AN: Okay, another chapter, and as promised, there's quite a bit of Muraki goodness.
Also, I plan on re-writing the first two chapters again, because I've decided to base this as after the anime. Just keep that in mind.
*bounces* Ah ha! No more exams. Expect (hopefully) more updates, more quickly. That's the plan.
Chapter II
Willing or Not
Time wasn't an independent variable. At least that's what Watari had learned through reading up on Einstein's theory of relativity. Time was dependant on the observer's movement in space, just as space was dependant on the observer's movement in time. Only the speed of light was constant. It was almost believable, staring up at the stars. Individual constellations had been there for thousands of years, and they would continue to shine, almost unchanging, for thousands more. Twenty years from now, he could return to the very same spot, and though the landscape would be different, he could look up at the same constellations.
But then there were stars that ran out of fuel, and went supernova or that collapsed in on themselves. It could take years, even centuries for scientists and astrologist to even notice that it was missing. Watari shook his head a little. Stars weren't really constant. Eventually they burned out. Nothing in life was constant. Not even death, as inevitable as it was.
Sighing and stretching loudly, Watari leaned into the bench and let his head flop backwards. He heard his neck crack satisfyingly and closed his eyes.
He was sitting at the same bench as Tsuzuki had during the whole episode with Maria Wong. He knew this because he'd gone through the files. He considered it his goal in life to know and understand everything in life, and an incident pertaining to his friends was in no way the least of his concerns.
The frown he hadn't realized was on his face slowly turned into a smile when he noticed 003 was asleep on his lap. The little owl looked so peaceful there, though the fact that she'd fallen asleep on the mad scientist was only proof as to how late it had actually gotten. No one in their right mind would fall asleep near Watari. Who knew what colour their hair would be when they woke up.
Careful not to wake the sleeping owl, Watari gathered her into his hands and gently slipped her into the kangaroo pouch of his jacket. It would be nice and warm there, and the soft material would provide and excellent nest.
He contemplated returning home to get some rest, but the idea of being alone was just as unappealing as it had been for the past few days. Unfortunately, the only places that were open that late at night were places he wouldn't normally frequent; bars and clubs. He weighed his options. Muraki had been at the same bar as him, which turned him off that type of locations, and while the loud, heavy club music wasn't his thing, it was substantially more inviting that solitude.
Rousing 003, he told the owl what he'd planned, and send the bird home on his own. He received an annoyed hoot, but the little owl was too tired to argue further.
He entered the first club that caught his eyes, and almost turned away immediately when he was bombarded by the heavy beat, the noise and the smell. It was either this or being alone, though, so he forced himself to go in.
He worked his way through the sea of swaying bodies to the bar, sensing instantly that he was out of place. From his attire to his attitude, he didn't fit in. He was a child of the sixties, so the leather, makeup, and general punk/goth attitude was foreign to him. For all his ability to adapt to changing times, he could never understand why someone would choose to pierce their bodies. It hurt! Why knowingly submit yourself to the pain, not once, but multiple times. And that didn't even compare to getting tattoos…
Despite being the same physical age as the people around him, he felt utterly out of place.
Signalling to the bar tender, he ordered a drink and nursed it slowly. He grabbed a bar stood, and swivelled around to watch the bodies move on the floor. It amazed him how flexible some of them were. It was almost surreal…
He was startled out of his semi-trance by a gentle hand on his shoulder. He froze, half expecting it to be Muraki, but he sighed in relief when his fears were unfulfilled.
A young woman of maybe twenty dressed in black leather and sporting several ear piercings, though nothing worse, slid onto the stood beside him, smiling coyly. "Would you care to dance?"
The blond scientist had to stifle his laughter at the question. First off, he couldn't remember the last time he'd danced, and second, he had most definitely never danced like that. Offering the girl a faint smile of his own, he shook his head. "Sorry. I don't dance."
The girl laughed prettily, the tiny, bottle red curls bouncing as she did so. She grinned in return, but before bounding off to the dance floor, she added, "You know where to find me if you change your mind."
She melted into the crowd, immediately finding a dance partner. The whole encounter made Watari smile. It was nice to see that people could still be kind hearted, making sure even the ugly ones didn't feel left out. He stared into his cup, not really sure anymore what he'd ordered. He put it down forcefully in disgust, liquid splashing over the rim. He had no idea what he was doing here, and drinking certainly wasn't going to solve any of his problems.
He glanced quickly around the crowd, and knew that he wasn't going to solve his problems by sticking around here either. It was more than just having a different attitude than the people here, it was also that he was over thirty years older than most of them. He didn't share their values, their interests, anything. The cliché of being alone in the crowd never seemed more applicable.
He was out the door within instants of realizing thins. It was better to be alone in actuality than to be trying to delude himself into thinking he wasn't. He left in such a hurry that he wasn't paying attention to the street. He collided with a firm figure and would have stumbled backwards if not for the pale hands steadying him.
His heart sank when he guessed who the hands belonged to, and it skipped a beat when he looked up and his fears were realized. He pulled away immediately, his entire body trembling. "What are you doing here?"
Muraki smiled beautifully, though amusement filled his eyes. "And it's a pleasure meeting you hear as well, Watari-san. It's a beautiful night for a walk. Would you care to join me?"
Shaking his head vehemently, the scientist took another step back from the silver haired man, nearly backing into a couple on their way home. Watari could barely contain the trembling in his voice as he spoke, "I'd rather not."
"A shame," the doctor, though it sounded more calculating than anything else. Suddenly, a sly smile crossed Muraki's face. "Are you sure? The moon is quite lovely tonight."
Watari spared a quick glance to the sky and felt his heart stop again. The moon was blood read. He didn't let the fear he felt read on his face, though he didn't trust himself to respond. He couldn't speak without stuttering and showing weakness.
Continuing to stare at Watari patiently, the taller man took a step forward, and the blonde stepped away, to the left this time so that he wouldn't block the doorway. This earned him another smile. Polite, even under duress. With another few intimidating steps, Watari had his back pressed up against the wall and Muraki was standing only inches from him, though their bodies didn't touch.
A pale hand reached up to finger Watari's long hair, pulling a few strands loose from the braid the scientist had put it in. "Exquisite."
Watari's breath came in short, shallow gasps. He felt like a cornered animal, and cornered animals only had two ways to respond: fleeing and attacking. Since the former wasn't an option, the blond scientist had every intention on using his knee as a battering ram.
Unfortunately, Muraki seemed to predict this and had already stepped closer, limiting the blonde's range of motion. Trapped between the silver-haired man's arms, Watari could do nothing as the other's lips descended towards his own. He turned his head at the last instant, causing Muraki to kiss his cheek, though it didn't do him any good. The doctor only began to trail his tongue along the blonde's jaw and up to his ear lobe.
Watari let out a small whimper as the doctor's tongue played with his ear, and he had to bite his lower lip to stop from making any more noise when the taller man began nipping and sucking at his neck. His own hands reached up to grab the doctor's upper arms, though whether it was to draw the man closer or push him away, Watari didn't know.
He was saved from finding out when a car horn blared in response to the display, distracting Muraki for an instant. It was enough time for the mad scientist to make an escape. He was gone out of sight and back to his apartment before the doctor could so much as turn around, though Watari had the feeling that the doctor had simply just let him go.
-+~*~+-
It was two days before Watari was willing to step outside his apartment. During that time, he took it upon himself to do a little research of the hacking variety. He searched every database on Earth he could get into and had Wakaba send him all of the files she could get her hands on for information pertaining to Muraki Kazutaka. Finally, he drew up the details on every place that had ever employed the good doctor, making himself a rather impressive biography on the man. A biography with one rather glaring problem; it was littered with holes.
Muraki had been engaged at one point; What ever happened to the woman? Where had Muraki gone after Tsuzuki destroyed his lab by summoning the Tern Snake? How had he lost his eye? And most importantly, what horrible plan was he working one now?
The blond scientist shuddered a little to even consider it.
Sitting, hunched over his laptop, 003 perched precariously on his shoulder, glasses poised at the end of his nose, he taped away furiously on the keys. The silver haired doctor confused him. The man had so many sides it was impossible to tell the true man. Was he a doctor? A rapist and murderer? A man obsessed with his brother's death? Or was he the charming, yet manipulative man Watari had encountered? It was too difficult for the mad scientist to see Muraki as being all of that at once.
He leaned backwards and let out a sigh of frustration, running a hand roughly through his unbound hair. This upset 003's perch, causing the owl to squawk in annoyance. The blonde lifted a hand to placate the bird. Poor 003 was going stir crazy being cooped up in Watari's small apartment for two days straight. The scientist felt it as well. He wasn't used to having so much free time on his hands; free time to think himself into a rather dark hole.
Watari stood up suddenly, throwing his hands into the air and letting out an exasperated groan.
"I need to get out," he told his owl, as he held his arm out for 003 to land on before heading to the human world.
It was nice to feel the breeze in his hair once there, even if it was a little cold. He hand no idea what to do with himself, however. It was near mid-day, but he wasn't hungry, and he didn't want to go to the library. The latter was no escape for him. If he wanted to read, he could easily take one of the many volumes off the shelves (or floor) in his room.
There was a little electronics store that caught his eye, solving his current dilemma. 003 flapped off to go explore a little outside, leaving the scientist to amuse himself by looking at the newest models of computers and various software programs. He lacked the funds to purchase anything, but he'd always had a love for computers.
He was amazed at hoe much better these computers were than the one's he had to work with in Emancho. Tatsumi was too tight-fisted to let them get anything better, though.
This thought caused him to choke up a little. He'd said things to the other man that, while somewhat true, were hurtful and entirely uncalled for. Part of him wanted to apologize, but the small amount of pride he had wouldn't let him. The secretary was more concerned with money than for his own friends, so Watari certainly wasn't going to go crawling back on all fours to beg for forgiveness.
Watari was so caught up in his anger that he didn't hear the door open to the shop, and didn't notice the other person until a set of strong arms were wrapped around his waist, and lips were brushing his ear. "You know what they say about meeting a person by chance three times…"
Freezing, the blond scientist couldn't respond. Muraki. The man was stalking him, somehow. It was the only possible explanation. He tried to pull away, but the arms only tightened around him, pulling him closer to the doctors firm, warm body.
Again, the lips brushed against the blonde's ear. A tongue soon followed, laving Watari's neck. The silver haired man's voice was deeper than normal, and huskier. "They say that it's no longer coincidence, but destiny that brings them together."
"Let me go," Watari demanded, his own voice far more steady than he felt.
Surprisingly, Muraki obeyed, but didn't back away. Watari could not turn around with out brushing against the doctor and ending up with his face much closer to the other's than would be comfortable. He didn't turn around, instead he asked, voice still steady, "What do you want from me?"
Watari could almost feel the smile the man behind him wore, smug and mischievous. A hand ran down his side and came to rest on his hip. It remained there, caressing the area, and when the doctor replied, he was almost purring. "I thought I'd made it obvious the last time. I want you."
The blond scientist froze once again, completely taken aback. There was no place in his mind that had even considered that response to his question. No one was ever interested in plain, ugly Watari. People only used him, and expected things from him. He shuddered involuntarily, and responded the same way. "Willing or not."
It was the doctor's turn to be taken aback, though Watari couldn't tell if it was really or acting. "Willing or not at all."
The hand on his hip traced a line up to the blonde's chest carefully depositing a small card in the breast pocket. Another quick lick to the mad scientist's neck, and Muraki said, "I'm not going to force you into anything. I won't touch you again unless come to me. You have my address."
With that said, the doctor was gone, leaving Watari trembling in his wake. Tentatively, he reached up and pulled out the small card. On it, indeed, was the address to an apartment in Kyoto.
Watari quickly left the shop, and he worked at convincing himself first, that Muraki was lying, and once 003 rejoined him, that the whole incident hadn't happened at all. Of course, he didn't bother to throw out the address.
AN: Adore Muraki with me.
Also, I've been told to demand that you all give me random plot filler in your reviews, or else I won't update again. Go random plot filler!
And again, if anyone is interested in joining the MUCK I play on, please e-mail/leave a review. Our cast is pitiful. We want you to play! ^.^
Review and feed the author.
