Tempus Fugit ...
XO'MagickMoon'OX
Chapter 1: Being Assertive
It was hot. Incredibly hot. The middle of July … and the AC was busted, making the air in the drugstore nearly suffocating. But it wasn't all bad, for me at least. You see, it was too hot to wear much … especially at night. Kazahaya would sleep in nothing more than his boxer shorts, neglecting his shirt, shorts, and comforter, the thin, paper-like sheet the only thing covering his lithe frame. Even that was sometimes discarded during the night in his never-ending quest for comfort. I was content with my boxer shorts and T-shirt, and left all of the blankets on my bed, though I usually woke up with them piled somewhere on the floor or tangled around my legs.
As I stand before his bed this morning, the rosy fingers of dawn just beginning to stretch through the deep-blue velvet veil of sky, I gaze down at his peacefully sleeping form. His limbs are twisted around his sheet, as if he'd wrestled with it during the night. His bare chest slowly rises and falls with each soft breath, his lips slightly parted, eyelashes dark against his pale skin, silken hair strewn across his pillow … so beautiful in his tranquility. But soon his demeanor will do a delightful one-eighty, once I disturb him from his serene slumber.
What to do, what to do … a shoe? No, too cliché. I need a new tactic, a fresh method … shake things up a little. It's funny how much thought I put into a seemingly menial task. Why do I do it? Why do I bother to, none too pleasantly, wake him up each morning?
As I grab a stray corner of his sheet and pull with all my strength, I remember why.
He topples out of bed, his eyes flying open as he crashes to the ground, his face immediately flushing with anger.
"Rikuo, you bastard! Why do you do this to me! Why do you always have to make the beginning of my day suck!"
Seeing his ethereal features burn with rage, his gray-green eyes flashing with a passionate anger, simply makes my day. Such emotion … aimed at me, even if it's anger … it's still passion …
And he's just look so damn adorable when he's angry.
"Make breakfast," I growl, and smirk as his face flushes an even deeper red.
"It's your turn!" he shouts.
"Would you keep it quiet?" I ask. He glares at me, but seems to shut up. Satisfied, I say, "No … it's your turn. I made breakfast yesterday."
He huffs. "Fine. But you could at least say 'Please' …" He grabs his shirt and tugs it on, followed by his shorts. Then he stomps over to the kitchen and begins preparing the meal.
My smirk widens. He wants me to say "Please"? All right …
I walk towards him, and he doesn't realize it until I'm right behind him, whispering in his ear, "Please make breakfast."
He tenses as I slip my hands around his waist, and he drops the salt shaker he had been holding, spilling crystalline grains all over the counter.
"Wha-What are you doing!" he gasps.
I brush my lips over the bare flesh of his neck and feel him shiver. I grin. His skin heats beneath my lips, a flush running through his body.
"Why are you getting so worked up, Kazahaya?" I murmur mockingly against his neck. He doesn't know how much fun it is to tease him.
"Get off of me, you pervert!" he cries.
I pull away, grinning wickedly. As he starts grumbling angrily (things that sound a lot like "Pervert" and "Jerk" and "Bastard"), I turn to get dressed. He doesn't notice when my smirk suddenly transforms into a thoughtful frown. He doesn't know how much I would've loved to take my teasing further. More to the point, he doesn't know that my teasing isn't really just teasing … that's what I play it off as. Really, I would love to hold and kiss Kazahaya, because …
I love him.
But he doesn't know that, and he won't ever know it, as far as I'm concerned. He doesn't feel the same, and if he knew how I felt, it would just put an irreparable rift in our already-fragile relationship. So for now, or maybe forever, I'll just tease and provoke him, just to see his adorable, flustered reaction, and just to hold him or kiss him for a fleeting second.
"Hey, jerk!"
I turn, a cold glare plastered on my face. Jerk? Does he really hate me so much as to address me as "jerk"? Sure, after I've done something mean or teasing, he calls me "jerk", but that's only right after I've done something. To just call me "jerk" out of the blue, after such an aforementioned situation is over and done with, is just … wrong.
Maybe this time … I'd gone too far with my teasing … maybe he's going to hold a grudge now.
But that's not like him. He's hotheaded and touchy; his anger is always swift and fleeting, and soon he's back to his old loveable self.
"I do have a name, you know," I growl as I make my way over to the table.
Kazahaya looks away, his fair features set in a hard scowl. "Yeah, and so do I."
I'm confused. "What are talking about? I know that; I call you by your name all the time."
"I mean that I'm a person. I have a name and a personality and individuality … I'm not some toy." He slams his palm down on the table in a very un-Kazahaya-like manner. "So I want you to stop teasing me for your own perverted pleasures."
I'm taken aback. Is he okay? Is he possessed or under some sort of spell? This is not something Kazahaya would normally do … sticking up for himself and all, and being so serious and sincere about it. I lock my jade eyes with his green-gray ones and find no trace of enchantment of any sort. This is the real Kazahaya. I don't know what to say. Finally, I muster a weak, "Hmph."
Kazahaya glares at me. Though I didn't agree to his demand, I suppose the shock and certain fear in my expression is enough to satisfy him for now.
We eat our breakfast in silence.
Secretly, I'm sort of proud of Kazahaya for standing up for himself, for being assertive. After all, how's he going to live on his own if he can't even defend himself?
But another part of me, a more dominant part of me, is scared. I'm worried that he might become too assertive, and I worry that maybe he might not need me anymore. After all, the only thing I'm good for for him is saving him on a regular basis. What if soon he'll be able to take care of himself?
What if he won't need me anymore?
What if he moves out sooner than anticipated, and I lose him forever?
---
Kazahaya and I put on our work aprons before heading out the room and down to the drugstore. We're greeted by an ever-smiling Kakei who gives us instructions for the day. I'm to work the register, and Kazahaya is to stack the shelves with the recently-arrived merchandise.
We do as we're told, and Kakei disappears into his office. It's quiet … a pretty still, smoldering day … until a certain someone shatters the smothering peace.
"Working hard?" Saiga slings his arm around my shoulder, startling me (I hadn't even heard him come up to stand beside me). I give a curt nod and wipe my forehead; it's hot enough without Saiga leaning on me. His eyes are hidden behind his dark shades, but I'm sure they're glittering with mischief as they turn to lock on Kazahaya. Finally, he leaves my side and sneaks up on my lighter-haired coworker.
Saiga slips his arms around Kazahaya's waist, causing the boy to drop the boxes he was holding.
"Hey boy! You working hard, too?"
"S-Saiga!" Kazahaya gasps, struggling in the older man's grip, a deep blush rising in his cheeks. Idiot. I'd think he'd be used to Saiga's touchy-feely character by now, but the man still always manages to get Kazahaya worked up.
I can't help but feel a slight twinge of jealousy. Were that me hugging him close like that, he'd start yelling and hissing, decorating the air with all sorts of colorful language.
Apparently, Saiga's closeness is uncomfortable for Kazahaya in more than one way, as he wipes his brow with the back of his hand, sweat glistening underneath his silky, brown hair.
A silvery voice rings out in the suffocating store, "Saiga … it's too hot for that."
Kazahaya turns, as do I, to face the drugstore's too-beautiful-to-be-a-man owner, Kakei. Kazahaya sighs with relief as Saiga releases him.
"Boys, will you please come to my office," Kakei asks innocently, though we all know what he has in mind.
Another side job.
Kazahaya and I untie our aprons and hang them up before following our boss to his office. Saiga sits out behind the register, and I have a feeling he's already fast asleep as we open the door to Kakei's office.
We sit down on a couch in front of Kakei's desk. He watches us from behind his glasses, his eyes glittering.
I sigh impatiently. "What's the job?"
Kakei blinks. "Job?" he asks, feigning incomprehension.
"Oh, come on," I snap. "We all know you're going to put us on another one of those 'special' jobs. So, out with it."
"My, my, Rikuo … aren't we irritable." Kakei smiles. "It must be the heat." He stands and pulls a picture and list of instructions from his pocket, as well as a couple of tickets.
Tickets?
"I need you to find this necklace," he hands the picture to Kazahaya, "and bring it back here, unharmed."
I lean closer to Kazahaya and study the picture with him. It's a diamond necklace, the clear, sparkling jewels hanging on a gold chain. Kakei hands me the instructions, and I look them over.
"Wait." I read the instructions again. "We have to go where!"
"Ah, yes. The client told me that this necklace will be in Maryland, America." Kakei gives another one of those oh-I'm-so-cute-and-innocent smiles. "On the coast, to be more precise, in an old, abandoned house that used to belong to a wealthy couple in the mid-1700's."
"We have to travel to America!" Kazahaya was still trying to wrap his mind around this concept.
"Well," Kakei responds, "I have some friends there, and you'll be staying with them for the five days that you're in America. They speak Japanese, so the language barrier shouldn't be a problem, and they can help show you around. They live by the ocean, so I thought you might want to spend some time there to alleviate yourselves from this sweltering heat."
I sigh. "Well, I guess if we have to go all the way over there to get this damn necklace, might as well enjoy ourselves. Are there any time limits?"
"Just get it before you come back," Kakei answers.
"And we're getting paid?" Kazahaya just has to ask.
"Of course."
Kazahaya nods, seemingly calmed down. "When do we leave?"