Authorly preamble or something: The friend who goaded me into writing this has Sakuma/Izumi as her preferred pairing, so it makes a brief appearance. Much to my surprise, I found writing Hamaguchi both easy and fun. Who woulda thought.

A Victim of the Rules You Live By

Sakuma's expression is cold and unreadable when he walks into Hamaguchi's office, and Hamaguchi has the good graces to look at least slightly surprised.

"Sakuma!" he greets, his smile humourless. "To what do I owe this honour?"

"My business is not with you," replies Sakuma, his voice matching his expression perfectly. His eyes are on Ranmaru when he says, "I'd like a word with him."

Ranmaru's response is nearly imperceptible, almost a flinch but infinitely more subtle; Sakuma only picks up on it because he's looking for it. Hamaguchi, still staring intently over tented fingers at Sakuma, doesn't notice.

"If you have a problem with one of my men," Hamaguchi replies in a falsely amiable tone, "I believe you should be taking that up with me."

"Not 'one of your men'," Sakuma says evenly. "I'd like a word with him, man to man."

Hamaguchi snorts as if he doesn't see the difference but he looks over to Ranmaru, who nods slightly. "All right," he announces grandly as if granting an enormous favour as he pushes to his feet and moves around his desk, "since it's you asking, Sakuma." He claps his hand down on Sakuma's shoulder and smiles like he doesn't know how fake it looks. "Five minutes."

Once the door has closed behind him, Sakuma takes a moment to collect his thoughts since Ranmaru shows no signs of initiating conversation. "I'll make this short," he says finally, stepping closer to give his words gravity. "Stay away from Boss."

Expression unchanging, Ranmaru raises one eyebrow as if to say, I have no idea what you're talking about. As if Sakuma's words, heavy like a threat, don't deserve a response.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Sakuma replies anyway, refusing to let Ranmaru's stoicism ruffle him, and he has no idea that his true irritation shows in the unchecked twitch of his lips. "If you're just playing around with her, have a bit of decency. And if it's more than that" — a dry chuckle openly displays his scepticism — "realize the repercussions, for you and for her. Don't you have any pride as a man?"

Ranmaru laughs, just once and painfully fake, and his lips curve into something that could never be called a smile. "Don't you have any faith in your pathetic little leader's ability to keep an eye on herself?"

Sakuma slams his fist down on Hamaguchi's desk, barking, "That's not the point! She shouldn't have to, that's what I—" He stops, falters, and grunts, unsure if he's said too much but nonetheless irritated at having lost his temper with a kid.

He's barely composed himself when Ranmaru remarks, "Oh, jealous?" and it's an immediate backward slide as Sakuma grabs him by the collar, Ranmaru's tanto out, unsheathed, and to Sakuma's throat before his back hits the wall.

"Are you willing to die for her?" asks Ranmaru, tone flat as he applies just enough pressure to draw blood, head tilted back so he can glare like he means it.

"Sure," Sakuma replies with a reckless lack of concern, grip tightening pointedly, "but I don't intend to today." He leans in, forcing Ranmaru to pull his hand back lest something unfortunate happen before he intends. "And what about you? You going to do something to make her cry?"

Ranmaru's eyes dart first to the blade and then to Hamaguchi's desk before shutting tightly as if in frustrated contemplation, and the reaction is so strong for someone so seemingly emotionless Sakuma starts second-guessing. But by the time he's gathered his thoughts the tanto is sheathed and concealed again, though Ranmaru's glare is fiercer than ever. "Not today."

There's a single knock at the door and Ranmaru's ducked under Sakuma's arm, carefully straightening his collar, by the time the door opens a moment later. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Hamaguchi remarks, voice dripping with insincerity, "but somebody's looking for you, Sakuma."

"Boss!" Sakuma exclaims, a hint of guilt in his tone as Izumi peeks around the door. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I should be asking!" Izumi shoots back, pouting in a truly guilt-inducing way as she shuffles into the room. "You shouldn't run off to other families without telling anyone!" When Sakuma opens his mouth to defend himself she adds, "Telling everyone else and then telling them not to tell me doesn't count, you know what I mean!"

"Sorry, Boss," Sakuma replies, not entirely sincere but feeling thoroughly defeated. "Who told?"

"Kenji," she admits as if it should be obvious, "but don't change the subject!" She pouts again. "You weren't trying to start a fight, were you?"

"Of course not, Boss," Sakuma assures her, almost drowned out by Hamaguchi's condescending chuckle when he follows up, "Of course not, Sakuma was just here to have a word with Ranmaru. 'Man to man'."

Izumi starts as if she hadn't noticed Ranmaru, now motionless at his usual post by Hamaguchi's desk. She meets his eyes for a split second and blushes before they both look away. Sakuma notices with horror that Ranmaru seems to be blushing very slightly as well, and he's grateful at least for Izumi's sake that Hamaguchi takes no note of him as always.

"That sounds... violent," Izumi says, her voice soft and concerned, irritation largely dissipated. "You weren't trying to start a fight, were you?"

Sakuma and Hamaguchi both open their mouths to repeat themselves, but it's Ranmaru who says, "No," and startles them all — even he looks surprised. Hamaguchi shoots him a sharp look and he revises his interruption to a quick shake of his head; Hamaguchi looks satisfied and resumes ignoring him, but Ranmaru still seems unwilling to look directly at Izumi and the way he's glancing cautiously upward with his face still angled down makes him look almost vulnerable. Sakuma wonders if he's losing his mind.

"Well, Sakuma, if you're quite done here..." Hamaguchi trails off as if waiting for an answer, but his tone makes it clear it isn't meant as a question. "Ranmaru, why don't you see your guests out?" And neither is that.

In the elevator nobody dares to look anywhere but in the general direction of their shoes and the silence hangs heavy over them all. Still, Sakuma notices when Izumi, swaying gently with the motion of the elevator, brushes her hand cautiously against Ranmaru's. Sakuma glances upward to see her expression and instantly regrets it; Izumi's small smile is so sweet and content that he can't bring himself to intervene when Ranmaru grasps her hand tightly. Instead Sakuma contents himself with sighing, rolling his eyes, and taking Izumi's other hand. Nobody says a word.

It's short lived, and a return to their previous separated state is necessary by the time they reach the ground floor. The building lobby is empty save for a few men coming or going who all stop to greet Ranmaru, and while Ranmaru doesn't appear to acknowledge them Sakuma can tell he's almost painfully aware of their eyes on him. He ends up walking them right out the front door, out of the range of vision of those inside the building, but falters as if he's not sure why. After a moment's hesitation (as quick as it is subtle, but Sakuma finds he's already acclimated to this) he nods curtly and turns to leave, only to be stopped when Izumi catches his sleeve.

"Sakuma-san, look at that over there!" she exclaims, and he pretends to fall for it so she can dart in to kiss Ranmaru quickly in parting.

"Yes, Boss, the cat is very cute," Sakuma remarks, nodding, and there is indeed a cat and it is indeed very cute. "Come on, it's time to go."

He extends his hand to shake and when Ranmaru takes it cautiously he pulls him in closer, leaning in to whisper, "Hurt her and I'll slit your throat."

Ranmaru shoots back, "Let her get hurt and I'll do worse than that," and he certainly sounds like he means it.

Ranmaru glares. Sakuma smiles. He feels like they've come to an understanding.

Sakuma waits patiently while Izumi watches Ranmaru go back inside, and feels a pang that might be irritation and might be something else when she sighs wistfully. Before he knows what he's doing he's leaned in to kiss her, and in her surprise it takes Izumi a minute to hop back, wide-eyed.

"Sakuma-san! W- w- what—?"

"Nothing, Boss," Sakuma replies with a feigned calm, knowing he's lying to himself as well as her. "It's nothing."

She takes a long moment to consider this quietly, but as if showing her acceptance of his explanation (or lack thereof) she cautiously holds onto his sleeve as they walk away. "By the way," she says eventually, "how did you find out?"

"You left your math notebook at HQ last week."

"I did?"

"The one with his name circled with hearts on the inside of the cover."

"Ohhh. Say, Sakuma-san, do you have any whiteout?"

"We can look when we get back."

"Thanks."