A/N: Hi there peoples!! *I* *hate* *this* *chapter*. I'm not pleased in the slightest with the results and I can't point out what bothers me so I can't rewrite it. I tried, believe me. Anyway... Can you see where this is going? I'm afraid I'm turning this too long and you'll lose the thread of the plot...tell me it isn't so? Pwease?
Enjoy!
A SMILE UPON MY FACE
Konoe stepped down the podium and the auditorium begun filling with a low murmur of voices as the students rose from their seats and proceeded to whisper about who they thought might be the killer.
Almost everyone had a theory and, as Tatsumi was able to appreciate for what little he overheard, all the suspects happened to be the kids that had a harder time adjusting. Those with few or no friends; those with physical disabilities. He even noticed a few fingers pointing his way.
He shrugged it off. He didn't really care that he had enough of a bad image for people to think he could do something like that. It was obvious their judgement wasn't reliable.
Tatsumi simply ignored them and started calculating the cost for more security guards on his notebook, figuring which areas were up to endure small fund cuts as a way to distract himself, until the last of them was out the door.
Soon, the murmur wasn't enough to cover the soft snoring noise next to him. Leaving his notes aside and making sure there weren't any witnesses for his little indiscretion, he focused his attention on the sleeping beauty. Watari had the most peaceful of expressions, though Tatsumi could already see the marks indented on his cheek for sleeping on the hard plastic chair.
003 was perched on her master's right shoulder, chewing on one of Watari's locks, apparently trying to fix it. His hair was a mess, Tatsumi noted. With that long, thin, curly hair, the poor boy would have hell trying to comb it later.
After a while of watching curiously as the bird groomed Watari's hair, Tatsumi decided to give her a hand. Softly and being utterly careful not to wake the boy, he begun brushing the silky, yet incredibly rebellious strands with his fingers.
"I'll take the left side, you go on." he whispered. The bird blinked at him a couple of times before carrying on with her task.
Tatsumi felt guilty. What had possessed him to make the scene he'd made earlier? God knew what Watari had thought.
What would Tsuzuki think if he knew what he'd almost done that evening? What would Watari think if he figured he'd tried to make a pass at him while his boyfriend- one of Watari's best friends, by the way- was not around? Where did that leave him?
It left him praying that Watari remained as innocent and light headed as usual.
He wasn't the cheating type. Tatsumi could have been many things, but not that; never that. He prided himself for being honest and straight forward. Yet here he was, leading Watari on while he was still Tsuzuki's boyfriend.
But he knew he wasn't just playing with them. It would have been easier if it had all been him being a cheating bastard. He wasn't just leading Watari on; he honestly didn't want Watari giving up his hopes. He really did love both of them.
It was obvious the situation couldn't hold much longer. He'd end up hurting everyone if he didn't make up his mind soon.
The best way to do that- to decide- he figured, was to spend some time alone with Tsuzuki; no kissing, no getting carried away. Just some time to analyse his feelings for the boy. There was no use in trying to think when he was with Watari.
Tucking the last lock behind the blond's ear, Tatsumi eyed 003 curiously.
"Don't you think we should take him back to his room?"
003 gave him what it seemed like an incredulous look and squeaked indignantly.
'Yes,' he thought, smiling, 'There's no doubt that bird understand every single word.'
"Of course, I'll do all the carrying, 003. You can ride on my shoulder if you want, though."
He'd much rather to be able to carry Watari in a less...compromising position, but the boy was out cold; he didn't have other option but to pick him up as you would a bride. Not that he had any complains, but he was trying to clear his head of those thoughts and that arrangement didn't help any.
The bird settled on his shoulder and begun grooming her wings detachedly. Tatsumi sighed, imagining how absurd a picture they all made and picked the boy up.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"Are you going to eat that?" Tsuzuki pointed at the half eaten donut on Hisoka's plate.
Hisoka shook his head no and pushed his plate towards Tsuzuki's direction.
"Why do you eat so much, baka? You're going to turn yourself into a balloon." Hisoka said softly, as he turned his gaze back to the window with a peaceful expression.
"Sweets are good for your health, 'Soka!" He smiled kindly. Hisoka's only reply was a low grunt, but there was no annoyance on his face.
'He really is too skinny', Tsuzuki thought, resting his chin on the palm of his hand, his fingers curling at the side of his face. "You should eat more." It wasn't said expecting a reply; Tsuzuki was just thinking out loud.
Hisoka glared at him. Ok, ok; so Hisoka may have been too skinny, but he didn't look frail at all! Actually, he was kinda scary. Tsuzuki lowered his head, as a puppy showing submission, and stuffed himself with the donut, inwardly smiling.
Tsuzuki felt good now. Not good 'I just found a free strawberry filled donut' good, but still. Though if you counted Hisoka's half eaten one...
He'd started the day with the wrong foot, tripped, smashed his face against the floor and ended up with a bloody nose- figuratively speaking, of course-; but all was well now. For the time being, at least.
So yeah, he was probably the poster boy for manic-depression; nothing new there. Hisoka had worked as the perfect 'happy pill', so to speak.
It was a weird feeling. Many a time, Tatsumi had tried to pull him out of one of his depressions; and even succeeded, somewhat. He could never accuse the blue eyed boy of not trying hard enough. But he couldn't say he'd ever felt quite this good, this calmed, when Tatsumi was the one to help.
Maybe it was that Tatsumi always expected to be the one who'd take care of him, never letting Tsuzuki take care of the younger boy in return. He was aware of how much he was hurting Tatsumi; in the end, Tsuzuki always felt like a burden.
And it was weird because his boyfriend did have a dark past; Tatsumi did suffer because of it. They could have shared the weight, instead of having Tsuzuki lean on Tatsumi all the time; though never completely. But they'd never trusted each other enough to talk about it and make it easier on themselves.
Now though, he didn't feel at all guilty for confiding in Hisoka. After all that had happened that afternoon, Tsuzuki couldn't really tell who'd helped who.
He'd felt useful.
If faced with the same situation again, the amethyst eyed boy knew he'd choose differently. Even knowing what he knew now, he'd probably keep quiet. It was just chance that Hisoka hadn't run off, horrified. But that hadn't been the case. Hisoka had trusted him and he'd trusted in kind.
It was the first time ever since Ruka's death that he'd talked that openly with anyone.
Hisoka getting up from his seat distracted him from his thoughts. Tsuzuki watched him confusedly for a few moments, trying to remember if he'd missed something Hisoka had said. The green eyed boy begun walking towards the door, but stopped as soon as his hand took hold of the knob and turned to look at him.
"I'm tired. I'm going back to my room. I guess you wanna stay and wait for dinner?"
"Ah!" Tsuzuki stuffed the rest of the donut into his mouth hurriedly, trying to help it down drinking the remains of his coffee in one gulp. Choking and in serious need for air, he clumsily got up from his seat and ran to Hisoka's side. "I...I..." Purple in the face and unable to say anything else, Tsuzuki looked around desperately, as if Hisoka would leave without him, should he fail to make himself understood. "Imgoinwizya." Tsuzuki was able to get out finally, gasping for breath. He could still feel the donut stuck in his throat.
Hisoka stared at him, disbelief and confusion written all over his face.
"Huh?" Seeing as he hadn't been clear enough, Tsuzuki motioned to himself with one finger, then to Hisoka and then to the door, before punching himself gently but firmly on the chest. Hisoka rolled his eyes and opened the door. "You're going to die of a heart attack if you don't choke to death first."
Tsuzuki only smiled warmly, coughed a little and followed Hisoka outside.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Muraki Kazutaka had seen many things reflected on Oriya's eyes. He'd seen love, pride, annoyance; most of the time, he was the causal of these things. But that evening, he'd seen something he was definitively not ready for.
Fear.
He'd left the auditorium and now wondered around the school aimlessly. His footsteps resonated through the empty hall. He was tense from his hair down to his toes; his knuckles white, so hard he had his hands clenched into fists.
Oriya was afraid. For him; of him, he didn't know, nor he cared. It didn't really matter. He'd caused it. He'd caused his best friend to be afraid; a friend that would have died for him.
No, a part of him told him; it *did* matter. If he was afraid for him, he'd stick by his side no matter what. If he was afraid of him on the other hand...
But when he'd thought about testing Oriya, it had never occurred to him that maybe the younger boy could turn on him simply because he was afraid. Could he blame him if it came up to that? No matter how good a friend Oriya might have been, the boy was entitled to a survival instinct, wasn't he?
Somehow he knew Oriya would never abandon him, though. Somehow, he'd always known that. This...test, it hadn't been to made sure of Oriya's loyalties. It was for fun.
Clutching his head in frustration, Muraki stopped walking and rested his back to the wall. All this time joking about losing his mind...now he wasn't so sure. If he had to be honest with himself, even Oriya's fear caused him amusement.
His life was good. He was normal. Everything was ok until that mother-fucker came into the picture.
"Saki..." he said to no one, his voice acquiring a desperate tone he did not like one bit. "It's all your fault...Son of a bitch!" He turned around and punched the wall hard, then again and again until he draw blood. "I'm not like you!!!" he all but yelled.
From the corner of his eye he saw a few students who'd witnessed his little outburst. The boys were staring at him wide eyed from the other end of the hall. He smiled viciously at them and licked his bloodied fingers, feeling delighted when he saw them run off.
He didn't give a fuck if he ended up having the reputation of a maniac. What mattered to him was to know for sure if he really was one. He'd done nothing wrong, had he? He wasn't a monster...yet, at least.
Raising his eyes to the heavens, Muraki did something he hadn't done in a long time. His tone was spiteful and his hopes scarce, but he was starting to feel desperate. Signalling the cross over his chest, he closed his eyes, which were filling fast with tears. (*)
"Father...Lord, just give me a sign, will you? I'm... I need ... help."
Two voices coming his way interrupted his pray. One of them awfully familiar to him. He got up silently and walked towards the corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of his love; maybe even let him lift his spirit.
But the last thing seeing Tsuzuki brought was relief to his battered mind. Because he wasn't alone, you see? He'd known that, he'd heard two voices. But he hadn't expected this...not this.
It was that boy; that insolent little brat with a doll's face. They were walking towards him, calmly and slowly, chatting about something he didn't care about. That would have been ok, if their entire demeanour towards the other hadn't been so familiar... so trusting.
Tsuzuki looked so relaxed; at ease as Muraki hardly ever saw him. The little brat had a peaceful, almost unnoticeable smile playing at his lips and the faintest of blushes on his cheeks.
Muraki rushed away from there, making sure he wasn't seen. Making sure Tsuzuki wouldn't accidentally prove what Muraki had just realised to be true.
This wasn't happening. With any other person, he'd missed it. But he knew Tsuzuki better than he knew himself. Tsuzuki looked even more content than when Tatsumi was around, for god's sake!! No; after two years of trying to win Tsuzuki's trust, that brat had managed to do it in just one day?!
'Is this the help...the sign you send me, God?!' he thought bitterly. Though as a sign, it certainly met it's purpose. God didn't care about him; he'd been forsaken.
And with that knowledge, the last bit of warmth in his heart died down. With that knowledge, came a sense of absolute freedom.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Tatsumi made sure to leave Watari's room as soon as possible. Just being there with the blond in such a defenceless position and with no one else around proved unnerving enough; to add his internal debate on whether he should undress the boy for him to sleep more comfortably was just too much.
For reasons beyond his grasp- and as if his feelings for Watari hadn't been confusing enough on their own- during the last few days his physical attraction for the lunatic had gotten increasingly stronger. Or harder to control; whatever.
He would never make a decision based on physical attraction, but he could very well make a fatal mistake because of it. So he'd practically ran out of there.
Closing the door with a soft 'click', Tatsumi closed his eyes and sighed, half in exasperation, half in relief. Now all he had to do was find that idiot of a boyfriend of his and give him hell for disappearing the way he had. Under the circumstances, that kind of behaviour was unacceptable.
But that wasn't the only reason. Maybe if he approached Tsuzuki in anger, the older boy's depression- the one he'd been running from all day- wouldn't affect his judgement and he could analyse the situation objectively.
Checking his wrist watch he decided that, given the hour, he was most likely to find Tsuzuki in the cafeteria. His own stomach was starting to grumble and, as he begun walking, he made a mental note to bring some dinner to Watari later.
Before he'd even reached the first turn though, he saw Tsuzuki and Hisoka walking his way. He stopped on his tracks, making sure to put on his most cold face and fixed his glasses.
There was something; something about the way they looked and the way Hisoka was staring at him that struck Tatsumi as peculiar. It wasn't weird to see Tsuzuki dishelved and he hadn't known Hisoka for that long- though the green eyed boy had given him the impression of being reasonably neat.
But it wasn't just that their uniforms were wrinkled and their hair messed up. If that had been the case, all he could have imagined was that they'd been making out somewhere -certainly not a comforting thought, but not something he couldn't deal with. They did look strangely...cosy, with each other.
But both their eyes showed signs of crying, thought at the moment, they both looked relatively ok. That spiked up his concern for Tsuzuki. Whatever had happened was already over though, he realised; but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
The two of them saw him and, if Tsuzuki's sudden puppy eyes were any indication, knew they had some explaining to do. Tatsumi stood there waiting, seemingly unperturbed, as the two of them slowed down their pace in direct proportion to the closer they got to him. Hisoka walked past him, glancing up at him with what Tatsumi could only describe as a guilty expression.
He eyed the younger boy for a split second before turning his attention back to his boyfriend. The purpled eyed boy lowered his head and, without a word, made his way to their room.
After Tatsumi closed their door behind them, he turned to stare at Tsuzuki. The older boy was standing in the middle of the room, not quite looking at him, but not avoiding him either. Now that he thought about it, Tsuzuki also looked guilty.
Maybe he should reconsider his theory of him and Hisoka making out?
Tsuzuki finally raised his face to look at him with a sheepish smile on his lips. The older boy put a hand behind his head.
"I... I guess I better freshen up for dinner, ne?"
Well, at least food was still on Tsuzuki's mind; things couldn't be that bad. Tatsumi nodded curtly and the other boy disappeared inside the bathroom, leaving him alone to think.
Had their relationship changed that much? It felt like there was a wall between them, as if in the course of a day, they'd lost the intimacy they'd always shared. They'd never trusted each other with their darkest secrets, but that had never been a problem. Now here he was, pinning after another boy and Tsuzuki couldn't even be confident enough to do one of his pity shows to ease him off his anger, as he used to.
Did Tsuzuki really feared he wouldn't forgive him? For what? Making him worry? There had to be something else. Tsuzuki had stolen for him- borrowed, as the older boy would correct- he'd slacked on his studies, he'd lied to him. What could be so terrible that Tsuzuki would think he wouldn't forgive him? Again, maybe he *had* made out with Hisoka?
'So what?' Tatsumi berated himself, 'I bet he wouldn't feel guilty about whatever it is if he knew I was trying to take a peak at Watari's chest while I undid his tie.'
Talking about ties; Tsuzuki stepped out of the bathroom. He hadn't bothered to change his clothes, but he'd obviously combed his hair and splashed some water on his face. He was fighting with the knot of his tie, apparently trying to remove it and that gave Tatsumi the perfect entrance to eliminate that sudden distance that seemed to have formed between them.
He took a few steps forward and batted Tsuzuki's hands off. There was just something about that boy and ties...or maybe Tatsumi just liked doing that for him.
"Do you have any idea of how worried I was?" He said, without looking straight at Tsuzuki's face. Of course, his tone didn't show his emotions in the slightest, but the little caress he gave the other boy's cheek once he'd removed the tie betrayed him.
Tsuzuki leaned into the touch and smiled sadly.
"I'm really sorry. We lost track of time."
Tatsumi fought off the impulse to circle the other's waist and pull him for a kiss- a conditioned reflex for seeing Tsuzuki with a sad face. He was supposed to stay clear headed, wasn't he? Still, he did pull him for a hug, to which Tsuzuki replied instantly, resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder.
"You lost track of time? Tsuzuki, what could you two be doing all this time that you didn't notice it was already dark?" he scolded slightly.
Tsuzuki stiffened at the question, making Tatsumi frown. The older boy pulled away from the hug and stared intently at his shoes.
"We...well, you see? I... We were..." the older boy stammered.
'Please don't say making out; please don't say making out.' The blue eyed boy thought. So, he had no right to be jealous, that's true. But he felt it anyway, what are you going to do, shoot him?
Tsuzuki took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"We talked." was all he said.
Tatsumi's frown deepened. Why did he have the impression that there was more to that sentence?
"You...talked? About what?"
"About stuff. About...I told him stuff and... and he told me stuff and..."
"Yes, that pretty much describes an average conversation." Tatsumi was starting to lose his patience.
That his boyfriend was stammering so much and looked so nervous when he was about to tell him about what he was doing with another boy could never be a good thing. That he knew if Tsuzuki asked him the same question, he'd probably end up looking a lot worse than him, was bad beyond words.
"Look, Tatsumi..." Nervous laugh, avoiding his eyes; classical signs that he wasn't going to like what Tsuzuki had to say. "It's nothing bad, really...it's just..."
"Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on or are you going to beat around the bush for long?!"
Tsuzuki was evidently startled by his tone. His amethyst eyes opened wide and Tatsumi noticed his face turned a few shades paler.
He hadn't meant to be so harsh on him. Just as with his attraction with Watari, during the last few days Tatsumi seemed to be losing his patience with Tsuzuki way too often. It was uncalled for and he obviously was taking his frustration out on the older boy.
As if he didn't have enough guilt to dwell over already.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." he said softly. "You don't have to tell me what you were doing."
Tsuzuki shook his head no and approached him carefully.
"I do have to tell you. I have to tell you at least that, you know?" Again that guilty look. All kinds of scenarios ran through Tatsumi's mind. 95% of them ended with the two of them breaking up. He might have had that outcome on his plans for a long time, but he'd never expected Tsuzuki to be the one to initiate it. Was that being selfish? Tsuzuki continued. "We talked about... personal stuff. Things I haven't told you. Things I'm...not going to tell you."
Well, *that* he hadn't expected. He knew very well Tsuzuki was referring to his past. It was an old, 'unspoken' topic between them. Though it wasn't *that* bad, was it?
He'd never asked that kind of trust from Tsuzuki; he'd never given any indication that he'd appreciate or return it. And if Tsuzuki felt the need to talk to someone else then,...it wasn't like he could complain, was it?
Ok, then why did he feel betrayed?
He realised he was supposed to say something because Tsuzuki had the most mortified expression. He had no right to show himself upset; even if he was. He just fixed his glasses yet again.
"It's ok." He opened the door and barely brushed his fingers with Tsuzuki's. "Let's go now, so we can catch a good table."
"You're not angry?" Tsuzuki asked innocently.
No; he wasn't angry. He'd just realised something that, though it made his decision a lot easier, hurt him more than he'd be willing to admit to himself.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Midori-san fixed his glasses, making sure they were in place, before knocking softly on the door. It was a little late and there was a chance Kenji was already at the dining room, but he either forgot about that or chose to ignore it. He wasn't exactly looking forward to that conversation.
Everyone cared about the demon's victims; no one stopped to think about this kid for more than a second and when they did, it was only to pass judgement. What kind of person sells his soul to a demon? He must be weak if he can't fight him off; ask for help. Surely the demon is just fulfilling the boy's wishes...All a load of crap and he knew it.
He was sure Kenji hadn't meant for this to happen. He hadn't even talked to the boy yet, but he knew how a demon could betray you; how they could turn the kindest of souls into murderers. He remembered all too well.
The whole deal brought unpleasant memories; a sense of failure that urged him to do right by this kid, even if he'd sold his soul.
He'd been told not to get involved; to be objective. But if his boss had known just how close to home this case was, he'd understood why it was impossible for him. Of course, he wasn't about to inform his boss of that little fact.
He had to admit though, that seeing Tsuzuki again had made him happier than he'd been in ages. Sure, it wasn't the Tsuzuki he'd known; not exactly. But he knew that under the differences rested the same person and that made him smile.
The man who'd named himself Midori knocked on the door again, but again got no answer. Though it wasn't exactly what he'd gone there to do, he figured he could still pick some information up, seeing as the boy's room appeared to be empty.
Making sure there was no one around first, and without even checking to see if it was locked, he was inside faster than you could say 'teleport'. The room was empty, as he'd deducted, but he remained invisible anyway. That way he could avoid getting caught unaware in case Kenji returned unexpectedly.
He turned on the light and started looking around for clues, evidence, anything to help him throw a little light on the case and wishing it was as easier as to turn on a switch.
He studied every corner of the room. It was an ordinary bedroom, he concluded. A bit too tidy for his taste, considering this was a 15 year old's room, but there was nothing to indicate demonic possession.
And there should have been something. Demon's have a flare for souvenirs. There's always an object, a talisman, something used to seal the deal. He figure that Kenji probably had said object with him. He'd have to look for the boy, have a talk and keep an eye open for pendants or any sort of eerie jewellery.
As he turned around to leave, he realised his mistake. He'd let his guard down. He didn't even have time to curse his stupidity before he was pinned down on the floor by a stinking dark mass of shadows.
'So,' he thought, not really alarmed by the turn of events, 'this demon doesn't need his host to attack. Nice time to find out, though.'
~Find anything interesting?~ the spiritual voice reverberated all through Midori's body.
He could summon his shikigami right away, he could have even thrown a spell at him, but the man saw his compromising situation as a perfect way to gather information. He wiggled under the weight and laughed.
"What, you're into S&M or something?"
~Funny. But I just wanted to see you from a closer angle. I must say, this job is turning more interesting by the minute.~
The amusement on the demon's voice caught him off guard.
"What do you mean?" The black mass virtually *grew* an a hand for long enough to remove his glasses. Midori's breath caught on his throat both from being so exposed and being able to actually *see* the demon. "What are you doing!?"
~So, not one legend, but two.~ the demon laughed. ~And both of you so easy to take down!~
He didn't need to ask who was the other so called 'legend'. He wanted to though; maybe the demon was talking about someone else- as if. But he didn't dare. If this demon knew who he was, then he knew Tsuzuki. All he could do was wince.
~Have you ever found a case where you *knew*, if you did things right, you'd get promoted?~ the demon's voice sounded delighted. ~This is my promotion, shinigami.~
Just as fast as he'd appeared, the demon was gone; but the dread he'd managed to imbue Midori with, didn't.
~Tsuzuku~
(*) I'm under the impression that Muraki is, or was, Catholic? (heh heh, quite a reputation we have, ne?) If I'm wrong, I'll fix it later.
I think I should clarify something. Midori-san is *not* an original character. Though by telling you this, I'm probably spoiling the surprise, it's not that important now. But he's rather OOC, and I have a reason for making him like that. I'll explain when it gets to that point, ok?
More reviews, more reviews!!! *runs around euphorically*
Lina: Heh, heh, Tatsumi/003. I actually didn't make that up though O.O, I don't remember where I saw it, and I think it was a joke too...though I did read this Watari/003 fic once...that wasn't joking...it was...actually, quite...*clears throat* er...good. I don't know what's worse, that I read it or that I liked it...O.O But I digress, I'm glad you enjoyed the interlude, even if it was a poor substitute for a chapter.
LYK: Angst is what I live for!!! Go angst! And if it's yaoi, all the better!!! Though i think I'm going through a particularly angsty phase...I'm making everyone cry lately, lol *-*
Loki'sRose: Nya!!! I missed you! Big 'phew' about Tsuzuki's past. I know it was too vague and still I could have screwed it up, but no one seemed to mind. Another bit 'phew' with he interlude, because I was afraid it would be asking to much of you guys, to get your minds set on this new 'universe' just to take you back to Meifuu so suddenly. And it's a song, ' The scientist', by Coldplay...you have to check that band out. It's, in my opinion, the best of our times. Though I know of people who hate it, I haven't met a single person who felt indifferent about it, and that is a sign of greatness. *smiles as Coldplay's record company pays her for advertising*^-^
Fahm: Awww, no more surprise reviews? T,T...wait a minute...Oh! Heh, heh, It's fine by me! ~.^ And I do know who Mitani is, the name seems to have escaped me for a moment... lol. Now I just look silly. But now that you mention it, Midori does remind me of him!! It almost makes me wish I'd chosen him to be Midori. It would have fitted as well and I so love that character! But if you reread his description, you'll see they don't look the same. And yes, Watari is not the same as his previous incarnation, but he's also just fifteen. I didn't want to write him so confident because...well, honestly, I thought it would be fun like this ^-^
Wai: Hello new reviewer! I'm glad you enjoyed the interlude...I'm going to try reading it whilst listening to the song. It's not like playing 'Sgt. Pepper' backwards is it? There won't be any weird messages coming from the song? *ish scared* ^-^ Hugs!!
dodger-chan: *blink*... *blink* You...you really don't like Tatari? *blink* Waaah!! *refrains for hurting nice reviewer* Why?! Anyway, if you don't like it and you're still reading my fics...wow, you must be a very patient person! This is swimming with Tatari and, no matter how good I may write it *smug smile*, it's pretty hard to read a pairing you don't like, ne? Thanks so, so much for reading 'Show me'. You've no idea how much it meant to me. Though I suspect you're craving for something good to read if you thought it was good...*blush* I'm really not that good! BTW, can you please, please continue that beautiful ficcy of yours? Please? *puts on pathetic puppy eyes* *sniff*
Nsib: I got a *sniff* out of you!!! Lala la la!! Heh, heh. Don't worry though, I lack the power to convert emotionless people for long periods of time ^-^ I'm still trying to make my brother see the difference between cute and stupid, and I've known him for 19 years!! Happy to see you don't find the school/Meifuu/school switching annoying. Hugs!
xXLil Yu JahXx: Uhm...You're review got cut almost at the beginning so, since I have no idea of what you were going to say, I'm just going to asume you said I was the best writer since Shakespeare and that you'll be my devoted fan forever!! Thank you!! ^-^
Kyraille Fade: Heh, heh. The song that started it all, actually. I heard that one and of course, I could only think about Tatsumi and Watari *nod* *nod* The rest sorta made sense on it's own. Most of my ideas come that way, unannounced and without much reason for being. I was actually riding the bus with my walkman on when I thought about this fic, lol. And no, the other fic I started writing is for another fandom. It's something I've wanted to do since before I knew about fanfiction and I thought it was time to get that bugger out of my head.
Vin: Yay! Pocky!! I remember a time when someone gave me pocky and I thought they were pocking me!! Lol...anyway. Hi new reviewer!! Yes, fluff is coming...eventually *evil chuckle* Don't worry though, happy ending 100% guarantied or you get your money back!! ^-^ Hugs.
Mel-chan: *nods* How annoying, those people with lives, ne? Rubbing them all over our faces...*grumble* Anyway, you should just get an account so I could go say hi! That song is just the greatest, isn't it? I fell madly in love with that song the first time I heard it. Love at first... hearing? Hugs!
lyn: Hola querida compatriota! Me alegra mucho que hayas podido captar eso de Oriya. Lo único que tengo de él es el anime. No llegué a esa parte del manga (tal vez algún dia Sakura-crisis llegue hasta ahí? Eh, ahora que lo pienso, vos tenés el manga? Traducido? Eh? De donde?) No me hagas sentir mal T.T, je je, lo mismo me pasó con el fic anterior. Te prometo (como le prometí a esta otra chica, y mas o menos cumplí) escribir un fic Tatsumi/Tsuzuki solo para vos, ok? Pero capaz que me lleve algo de tiempo. Besos!
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, TSUZUKI CHAN!!
JA NE!
Enjoy!
A SMILE UPON MY FACE
Konoe stepped down the podium and the auditorium begun filling with a low murmur of voices as the students rose from their seats and proceeded to whisper about who they thought might be the killer.
Almost everyone had a theory and, as Tatsumi was able to appreciate for what little he overheard, all the suspects happened to be the kids that had a harder time adjusting. Those with few or no friends; those with physical disabilities. He even noticed a few fingers pointing his way.
He shrugged it off. He didn't really care that he had enough of a bad image for people to think he could do something like that. It was obvious their judgement wasn't reliable.
Tatsumi simply ignored them and started calculating the cost for more security guards on his notebook, figuring which areas were up to endure small fund cuts as a way to distract himself, until the last of them was out the door.
Soon, the murmur wasn't enough to cover the soft snoring noise next to him. Leaving his notes aside and making sure there weren't any witnesses for his little indiscretion, he focused his attention on the sleeping beauty. Watari had the most peaceful of expressions, though Tatsumi could already see the marks indented on his cheek for sleeping on the hard plastic chair.
003 was perched on her master's right shoulder, chewing on one of Watari's locks, apparently trying to fix it. His hair was a mess, Tatsumi noted. With that long, thin, curly hair, the poor boy would have hell trying to comb it later.
After a while of watching curiously as the bird groomed Watari's hair, Tatsumi decided to give her a hand. Softly and being utterly careful not to wake the boy, he begun brushing the silky, yet incredibly rebellious strands with his fingers.
"I'll take the left side, you go on." he whispered. The bird blinked at him a couple of times before carrying on with her task.
Tatsumi felt guilty. What had possessed him to make the scene he'd made earlier? God knew what Watari had thought.
What would Tsuzuki think if he knew what he'd almost done that evening? What would Watari think if he figured he'd tried to make a pass at him while his boyfriend- one of Watari's best friends, by the way- was not around? Where did that leave him?
It left him praying that Watari remained as innocent and light headed as usual.
He wasn't the cheating type. Tatsumi could have been many things, but not that; never that. He prided himself for being honest and straight forward. Yet here he was, leading Watari on while he was still Tsuzuki's boyfriend.
But he knew he wasn't just playing with them. It would have been easier if it had all been him being a cheating bastard. He wasn't just leading Watari on; he honestly didn't want Watari giving up his hopes. He really did love both of them.
It was obvious the situation couldn't hold much longer. He'd end up hurting everyone if he didn't make up his mind soon.
The best way to do that- to decide- he figured, was to spend some time alone with Tsuzuki; no kissing, no getting carried away. Just some time to analyse his feelings for the boy. There was no use in trying to think when he was with Watari.
Tucking the last lock behind the blond's ear, Tatsumi eyed 003 curiously.
"Don't you think we should take him back to his room?"
003 gave him what it seemed like an incredulous look and squeaked indignantly.
'Yes,' he thought, smiling, 'There's no doubt that bird understand every single word.'
"Of course, I'll do all the carrying, 003. You can ride on my shoulder if you want, though."
He'd much rather to be able to carry Watari in a less...compromising position, but the boy was out cold; he didn't have other option but to pick him up as you would a bride. Not that he had any complains, but he was trying to clear his head of those thoughts and that arrangement didn't help any.
The bird settled on his shoulder and begun grooming her wings detachedly. Tatsumi sighed, imagining how absurd a picture they all made and picked the boy up.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"Are you going to eat that?" Tsuzuki pointed at the half eaten donut on Hisoka's plate.
Hisoka shook his head no and pushed his plate towards Tsuzuki's direction.
"Why do you eat so much, baka? You're going to turn yourself into a balloon." Hisoka said softly, as he turned his gaze back to the window with a peaceful expression.
"Sweets are good for your health, 'Soka!" He smiled kindly. Hisoka's only reply was a low grunt, but there was no annoyance on his face.
'He really is too skinny', Tsuzuki thought, resting his chin on the palm of his hand, his fingers curling at the side of his face. "You should eat more." It wasn't said expecting a reply; Tsuzuki was just thinking out loud.
Hisoka glared at him. Ok, ok; so Hisoka may have been too skinny, but he didn't look frail at all! Actually, he was kinda scary. Tsuzuki lowered his head, as a puppy showing submission, and stuffed himself with the donut, inwardly smiling.
Tsuzuki felt good now. Not good 'I just found a free strawberry filled donut' good, but still. Though if you counted Hisoka's half eaten one...
He'd started the day with the wrong foot, tripped, smashed his face against the floor and ended up with a bloody nose- figuratively speaking, of course-; but all was well now. For the time being, at least.
So yeah, he was probably the poster boy for manic-depression; nothing new there. Hisoka had worked as the perfect 'happy pill', so to speak.
It was a weird feeling. Many a time, Tatsumi had tried to pull him out of one of his depressions; and even succeeded, somewhat. He could never accuse the blue eyed boy of not trying hard enough. But he couldn't say he'd ever felt quite this good, this calmed, when Tatsumi was the one to help.
Maybe it was that Tatsumi always expected to be the one who'd take care of him, never letting Tsuzuki take care of the younger boy in return. He was aware of how much he was hurting Tatsumi; in the end, Tsuzuki always felt like a burden.
And it was weird because his boyfriend did have a dark past; Tatsumi did suffer because of it. They could have shared the weight, instead of having Tsuzuki lean on Tatsumi all the time; though never completely. But they'd never trusted each other enough to talk about it and make it easier on themselves.
Now though, he didn't feel at all guilty for confiding in Hisoka. After all that had happened that afternoon, Tsuzuki couldn't really tell who'd helped who.
He'd felt useful.
If faced with the same situation again, the amethyst eyed boy knew he'd choose differently. Even knowing what he knew now, he'd probably keep quiet. It was just chance that Hisoka hadn't run off, horrified. But that hadn't been the case. Hisoka had trusted him and he'd trusted in kind.
It was the first time ever since Ruka's death that he'd talked that openly with anyone.
Hisoka getting up from his seat distracted him from his thoughts. Tsuzuki watched him confusedly for a few moments, trying to remember if he'd missed something Hisoka had said. The green eyed boy begun walking towards the door, but stopped as soon as his hand took hold of the knob and turned to look at him.
"I'm tired. I'm going back to my room. I guess you wanna stay and wait for dinner?"
"Ah!" Tsuzuki stuffed the rest of the donut into his mouth hurriedly, trying to help it down drinking the remains of his coffee in one gulp. Choking and in serious need for air, he clumsily got up from his seat and ran to Hisoka's side. "I...I..." Purple in the face and unable to say anything else, Tsuzuki looked around desperately, as if Hisoka would leave without him, should he fail to make himself understood. "Imgoinwizya." Tsuzuki was able to get out finally, gasping for breath. He could still feel the donut stuck in his throat.
Hisoka stared at him, disbelief and confusion written all over his face.
"Huh?" Seeing as he hadn't been clear enough, Tsuzuki motioned to himself with one finger, then to Hisoka and then to the door, before punching himself gently but firmly on the chest. Hisoka rolled his eyes and opened the door. "You're going to die of a heart attack if you don't choke to death first."
Tsuzuki only smiled warmly, coughed a little and followed Hisoka outside.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Muraki Kazutaka had seen many things reflected on Oriya's eyes. He'd seen love, pride, annoyance; most of the time, he was the causal of these things. But that evening, he'd seen something he was definitively not ready for.
Fear.
He'd left the auditorium and now wondered around the school aimlessly. His footsteps resonated through the empty hall. He was tense from his hair down to his toes; his knuckles white, so hard he had his hands clenched into fists.
Oriya was afraid. For him; of him, he didn't know, nor he cared. It didn't really matter. He'd caused it. He'd caused his best friend to be afraid; a friend that would have died for him.
No, a part of him told him; it *did* matter. If he was afraid for him, he'd stick by his side no matter what. If he was afraid of him on the other hand...
But when he'd thought about testing Oriya, it had never occurred to him that maybe the younger boy could turn on him simply because he was afraid. Could he blame him if it came up to that? No matter how good a friend Oriya might have been, the boy was entitled to a survival instinct, wasn't he?
Somehow he knew Oriya would never abandon him, though. Somehow, he'd always known that. This...test, it hadn't been to made sure of Oriya's loyalties. It was for fun.
Clutching his head in frustration, Muraki stopped walking and rested his back to the wall. All this time joking about losing his mind...now he wasn't so sure. If he had to be honest with himself, even Oriya's fear caused him amusement.
His life was good. He was normal. Everything was ok until that mother-fucker came into the picture.
"Saki..." he said to no one, his voice acquiring a desperate tone he did not like one bit. "It's all your fault...Son of a bitch!" He turned around and punched the wall hard, then again and again until he draw blood. "I'm not like you!!!" he all but yelled.
From the corner of his eye he saw a few students who'd witnessed his little outburst. The boys were staring at him wide eyed from the other end of the hall. He smiled viciously at them and licked his bloodied fingers, feeling delighted when he saw them run off.
He didn't give a fuck if he ended up having the reputation of a maniac. What mattered to him was to know for sure if he really was one. He'd done nothing wrong, had he? He wasn't a monster...yet, at least.
Raising his eyes to the heavens, Muraki did something he hadn't done in a long time. His tone was spiteful and his hopes scarce, but he was starting to feel desperate. Signalling the cross over his chest, he closed his eyes, which were filling fast with tears. (*)
"Father...Lord, just give me a sign, will you? I'm... I need ... help."
Two voices coming his way interrupted his pray. One of them awfully familiar to him. He got up silently and walked towards the corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of his love; maybe even let him lift his spirit.
But the last thing seeing Tsuzuki brought was relief to his battered mind. Because he wasn't alone, you see? He'd known that, he'd heard two voices. But he hadn't expected this...not this.
It was that boy; that insolent little brat with a doll's face. They were walking towards him, calmly and slowly, chatting about something he didn't care about. That would have been ok, if their entire demeanour towards the other hadn't been so familiar... so trusting.
Tsuzuki looked so relaxed; at ease as Muraki hardly ever saw him. The little brat had a peaceful, almost unnoticeable smile playing at his lips and the faintest of blushes on his cheeks.
Muraki rushed away from there, making sure he wasn't seen. Making sure Tsuzuki wouldn't accidentally prove what Muraki had just realised to be true.
This wasn't happening. With any other person, he'd missed it. But he knew Tsuzuki better than he knew himself. Tsuzuki looked even more content than when Tatsumi was around, for god's sake!! No; after two years of trying to win Tsuzuki's trust, that brat had managed to do it in just one day?!
'Is this the help...the sign you send me, God?!' he thought bitterly. Though as a sign, it certainly met it's purpose. God didn't care about him; he'd been forsaken.
And with that knowledge, the last bit of warmth in his heart died down. With that knowledge, came a sense of absolute freedom.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Tatsumi made sure to leave Watari's room as soon as possible. Just being there with the blond in such a defenceless position and with no one else around proved unnerving enough; to add his internal debate on whether he should undress the boy for him to sleep more comfortably was just too much.
For reasons beyond his grasp- and as if his feelings for Watari hadn't been confusing enough on their own- during the last few days his physical attraction for the lunatic had gotten increasingly stronger. Or harder to control; whatever.
He would never make a decision based on physical attraction, but he could very well make a fatal mistake because of it. So he'd practically ran out of there.
Closing the door with a soft 'click', Tatsumi closed his eyes and sighed, half in exasperation, half in relief. Now all he had to do was find that idiot of a boyfriend of his and give him hell for disappearing the way he had. Under the circumstances, that kind of behaviour was unacceptable.
But that wasn't the only reason. Maybe if he approached Tsuzuki in anger, the older boy's depression- the one he'd been running from all day- wouldn't affect his judgement and he could analyse the situation objectively.
Checking his wrist watch he decided that, given the hour, he was most likely to find Tsuzuki in the cafeteria. His own stomach was starting to grumble and, as he begun walking, he made a mental note to bring some dinner to Watari later.
Before he'd even reached the first turn though, he saw Tsuzuki and Hisoka walking his way. He stopped on his tracks, making sure to put on his most cold face and fixed his glasses.
There was something; something about the way they looked and the way Hisoka was staring at him that struck Tatsumi as peculiar. It wasn't weird to see Tsuzuki dishelved and he hadn't known Hisoka for that long- though the green eyed boy had given him the impression of being reasonably neat.
But it wasn't just that their uniforms were wrinkled and their hair messed up. If that had been the case, all he could have imagined was that they'd been making out somewhere -certainly not a comforting thought, but not something he couldn't deal with. They did look strangely...cosy, with each other.
But both their eyes showed signs of crying, thought at the moment, they both looked relatively ok. That spiked up his concern for Tsuzuki. Whatever had happened was already over though, he realised; but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
The two of them saw him and, if Tsuzuki's sudden puppy eyes were any indication, knew they had some explaining to do. Tatsumi stood there waiting, seemingly unperturbed, as the two of them slowed down their pace in direct proportion to the closer they got to him. Hisoka walked past him, glancing up at him with what Tatsumi could only describe as a guilty expression.
He eyed the younger boy for a split second before turning his attention back to his boyfriend. The purpled eyed boy lowered his head and, without a word, made his way to their room.
After Tatsumi closed their door behind them, he turned to stare at Tsuzuki. The older boy was standing in the middle of the room, not quite looking at him, but not avoiding him either. Now that he thought about it, Tsuzuki also looked guilty.
Maybe he should reconsider his theory of him and Hisoka making out?
Tsuzuki finally raised his face to look at him with a sheepish smile on his lips. The older boy put a hand behind his head.
"I... I guess I better freshen up for dinner, ne?"
Well, at least food was still on Tsuzuki's mind; things couldn't be that bad. Tatsumi nodded curtly and the other boy disappeared inside the bathroom, leaving him alone to think.
Had their relationship changed that much? It felt like there was a wall between them, as if in the course of a day, they'd lost the intimacy they'd always shared. They'd never trusted each other with their darkest secrets, but that had never been a problem. Now here he was, pinning after another boy and Tsuzuki couldn't even be confident enough to do one of his pity shows to ease him off his anger, as he used to.
Did Tsuzuki really feared he wouldn't forgive him? For what? Making him worry? There had to be something else. Tsuzuki had stolen for him- borrowed, as the older boy would correct- he'd slacked on his studies, he'd lied to him. What could be so terrible that Tsuzuki would think he wouldn't forgive him? Again, maybe he *had* made out with Hisoka?
'So what?' Tatsumi berated himself, 'I bet he wouldn't feel guilty about whatever it is if he knew I was trying to take a peak at Watari's chest while I undid his tie.'
Talking about ties; Tsuzuki stepped out of the bathroom. He hadn't bothered to change his clothes, but he'd obviously combed his hair and splashed some water on his face. He was fighting with the knot of his tie, apparently trying to remove it and that gave Tatsumi the perfect entrance to eliminate that sudden distance that seemed to have formed between them.
He took a few steps forward and batted Tsuzuki's hands off. There was just something about that boy and ties...or maybe Tatsumi just liked doing that for him.
"Do you have any idea of how worried I was?" He said, without looking straight at Tsuzuki's face. Of course, his tone didn't show his emotions in the slightest, but the little caress he gave the other boy's cheek once he'd removed the tie betrayed him.
Tsuzuki leaned into the touch and smiled sadly.
"I'm really sorry. We lost track of time."
Tatsumi fought off the impulse to circle the other's waist and pull him for a kiss- a conditioned reflex for seeing Tsuzuki with a sad face. He was supposed to stay clear headed, wasn't he? Still, he did pull him for a hug, to which Tsuzuki replied instantly, resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder.
"You lost track of time? Tsuzuki, what could you two be doing all this time that you didn't notice it was already dark?" he scolded slightly.
Tsuzuki stiffened at the question, making Tatsumi frown. The older boy pulled away from the hug and stared intently at his shoes.
"We...well, you see? I... We were..." the older boy stammered.
'Please don't say making out; please don't say making out.' The blue eyed boy thought. So, he had no right to be jealous, that's true. But he felt it anyway, what are you going to do, shoot him?
Tsuzuki took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"We talked." was all he said.
Tatsumi's frown deepened. Why did he have the impression that there was more to that sentence?
"You...talked? About what?"
"About stuff. About...I told him stuff and... and he told me stuff and..."
"Yes, that pretty much describes an average conversation." Tatsumi was starting to lose his patience.
That his boyfriend was stammering so much and looked so nervous when he was about to tell him about what he was doing with another boy could never be a good thing. That he knew if Tsuzuki asked him the same question, he'd probably end up looking a lot worse than him, was bad beyond words.
"Look, Tatsumi..." Nervous laugh, avoiding his eyes; classical signs that he wasn't going to like what Tsuzuki had to say. "It's nothing bad, really...it's just..."
"Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on or are you going to beat around the bush for long?!"
Tsuzuki was evidently startled by his tone. His amethyst eyes opened wide and Tatsumi noticed his face turned a few shades paler.
He hadn't meant to be so harsh on him. Just as with his attraction with Watari, during the last few days Tatsumi seemed to be losing his patience with Tsuzuki way too often. It was uncalled for and he obviously was taking his frustration out on the older boy.
As if he didn't have enough guilt to dwell over already.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." he said softly. "You don't have to tell me what you were doing."
Tsuzuki shook his head no and approached him carefully.
"I do have to tell you. I have to tell you at least that, you know?" Again that guilty look. All kinds of scenarios ran through Tatsumi's mind. 95% of them ended with the two of them breaking up. He might have had that outcome on his plans for a long time, but he'd never expected Tsuzuki to be the one to initiate it. Was that being selfish? Tsuzuki continued. "We talked about... personal stuff. Things I haven't told you. Things I'm...not going to tell you."
Well, *that* he hadn't expected. He knew very well Tsuzuki was referring to his past. It was an old, 'unspoken' topic between them. Though it wasn't *that* bad, was it?
He'd never asked that kind of trust from Tsuzuki; he'd never given any indication that he'd appreciate or return it. And if Tsuzuki felt the need to talk to someone else then,...it wasn't like he could complain, was it?
Ok, then why did he feel betrayed?
He realised he was supposed to say something because Tsuzuki had the most mortified expression. He had no right to show himself upset; even if he was. He just fixed his glasses yet again.
"It's ok." He opened the door and barely brushed his fingers with Tsuzuki's. "Let's go now, so we can catch a good table."
"You're not angry?" Tsuzuki asked innocently.
No; he wasn't angry. He'd just realised something that, though it made his decision a lot easier, hurt him more than he'd be willing to admit to himself.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Midori-san fixed his glasses, making sure they were in place, before knocking softly on the door. It was a little late and there was a chance Kenji was already at the dining room, but he either forgot about that or chose to ignore it. He wasn't exactly looking forward to that conversation.
Everyone cared about the demon's victims; no one stopped to think about this kid for more than a second and when they did, it was only to pass judgement. What kind of person sells his soul to a demon? He must be weak if he can't fight him off; ask for help. Surely the demon is just fulfilling the boy's wishes...All a load of crap and he knew it.
He was sure Kenji hadn't meant for this to happen. He hadn't even talked to the boy yet, but he knew how a demon could betray you; how they could turn the kindest of souls into murderers. He remembered all too well.
The whole deal brought unpleasant memories; a sense of failure that urged him to do right by this kid, even if he'd sold his soul.
He'd been told not to get involved; to be objective. But if his boss had known just how close to home this case was, he'd understood why it was impossible for him. Of course, he wasn't about to inform his boss of that little fact.
He had to admit though, that seeing Tsuzuki again had made him happier than he'd been in ages. Sure, it wasn't the Tsuzuki he'd known; not exactly. But he knew that under the differences rested the same person and that made him smile.
The man who'd named himself Midori knocked on the door again, but again got no answer. Though it wasn't exactly what he'd gone there to do, he figured he could still pick some information up, seeing as the boy's room appeared to be empty.
Making sure there was no one around first, and without even checking to see if it was locked, he was inside faster than you could say 'teleport'. The room was empty, as he'd deducted, but he remained invisible anyway. That way he could avoid getting caught unaware in case Kenji returned unexpectedly.
He turned on the light and started looking around for clues, evidence, anything to help him throw a little light on the case and wishing it was as easier as to turn on a switch.
He studied every corner of the room. It was an ordinary bedroom, he concluded. A bit too tidy for his taste, considering this was a 15 year old's room, but there was nothing to indicate demonic possession.
And there should have been something. Demon's have a flare for souvenirs. There's always an object, a talisman, something used to seal the deal. He figure that Kenji probably had said object with him. He'd have to look for the boy, have a talk and keep an eye open for pendants or any sort of eerie jewellery.
As he turned around to leave, he realised his mistake. He'd let his guard down. He didn't even have time to curse his stupidity before he was pinned down on the floor by a stinking dark mass of shadows.
'So,' he thought, not really alarmed by the turn of events, 'this demon doesn't need his host to attack. Nice time to find out, though.'
~Find anything interesting?~ the spiritual voice reverberated all through Midori's body.
He could summon his shikigami right away, he could have even thrown a spell at him, but the man saw his compromising situation as a perfect way to gather information. He wiggled under the weight and laughed.
"What, you're into S&M or something?"
~Funny. But I just wanted to see you from a closer angle. I must say, this job is turning more interesting by the minute.~
The amusement on the demon's voice caught him off guard.
"What do you mean?" The black mass virtually *grew* an a hand for long enough to remove his glasses. Midori's breath caught on his throat both from being so exposed and being able to actually *see* the demon. "What are you doing!?"
~So, not one legend, but two.~ the demon laughed. ~And both of you so easy to take down!~
He didn't need to ask who was the other so called 'legend'. He wanted to though; maybe the demon was talking about someone else- as if. But he didn't dare. If this demon knew who he was, then he knew Tsuzuki. All he could do was wince.
~Have you ever found a case where you *knew*, if you did things right, you'd get promoted?~ the demon's voice sounded delighted. ~This is my promotion, shinigami.~
Just as fast as he'd appeared, the demon was gone; but the dread he'd managed to imbue Midori with, didn't.
~Tsuzuku~
(*) I'm under the impression that Muraki is, or was, Catholic? (heh heh, quite a reputation we have, ne?) If I'm wrong, I'll fix it later.
I think I should clarify something. Midori-san is *not* an original character. Though by telling you this, I'm probably spoiling the surprise, it's not that important now. But he's rather OOC, and I have a reason for making him like that. I'll explain when it gets to that point, ok?
More reviews, more reviews!!! *runs around euphorically*
Lina: Heh, heh, Tatsumi/003. I actually didn't make that up though O.O, I don't remember where I saw it, and I think it was a joke too...though I did read this Watari/003 fic once...that wasn't joking...it was...actually, quite...*clears throat* er...good. I don't know what's worse, that I read it or that I liked it...O.O But I digress, I'm glad you enjoyed the interlude, even if it was a poor substitute for a chapter.
LYK: Angst is what I live for!!! Go angst! And if it's yaoi, all the better!!! Though i think I'm going through a particularly angsty phase...I'm making everyone cry lately, lol *-*
Loki'sRose: Nya!!! I missed you! Big 'phew' about Tsuzuki's past. I know it was too vague and still I could have screwed it up, but no one seemed to mind. Another bit 'phew' with he interlude, because I was afraid it would be asking to much of you guys, to get your minds set on this new 'universe' just to take you back to Meifuu so suddenly. And it's a song, ' The scientist', by Coldplay...you have to check that band out. It's, in my opinion, the best of our times. Though I know of people who hate it, I haven't met a single person who felt indifferent about it, and that is a sign of greatness. *smiles as Coldplay's record company pays her for advertising*^-^
Fahm: Awww, no more surprise reviews? T,T...wait a minute...Oh! Heh, heh, It's fine by me! ~.^ And I do know who Mitani is, the name seems to have escaped me for a moment... lol. Now I just look silly. But now that you mention it, Midori does remind me of him!! It almost makes me wish I'd chosen him to be Midori. It would have fitted as well and I so love that character! But if you reread his description, you'll see they don't look the same. And yes, Watari is not the same as his previous incarnation, but he's also just fifteen. I didn't want to write him so confident because...well, honestly, I thought it would be fun like this ^-^
Wai: Hello new reviewer! I'm glad you enjoyed the interlude...I'm going to try reading it whilst listening to the song. It's not like playing 'Sgt. Pepper' backwards is it? There won't be any weird messages coming from the song? *ish scared* ^-^ Hugs!!
dodger-chan: *blink*... *blink* You...you really don't like Tatari? *blink* Waaah!! *refrains for hurting nice reviewer* Why?! Anyway, if you don't like it and you're still reading my fics...wow, you must be a very patient person! This is swimming with Tatari and, no matter how good I may write it *smug smile*, it's pretty hard to read a pairing you don't like, ne? Thanks so, so much for reading 'Show me'. You've no idea how much it meant to me. Though I suspect you're craving for something good to read if you thought it was good...*blush* I'm really not that good! BTW, can you please, please continue that beautiful ficcy of yours? Please? *puts on pathetic puppy eyes* *sniff*
Nsib: I got a *sniff* out of you!!! Lala la la!! Heh, heh. Don't worry though, I lack the power to convert emotionless people for long periods of time ^-^ I'm still trying to make my brother see the difference between cute and stupid, and I've known him for 19 years!! Happy to see you don't find the school/Meifuu/school switching annoying. Hugs!
xXLil Yu JahXx: Uhm...You're review got cut almost at the beginning so, since I have no idea of what you were going to say, I'm just going to asume you said I was the best writer since Shakespeare and that you'll be my devoted fan forever!! Thank you!! ^-^
Kyraille Fade: Heh, heh. The song that started it all, actually. I heard that one and of course, I could only think about Tatsumi and Watari *nod* *nod* The rest sorta made sense on it's own. Most of my ideas come that way, unannounced and without much reason for being. I was actually riding the bus with my walkman on when I thought about this fic, lol. And no, the other fic I started writing is for another fandom. It's something I've wanted to do since before I knew about fanfiction and I thought it was time to get that bugger out of my head.
Vin: Yay! Pocky!! I remember a time when someone gave me pocky and I thought they were pocking me!! Lol...anyway. Hi new reviewer!! Yes, fluff is coming...eventually *evil chuckle* Don't worry though, happy ending 100% guarantied or you get your money back!! ^-^ Hugs.
Mel-chan: *nods* How annoying, those people with lives, ne? Rubbing them all over our faces...*grumble* Anyway, you should just get an account so I could go say hi! That song is just the greatest, isn't it? I fell madly in love with that song the first time I heard it. Love at first... hearing? Hugs!
lyn: Hola querida compatriota! Me alegra mucho que hayas podido captar eso de Oriya. Lo único que tengo de él es el anime. No llegué a esa parte del manga (tal vez algún dia Sakura-crisis llegue hasta ahí? Eh, ahora que lo pienso, vos tenés el manga? Traducido? Eh? De donde?) No me hagas sentir mal T.T, je je, lo mismo me pasó con el fic anterior. Te prometo (como le prometí a esta otra chica, y mas o menos cumplí) escribir un fic Tatsumi/Tsuzuki solo para vos, ok? Pero capaz que me lleve algo de tiempo. Besos!
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, TSUZUKI CHAN!!
JA NE!