Tatsumi was startled from the sudden knocking on his door at the time of the night. He set down his mug of tea on the coffee table and went to answer the door. He looked out the peephole and made a sound of bewilderment when he saw the top of familiar green hair. Of course it can't be helped that the hole on the other side was not meant for *5'4 people.
He cracked the door while cautiously peering his head out. What could this guy possibly want? They already had sex earlier today. Although he would not doubt Lubbock's stamina.
"M-May I help you, Lubbock?" He greeted wearily. Lubbock grinned.
"What's with the nervousness? I can't visit my own slave?" He asked and Tatsumi sweated.
"You never even visited until now." He muttered, especially irked at being called a slave, although he technically is one.
"That may be, so let me in." Lubbock said, walking inside past Tatsumi anyway. The brunette huffed and shut the door. Perhaps this could be a new step toward understanding Lubbock more.
"Would you like tea?" Tatsumi offered politely and gaped when Lubbock was already seated on the couch, sipping from his cup. "H-Hey!"
"Hmm?" Lubbock hummed, staring at him from the corner of his eyes. Tatsumi pursed his lips from the stuck-up action, but let out a deep breath. There is no point getting irritated at Lubbock of all people.
"Che, never mind. So what brought you here other than a surprise visit?" He said, sitting in a chair beside Lubbock.
"It's the 17th of December." Lubbock simply said, finishing the tea.
"... I figured." Tatsumi said with a raised eyebrow, pointing behind him at a calendar hung on the wall.
"That means a certain holiday is coming up."
"Christmas?"
"No, Thanksgiving." Tatsumi frowned at Lubbock's cocky sarcasm. "I want you to buy me a gift."
Tatsumi blinked at the request.
"A... gift?" Lubbock nodded and set to mug down. "B-But you're my boss... of course I'd have to get you something-"
"No!" Tatsumi jolted from the outburst and felt his own face redden when he noticed Lubbock staring down embarrassedly at his lap with a shy blush.
"I..." Lubbock began hesitantly, "I want you to think of me as a person. Equal to you. I want a gift. A thought out one. Something I would cherish." He explained with a burning face, his bright emerald eye continuing to shimmer at the floor. Tatsumi looked at Lubbock in slight disbelief that his own manager is asking for such a request, who also has a rather cute shy expression which is quite rare.
"Wh-why...?" Tatsumi asked. His question seemed to have made Lubbock even more uncharacteristically timid.
"I... never received a gift before." The older male admitted and Tatsumi's eyes widened. "I noticed in every book I read, the protagonist always gets a reward or some sort of present by just being their self. So... I'm ordering you to get me something special, or there will be consequences." Lubbock added and Tatsumi sweat-dropped at the demand.
"I don't understand. Why me of all people?" Tatsumi asked and Lubbock stood from his seat on the couch.
"You said you wanted to understand the real me right? Then do as I say." Lubbock answered as he went up to the front door and opened the door. "Besides... you're the only one I trust enough to go to."
Tatsumi was left with that when the door shut behind Lubbock. What he thought was a silly request is actually a serious context behind a favor. This left even more questions for him. Why has Lubbock never received gifts? What kind of relatives does Lubbock have? Is he still in contact with them?
As per usual, the only way he can answer these questions is going forth with a request.
It was a cloudy morning and Tatsumi left for the bookshop in his white jacket and beige scarf. He figured he could give a book to Lubbock, but that is just what the man expects from him, right? What else could he thoughtfully give to his manager?
"I'm here." He greeted as he opened the door to the shop. Lubbock handed him his apron and pointed at a cart of checked-in books.
"Shelve these. Don't bother me until you're finished." Lubbock said. Tatsumi grimaced at the seemingly bipolar male. He wondered what happened to the timid Lubbock who exposed his vulnerability for a few seconds last night?
"Got it, boss." He muttered in response and hung his coat and scarf before putting on the apron. He grew uneasy when he noticed Lubbock was still staring at him. "Wh-What now?"
"Where's my gift." Lubbock demanded and Tatsumi would have found it cute, until two hands grabbed onto his apron threateningly.
"Eh? I thought you meant on Christmas!" He retorted with a sweat and Lubbock blinked.
"I changed my mind."
"How was I supposed to know!?"
Lubbock let go and scoffed.
"I was testing you. Obviously you plan to wait until the last minute, isn't that right?" Tatsumi waved his hands defensively.
"That's not right! I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out what to get you. You know, since you want to force it on me." He said. Lubbock looked down.
"Am I... too difficult for the task?" He asked. Before Tatsumi could deny this, Lubbock glanced to the side in thought. "Never mind. Forget this whole thing."
"It hasn't even been twenty-four hours!" Tatsumi said in disbelief, running a hand through his brown hair in mild frustration. "Look, look. I'll get you something, just learn to be more patient and less nervous. You're obviously still embarrassed because of last night and just want to get it over with." He said. He wasn't surprised to see Lubbock blushing heavily.
"I-I'm not!" Lubbock protested hotly.
"Then give me the chance like you promised." Tatsumi said. Lubbock crossed his arms.
"Fine, slave."
"And please drop the 'slave' part..."
"Why?" Lubbock asked with a growing smirk. "You did basically say I own you in our verbal contract."
"No, I said I would be willing to do anything you say by any means to have a grasp at understanding you more." Tatsumi corrected.
"And I'm summarizing that as you wanting to be my slave."
"Hm. Of course, I didn't expect to have the side job of a sex-slave." Tatsumi added, smiling at Lubbock's red cheeks. "I'm just wondering how pleasing you helps me figure you out. Other than knowing your sensitive areas-"
"Shut up!" Lubbock interrupted. "I-I just figured releasing sexual tension with a pervert was an added bonus for you."
"You're one to talk!" Tatsumi retorted, just realizing that he had backed Lubbock against a bookshelf. "What gives anyway? Can't you just find some boyfriend or girlfriend and do it with them rather than having meaningless sex with me?"
Lubbock had quieted and it seemed he had finally processed the question, lbecause he slowly regained the dull stare.
"No..."
"Huh?"
"No. Never. Impossible." Before Tatsumi could ask what Lubbock meant by those negative statements, the door opened and the brunette stepped away.
"A-Ah welcome." He greeted the customer. He glanced back at the bookshelf, half-surprised when Lubbock was no longer there. Tatsumi sighed with an uneasy expression, knowing he was starting to dig even deeper into the secrets. There truly is no backing out now.
"Whew, what a long day." Tatsumi commented while stretching, he hung his apron and put on his scarf and jacket. Lubbock rarely made an appearance in the shop but Tatsumi saw no problem with that. At least he had no other tasks to fulfill other than thinking of a personal gift to get.
When he opened the door, a hand tightly grabbed his jacket sleeve. Tatsumi turned his head and blinked when Lubbock leaned against him for support while stepping into his boots. Tatsumi averted his gaze with a slight blush at the action, although he did not move his arm away
"Let's go downtown." Lubbock said as he straightened. "I wanna look around for gifts."
"Huh? You're getting gifts yet nobody gives you any?" Tatsumi asked. Lubbock flushed.
"Mm... not quite. I'm actually seeing what I should try and get you. It'll only be fair of course." Lubbock reasoned as he stepped out.
"O-Oh!"
"Don't be so surprised. I'm sure you get gifts all the time, popular country ass." Lubbock mocked and Tatsumi sighed, shutting the shop's locked door behind them.
"Well sure, it's normal to get gifts. I'm just surprised you're actually trying to be fair about it.."
It had started out to be a searchfest in the brightly-lit town. However, Tatsumi noticed how they were slowly straying away from their main goal.
"These necklaces sure are nice..." Lubbock trailed off as they stared at a display window of a jewelry shop.
"Yeah..."
"This silver one especially stands out..." Tatsumi stared blankly.
"Yeah..."
"Whoever gets this necklace would sure be the most luckiest person..." Lubbock added with an innocent gaze.
"..."
Twenty minutes later, Lubbock was happily walking down the sidewalk along with an irked Tatsumi.
"Thanks for the early gift by the way, Tatsumi."
"You forced me to buy it for you!"
"Did I?" Lubbock looked up at a sweets stand and grinned. "I'll make it up then. Come here."
"Eh?"
Tatsumi was dragged over to a stand full of sweets and chocolates. However, judging by Lubbock's hungry look, he would say this is more of benefiting Lubbock rather than paying him back.
"A small box of dark chocolate." Lubbock ordered and in a moment, they were back to walking down the sidewalk with Tatsumi having to carry the bag that contained the necklace. Lubbock on the other hand opened the box and took out a small piece shaped like a star.
"Ooh..." He admired. Tatsumi sighed exasperately.
"I feel like we defeated the purpose of our original plan..." He said.
"Shut up, slave." Tatsumi irately watched Lubbock bite into the chocolate. His dark green eyes stared interestedly when Lubbock hum satisfyingly at the taste with a small smile. The brunette tensed when emerald eyes darted dangerously out the corner of the older male's eyes.
"The hell do you want?" Lubbock asked.
"Nothing, jeez..." He must be bipolar. Tatsumi looked at the half-eaten chocolate star in Lubbock's fingers and he leaned in, taking the chocolate into his mouth. He never was a fan of dark chocolate, but this particular brand made the chocolate rather sweet and creamy.
"Th-That was mine!" Lubbock sputtered.
"You drank my tea without my permission. I think this is a fair trade." Tatsumi only said. He ignored his boss's further rant and stared up at the sky. He wondered just how he managed here today. To have a verbal contract of being his manager's slave. Having quickies to satisfy Lubbock's urges. Now, here they are innocently walking around together looking for and buying each other's gifts while having a one-sided bicker about chocolate. Just how was he able to get Lubbock to agree? The real Lubbock?
He coughed when something invaded his mouth and looked when Lubbock retracted his hand.
"You were spacing out." Lubbock said. Tatsumi realized there was another piece of chocolate in his mouth. "Remember why we're here so stop goofing up."
'Again, you're one to talk.'
His thought must have been obvious because Lubbock chuckled softly at his expression. Tatsumi could not help, but smile and his heart fluttered. He had promised to himself not to do anything stupid while he is on his quest to figure out the man. Staring clearly at Lubbock's rosy cheeks, he mentally hit himself with a wider, guilty smile.
'Which also means don't fall in love with him.'
*According to the official Akame ga Kill guide book drawn and written by the creator, Lubbock's height is actually 5'4 in Japan. However in the United States, his height is considered to be around 5'5-5'6. I am going by the Japanese conversion because one, this story is set in Japan and two, a small Lubbock is a happy Seijuku.