Chapter 36 - Post-Meeting Couch Speaking
Louis had, indeed, gone to the store and gotten more food for them, but not before texting Legosi and telling him that he was alright. Once he was finished that, he dropped it off at home and began to make his way to Shogi's room. The whole time, the meeting with Ichi played over and over in his head. He couldn't get the image of the Imaginary Chimera out of his mind. It looked sort of like...Adler.
He arrived at his destination, knocking on the door, finding himself wondering how much progress they could have made while he was gone.
The answer was a good amount. When Legosi opened the door, the floor was cleared out, and if the large trash bags in the corner were any indication, there had been a lot of trash. The window was open and a steady breeze flowed in. Of course, Louis wasn't paying as much attention to the room as he was to the gray wolf in front of him.
"Louis!" Legosi wrapped him up in a big hug, even lifting him up.
The deer hugged back, tightly. "H-hey! As you can see, I'm still alive."
"Y-yeah!" The wolf let him down, his tail wagging hard. "We can talk later. We're almost done here, I think." He turned to the small sheep cleaning behind him. "Right, Shogi-san?"
Shogi set another bag of trash down, wiping his hands. "Yeah! We are! I'm feeling better already!"
Louis came in, looking around. "What can I do to help?"
"Well, we were going to clean the walls next. We're using some stuff from the janitor closet in the hallway." Legosi walked around the now seemingly empty room. "I hope Oguma-san gave you enough money to buy some good furniture."
"O-oh! More than enough! We could probably fully decorate a house if we wanted to!" Shogi laughed.
"Oh, yeah." Legosi walked up to Louis again, tail still wagging. "I texted Haru about maybe bringing in some plants to freshen up the place, so she can finally visit us, too!"
Louis tilted his head, scratching his mate's cheek. "Looks like cleaning has really helped both of you be happy."
"A clean room is a clean mind," Legosi said in a sagely tone. Or at least, as much as he could manage as he received the cheek scratches.
"What? Did you get that from Gosha?" his husband asked.
"No! I can be smart."
"You came up with that yourself? Uh-huh, sure."
This caused Shogi to chuckled as he continued cleaning around.
"I really did! But...maybe I heard it somewhere," Legosi shrugged.
"Who knows. It makes sense, though. I'll help clean the walls with you." And help he did. They all took a different part of the wall, with Shogi cleaning near the floor, Louis cleaning near the middle, and Legosi cleaning near the ceiling. They worked their way around the room. At one point, Legosi and Louis ended up next to each other and the wolf gently bumped his hip against the deer, playfully.
Louis bumped back. "I got more food for the room."
Legosi leaned down and gave his ear a small lick. "That sounds lovely."
"What do you want to eat tonight?"
"Hmm, what'd you get?"
"Well, more celery, that's for sure. Uh...you'll have to see at home."
"Well...I'm definitely addicted to that curry you made for the party." Legosi turned to the sheep. "Shogi-san needs to try it, too."
The former butler looked up. "O-oh! I would love to."
Louis wiggled his head. "Huh. Yeah. Maybe we can have that for dinner."
"Yes!" His lover's tail wagged like crazy as he continued cleaning, now humming a happy tune.
Louis went back to cleaning, but his mind was elsewhere. How the hell would he explain what he saw to Legosi? How?!
A tap to the shoulder roused Louis from his thoughts. Legosi looked down at him in concern. "Ah, we're done with the walls now."
The deer sighed, looking to Shogi. "What's next?"
Shogi tapped his chin. "I guess clean and mop the floor?"
Legosi left to retrieve the mop, bucket, and cleaner, while Louis helped Shogi take the trash out. It took about another hour before the three could say for sure that they were done cleaning.
"Still looks so empty," Legosi commented, as the sheep only had his sleeping mat and a box of clothes to his name.
"You should get a mattress," Louis suggested. "That mat can't be good for your back. The futon works because it is kind of like a bed."
Shogi tilted his head. "Should I just get a futon, then? I have the money..."
"Probably. You'll feel even better when you can get a good night's sleep." Legosi looked at his husband. "Right, Louis?"
The deer made a noise of agreement. "And you'll feel even better when you try my curry. Legosi and I have some stuff to discuss, but we'll come get you when it's ready?"
Shogi nodded. "That sounds good. I think I'll enjoy the feeling of my clean home."
Legosi knelt down to the herbivore's eye level. "Please keep in touch! Let us know if you need anything."
The older animal nodded. "See you guys soon!" He gave a little wave that both boys found to be weirdly cute. Then again, it was undisputed that Louis' former servant was always cute.
Legosi and Louis waved back and as soon as the door shut their smiles faded. The wolf looked down at his buck. "So, what happened?"
"I really have no idea. I'm still processing it myself..."
"Are we in danger?"
"Only if I don't cooperate, which I will." He looked around, seeing if anyone was watching them. "Let's get back to the room, okay?"
They quickly made it up the stairs, Legosi anxious to hear what had happened but also dreading having to enter the room and hear everything.
Louis was just trying to figure out how to explain what happened, still. He hadn't come to terms with it yet.
After all the flights of stairs they finally arrived back at room 504. They entered and immediately moved to sit on the couch.
Louis moved his legs to lay across Legosi's lap, leaning his head back against the arm. "Agghhh...where to begin?"
"Well, you could begin...at the beginning," Legosi smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well...I walked in and then I saw him. He told me that when I protected him in the cell, it was one of the only times he felt cared for...First, he told me that if I joined him I would be able to come home every night and have days off..."
Legosi shook his head. "Wait, join? What does he want you to join?"
"I...I'm not entirely sure. He called it a vigilante group, I think. Anyway, after that, he said he would pay me. He called it compensation. He told me to lie to you and say I got a job." He was speaking very quietly, so as not to be heard by anyone but the wolf.
"So...what's with the whole killing me thing?" Legosi idly stroked Louis' calves.
"Ah...that's still very much a threat that will linger. You were being watched today. He proved it by telling me exactly where you were."
The canine's fur stood up and his eyes widened. "Uh, are we still being watched?" Legosi glanced to the windows, thankfully still covered by the cardboard.
"...No. I doubt it since I told him I would cooperate. So, next...And this is the craziest part...He told me I have some kind of ability…" He scratched his cheek. "And he showed me his."
"Ability? Like...a deer ability?"
"No...like a...I don't know what it was or how to explain!"
"Like...an anime ability?" Legosi asked, completely genuine.
"Oh, I guess, maybe? All I remember is he told me to look at him and then...something else was there."
"That sounds...scary," the carnivore gulped. "What was it?"
"It was like this skeleton deer with bloody antlers and glowing green eyes...And it was big."
The wolf blinked slowly, mouth slightly agape. "Was it like...a spirit?"
"I guess so? I...I'm not sure. It was pretty horrifying. To think...I could do that."
"So...why can you do that? How?"
"I don't know...He said something about our pasts and feelings toward things...It's all things I can't explain until I know more. He was also disgusted by our relationship." His ears flattened. "He said we weren't really married and we could never be married."
His mate's ears flicked back at that. "O-oh. Is that why he wants to kill me?"
"I...don't know. He called you a meat-eater. He also said he wants to make sure animals don't go through what we did again. He said he would get rid of the black market if he could."
Legosi scratched at his cheek. "Well...it would be nice if the black market were gone...but all the carnivores that eat meat there...it might not be so good if they were without meat suddenly." His hands transitioned to rubbing Louis' legs again. "I guess Ichi is one of those herbivores that just thinks all carnivores eat meat."
"Which means another fucking herbivore we have to deal with. Except...this time, I can't say no. Your life isn't worth sacrificing."
"So...his group works in the black market as a vigilante group. It makes sense that the police can't do anything about them. I wonder if Gouhin-san knows about them?"
"I really don't know. I wonder if Ichi has even started the work or if he wanted to gather everyone first."
"And that would mean fighting carnivores." Legosi shifted, laying himself down so he was sandwiched between the deer and the back of the couch. He rested his chin on top of Louis' head and embraced him. "Herbivores fighting carnivores...I guess this ability you mentioned is the key to it all?"
"I have no idea how it works...I guess I'll find out. You can't let them discover that you know. Whatever you do. They will kill you instantly."
Legosi slowly nodded against the deer's head. "Okay. When is this going to start? You mentioned being able to come home and stuff..."
"He says he's going to call me for a fake interview. When that is, I'm not sure. Yeah, he said I'll still be able to have a normal life with you outside of it."
"Fake interview?" the wolf asked, only to figure out what he meant right away. "Oh, to fool me?"
"Yeah. Don't speak so loudly..." Louis warned, putting a finger to his lips.
"Oh," Legosi's voice was muffled by said finger, which he then began to lick.
Louis laughed. "What are you doooing?"
"Licking." The dog resumed said licking, going down to the knuckles now.
The deer sighed, deciding to continue the conversation. "He was able to make a call and tell me where you are so quickly..."
His lover stopped the tongue movements. "Ah...guess we should go out and buy proper curtains soon."
"Then they'd know we were onto them."
"Well...did he mention the cardboard we have in them now?"
"No. He didn't mention my eyepatch, either."
"At least he's a little polite," Legosi attempted to joke again. He then bristled once more. "Oh...what about the times we...y'know..."
"Huh?"
"What if his spies saw us having sex? That's creepy," Legosi shuttered. "Although, there's no direct view into our windows from other buildings, so he must have a bird doing the spying, and even then, they can't fly in place for too long."
"I'm sure he's repulsed by it, hon," Louis laughed.
"Probably grumpy cuz he can't get any," Legosi snorted.
"He wouldn't want a male wolf."
Legosi nuzzled Louis' neck. "Guess I'm an acquired taste."
The deer laughed. "Well I have acquired and tasted you and I don't think I want to share."
His husband shared the laugh. "So...we just have to wait for him to call again? Did he say how long you had?"
"No. Like I said earlier."
The wolf sighed. "I guess the best course of action would be to just...live life like normal. And I have to try and not think about this."
"But...once I'm doing it, then what?"
"Well...if he wants me to remain in the dark about it, he'll have to let you have free time with me still." Legosi snuggled into Louis more. "As for what they want you to do...I guess you'll find out just how dangerous it is."
"All we can do is wait..." Louis sighed. "We can't ever catch a break, can we?"
"No." They laid there for a moment before Legosi spoke up again. "I'm...am I too calm about this? I feel like I should be crying and begging you not to do this, but...maybe I accepted that right now the best thing to do is to see what will come of it."
"You really think you should be crying and begging me right now?" Louis blinked.
"Well I mean, this whole thing is just...not good. But since it deals with the black market, the police won't want to touch it and if I do anything, I'll get killed."
"Yeah...I'm basically stuck," his mate sighed, looking down. "We can never just have a nice, quiet life."
"Yeah..." Legosi readjusted so half of his body was now covering Louis. "Just have to...survive what's thrown at us."
"And hey! Being able to see you every day is a huge bonus!"
"I'll do my best to keep you happy and safe while you go to your new, dangerous job filled with spirit magic," Legosi hummed.
"Ugh, that sounds ridiculous..." Louis groaned.
"That's what I gathered from what you told me. You'll use deer spirit magic to fight gangsters in the black market." The canine reached up and tugged gently on the deer's short head fur.
The buck rolled his eyes. "I never said we were fighting gangsters."
"Well, you're stopping organizations from raising herbivores as food. It sounds like a good thing, honestly. Just not something I want you to do...and Ichi sounds like he just hates carnivores."
"I don't know...I wish I knew more. Then this might make some semblance of sense!"
"I just hope this doesn't get in the way of finding therapy," Legosi lamented. "Along with all of our other plans."
Louis raised his head. "I should make that curry so we can eat with Shogi."
Legosi smiled and gently flicked at one of Louis' ears. "Yeah. Can't lie around and worry constantly now. We have to continue to live."
"Mhm..." The deer got up, going to the kitchen to begin the journey of curry.