Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! It's nice to see a sudden bit of interest, especially just as I'm finishing a chapter. It really helps, and I'm glad there are people who are interested! I do apologize for my slow updating pace… I'm in full-time grad school and work full time as well, so I don't get a whole lot of writing time anymore. Still, this fic is not nearly as large as Haunted, and so it should be finished well before three years is up.
To clarify, for those who might have missed it... This is set four years after the end of Tokyo Babylon. It is assumed X will still happen (at least, at this point) but is really entirely AU (as most fanfic is wont to be).
also, note. this chapter has only been roughly betaed, in order to save a little bit of time. If anyone finds any mistakes, let me know?
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The latest murder scene was useless. It had been nearly a week, and nothing stood out, nothing to point to the murder being anything but mundane. Even if there had been something, the area's psychic energy was layered over with so much from the activities of the paramedics and police and other investigators that it made Subaru's head spin a bit when he tried to trace it all.
He suppressed a sigh, looking surreptitiously at Seishirou, who seemed engrossed in talking with the investigator who was supposed to familiarize them with the case. He wondered if he should just leave, feeling a sort of awkwardness that he hadn't in a long time.
He ran fingers over the rusted metal desk that they were standing next to, feeling the rough patches pull a bit at his gloves. There was no physical evidence that there had been a murder here, but the pictures and reports spread out on the desk told a different story, broken human pieces of a puzzle.
Unfortunately, there were too many missing.
He finally looked up and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the other two to him. He bowed his head to the investigator in apology before interrupting their conversation. "This isn't helping. I can't pick up anything here."
The older man nodded, clearly having felt the same way. "It was worth a try." He turned back to the investigator, bowing. "Ah, thank you for your help, Yamaguchi-san. We'll have more questions to ask you later, I'm sure." He smiled charmingly, taking Subaru's elbow and leading him out to the hallway.
Subaru pulled away from him. "Is there anywhere else we're expected today?"
"No. I have the previous case files at home, though. Perhaps you'd care to go over them with me?"
Subaru shook his head, probably too quickly, judging from the smirk on Seishirou's lips. "That's fine. I can go over them later."
"Tomorrow night, then? I could cook us dinner.." His voice dropped, in a parody of a lover's. Subaru gritted his teeth just a bit. His patience was wearing thin.
"I would prefer not. Thank you."
"You really are cute, Subaru-kun." Seishirou beamed. "Very well. If you like, I could drop the files off at your apartment?"
He frowned, suspiciously, searching the other's face for some more meaning to the offer, but found nothing the same fake, exuberant smile. Grudgingly, he nodded a little. "That would be fine, thank you."
----
There was another letter waiting for him when he got home. When he found it in his mail, he stared at it for a long time, studying it before opening it. There was nothing on it to point to where it came from. The envelope was plain white, the address typed, no return. It had been sent from a post office in Tokyo. Subaru hesitated before opening it.
There were pictures this time, home-developed and grainy, but they were obviously of him, leaving or going to various jobs that he had taken care of over the past week or so.
At the back of the stack of photos was another notecard, this one saying "you work too hard."
The phone rang and he answered it, distractedly. The voice that came on was familiar, and when his ex stated his name, he sighed a little, relieved. Nomura Yukitaka. He had nearly forgotten.
The other man seemed ridiculously awkward on the phone. He stammered a little and frequently trailed off, sounding more unsure with each clipped response Subaru provided him. He continued making small talk until Subaru cut him off ruthlessly, asking him to get to the point. The line was silent for a moment, then Yukitaka told him he seemed to be missing a shirt. Subaru frowned, dropping the pictures and the note into the same drawer that the other was in, going to search in his closet for it.
It was there, tucked back into a dark corner, having fallen off the hangar. Subaru offered to have it sent, but the other man told him it wasn't necessary, and that he didn't want to inconvenience the people he was staying with. He'd be by sometime to pick it up.
Subaru started to protest, not caring to see the other man anytime soon, but the line was dead already. He hung up the phone, not bothering to get up, leaning back against the doorframe.
The letters lay, forgotten, in the drawer.
----
The next day passed without incident. Subaru moved the letters to a file, deciding to save them. They troubled him, simply because he couldn't understand what the sender was getting at, or who they were. However, there were no more when he went to check the evening mail. It surprised him, how relieved it made him. Almost cheerful.
The feeling vanished when he returned to find Seishirou making himself at home in his dark apartment, having set out two plates full of food on his small table, two glasses of wine, and a low candle that provided just enough light for the table. Seishirou straightened as Subaru walked in the door, sliding his lighter back into his pocket.
"Welcome home."
Subaru tried flipping on the light. Nothing happened, and he narrowed his eyes, angrily. "Get out."
"Now, now, don't be rude. What would Hokuto-chan say about your attitude, Subaru-kun?"
Subaru shuddered just a bit, clenching his fists angrily. "Get out, Seishirou."
"I brought the case files over. Sit down. You haven't been eating enough."
"Get out."
Seishirou sat down at one of the places, clearly intent on staying. "Come now. Don't waste food."
Subaru stared at him for a few more minutes, before reluctantly sitting down. Seishirou smiled, picking up his wine. "Now, don't be shy, like usual. Eat before it gets cold."
He shook his head. "Why are you doing this?"
"What?"
"This." He gestured to the meal between them, the single candle that guttered a bit, threatening to abandon them to shadow. "What do you hope to accomplish?"
Seishirou shook his head, a movement that affected layers of disappointment, sadness, and a tired resignation. His response was light, chiding. "Subaru-kun. I love you. Don't you remember?"
He shook his head slowly. "You can't expect me to believe that."
"I can't?"
"I'm not a child anymore, Sakurazuka-san."
"So you're not." The accompanying look was probably planned to make his heart skip a beat. Instead, it made Subaru want to dump his glass of wine over the other's head.
"…Will you leave if I eat?"
"Tonight."
Subaru stared at him, in disbelief that the man was being so… disgustingly blatant. He picked up his glass and took a careful, controlled sip of the wine and set the glass down, picking up his chopsticks, determined to finish the meal quickly.
"You will not be welcomed back."
Seishirou laughed. "Subaru-kun, I wasn't welcomed in the first place."
He didn't bother to respond. After all, there was nothing he could really say, other than to agree. He ate quietly, responding briefly to the few questions Seishirou asked him. His doorbell rang just as he was finished, and he set his chopsticks down, frowning slightly.
"Expecting company?"
Subaru shook his head a bit, quickly finishing the rest of his wine before standing and going to the door. "Unexpected company seems to be the order of the day."
He opened it, frowning more when he realized it was Yukitaka.
The other man looked surprised, faintly apologetic. "I'm sorry, Subaru-san, I didn't mean to disturb you…" he trailed off, his eyes going past Subaru to the dim, candle-lit table. They narrowed a bit.
"You're not interrupting at all." Subaru sighed. He could practically feel Seishirou's curious stare, the slow smirk. "You're here for your shirt?"
"Ah… yes." He was still staring at Seishirou.
"Good." Subaru could see the jealousy and anger starting to coalesce on Yukitaka's face and he thanked god he had thought to put the shirt aside for him, picking up a small box from the doorside table and pushing it into his hands. "I believe that was all?"
Finally, Yukitaka's eyes snapped back to his. "Yes. Thank you." He bowed, curtly, and turned to go. Subaru frowned, watching him for a moment, wondering why he had looked so… sad.
Hands settled on his hips, and he jumped, feeling Seishirou's lips brush his ear.
"It seems you really have grown up, haven't you Subaru-kun?" There was a hint of low, breathy laughter in his voice, and it made Subaru tense, suppressing a chill.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He moved forward a bit, meaning to pull away, but Seishirou moved with him, an arm sliding around his waist and anchoring him against the taller body. The other hand slid slowly up his side to his throat, stroking it lightly.
"You let that boy have you."
Subaru brushed the hand from his throat. "That's none of your business."
"Was he your first?"
"Again, not your business. Are you jealous?"
"Perhaps I am." He caught Subaru's wrist, nuzzling his ear a bit. "Perhaps I should have had you myself, four years ago."
Subaru clenched his teeth a bit, angrily. "Are you trying to shock me or just make me angry?"
"What makes you think I'm not seducing you?"
He tensed. "Goddamnit, Seishirou-san. You said you'd leave after dinner. Dinner is over. Go home, I'm not in the mood for your games."
"Neither am I." He shifted, pulling Subaru around to face him before pressing him back against the door and leaning down to kiss him, firmly.