For most of the day, Matsubusa had been in a mood. It was something Homura had pointed out that morning, and again multiple times throughout the day. At one point, the drinking from the night before had been blamed, and the Magma admins had been quick to accept it as the truth. While Matsubusa would normally have protested the implication, this was the first instance where he welcomed it. He preferred a hangover to the truth, without question.

When Team Magma gathered for that night's mission, he had been exceedingly thankful for it. While infiltrating the packing facility to find evidence of supposed smuggling was naturally very important, it also served as a bit of a distraction. He was too busy focusing on his job to even think about what had happened in the early morning - and everyone else was too busy to pry. It served his purposes just fine, while also serving the greater good. Matsubusa couldn't possibly ask for anything better than that.

"I think we're just about done here," Homura said as he surveyed their surroundings. Glancing at every window, nook, and cranny, he kept a sharp eye out for anyone or anything they might encounter - and not just individuals associated with the packing company. "Tech Master, have you finished downloading all the records?"

"I'll be finishing up my second sweep of their systems in less than five minutes," Courtney said over the communication system. "You're good to go."

"Well, then, it sounds like it's mission accomplished," Kagari said, before turning to smile at Matsubusa. "That should improve your mood, Leader."

Matsubusa made a noncommittal grunt. Even with the mask, it was clear that he wasn't looking at any of them.

Tabitha let out a quiet rumble at the back of his throat and turned to Kagari, his voice lowering to a whisper. "And I thought my hangover was bad. At least mine went away hours ago."

Matsubusa shot Tabitha an annoyed look, as the mask allowed him to hear Tabitha just fine. With a huff, he turned sharply on his heels and stormed towards the exit. "We're leaving!"

Tabitha flinched when Matsubusa looked his way, but hurried to keep up. "R-right, Leader!"

Matsubusa flung open the door leading to the central office area, causing it to bang noisily against the wall. He didn't particularly care if anyone heard, especially since they were in the process of leaving. Besides, it got his point across.

As he entered the area, his eyes gazed across the office before settling on the floor in front of him. It was then that he realized something had changed - something was there that hadn't been there when they first arrived. The leader of Team Magma stopped short, staring down at the floor at a large, fluffy-looking object. It looked like a large white body pillow, stretched out on the floor. Hesitating, Matsubusa glanced back to confirm that his admins had seen it as well before he returned his attention to the object. With a frown, Matsubusa approached the pillow before tentatively poking it with his foot, rolling it over.

Airbrushed on the surface of the pillow was a well rendered image of Matsubusa, complete with mask. However, it seemed as though the artist had taken liberties with basic anatomy, as the image of him twisted around on a background of rumpled sheets, presenting both a partially exposed chest through an unbuttoned changshan and a strangely shiny rump wearing frilly pink panties that barely peeked out from pulled down pants. To add insult to injury, cartoonish pink circles like blush had been added to the cheeks of his mask, as well as a speech bubble that pointed to his face. "P-please me gentle, Aqua-senpai~!"

Matsubusa gaped down at the picture, realizing belated that the pillow as in fact a dakimakura. However, that realization paled in comparison to the fact that it was his visage, no matter the liberties taken, sprawled across the pillow. He trembled as he felt a shiver run up his spine, his face turning dark red beneath the mask before he let out a strangled shriek and kicked the pillow as hard as he could, sending it flying across the room. "Dante!"

Dante was at his trainer's side in an instant with a sharp bark.

"Burn it!" Matsubusa shrieked as he pointed at the dakimakura. "Burn it burn it burn it burn it burn it!"

"Leader!" Homura barked out in alarm, staring at Matsubusa and then the object. "What-" He stopped when he got a view of the artwork on the pillow, in particular the pink underwear and buttocks supposedly representing Matsubusa's own. "What the hell is that-!?"

There wasn't enough time for the admins to get more than a glimpse of the pillow before it exploded into flames from Dante's savage attack. Within seconds, smoke billowed upward to the ceiling, setting off the ear-piercing scream of the fire alarm. Water sprayed down from above, filling the air with steam as the sprinkler system tried valiantly to put out the fire.

Matsubusa yelped, bringing up his arms to shield himself against the sudden downpour of water, without much success. As the alarms continued to shriek, steam mingled upwards with the smoke to flood the area, decreasing visibility exponentially.

Homura stood still, crossing his arms as he gave their leader a flat look. Unlike Matsubusa, his hood provided some protection from the water. "Brilliant."

Tabitha groaned and pulled his hood a little further over his head. "Great. So much for getting out unnoticed..."

"We were leaving anyway, so it hardly matters," Kagari said, glancing in the general direction of her coworkers. She couldn't see them through the steam and smoke, and her mask filtered the air so that she wasn't breathing in anything unpleasant. "Let's just maintain radio contact and leave, quickly."

Matsubusa grimaced as he shivered. With no cloak or hood to protect him, he was quickly becoming soaked. As his changshan clung tightly to his body and his hair grew slick, it reminded him of the shower he had taken with his clothes on. Immediately, his already bad mood became considerably worse. "B-bastard... that bastard...!"

Though Matsubusa could hear the footfalls of his admins fade as they left, he continued glaring at the burnt remains of the pillow. He could still make out a few details that had escaped the flames - the edge of the speech bubble, a leg, and part of the fake bedding - not enough to make him order Dante to burn it a second time, but it was enough to keep his anger simmering inside him.

Matsubusa clenched his fists before he let out a growl, turning his head as he prepared to follow his admins and escape the place - and get dry clothes. He swiftly recalled Dante before the Houndoom could get any more soaked by the water and grumbled under his breath. "Bastard-"

Laughter cut Matsubusa off, familiar and biting. "Wow, I knew you'd find my present hot, but I didn't think it'd light your loins on fire like that."

Matsubusa jerked before he whipped around, the voice inciting fury deep inside him. "You! You bastard!"

Aogiri's grinning face parted the thinning steam, sending Matsubusa a step back as he managed to sneak close to the Team Magma leader before he gave himself away. "Well, if you can't take something like that, you better hope you don't get a fanbase online, Masky. The artists can make kinky stuff that make that pillow look like it was rated G."

Matsubusa jerked back, stepping away from Aogiri to increase the distance from the pirate. "W-what the hell are you even babbling about!?"

Aogiri stepped back, disappearing into the steam. "Funny you find something like that so offensive. You must be really repressed."

Matsubusa jerked as he lost sight of Aogiri in the thick fog, right before his eyes. He tensed and glanced about quickly, trying to find the pirate again without much success. "You... I am not repressed! You're a pervert!"

"That reaction looked suspiciously strong to me," Aogiri taunted. "Maybe you had thoughts of imitating that pillow already."

"I-i-i-imitate-!?" Matsubusa sputtered, his voice raising in pitch. Even through the mask, his voice sounded high. "Just what are you thinking!?"

Aogiri moved quickly, leaving Matsubusa no time to escape as he spooned the leader of Team Magma from behind, showing the redhead how much taller and bulkier he was. "I'm thinking," he said in a low voice that brushed close to Matsubusa's ear, "that you sound like a man who's trying a little too hard to pretend he's not turned on right now."

Matsubusa froze and arched his back, a chill surging up his spine as he felt Aogiri's firm muscles press up against his water-slick back. A blush brighter than the fire Dante had started with the pillow spread across his face and down his neck, and a strangled squeak escaped the redhead before he could stop it.

Aogiri's eyebrows shot up with surprise. He had been teasing, but it seemed that he had hit the mark anyway. He smiled like a Sharpedo smelling blood on the water and slid his arms around Matsubusa's waist. "Now isn't that a telling little sound you just made."

Matsubusa trembled as he felt the arms slip around his waist. Even as his head screamed at him to put an end to it, to call for Homura or even Dante, to put up some kind of resistance, none of the commands could reach his body. Warmth flooded in to foreign areas, conflicting sharply with the chilled dampness of his clothes. Even speaking was difficult, as Matsubusa let out a stream of strangled squeaks and sputters with no coherent words to be heard.

Aogiri felt a rush of power as the leader of Team Magma quaked in his arms, downright submissive to his touch as he began to idly stroke circles on Matsubusa's stomach. "So how long has this been going on?"

Matsubusa couldn't respond except with more stammering and mortified squeaks. If he weren't so frigidly wet, he'd think he was dreaming again. The touch against his skin, rough and firm and yet tender, was leaving blazing trails against the cold flesh. He thought he heard his admin's voices in the mask's communicator, but he couldn't focus on them at all above Aogiri's own voice as it growled in his ear.

Aogiri slowly slid his hand upward, dragging his fingers along wet fabric until he got a good feel of the redhead's chest. "Flatter than I normally go for," he teased, his voice low and breathy, "but I think if you keep making those noises you're going to get me rock hard in no time."

Matsubusa responded with another round of embarrassed sounds, his voice breaking. The redhead standing up on the tips of his toes as his hands instinctively moved to grab Aogiri's - to restrain them or for support, he wasn't sure which. The whole situation was surreal, and he was beginning to feel dizzy as his body reacted in ways that entirely baffled him.

"Uh, bro?" a voice seemed to come from somewhere nearby, causing Matsubusa to freeze. His head whipped around to see Ushio looking at Aogiri as he stood in a nearby doorway, an awkward expression on his face. "Is this a prank or a porno?"

The sight of Ushio sent chills of a completely different kind through his body and he whirled to shove Aogiri away with a scream, placing both hands on Aogiri's chest and pushing him harshly. "B-b-b-b-b-bastard!"

Aogiri stared at the two men, almost dumbfounded, before Matsubusa's indignation sent him into peals of laughter. "I guess I got carried away by Masky getting so into it!" He flashed the redhead a wide grin. "What do you think? Is your underwear feeling a bit too tight right about now?"

"Bastard!" Matsubusa shrieked his response at Aogiri, his voice continuously raising in pitch. His face burned red, though it was thankfully hidden from the mask, as he gestured wildly at the pirate. "Bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard!"

Aogiri let out a low whistle. "Impressive lung capacity you have there. You called me a bastard eleven times in a single breath."

Matsubusa seethed, sucking down air as he trembled. "Y-you... you bastard!"

"I think ya broke 'em, boss," Ushio said as he rubbed the back of his head.

Aogiri cocked his head slightly. "Looks like it." He glanced over at his friend. "Did you get it all recorded?"

Matsubusa jerked at that, his eyebrows shooting straight up. "Rec... recorded-!?"

"Matt's still recordin'," Ushio said as he flashed his captain a thumbs up.

Matsubusa quivered as the feeling of rage intensified. The very idea that the pirate had been taunting him on purpose, specifically to record it and do Arceus knows what with it was enough to cause something to literally snap inside the redhead. With an enraged shriek, he yanked out his whip from beneath his changshan before lashing it at the pirate with one swift motion.

Aogiri's eyes bugged out as he saw the attack coming, and he wound up falling backwards in his attempt to dodge it. He might have reacted sooner if he hadn't been distracted by his moment of triumph, but fortunately he managed to elude the attack, and a second that would have caught him completely off-guard.

Aogiri hadn't even realized that he had dodged it initially, until he felt a burst of air by his face and a sharp cry from Shelly that came far too late. It was then that he saw Homura's foot, the thick boot narrowly missing his face in a powerful kick.

Homura quickly recovered, landing on his feet before he whirled about to face the pirate again, placing himself between Matsubusa and Aogiri. While no one could see his face, the pure fury could be felt by everyone in the room.

"...It looks like your stupid luck kept you from having your head knocked right off your fat neck," Homura growled as he crouched, his hands out to his sides. "Let's see if it can continue to keep it there."

Aogiri hopped back onto his feet and backed away quickly from the two members of Team Magma as he focused on recovering his composure. "Looks like I've done enough victory laps for one round." He flashed Matsubusa a wink as he darted out the door with Ushio right on his heels. "Until next time, Masky!"

"Wait, you bastard!" Matsubusa screamed, his whip singing out as it struck at the ground Aogiri had stood on only moments before.

Homura growled and was about to chase after as well, when a sudden female voice cut through their masks - and their anger.

"Enough!" Kagari said, her voice containing great authority. "The fire department is on its way, and the police with them! Return to the van immediately!"

Matsubusa paused at that and gripped his whip with both hands. "But that-"

"Now!" Kagari barked, her voice piercing over the radio.

Matsubusa grimaced as he glanced to Homura, seeing the personal assistant watching him. The redhead hesitated before he let out a low growl, then quickly hurried towards the exit. "I'm not going to let him get away with this! Understand!?"

"Later," Kagari said. "There will be time enough for that, later."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Matsubusa grumbled.

Homura watched Matsubusa flee before he turned to look in the direction that Aogiri and Ushio had fled. He hadn't arrived to see what precisely had transpired, but it was clear that something had happened. He deeply regretted not returning the very second he noticed Matsubusa hadn't followed - sulking or not, he shouldn't have given the man any 'space' in hopes of easing his mood.

Whatever Aogiri had done, he would pay for it. Homura would make absolutely certain of that.


The Salty Seadog Pub was lively with the sounds of laughter as Team Aqua went out for a night of spirits and carousing. The place was packed with the now expanded team, but the core members who started it all managed to secure a little table for themselves at the back of the bar.

"Bwahah, we really had to book it that time!" Ushio said with a laugh before he turned to Aogiri. "That was pretty damn cool how you dodged that asshole's kick, though!" The large man made a swatting gesture in the air. "It just went woosh right by yer face! Kinda disappointed he didn't fall flat on his ass!"

Shelly made a show of rolling her eyes. "Dodge nothing. If Masky didn't have a hissy fit, he'd have gotten knocked out cold."

Ushio paused at that and turned to stare at Shelly. "Really?"

"Nah," Aogiri chuckled over the rim of his mug. In his hand he held his Pokédex, replaying the video Matt captured earlier. "The guy would more likely break his foot on my hard head first."

"Keep in mind who you're talking to," Izumi said as she leaned back in her chair. "I'd trust Shelly's judgment on Bird Boy's kicks, considering she had to weather a few of them herself."

Aogiri paused to consider that. "Okay, maybe a nasty sprain."

"Trust me," Shelly said, leaning back in her seat. "Bird boy kicks like a mule and is twice as stubborn."

Ushio looked thoughtful before his grin returned with full force. "Then that makes it even funnier that Masky flipped his shit and ruined it for Bird Boy!"

Aogiri burst out laughing. "You got that right! Too bad their stupid masks made it impossible to record their faces."

Matt popped off the cap from his bottle of root beer. "If that happened, we'd probably never get your attention at all tonight. What's that, the 20th time you've watched that video so far?"

Aogiri shrugged. "20th, 30th, 50th... Eh, who's counting?"

Ushio paused at that before his expression grew awkward. "Ah, yeah. You were... kinda really gettin' in to that, huh?"

Aogiri let out a breath like laughter through his nose as he kicked back in his seat. "What can I say? I got swept up in the moment. Didn't expect Masky to be into it like that, so I couldn't resist seeing how far he'd let me go."

"I was half-expecting you to shove your hand down his pants," Izumi said before she sipped her fruity drink.

Shelly idly swirled the alcohol around in her bottle. "You know, if you're that hard up, you can always ask out Paula, or any of the newbies that are idolizing you already." She gestured to a few female grunts who quickly looked away when Aogiri glanced towards them.

"Nah," Aogiri said, waving off the suggestion with a gesture. "Not my style to go into one-night stands like that. I'm still waiting for the right gal to hit me right where it counts."

Matt's eyes rolled towards the ceiling. "In the crotch?"

Aogiri snorted a mouthful of beer and rubbed his nose. "Sorry, no spit takes for you tonight."

Matt feigned innocence, but still recorded Aogiri with his Pokédex anyway.

Izumi glanced over to Shelly but said nothing, sipping her drink slowly.

Shelly made a show of arching an eyebrow as she met Izumi's gaze, her expression clearly skeptical.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch Masky flip out again," Aogiri said as he put his headphones in. He wanted to hear the leader of Team Magma's shrieks without disturbing the rest of his team, and without being interrupted from reliving the experience.

The bar faded away as Aogiri found himself once more back in that warehouse, completely in his element drenched in water and dominating Matsubusa. He could still feel the way the redhead's breath caught when he ran his hand along the other man's chest. The water had plastered the clothes to them like a second skin, allowing his fingers to catch Matsubusa's rapid heartbeat. Seeing it again from another perspective only heightened the experience and made the leader of Team Aqua wish that there was no mask in the way. He wondered just what type of expression Matsubusa wore, and what the Team Magma leader's voice sounded like. There was something almost addicting to those squeaks and moans, but the voice changer built in to the mask tainted the experience somewhat.

Aogiri imagined what it would be like if the scenario had gone differently, if he had removed that mask and exposed the leader of Team Magma. Would the other man continue to remain still and unresisting, or would he have fought back? Even if that happened, Aogiri would've seen the other man's face at last. He was dying of curiosity. What did the redhead look like? What was his name?

What did he really sound like when Aogiri's hands were feeling along his hot, unresisting body?

Unthinkingly, Aogiri dragged his teeth along his lower lip as the scene came to its climax, and rewound it before Ushio's voice cut in and destroyed the magic. Next time, he decided to ask his admins to distract Team Magma's to give him more time alone with Matsubusa. If he set up a camera ahead of time, he wouldn't have to worry about Matt watching either and really cut loose. Maybe he would start working on Matsubusa's clothes before the mask came off. Perhaps that way the Team Magma leader would remain submissive and responsive to his attentions before being truly exposed. Maybe the redhead would feel even more uninhibited if the mask remained on the entire time.

Aogiri could see it so vividly, feel Matsubusa's warmth against him. However, the scenario changed from what actually happened to something a little different than he originally anticipated.

"P-please," Matsubusa mewled, his voice still obstructed by the mask but nevertheless filled with need. His hips shifted, brushing back up against the pirate. "Please..."

A shiver ran through Aogiri at the thought of Matsubusa grinding up against him, stirring up something hot and powerful inside of him. He imagined returning the favor, pressing his hardness against that supple rear. "Please what?" he asked huskily in the redhead's ear.

Matsubusa shivered in response, arching his back as his head tilted to the side. "I-I can't... I can't take it anymore...! I need you...!"

Aogiri's smile widened as he was only too eager to oblige. He tugged on Matsubusa's pants as he moved in to take a taste of the redhead's newly exposed neck. "Well... since you asked so nicely, how can I say no?"

Reality came crashing down around Aogiri as he realized where his thoughts had taken him. He noticed the other admins staring at him, though he couldn't hear what they were saying through his headphones and the loop of his encounter with Matsubusa. Unfortunately, their expressions were telling enough, as was the intense tightness in his pants that was impossible to ignore.

Mechanically, Aogiri closed his Pokédex and removed his headphones before slamming his head down against the table surface hard. "Shit."

Matt gawked at Aogiri in alarm. "What the hell? What's wrong, Aogiri?"

Izumi arched an eyebrow as she looked down at Aogiri. "Are you okay? That was the creepiest expression I've ever seen on your face."

Ushio leaned forward, confused panic plastered across it. "B-bro!? You need a medic!? We can-" He paused before he glanced over to Shelly, then turned his attention back to Aogiri. "W-we got a medic, bro!"

Shelly remained calm, a lone raised eyebrow punctuating the suspicion in her expression. "Got some new plans for Masky brewing in that head of yours, do you?"

Aogiri didn't answer right away, his face remaining pressed against the table. It pushed his nose painfully against the varnished wood, but he didn't care. He was too distracted by a terrible new revelation. "Shit," he repeated softly. "I have the hots for Masky."


Dawn had not yet come to Hoenn as Homura made his way to Matsubusa's condominium, the still-slumbering sun hiding just along the horizon. While it was fairly early to most people, it was the typical start to Homura's day. He had to be at his leader's place early in the morning, doing everything from his laundry to cleaning up the place before waking the redhead himself and preparing breakfast. He didn't trust anyone else to do it, least of all Matsubusa himself.

Homura sighed as he stepped out of the elevator, silently walking down the hall to his destination. Admittedly, he had been unnaturally tired that morning, even though he was normally quite the morning person. After the incident with Team Aqua, Matsubusa had acted rather stressed, more so than usual. He refused to talk about what had happened, which only served to confirm Homura's suspicions that something had happened. And that something was entirely Homura's fault - he should have gone to his leader's side sooner.

The fact that none of the other admins had agreed with him was beside the point. Homura knew Matsubusa better than anyone else - it was his job, after all - and he knew that the redhead was hiding something and suffering for it. That fact alone made sleep difficult.

"I'll make him some pancakes," Homura thought as he activated the electronic lock on the door. "That always seems to improve his mood, especially when I let him load them up with garbage-"

Homura lifted his head as he stepped in to the condominium, then stopped short. His eyes settled across the living room in to the kitchen, where he saw Matsubusa huddled at the sink. The sight alone was enough to make him pause, but it was made all the stranger to see Matsubusa wearing a bathrobe tied tightly around his waist and thick rubber gloves that Homura typically used for cleaning.

Homura didn't say anything at first, thus avoiding detection. As he stared at Matsubusa, the answer to the unspoken question soon came to him. He watched as Matsubusa lifted up a soaking wet pair of his silk boxer shorts before promptly dousing it in liquid dish soap before submerging it in the sink once more.

Homura's eyebrows shot straight up as shocked horror finally broke through his confusion. "What are you doing!?"

Matsubusa jerked with a yelp, scrambling back away from the sink as he pulled his hands back. He stared at Homura with wide eyes, his expression tired and yet thoroughly mortified. "H-Homura-!"

Homura stormed over to the sink, quickly turning off the water before fishing out the silk underwear despite Matsubusa's protests. "You're doing laundry with dish soap!?"

"I-I...!" Matsubusa yelped then quickly looked away, unable to meet Homura's outraged face as his personal assistant held up the soaked silk drawers. "Y-you can't just barge in to people's houses without knocking!"

"Are you out of your mind!?" Homura demanded, ignoring Matsubusa's pathetic bluster. "Since when have you ever done laundry anyway!?"

"I-I can do whatever I damn well want!" Matsubusa snarled, though he kept pointedly avoided looking at either his personal assistant or the underwear he held. Instead, he kept his eyes solidly on the floor.

Homura swiftly pulled out the plug in the sink, allowing the soapy water to drain away before he whirled to face Matsubusa again. He lifted up the underwear to shake it at Matsubusa, not caring that his sleeves were becoming soaked. "Do you have any idea what I'm going to have to do to fix this!?"

Matsubusa flinched and shied away from the underwear, his face turning dark red. He gripped the front of his bathrobe, holding it tightly closed as he began to back away from Homura. "I... I..."

Homura paused, his anger momentarily disrupted as he got a good look at Matsubusa's demeanor. He stared at the redhead for several moments before he furrowed his brow. "...Matsubusa."

Matsubusa flinched again, though he stopped retreating. Instead, he fidgeted awkwardly in place, his eyes drifting from the wall to the floor, then up to the ceiling. He looked everywhere except at his personal assistant.

Homura focused the full force of his stare on the redhead, lifting the underwear up to dangle it in front of Matsubusa. "Matsubusa. What were you doing?" When the redhead didn't answer, Homura stepped closer. "What were you doing, Matsubusa?"

"...Nothing," Matsubusa muttered, pointedly stepping back away from Homura.

Homura stared at Matsubusa in silence. With his initial anger gone, logic began to filter in. Homura always did Matsubusa's laundry for him so there was no explanation for why Matsubusa'd suddenly decide to start doing his own laundry; and even then, that fact didn't entirely apply to the situation - a single pair of underwear didn't count as 'laundry'. For all of Matsubusa's foolishness, even he knew what washing machines were for. Something wasn't adding up, and Homura's brain was slowly trying to figure out what.

The personal assistant continued to stare at his leader, who fidgeted and squirmed under his stare like a child caught in the act. In the act of what, he didn't know, but Matsubusa was absolutely guilty of something. And that guilt went way beyond using dish soap on his underwear. The question then became why Matsubusa had felt compelled to do such a thing, and what exactly had been the point.

Homura's brow continued to crease as the gears in his head churned, before they slowly raised upwards. "...Matsubusa, did you... soil your under-"

Matsubusa rewarded Homura with a strangled shriek of outrage and embarrassment. The words garbled, the redhead still insisted on hurling them at his personal assistant as he lashed out to grab the wet undergarments from Homura's hands. With the parcel firmly in the redhead's grip, Matsubusa whirled on his heels and rushed to his bedroom. Homura could only gape as the redhead disappeared in to the bathroom attached to his sleeping quarters, slamming the door shut behind him.

Homura stood awkwardly in the kitchen as he stared after the redhead, long after he had retreated. His eyebrows furrowed slowly before he turned his gaze to Dante, the Houndoom having watched the entire exchange from the couch - and not Matsubusa's bed, where he usually slept. The personal assistant stared at the Houndoom for several moments, then looked back to the closed bathroom door.

Homura remained silent for what seemed like an eternity before he let out a weary sigh, slouching his shoulders. "I... should probably wash my hands." The personal assistant turned to the sink, rolling up his sleeves as he turned on the water. "That man is going to be the death of me."

Inside the bathroom, Matsubusa unceremoniously threw his underwear across the room. They hit the wall with a sloppy splat, before flopping down in to the bathtub. The redhead then ripped off the rubber clothes and threw them in the tub for good measure before he collapsed on to the floor. Hugging his legs, he squatted down on the floor and buried his face in to his knees.

'Humiliated' couldn't even begin to describe what he felt, as visions of living out the rest of his days in the bathroom in order to avoid Homura played out in his head. There was no way to explain what had happened, no desire to explain it – not to Homura, not to himself. He just wanted the whole situation to disappear, forever. It was even preferable, as horrifying as it was, for Homura to believe he had wet the bed like a child.

There was no way he could let his personal assistant know the truth.

"That bastard... it's all that bastard's fault!" Matsubusa choked out as he clenched his fists, gripping his knees tightly. The whole time he had been cleaning his underwear, he had reminded himself that it was only natural. After the bizarre dream the night before, it was only natural that Aogiri's horrifying prank would worsen the situation. It was only natural that he would have another dream, far more intense than the one before. It was only natural that his body would react in ways that a healthy, male body would react. It was only natural.

It was naturally mortifying.

"Why!? Why, why, why, why, why!?" Matsubusa demanded through clenched teeth. He never had such dreams before, never felt such feelings as he did when the pirate had spooned him so close and groped him in ways he had no business doing. By all accounts, he should have reacted with repulsion and anger, he should have shoved his tri-blade switchblade directly in to the pirate's exposed side.

And yet he hadn't. He had stood there, allowing the pirate to do whatever he wanted. And even worse, he had dreamed about so much more. And his body had responded.

"I-it's all his fault... it's all his fault!" Matsubusa hissed before he lifted his head. "I-it was all that alcohol... it was that alcohol's fault!" Clearly the effects of the night before hadn't fully left his system. The cheap alcohol he was served at the karaoke bar must have lingered in his body, far longer than alcohol had any right to. It addled his mind, his senses, and his hormones. The fact that Aogiri had taken advantage of him in such a state made his actions all the more horrific, and all the less in any way a reflection of Matsubusa himself.

It all made perfect sense and was in no way his fault.

"I'm never going to drink again!" Matsubusa said as he clenched his fists. However, as soon as he spoke the words, he immediately thought better of it. "...I'm never going to drink cheap alcohol again!"

At that moment, the door knocked, causing Matsubusa to flinch and whirl to stare at it with wide eyes.

"Matsubusa," Homura's voice came through the door. "Do you want pancakes?"

Matsubusa hesitated before he looked away, unable to respond at first. The wave of embarrassment came flooding back, leaving him speechless.

Homura knocked on the door again. "I'll add chocolate chips."

Matsubusa's eyes widened before they narrowed as he glanced to the door.

When Matsubusa didn't immediately respond, Homura sighed and knocked again. "Fine. Double chocolate chips."

Matsubusa eyed at the door before he finally stood up, holding his robe closed. "...Fine."

"Alright," Homura said, with a small sigh of relief. "Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen, and I'll start making them."

Matsubusa shifted awkwardly as he debated refusing, then let out a low grunt. "Fine."

Homura smiled before he stepped away from the door, heading to the kitchen once more. As he passed the sofa, he gave a small nod to Dante, causing the Houndoom to grin as his tail began to wag. The personal assistant chuckled as he went to turn on the oven. "Works every time."