Neither of us claim to be world class chefs, and so it's without complaint that we fix slightly undercooked eggs and slightly overcooked toast for each other in the morning. I've long since gotten used to the surreal amount of grape jelly Tsukishima likes to use; he also pours syrup carefully onto the eggs, just enough to lightly coat the area under the food. I like my toast with butter and my eggs with a dash of pepper and nothing else to distract from it. Still, I always wonder quietly to myself just where he got his insatiable sweet tooth from- I've never met his family and, thankfully, I have none of my own.
"When do you think we should leave?" Tsukishima asks vaguely, seated across from me and looking exhausted. It's no surprise to me that I don't feel an ounce of guilt, just a dull smugness that part of that tired demeanor is my fault.
I chew routinely and swallow my bite of eggs. "The office opens in around an hour, so we'll head out in about half that time." Half an hour gives us time to relax, if we need to. I also want to get there early just in case Shizuo has any appointments or Izaya decides to visit again.
This time makes sense to him, and so he nods, shoveling the last bite of his smothered toast into his mouth. I note with well-hidden amusement that whatever is in the jelly is turning the edges of his teeth a diffident shade of violet, and with a moment of impulse that is odd in my case I stand up from my seat just enough to reach across the small table and grasp his neck. He doesn't make a sound, as he is wont to do, but I hear the telltale thud of his hand falling to the table as I swipe my tongue around those teeth. It doesn't count as a kiss at all but I enjoy teasing him, pulling backwards as soon as the brief movement is completed. He stares at me with wide eyes and a flush swooping through his cheeks and across his nose.
"W-what was that?"
I hadn't really expected the tinge of his teeth to be cleared by merely that, and his question allows me to see that I was right and the color purple still lingers. "The jelly left a stain," I state simply, lips twitching upwards at the corners.
"Y-...Oh, then...you should have just told me, Roppi-san," he replies nervously, not knowing whether or not I'm being serious, "I can just go brush my teeth..."
Had I been anyone else, I would have said something witty like I'll be your toothbrushbut that's too cheesy for me, and so I don't utter a word before going back for a more thorough job of cleaning.
:
One hour and fifteen minutes later, I'm pressing the metallic button that signals the elevator to take us to the sixth floor of YS's building of operation. Tsukishima shuffles from one foot to the other next to me; we're finally going to be able to walk in and talk to our new boss, and while first impressions aregenerally important, they're even more critical with a short-fused man like Shizuo Heiwajima. It's also somehow only just occurred to me that if Shizuo wished, he could take me off of Tsukishima and assign me a new author, one who'll be nothing like him.
It's a stunning revelation, to be honest. Usually I think things through- how could I not have even considered it? Just because the writer and I arrived together doesn't mean we'll automatically stay together.
But, as soon as the panic sets in, it fades away as I realize that I can still be around Tsukishima just as much (maybe only a little less). My possessiveness won't transfer to this new author. As much as it irks me, as much as I simmer in fire at the thought of it, I can withstand taking care of someone else if I have to.
Tsukishima fingers the strap of the messenger bag that has always served as the transportation for his laptop anxiously as the elevator dings with our arrival. The sleek steel doors slide open briskly, allowing us to walk out to the hallway we had traversed the previous day in order to reach Shizuo's office. We're walking past Psyche and Delic's workroom when an abrupt and haughty voice grates through our hearing range.
"You said it's good. So publish it!"
"Kid, I'm sorry, but you can't just walk in here and do that. How old are you, anyways?"
"I am sixteen," the voice answers Delic, "but I don't see how that matters in the slightest. I write well, so there shouldn't be any problems with publishing it."
"I said the writing was good, yeah, but the story is bland. Have you gotten an editor to look this over?"
"...no. And I never asked for your opinion, peasant."
"Did you seriously just call me a peasant? And kid, you had no problem with me giving my input on what I said was good."
Tsukishima and I glance at each other as we walk past. Whoever this teenager is has no idea how the entire process of writing a book works if he can't even accept criticism. Then again, Delic's business is none of our own- and so I lead my author over to Shizuo's office door, raising a fist to tap on the dark wood. We each compose ourselves because we're finally going to be able to introduce ourselves to our boss, without any interference from Izaya and it really is nerve-wracking even for me.
"...fuck, do that again- fuck-"
"You always use such...unrefined language, Shizu-chan. You should- ah, work on that..."
"Just shut up, fuck!"
"Shizu-chan, what do you think I'm, ah..."
Tsukishima and I turn to stare at each other. His eyes are wide behind his lenses as my knuckles stay frozen a fraction away from hitting the door. It's not a comforting thought that the deciding factor in Shizuo and Izaya's eventual snap is most likely our transfer, and I slowly lower my hand.
"...l-let's go see what Delic is doing," he suggests.
I nod and he tugs me swiftly away from the door, saving our ears from retaining any more narration of the activities going on inside. We head into Delic's office just as his guest heads out; he's frowning because he hasn't gotten his way, but at the sight of Tsukishima his expression slackens in disbelief and he hurries away. It hits me as he turns a corner and out of sight that this was the costumed boy at Tsukishima's signing. They have the same brass gold eyes and he still wears the crown of the outfit perched upon coal-black locks, though he's abandoned the body of it for something more 'normal'. The entire ensemble looks a bit...eccentric, but to each their own.
"I swear..." Delic grumbles, coming out to stand next to us. "Oh, you guys are back. Talked to Shizuo yet?" Mine and Tsukishima's garnet eyes meet, and the writer shakes his head, biting his lip. "Why not?"
"Is Karisawa here?" I inquire, my smile thin.
"Nope. Neither's Psyche. He ran off to Tsugaru's a while ago- left in such a rush that he forgot to put some files away. Guess he got some idea, or something," the blonde's lips quirk downwards, "Speaking of which, he was looking at your files. Wonder why...but wait, what do you need Karisawa for?"
"We'll probably be waiting here for a bit," I muse, ignoring his question.
"Wait, wait. Does this have something to do with Shizuo and Izaya?" Delic's fuschia eyes glitter with gleeful assumptions, but it's not the same as when Psyche's do it because Delic is purely playful while Psyche has a clear goal in mind.
I don't get the chance to answer (or not answer) him. Karisawa barrels in via the elevator, and there's a moment of shock as I assume that somehow she knows what Shizuo and Izaya are doing, and that would just be disturbing and all kindsof unnerving, but she merely smiles at us.
"Whew, it's windy outside!" Oh, good. A normal conversation. "Did you know that when it's really windy, two men are having passionate, beautiful hatesex somewhere?" she inquires eagerly, and while she doesn't appear to know, the effect on the surrounding area is still the same. Tsukishima starts blushing profusely next to me. "Well...I might have made that up, but so far I've never been wrong! And that's what counts, right? Anyways, who's that? He's so moemoe and cute!" She gazes at Tsukishima expectantly.
"Oh, that's Tsuki," Delic replies, "You know, the new author."
An extremely predatory expression eases its way onto her facial features (apparently she remembers my phone call) and she looks back and forth from me and my writer. I'm already aware of what's coming, but unluckily for Tsukishima, he is not.
"What's your relationship with Roppichin? Is he your lover?" Karisawa gives a little squeal of excitement at the thought. It's not so much the questions but the nickname that sends a shudder shrieking through my body. If ever I have to name a reason that I regret leaving Dollars, the nicknamesthat the people here give me will be my first pick. I'm hoping I don't collect any more.
Tsukishima is more preoccupied with Karisawa's interrogation than the fact that my dignity is being slowly chipped away. "U-Um...well..."
Time for Izaya and Shizuo to make themselves useful. "There were interesting noises coming from behind the door when we first got here," I say moderately, as if it's no concern of mine. I see no problem with selling my past and present employers out to this maniac. If they'd wanted privacy, they could've gotten it.
Karisawa is flying over to the door immediately. It's the calmest and most concentrated I've ever seen her appear as she pushes her ear right up to the wood, similar to the way we were yesterday. A short series of squeeks escapes her frame.
I leave her to her own devices, turning my head back to look at Tsukishima. "We can just come back later," I grudgingly assess the situation. As much as I don't like having to wait until Shizuo and Izaya are finished, we don't really have a choice if we want to talk to Shizuo.
"D-...does this mean they'll stop fighting...?" The blonde author asks tentatively.
Karisawa giggles. "No," she explains cheerfully from her position with the happiest grin I have ever seen in my life, "Now it'll just get worse!"
I will never understand why females enjoy the existence of couples consisting of two males so greatly. Perhaps it's because they're abnormal, or it's something else that is deeply psychological. I decide not to ponder strange habits and fetishes as Tsukishima and I exit the YS building with a plan to return in two hours.
"Excuse me!" We both glance towards the source of the voice- only to sight the rude high school student with the amber eyes. I can't help but sigh. Haven't we already gathered enough irksome people around us for a lifetime? "You. Leave us."
The command is issued towards me. It takes a second to realize that, and my lips pull back into a grin that is more like a snarl. No onetells me to get away from Tsukishima. The blonde beside me places a hand on my arm; he's telling me silently to stay. This interaction earns a contemptuous scowl from the third party.
"What do you want?" I don't hide my annoyance with the teenager.
He raises his head haughtily. "You may address me only as Hibiya-sama. You," he continues, locking eyes with Tsukishima, who can't look people in the eye and has to gaze at the ground instead, "are to teach me how to get my novel published. Understood?"