A/N: Alrighty... Suggestive themes throughout for this one. Kind of fits the mold of the other chapters, but at the same time, this one comes hurtling in from left field. Just a heads up. ^^


Chapter 35. Surrender

Kid can never quite figure out how he gets himself into these situations.

One moment, he can be admiring the symmetry of a hallway portrait, the next, he's neck deep in some disrupting predicament. Except he isn't usually alone in these troublesome affairs, because there is almost always a loud mouth, infuriating, damnably stubborn assassin right there with him.

Like now.

The Grim Reaper grits his teeth and releases a low trembling breath, trying to ignore his screaming muscles. Everything aches. His arms. His torso. Hell, even his toes. Why his toes? That was upsetting.

The baffling query fades from his mind, replaced by the sensation of the fingers entwined with his own, skin burning to the touch. A bead of sweat winds lazily down his forearm, but Kid barely registers it, eyes transfixed on the other soul.

"I gotta say…" Black Star's voice is strained, yet he's still able to direct that haughty grin at the shinigami. "You're holding out better than I'd expected."

"Please, I didn't think you suggested this just to cover a few minutes of boredom."

The assassin gives a short bark of laughter before growing serious, mouth set in uncharacteristic determination, eyes glinting.

Kid is caught off guard by the expression reflected in those teal shards; they're competitive, sure, but there is something else. Some undeniable, animalistic energy that almost frightens him, as if his entire soul will be consumed by the other's ravenous being.

The Grim Reaper winces as Black Star's grip tightens.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" the assassin murmurs quietly, searching Kid's face as the other meister rolls his eyes.

"Don't be stupid." The shinigami adverts his gaze, willing himself to believe the lie. Truthfully, every nerve is screaming out over the tumultuous racket of his heart, and he knows he can't keep this up much longer. His muscles are cramping, there's sweat in his eyes, and the fatigue…

For the love of everything holy except for that damn sword Excalibur, who would have thought this would be so terribly exhausting?

The shinigami gasps as his body twists suddenly to one side, and he frantically braces himself, glaring at Black Star who only grins smugly.

"Don't bother hiding it." The blue-haired meister leans forward, drops of sweat glinting across his temple. "This is a little too much for you, isn't it? Hell, you're practically trembling like a baby bird."

Kid shifts his weight into his elbows, breaking the space between them as his forehead collides with the assassin's, and he stares down his opponent, unwavering against the other's strength.

"Like you're one to talk," he growls, feeling the blue-haired boy falter for only a moment at the sudden action. "Remember I can see souls, and yours is practically on the verge of giving out. Face it, you're not going to last much longer, either."

"Pretty big talk." Black Star's body shakes, his once steady voice beginning to tremble. "But this big man isn't giving up so easily. I always get what I want."

Kid finds himself no better off than his opponent, lungs burning and longing for release. Suddenly at the mercy of what last, determined energy remains in the assassin, the reaper's breath turns to ragged gasps.

"Yeah…?" The shinigami's voice is a torn whisper, but he refuses to break his eyes from Black Star. "And what do you want?"

The assassin grins, a purely bestial sight as he presses closer to Kid.

"I want you to surrender, little reaper boy."

The words snake around him from low in the other boy's throat.

"Surrender to me."

"Sweet Cthulhu's tentacled tits! You two hear yourselves, don't you?"

Black Star's attention is snared by the sudden outburst to his right, but it's all Kid needs. In one fell swoop, the Grim Reaper tightens his grip and slams the back of the assassin's hand against the table with a deafening bang!

Black Star releases a cry of dismay and immediately jumps to his feet, only to have overly fatigued muscles betray him and he unceremoniously crashes to the floor.

"N-No!" he gasps, awkwardly scrambling onto hands and knees before directing a finger of accusation to his right. "That's not fair! Soul completely threw me off! I lost all my focus!"

"Your focus?" From where he sits on the couch across the apartment, the white-haired scythe stares dubiously at the assassin on the floor. "That was the most uncomfortably intimate arm wrestling match I've ever seen! The hell were you focused on?"

Black Star blinks in confusion, glances up at Kid, then back to his friend, mumbling, "Uh… winning? That's the whole point?"

Kid smirks at the defeated meister and raises both arms above his head, grateful for the opportunity to finally stretch. Truthfully, when Black Star had challenged him to arm wrestling, he hadn't expected it to last so long.

The reaper winces as his shoulder suddenly pops awkwardly.

Or for it to have been so taxing on him…

The young death god makes to rise, only to have the same jello-like consistency seize his legs, and he finds himself plummeting to the kitchen tile with a strangled groan, just as his opponent did.

Black Star cackles at the fallen reaper, who only glares back while attempting to conceal a humored grin.

From across the room, Soul mutters in exasperation over the failed contest and returns to his lukewarm coffee.

"Idiots."


A/N: I have no idea where this idea came from, I really don't. One moment you're cleaning your kitchen sink, the next you're like, "Okay, but get this: Arm wrestling with a metric ton of sexual tension. Eh? Eh?"

Also, I was writing an unrequited love declaration earlier this week for an original story, so bittersweet and lovely, about sailing turbulent waters and stolen moments… And yet the greatest thing I've probably written all week- nay, all MONTH, is 'Sweet Cthulhu's tentacled tits.'