitari, set the table!" Hagiri called from the kitchen.
He quickly pulled out all the plates and bowls and arranged them on the small table, sneaking peeks at his lover every so often.
Hagiri had changed very little from the teenager who raced the streets shooting down trash cans with pencil erasers and shot down Spirit Detectives. His eyes were still the color of pink wine, but his ebony hair had been grown out to his shoulders and was always tied in a neat ponytail. Voice as low and cool, as always, he was still a calm collected individual. His powers had also faded, but traces remained. The man's sharp-shooting ability had not gone, although now it was real guns instead of telepathy and projectiles.
Mitari's gaze wandered to the coat rack. A worn red jacket hung there, with its strange grey neck-straps and a patch over the back where a fire-demon's sword had ripped through it. Mitari had panicked when Hiei told coldly told him what he did, and he had stayed by his friend's side all night in the hospital, and until he recovered fully.
Fortunately, their old teammate, Doctor had taken pity on the two boys and had patched him up secretly, just enough to ensure the boy's life before letting them continue to a true hospital and extended care. It was shortly after that word reached the rest of the team that the doctor had committed suicide, and his body had been found in a hospital's garden, underneath a cherry tree. Once Hagiri had gotten well enough to walk, they visited his grave and left a small bouquet of white roses as thanks for his last act of human kindness.
Dinner went by quietly as always, both men devouring the simple meal. Afterwards, Mitari volunteered to do the dishes, and Hagiri retired to the living room to watch TV.
Cleaning the dishes brought to the man's attention just how dirty the kitchen was, with dishes piled high and floor filthy, and so he felt obligated to clean it.
It was nearly 10:00 before Mitari felt the room clean enough to fit his standards, and he grabbed the black velvet box and walked into the living room.
Hagiri was sprawled across the huge beanbag couch they had salvaged from Sensui's hideout. On the TV a small yellow mouse shocked a blue toad repeatedly, closer inspection of the figure sunken into the cushions revealed that his love had fallen asleep watching cartoons.
Mitari looked again at this man, closer. This was the man who had been his first real friend, who had been there for him when he cried, who had protected him from bullies. This man had been through the same adventure he had, they had grown up together. He had been a rock of solid comfort, always giving advice, always a shoulder to cry on in the long nights, always there. He was sweet and caring, he was protective, he was witty and smart, and he loved Mitari with all his heart, and made sure he knew it. Tiny gesture of devotion were common with Hagiri, little boxes of candy on his car seat in the morning, roses in his briefcase, he seemed to delight in finding new ways to surprise his lover.
Mitari wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with this man sleeping before him, to wake up with him and face every new day, to share all his thoughts and grow old and live his life with Hagiri. This man had given him a reason to live, and that was more than enough to ask what he was about to ask.
"Hagiri...Hagiri, please wake up..."
The man just snorted and tried to roll over. Mitari leaned closer, until his lips barely brushed Hagiri's ear and whispered
"Sniiiiiiiiiper, wake up....."
Hagiri woke up for that.
"Huh? Mitari, what's up, I was asleep, and..."
A kiss stopped him right then and there.
"I wanted to ask you something."
Hagiri pulled himself into an upright position and straightened his hair, blinking sleepily. Mitari repressed the urge to glomp the adorable figure in front of him.
Instead, he got down on one knee and offered the box to his lover.
"Hagiri Kaname, will you marry me?"
Silence hung poignantly in the air for only a scant few seconds.
"Yes."
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Read and review, pweeeeaase. I have ideas for another chapter, if enough people reply.