Hello everyone! First of all, I want to apologize for not updating. I am really sorry about that! *bowsdeeply* December went by in a blur and in January, life happened and now we got already March. Can you believe it? Well, I can't but there's nothing you can do about that. Is it too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year? No? Well, then here you go :-)
As for my readers, followers and everyone who added this story to his/her favorites - I can't even thank you enough! It really means the world to me that this little story has been getting all this attention and it really gladdens my heart. This chapter was so easy to write, it was almost scary LOL As for the M rated chapter - I am going to post that separately since I didn't want to change the rating of the story. It's already written but still needs some tweaks here and there but I PROMISE to not let you wait another two months! I will add a note to this story once it's up so you won't miss it :-)
Now, to the reviews!
MellaTheKnightmare: Very glad you liked it! If I may say so myself - it's one of my favorite scenes in the story :-)
kaminokoe: Hm... lemonies, I like that word. If it doesn't exist already, the credit certainly belongs to you! And thank you for the praise, I am glad you like my story.
yaoifancrazyforlove101: Thank you very much :-)
Lizz1792: I am one of those sappy persons, too! I am a sucker for a happy ending LOL And it is totally ok to have those smutty thoughts - it's part of the reason why we all are here, isn't it ;-) And you actually made some good points there so I have to thank you for putting some thoughts in my head for the M chapter :-) Christmas was awesome, very relaxed. I actually had the tree up the Sunday after Thanksgiving, that never happened before! I hope you had a great time, too?! How is college going? I remember when I first read your review it made my day since it was so sweet so thank you very much :-)
Kuruta-Kei: Thank you, thank you :-) I'm not sure why there are so few fics with a jealous Hotsuma. As a character that is borderline tsundere, he is predestined to be jealous so I am actually enjoying to write him this way. Glad you like the story :-)
DawnQuest23361: Thank you so much for your review. This chapter will be the last but as I mentioned above I am going to post the M chapter separately in a few days *knockonwood* and I already have at least two more stories - not on paper yet but they are in my head :-) So please stay tuned :-)
angelsarima: Thank you and you are very welcome :-) No worries, I fangirl a lot, too LOL Those two are just perfect :-)
But enough with the chatting, on with the story! Last chapter :-)
They exited the car to the sidewalk and watched the driver pull away.
The police building was a ten-something stories high building, a sleek glass tower that overlooked the city. It not only housed the local police division but also the entire district administration.
Much to Hotsuma's dismay, Shusei had been spending more and more time here lately. Takashiro-san hadn't wasted any time after Shusei's rescue and had put him back to work almost immediately. Hotsuma had tried to argue with the head of the Giou clan but to no avail.
It wasn't that Hotsuma didn't understand - there weren't enough zweilts to cover for Shusei and times were desperate but he had wished for his partner to get a break from all of this. Things were bad enough after they had discovered Kanata-san's true identity but no matter how one looked at it the police were dependent on God's Eyes as well.
But it pained him at the bottom of his heart to see his friend so troubled from what he saw behind closed doors every time he came here. Shusei was never one to share his worries freely, even with him. He just had to think back at the Ashley incident and how Shusei had wanted to die. He still wanted to slap himself for being so dense and not noticing.
Hands buried deep in his pockets, he was walking next to the brunette when they reached the revolving doors. It didn't escape him how Shusei hesitated ever so slightly before he stepped into the door.
Hotsuma grated his teeth but chose not to say anything. One of these days, he would have another conversation with Takashiro-san though. He had just gotten Shusei back from the dead, he wasn't going to loose to this crap.
They went inside. The officer at the front desk recognized Shusei and waved them through. After a short wait for the elevator, they rode up to the highest floor where Takashiro-san would be already waiting.
Hotsuma glanced at his partner out of the corner of his eye. Shusei's features were accentuated by the artificial light in the booth, the warm glow making him look even younger and more frail.
The older boy seemed to notice his stare and turned his head, inclining it slightly.
"You are quiet today, Hotsuma. Anything the matter?"
They were standing so close to each other that their shoulders touched. Hotsuma was distracted by the warmth that was radiating from Shusei so it took him a few seconds to answer.
"Huh? No… nothing." He mumbled as an answer. Suddenly, his shoes became interesting and he stared down at them, trying to find out what it was that was making his heart beat so fast.
His heart all but stopped when he felt Shusei's breath at his ear.
"That doesn't look like nothing to me but we can talk about it later."
The brunette's lips almost touched his ear while he was leaning in. Hotsuma forced himself not to turn his head since this would bring his mouth… Jeez, he couldn't even think of it. Not here anyway. They were in a fucking police station and the last thing he wanted was that that someone would catch them doing… Doing exactly what? Kissing? Groping at each other clothes like two drowning people? In an elevator?
Calm down.
The scene from earlier when they had been in the car popped up in his mind.
Because in here, there's only you.
Hotsuma flexed the fingers of the hand that had been placed on Shusei's chest, still feeling his partner's heartbeat pulsing through them. It had been real, their touch implying so much more than just friendship.
God, he wanted to kiss Shusei so badly that he almost growled at him.
"Then just hurry up, will you."
Shusei chuckled at his words which sent a pleasant shiver along his spine. If they only were some place else he would certainly not hold back. Instead, he would grab the brunette, trap him between the wall and himself to make this phantasy that had been occupying his mind for quite some time now reality.
Stop. RIGHT. THERE.
He pushed the images to the very last corner of his mind.
Later.
Still not being able to look at his partner since he feared that the last bit of self restraint would vanish into thin air from a look at that gorgeous face, Hotsuma kept his eyes firmly fixed at the tip of his shoes.
What on earth is taking that fucking elevator so long?
Finally, after what seemed like half of an eternity, the elevator stopped and the door opened. Takashiro-san was already there, face all serious. At his side, a man in an expensive looking suit was wearing the same expression.
Hotsuma sighed inwardly, raking his hands through his hair. He only hoped that they would be done here quickly.
They got out of the elevator and went up to the two gentlemen.
"Shusei-kun, I am glad you could come so quickly." Takashiro-san greeted his partner, nodding toward Hotsuma to acknowledge his presence. "Please meet Suzumi-san, he is going to present the case."
Politely, Shusei bowed his head in response.
In a fatherly gesture, Takashiro-san reached out to Shusei and put his hand on his shoulder, catching his attention.
"Let us not loose any precious time. Shall we?" The head of the Giou clan led the two into the conference room.
Shusei glanced back at Hotsuma, smiling reassuringly before he disappeared into the room and the door closed behind him. Balling his hands into fists, Hotsuma had to restrain himself from going after his partner. He knew that smile and when there was one thing to describe it, it was like watching a lamb being led to the slaughter.
"Damn it, Shusei. Why can't you just say no?"
But the answer was already in his head. Because Shusei was who he was. His most amicable trait was also his biggest weakness. His partner would always put the welfare of others before his own. Being the bearer of God's eyes apparently meant to forfeit the right to self-preservation.
Hotsuma went to the nearest window and stared into the distance. Right now, there was nothing he could do to help Shusei besides waiting.
Over the next couple of hours, Hotsuma wandered back and forth between the window and the seating area, the clock always in his view. Time went by agonizingly slow and when he had spent two hours pacing he was so close to just barging into the fucking conference room, telling them to stick the stupid case up their asses.
Now he couldn't do that, could he?
Oh, how he loathed that feeling of helplessness! He knew that each and every zweilt bore a special talent that was both a blessing and a curse. None of them could escape their fate but he didn't mind to make a fool out of himself as long as Shusei was safe.
Eventually, he ran out of patience.
"Screw that." He muttered to himself and made his way to the door of the conference room where Shusei had been locked inside for over two hours now.
From somewhere left, an officer came out of his booth, positioning himself between Hotsuma and the door, one hand raised to a stop gesture.
"Sir! You can't go in there, Sir!"
Irritated, Hotsuma stopped for a second. This was the same guy who had been watching him nervously for the last two hours as he had paced around like a caged animal. He was bulky but a good amount shorter than him and Hotsuma could practically smell the uncertainty rolling off of him.
"Oh yeah? Just watch me."
In one long stride, he was past the officer who didn't even try to hold him back, hand on the doorknob. He yanked the damn thing open and stumbled rather ungracefully into the room from all the momentum.
Three pairs of eyes were on him as he was coming to a halt, straightening himself. Shusei was standing near the window while the other two were sitting at the conference table, discussing what seemed to be crime scene pictures.
There was a short moment of silence since all the action had him completely forgotten what he was going to say once he was inside.
From behind, he could hear the police officer follow him, clearing his throat apologetically.
"Uhm… Takashiro-sama, I am so terribly sorry…" The man stopped when the addressee stood up from the round table and gave him to understand to be silent.
"Makamuro-san, thank you for your vigilance but we were just about to finish." The officer who was hereby dismissed retreated quickly.
The stare that Takashiro-san gave him was neutral at best but Hotsuma considered it a good thing that the blonde man didn't scold him openly. Whatever consequences would come of it he would deal with them later. Right now, all he wanted was to get Shusei out of here.
His partner was still at the window, his amber eyes thoroughly fixed on him with a mixture of shock and relief on his face. Hotsuma was sure that he would never hear the end of it but who gives a shit. He was perfectly happy with that.
The only one who looked a little confused was Suzumi-san who surely hadn't expected this meeting to end so soon. He raised an eyebrow at Takashiro-san who propped both hands on the table.
"Well, I think we have enlisted Shusei's assistance enough for one day. Suzumi-san and I will continue on our own." He looked from Hotsuma to Shusei and nodded. "Good work today, Shusei. I will speak to you soon."
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Takashiro-san." Shusei bowed his head politely before he grabbed his school bag and headed out of the room, Hotsuma following suit.
The door fell shut behind them and Hotsuma released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"Man, what took you so long in there? Did you plan to spend the night?" He huffed, catching up to his partner who had already pushed the button to call the elevator.
Shusei chuckled and looked at him.
"I was hoping you would come in earlier."
Hotsuma gave Shusei a friendly pat on the shoulder, grinning sheepishly back at him.
"Better late than never. You can thank me later but now I'm hungry. Let's get out of here."
They rode down and stepped out of the building onto the sidewalk that was now busy with people on their way home from work.
"Where's the car?" Shusei looked around.
Hotsuma scratched his head a little abashedly.
"Uhm… about that. I thought we could walk to a place not far from here and have dinner there, maybe…" He trailed off, gazing at Shusei in the hopes that he would say yes. He knew that those sessions were tiring for his friend so there was always a chance that Shusei just wanted to go back home.
To his surprise, the brunette smiled warmly at him.
"I'd like that."
They made their way through the stream of people in silence, walking side by side. Soon, they took a turn into a quieter street that was framed by cherry trees. According to the card Sairi had given him this morning the restaurant was supposed to be close, just one more right and then left.
It looked what was going to be a nice night, not too chilly even though it was not quite spring yet. If one looked close enough one could see the flower buds on the tip of the branches that were going to bloom in a couple of weeks. The sun was setting and casting a warm red glow on the street, the light only broken by the trees which made for a beautiful pattern on the pavement.
Hotsuma glanced up in the sky, watching puffy clouds making their way across the darkening canopy.
On a night like this, he always liked to think that they were living a normal life. But the illusion never quite lasted. He saw beyond the pretty façades and saw the dark creatures that were lurking in the shadows waiting for some weak soul to pass by and feed on. Although for some reason, tonight seemed to be quiet and peaceful.
"It is nice tonight." Shusei plugged the thought right out of his head.
They were standing close to each other under the cherry tree, gazing up to the sky together, their shoulders touching.
After a little while Shusei started to speak.
"I saw you and Yuki that day… in the forest…" He stepped away and the loss of their touch made Hotsuma cringe inwardly.
"What?" Turning his head sharply, he looked at his partner. From a couple of feet away, Shusei looked at him sadly, defeat written all over his face.
And as if moved by a magic hand, all pieces suddenly fell into place before his inner eye. Realization hit him like a hammer, making his blood run cold as the world around him shattered into a thousand pieces.
Shusei, you idiot.
And, even more importantly, how could he have had not seen it? That fateful day when Shusei had vanished, Yuki had chased him down and they both had ended up engulfed in Hotsuma's flames. All this time, he had been so terrified of hurting Shusei again, the guilt of marking his partner with those horrible scars had been eating at him from the inside, that he had secluded himself from his friends little by little.
Yuki had shown in a way that only Yuki was capable of that he had been wrong all along, that he was able to control his talent. How must it have had looked like to Shusei who had been watching from the outside?
Knowing his partner, Hotsuma didn't have to guess too hard.
Anger, mixed with guilt and desperate fear, welled up in him like a surge, he could see Shusei's eyes go wide as it bubbled to the surface but there was no way to stop it from bursting. What had been a peaceful moment shared between two close friends only a few seconds ago transformed into a storm.
Before Hotsuma even knew what was happening, his right hand shot forward, grabbing Shusei's collar and pushing him up against the tree behind him.
"IDIOT!" He bellowed so loudly that his voice actually echoed between the houses that were right and left of the street.
Shusei gasped audibly but didn't struggle which infuriated him only more.
"What were you thinking? Tell me!" He demanded, shaking his other fist in front of the brunette's face. Some last pieces of his sanity were actually holding him back from punching him.
Shusei averted his face, still doing nothing to escape the firm grip Hotsuma had on his shirt.
Oh, this was so frustrating! He let go of his friend and Shusei slumped back against the tree, avoiding to look back at him.
Frustration slowly dissipated and made place for a feeling that rattled at Hotsuma's core - the fear of loosing Shusei for good. If he didn't get through to him he would disappear again and this time, it probably would not turn out that lightly.
No.
How could he make Shusei understand once and for all that he was the only person on the entire world - no, scratch that, universe - was important to him? Not Yuki or Tsukumo, not to mention that wimp Kuroto or the ever so annoying Touko. There was only Shusei, the only partner he had ever had. Everything in his life was meaningless without the brunette in it.
His body made the decision for him. While his brain was still dealing with his fear his hands reached out and cupped Shusei's cheeks, turning his head to face him. Tears were brimming in Shusei's eyes and Hotsuma's heart ached just from looking at the indescribable sadness in them.
In a moment of clarity, out there on the street underneath a corky cherry tree with the day's last sun rays shining though its branches, Hotsuma just knew what to do. All of it made sense now and he almost laughed at the fact that he had been so stupid.
And then he simply closed in, pressing his lips to Shusei's. There were so many things happening at once that his mind struggled to process them in the correct order but no matter what, this moment would always be engrained in his memory until the end of time.
The softness of his partner's lips that were slowly giving in under his firm yet gentle pressure.
Shusei's scent which intensity was increasing the deeper the kiss got.
The little moan that escaped Shusei's throat the moment their lips connected. Fucking christ, this would be the death of him.
Hotsuma had never thought that his own heart could beat so loudly in his own ears but the sound was deafening. One of his hands left Shusei's face to draw a trail down his neck and then to the back of his head to bury itself in a handful of brunette hair.
If he didn't know that they were in the middle of the city he would say he was in heaven. Not in his wildest dream would he have had imagined this whole experience to be so mind blowing. His entire body tingled with pleasure to a degree that had him shudder from lightheadedness.
At one point, the need for fresh air surpassed the desire to stay connected in such a sweet way and Hotsuma, albeit reluctantly, broke the kiss, gasping for air. He pulled Shusei even closer and rested his forehead on his, both of them breathing heavily.
That was when his legs finally gave in. Not wanting to let go of Shusei quite yet he pulled him down with him. The brunette's arms came around him and he happily welcomed him into the embrace. Gently, Hotsuma raked his fingers through Shusei's locks while the words were pouring out of his mouth.
"Don't you ever think that I could replace you with anybody. There will never be anybody else but you, not now, not in a hundred lives. You are my partner, my everything. I trust you with my life and if you ever gonna even think otherwise I will punch some sense into that thick skull of yours. Got it?"
He couldn't quite see but he felt Shusei's smile. Stroking his lover's cheek he changed the angle of his head to beg for another kiss.
"Hotsuma…" Shusei murmured quietly before he gave in, letting Hotsuma steal his breath anew.
This time, the kiss quickly grew bolder and when Shusei opened his mouth to set free the moan that was building up in the back of his throat Hotsuma took advantage and pushed his tongue in. The taste was exquisite and electrifying. He all but pounced on to him when his control snapped, pushing Shusei fiercely against the cherry tree, on his knees, desperately holding on to his shirt now.
He would never get enough, that much he already knew.
In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware of the place they were in and although his mind was wiped blank for the most part, he managed to come out of it. Their tongues mingled one last time and then he pulled back, resting his head against Shusei's chest.
They were still on the ground and the laugh that he had been holding back earlier made its way to the surface. Shusei's hands were in his hair and he enjoyed their touch immensely. Deliriously happy didn't even come close to how he was feeling at this very moment.
"What's so funny?" Shusei wanted to know, his voice vibrating against the top of his head.
Hotsuma lifted his head and their eyes met. He could still see the sadness linger at the edges of the amber orbs but in this moment, he felt certain that, with time, he was going to make it disappear. As long as he never looked away again they would overcome everything. For too long, they had allowed darkness and fear to rule their life.
No more running. That Hotsuma silently swore to himself. For Shusei's and his own sake. All the pain his partner had been carrying for the both of them - it was his turn now. Tachibana-san had been right all along. There was no reason why Shusei and he couldn't be happy together again.
"I just thought of something Tachibana-san said to me last night."
Shusei raised one eyebrow at him. Hotsuma waved his hand.
"Let's just say that the old geezer has his moments." He brought his head up to the same level as Shusei's, tracing the shape of his lips with one finger. Shusei's eyes widened but he didn't pull away and when the finger didn't leave he kissed the tip.
An hour ago, Hotsuma had denied with all he had that he would ever do something so sappy but this felt so right that the only thing he regretted was not to have done this earlier.
"We should get going." Shusei whispered a little bit huskily. It didn't escape Hotsuma that his gaze had darkened and he was just as affected as he was by that small gesture.
Jesus Christ.
A little bit shaky, he came to a stand, pulling Shusei up. They looked up and down the street but apparently, they were still alone. There was only the tiniest stripe of sunlight left at the horizon.
"I am positively starving." As if on cue, Hotsuma stomach began to grumble.
Shusei laughed.
"When are you not?"
They stepped away from the tree on the sidewalk, side by side. With a glance at his friend, partner and now lover he thought to himself that despite all the shit that was about to go down the future couldn't look brighter.
The End. Please be on the lookout for the sequel :-)