What did Toshi mean by 'don't lie to me?'
Souji stared up at the bland ceiling for answers. The tiles weren't apparently related to magic eight balls because they weren't very talkative.
"Hmm," Souji said out loud. He wanted to turn on the radio or TV, but the apartment was rather sparse and lacking. Actually, there didn't seem to be much at all in the cramped, dark space. A bed took up most of the space in the bedroom with a chest for clothing and a nightstand filling in the rest. The living room had a ratty couch and matching armchair with a small bookcase filled with medical reference books and handwritten notes. The kitchen was bare with only a mini-fridge, the kind seen in dorms, and a small Bunsen burner stove.
Souji's stomach growled, but he wasn't even sure if there would be something edible in the house. He desperately missed Saizou; the piglet was always such a patient listener with flawless advice. However, he had decided to leave the cute piglet behind with the trio. If Toshi freaked out about the mere mention of kids, so then what would he think of a non-human baby?
Souji just hoped he wasn't going to come home to a trashed apartment.
"What did I lie about?" 'Well, my sex for one,' he admonished with bitter amusement. He could see it now, 'Oh, no need to worry about me getting pregnant with your child Toshi…' "But did he figure it out? He is very smart. Mmm, I suppose I should tell him before jumping into bed… if we ever get that far." Sigh. "But he didn't seem angry about what I lied about, just that I lied. So does that mean he doesn't mind? Maybe I'm blowing this way out of proportion. I'll just ask when I see him…" Souji nodded, pleased.
A faint knock on the door brought him to his feet.
"Come in."
A familiar figure slipped in, looking mildly confused.
"Good evening. How was your day?" Souji wasn't exactly expecting him either.
Saitou gave him a hooded look with his flat eyes, but he didn't comment as he walked into the tiny kitchen. With a few practiced movements he had some water warming on the stove and dug out a mug that proclaimed, 'Bite Me.' Souji assumed it was Susumu's.
"Your presence was unexpected."
"This is Susumu's home, or that's what I was told. I wasn't exactly ready for you to pop up either." Souji pointed out with a happy smile. Finally, someone to talk to. "I feel bad for kicking him out, but Hijikata insisted…"
"He is mostly on a job at this time of night." Saitou remarked calmly, pulling off the boiling water and pouring it to the lip of his mug. Dropping a tea bag in, he carefully drained the kettle and put it away.
"Oh, and just what kind of job does he have?"
"That is not for me to say."
"Oh well, it was worth a shot." Souji pouted in mock annoyance, "No one ever tells me anything anyway. Do you live here too?"
"No."
The younger man knew his face must have turned a very unflattering shade of red. Mitsu always told him to watch his errant tongue because it tended to say the most embarrassing things. Well, now it was getting him in trouble. He stuttered, hoping he hadn't offended his guest, "I mean, well I didn't mean, well, you know… I didn't mean—mean it like, well, that."
"I require a quiet place to shower, change clothing, and sleep. Also, I need hot water for my tea. This apartment fulfills those needs adequately. That is all."
Souji wanted to ask where he spent the rest of his time, but bit his tongue sharply. Instead he apologized, "I'm sorry; I'm probably messing that up. I can go out for a bit or something."
"No," Saitou remarked calmly over the bold letters on the mug. His haunted eyes roved slowly over the back of the room. "I wished to speak with you. This is fortunate to meet you here."
"Oh?" Souji said with a sinking feeling.
"I wish to know your intentions." A sharp edge had entered Saitou's cold voice, making the tone glitter with danger and malice. He hadn't discarded his tea, but Souji could tell that his body was straining towards the killer set beside him.
Despite the situation, and the bloodlust that was riling in Souji's own body, he couldn't help the giggle that slipped out. Here was Toshi, the very image of Mister Macho I'm in Charge, with two mother hens—well, more like hawks—watching over him for the slightest sign of danger.
"I'm not going to poison him, if that's what you're worried about."
From the harsh look in the other man's eye, that was exactly what he was expecting.
"Look, I'm harmless." Souji held out his palms, "See? I don't carry weapons around like you guys. Toshi… I mean Hijikata… he's someone I want to get to know. It's all for me, okay? I'm not hired by anyone, and I don't want to hurt anyone either."
Saitou nodded, but the black aura that swirled and caressed his sword and body didn't abate. It remained as a controlled whirlwind of power at the man's beck and call. The mark of a master.
"If you harm him, I will kill you." Saitou warned, getting up from where he was leaning to wash the mug in the small, makeshift sink.
"Not a chance." Souji said firmly, considering how long a rickety table leg would last against the man's sharp katana blade. He didn't think Saitou would give him the time to reach the metal bat Susumu kept under his bed from their high school days. He smiled sweetly, "You would have a difficult time killing me; you see, I'm not ready to die yet."
Again, he seemed to be talking to thin air.
"Mou, what is with these people? Disappearing without a word."
He barely had time to shut the window, not appreciating the draft that was raising goose bumps on his fair skin, when the door slammed open.
Startled, he almost slammed his fingers in the shutters.
"Hoping to catch me undressed?" Souji teased, immediately regretting it.
Something was wrong.
Hijikata's eyes roved around the apartment and over his slim form, making him self-conscious. He wished he had changed into his sleeping sweats, rather than remaining in a the loose pants.
Forcing himself to look the man in the eye, he had to sit down and fold his legs. Why did his body betray him every time? Well, it wasn't the best time, but unless he took a lot of sudden, icy showers, then Toshi was going to find out soon.
"Toshi, please sit. Would you like some tea?"
Gruffly, the large man shook his head and waited.
"We… need to talk." Butterflies fluttered in his throat, teasing and tickling with bitter anxiety.
Hijikata didn't seem too surprised. After all, he probably got that line a lot. The conversations that followed probably had the words 'I'm pregnant' and 'not my kid' in them.
"Would you sit down?"
The feral smirk that coated the man's face was not remotely nice. He sat with all the grace of a tiger on the prowl, the look never leaving. "Aren't you bold; inviting me into my own property."
"Toshi!" Souji protested. By then he was already using the kettle that Saitou had used just a few minutes earlier to boil water. He figured the packets were simple enough, like hot chocolate. When Souji felt it was ready, he filled the cups. Unnerved by the hot and heavy stare from across the cramped room, his hands jittered, causing water to scald him.
"Ouch." He muttered crossly, sucking briefly on his dishonored finger.
Crossing the room, he held out the tea to his guest. When the strong fingers batted the tea aside and the burning tongue replaced one kind of heat with another, Souji buckled. He wanted it so badly…
The tongue teased and rippled across the newly formed blister before swirling at the sensitive tip underneath the nail. Little nips replaced the tongue, and soon, the whole hand became fair game.
Toshi certainly knew a little something about being a tease.
"T-to-shi." Even as the mouth was busy, the fingers had independent notions as they trailed and dipped across his collarbone, tickling a light pattern across the niche between Souji's collarbones. "S-stop."
"Do you really want me to stop?"
"Stop!"
But it didn't stop. The fingers suddenly increased in pressure and the nips were becoming more than lovebites. In an instant, strong fingers had wrapped tightly around Souji's throat below the jaw. That gifted mouth had abandoned the suckling to whisper husky words, "So what were you going to tell me, my little whore?"
Souji's blood chilled, but he hissed back, "Just because you think you're a gift to all women…"
"What about men?" The fingers tightened, "I can tease a cock just as easy as a pussy."
Souji felt like his heart had completely stopped. Black specks danced in his vision from the lack of air, but all he could think about was that it was over.
"Did you think I wouldn't notice your little… reactions? After all, you were practically all over me." Toshi purred maliciously, a cruel glint in his black eyes. His strong chin dug slightly into Souji's head as he whispered down, "Who do you work for? Tell me quick like a good boy."
"I-I don't work for anyone."
"Don't lie to me; I thought I warned you before." The fingers dug in painfully, making Souji choke. He could only imagine the bruises he would have later. If there was a later.
"I'm not." Souji gasped, indignant. He hated being called a liar.
A warm palm cupped his cheek almost gently before applying a vicious, stinging slap.
"Who."
"No one."
Another slap, this one with a closed palm. The hit was hard enough to make Souji's head ring.
"How were you planning to do it? How were you going to try and assassinate me? I can't imagine you'd think your pathetic little farce would last long enough to get you into the bedroom. Maybe you poisoned the tea? Shall I make you drink it?"
Fingers pried open his lips and the too-hot liquid spilled down, making him gag and spit it back out. The pressure on his throat persisted, making it impossible to actually swallow the tea.
"Who."
"No… one…" Souji couldn't hold himself up any longer. He sagged into the painful hold of his captor, thrashing slightly as he fought for enough air. If only he could reach something to defend himself with… "I… self… only me."
Toshi abruptly let go, sending him crashing down to the thin carpet. His bones jarred against each other in a painful, throbbing crunch. Automatically, his small body curled up to protect itself from further onslaught.
"Keep away from me. Keep away from me, and keep away from Yamazaki." Toshi ordered in a deadpan voice, honing his statement with a sharp kick to the side that made Souji retch and curl up further. "Pitiful creatures like you deserve to live in the hell of your own making."
With that, he walked out, leaving Souji to melt into the thin, itchy carpet strands. They shoved into his face with their course fibers, but he gratefully clung onto them with blunt nails on his fingers and toes. Coughs and pain tore through his body so hard that he was shaken until he hit the couch.
A trail of thick, bright blood left a trail across the carpet to him.
Exhausted and dazed, he dozed. His visions were filled with things that made him twitch and jerk.
He only came to when he realized that something cold was touching him.
"You're lucky to be alive."
"Yes." Souji tried to move his tongue to clean off the blood that caked his teeth and lips. His chest fluttered unsteadily and his throat burned as he moved. "Mercy doesn't suit Toshi."
"No kidding." Susumu hissed, pushing a pillow under Souji's head to keep his neck straight. He dropped the wet rag on Souji's face abruptly and got up. There was some shuffling before a cold substance was slathered on his neck, making him flinch. Flinching made him cough. Coughing brought up more blood, which Susumu dutifully wiped off. "I warned you."
Souji blinked sluggishly, "So you did."
"Why are you so stupid?" Susumu continued in a low voice, "Most people avoid danger. You don't have to be so bloody selfless. You didn't fight back."
"How'd you guess?"
"Because I know you. You're smaller and faster than Hijikata. He wouldn't have been able to lay a hand on you, unless you were distracted."
"I-I was surprised!"
Susumu gave him a long, searching look, "Do as you're told… for once."
Souji pretended he was asleep for that last comment. After all, didn't sick people just pass out all the time anyway?
He waited until Susumu was gone again to push away the pillow and prop himself up against the couch. Susumu not only needed to work on his bedside manner, but he needed to realize lying on the floor didn't do good things to the back.
"Why?" He asked himself, drained, "Why am I so weak?"
Since he was a child, he always wanted to be stronger. Before he went to live with the Kondou family, bullies were an everyday thing. He had felt worthless until he was introduced to the joy that was kendo. It pleased him that everyone said he was a prodigy and had a talent. No, it didn't just please him: it became the support in his life. He was always practicing, and because of it… because of the secure power, he could be easygoing and benevolent towards others.
So what was he now?
The mask was cracking and falling away, bit by bit. Soon, soon he would be back to the way he was: ugly, bitter, and useless.
For what?
For some man he found on the street, well, bar.
Gently, he touched his chapped lips, somehow wishing that they had received the same pleasure as his fingertips.
Being weak galled him, and he swore he wouldn't stay that way. If he could pull himself up before, then it should be easier a second time. This time it wouldn't be such a simple task as learning kendo, nor as safe.
Souji wasn't a quitter, and he wasn't ready to admit defeat yet.
He just needed more practice.
Author's note: Ah yes, this would be the chapter where the rating jumps. Don't kill me! It might jump for other reasons... later... yeah, later!