TITLE: The Netherworld of Cherry Blossoms

AUTHOR: Simply Kim

PAIRING: Muraki Kazutaka x Tatsumi Seiichirou

FANDOM: Yami no Matsuei

TYPE: One-shot

DISCLAIMER: Matsushita Yoko-san is the one who owns this series – I am but a mere fan.

NOTE: This is originally for the pairing I claimed for the LJ community 30kisses, so don't be surprised when you find one of the themes here. ;

THE NETHERWORLD OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Muraki Kazutaka never knew it was fairly easy to take a trip to the netherworld. In fact, it was so easy that he didn't need to kill any Shinigami just to gain himself a gateway. He thought it was impossible, but as his good friend Oriya kicked the contraption he was working on from sheer exasperation, it sputtered and immediately sucked the first thing that stood in front of it – him.

He didn't even know it was a portal.

He thought it was just Oriya's vacuum cleaner.

Yes, it was indeed fairly easy to take a trip to the netherworld, but he was not so sure if he would be able to take one again using the vacuum cleaner. He knew that his friend was panicking by now... or not, since nothing ever seems to faze him – not even the police.

Now that he was here, he should just leave and teleport back, just to see if Oriya was worried to death on where he ended up in, however, the lure of the Shinigami lair was enough to make him decide on exploring a bit. Besides, the longer he was away, the more worrying his friend would go through, and all the more reason to poke fun at him as a way of revenge over calling him a lovesick pervert just yesterday.

With a chuckle, he wandered, taking his time as he took in the towering palace that was, no doubt, the Shinigami offices (He knew from all the pictures Tsuzuki was proudly displaying when he thought he was alone with Hisoka), and the lot of cherry trees that created a huge forest maze. It would be fun to sneak inside and terrorise everyone, but he thought better. After all, it wasn't fun when people gang up on you. He would end up dead meat if he caused mass destruction out of his turf.

I'll stay away... for now. He thought. Then I'll let Oriya kick that vacuum cleaner again so I'd be able to come back here prepared...

CLINK.

Muraki turned instantaneously to where the unfamiliar sound came from. Mystified, he peered through the slits in between tree trunks.

Nothing.

What could have made such sound? Probably fine china, but in the sakura jungle?

With that, he started to wander about. Carefully, he treaded the gaps between roots, avoiding low-lying branches in an effort to save his skin from scratches.

CLINK.

There it went again, the sound of something resembling fine porcelain touching with another. Then, a familiar smell assaulted his senses. He would be damned if he didn't recognise it – it practically hazed everything in Oriya's room during rainy nights.

Tea. Someone, somewhere near, was drinking infernal green tea from porcelain cups.

CLINK.

It came from his right side.

Muraki turned around... and stiffened in surprise. In the middle of a small clearing, a figure he knew all too well was sitting sideways on a gnarled protruding tree root, drinking tea from a delicate-looking teacup. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen with his own two eyes.

It was the secretary.

He frowned. He had never pegged the man as someone who took expeditions away from office rooms. He seemed to be the type to go someplace safe and avoid trouble unless compelled to do so. What was this now, he was turning over a new leaf and deciding to reclaim his own life and stop being Tsuzuki's chastity belt?

It was highly unlikely, but if what he was seeing now was any indication, miracles do happen.

Then, a sudden thought crossed his mind and made him smile. Ire gone, he made his way stealthily until he was behind the bespectacled man. He wondered why his presence was not yet detected even in such close proximity, and he immediately knew something was wrong with the man.

How careless. He sighed inwardly; leaning forward until his lips was touching the other's well-shaped ear. There is no fun in harassing people who are immersed in deep thoughts.

"If I'm an assassin, you'd be dead by now." He commented lightly, breathily, gratified by the look of shock on the usually stern face as his quarry stood up and faced him. The doctor snickered. "But I'm not going to today – not in the mood to, you're very lucky."

The play of emotions on the secretary's face fascinated him. The shock melted to that of confusion, then suspicion, and then finally, flattened to that of fury. He had reason to. After all, it wasn't easy to have one's sanctuary invaded by someone you have bad relations with... or any relation at all for that matter.

"What are you doing here?"

Muraki waved the question off with a dismissive hand and sat languidly on an opposite overgrown tree root, crossing his legs in an effort to irritate the other further. It worked well, that was for sure. "Just passing by, hisho1-sama."

"You know exactly what I mean." Came the furious response.

"It's true." Muraki grinned slyly. "I really am just passing by. My friend transported me here by mistake."

He could hear the squeak of the shadows surrounding them. No doubt, the secretary was wary of what his real intentions were. For some weird reason, the knowledge of how much he affected him was enough to put him in a gleeful disposition. "You don't just pass by, you destroy people's lives."

"You're not exactly a person, Tatsumi-san." He pointed out wryly, gesturing towards the shadows skittering about.

"I was before."

"My point exactly."

Sighing but still giving him a suspicious look, Tatsumi Seiichirou sat down once again, reclaiming his spot. "I'm going to kill you if you do anything to Tsuzuki-san."

"I'm sure."

"Really."

"I know."

Muraki watched Tatsumi as he sipped his tea. He had never seen anyone who drank so formally all his life. He even put Oriya's tea-drinking abilities to shame. There was no slurp, no sound at all but the clinking when the cup was placed back on its saucer. As before, somehow, the secretary's eyes reverted back to all its thoughtfulness. "You're here just by accident?"

"You don't believe me?"

Tatsumi sighed. "No." He admitted, placing cup and saucer on the grass near his feet. "I have no reason to believe you."

"Well, you better believe it now or we'd spend the whole time I'm here arguing in circles."

There was uncomfortable silence as they stared at each other in deep thought. Finally, Muraki spoke. "Aren't you supposed to be working?" There was a small amount of surprise as Tatsumi bristled, as if he was caught doing something wrong. It was then that he realised the secretary should be working at the moment, but instead was shirking his duties in exchange of personal teatime. He whistled, letting out an amused chuckle. "So, you're not that stuck up after all."

Blue eyes glared back at him almost evilly, promising a slow, painful death if he told anyone he was doing so. Our little secret. The doctor thought, clearly amused. "You're not even going to deny it?"

Tatsumi turned away, focusing on the canopy of pink over their heads. "Let it be in your head then. I don't care if you think I'm shirking my duties." His tone was laced with bitter humour. "Besides, what should I say to defend myself from someone who took a trip to Ju-Oh-Cho by accident?"

Ouch. Very good. Muraki was gaining respect for this person. He thought he was just an obsessive guy whose only concern was to protect Tsuzuki Asato's innocence. Tatsumi had a sharp tongue, and he liked it – now he was looking forward to their future encounters, provided he got through his predicament alive. If some god saw him, he would be locked up or something... not that he couldn't get himself out or anything. Seems like this guy also has pride.

"Let's call it quits then. A humiliating fact for another humiliating fact."

"Glad you understand."

Silence.

Then –

"You and I are a lot alike, Tatsumi-san." He quipped, uncrossing his legs and standing up, hands reaching deep into his pockets. The shadows began their movement, wary of him as he stood and hovered over their master who was, at the moment, staring in dumbfounded fascination at him.

"No we're not." Tatsumi countered. "I don't kill people for fun."

"Yes, but you like watching them die just like I do." Muraki grinned down at him, amused at the horror that was showing on the bespectacled man's face. "Why else would you be a Shinigami?"

"I became a Shinigami because I want to atone for..."

"That's just part of it. All Shinigami like to watch people die, so they could be commended for a job well done... just like what happened with aniki."

Tatsumi stared at the hands grasping his knees. His knuckles were turning white, and sweat was beading from his temples. "That's not true..."

"Both of us do not want to be humiliated in any way, and Tsuzuki-san, we want him the same way."

"We don't."

"Yes we do." Muraki explained, approaching him slowly, watching in fascination as his head snapped up, eyes stared at him in turmoil. The shadows, he felt, were starting to close in after every step he made. Halting his steps right in front of him, he bent down, so close that he felt Tatsumi's panicky breath on his skin. He smiled and purposefully touched a pale, cold cheek. "Because we feel for him the same way."

Tatsumi growled, and Muraki could feel the shadows creeping up on him, squeezing around his feet and ankles, continuing slowly to his knees. He didn't waver. His finger traced the outline of the other man's cheek, down to his trembling lips, and even further down to the soft curve of chin.

"We want to own him, body and soul... we both want to make him solely dependent on us... we both want his life to revolve around us and no one else."

"Stop saying stupid things –"

"We want to own Tsuzuki-san because even if we don't admit it outright..." Cherry blossom petals swirled around them, and Muraki bent down even more, his lips touching Tatsumi's in a semblance of a chaste kiss, even as the shadows slithered coldly up to his hips, clawing their way to his torso. "... We are nothing but lonely, needy men..."

"Muraki-sa..."

And all was lost as their world shattered, as if in disarray. As a blinding white light erupted between them, Muraki felt himself being sucked away. Apparently, Oriya found a way to get him back. He smiled inwardly, his eyes adjusting to the glistening light refracted and reflected through the crystalline world he was leaving behind.

Soon enough, he heard a sound thud and a stinging ache as his rump landed on cold, hard, wooden floors. His eyes focused, and there his friend was, nagging and scolding as per usual, holding the vacuum cleaner plug that was probably just pulled out of the socket earlier on.

However, he remained immobile.

All he could do was lay a finger on his lower lip, remembering the petal-softness of Tatsumi Seiichirou's lips.

ENDE

1 Secretary