He dropped it twice before he managed to scrape it off the floor, tangling with his clothes from the day before and evading him, ringtone getting steadily louder as it continued and only more aggravating, infuriated by the time it was in his hand and he'd answered.
"Mizuki it is four am, unless you're dying fuck off."
"I love him. Tio I'm in love with him!" Then his tone changed to amazed and he was far too loud for whatever time it was, his eyes blinded by the light of the newly answered call so much he was unable to make out the numbers of the clock. "Oh my god maybe I am dying."
"Hm, you've realised it then? That's nice." He was dense sometimes but to not realise he was in love was taking it far even for him, already half asleep again, bedding so warm against his bare skin and the darkness outside infinitely soothing. In fact he was slurring, hearing Mizuki beginning to object and just deciding he didn't much care to be around for his belated eureka movement, yawning and dumping the device back on his bedside table. He could hear his tinny voice filtering through but it was just background noise now, closing his eyes and planning on not reopening them until the first number on the clock was in double figures.
"Don't fall asleep I'm freaking out! Tio! Oi, Tio! Oh god damn it!" he threw his coil then, which was both stupid and childish, characteristics he'd apply to himself increasingly these days, standing up from the couch he'd been sat on to pace his apartment again.
Over dramatic, yes, like something out of a bad movie, also yes, but somehow the movements seemed to help, burying one hand into his hair and remembering doing the same in rough blue and feeling a horrible bubbling happiness he had to force down. Sly Blue. Honestly, of all the people to fall for it would have to be him, spiteful, vindictive, malicious and somehow still so goddamned endearing that it had been almost inevitable.
So to list the benefits of being in love, life experience, of course, he supposed it might be nice to be in love with somebody, he felt a horrible tingling in his fingertips and a nervous sort of excitement flutter in his chest that was strange but certainly not unpleasant. Negatives, Sly would most likely not feel the same, dooming him to an existence of hiding his feelings, but he was sure he could do that, or of course he could tell him and that caused all sorts of other issues.
He stopped moving then, shaking his head and running a hand over his eyes because he was tired, it was stupidly early in the morning and no wonder Tio had yelled at him, of course he would have been asleep, who else wouldn't be at nearly 5am?
Sly.
His brain was so helpful at times like this, almost as if any excuse to think of the object of his affections was a valid one, because yes he too would most likely be awake at 5am, busy getting high or doing whatever it was he did and now he didn't like to think about it.
He could message him right now, for any number of reasons, out of boredom, for a booty call he'd probably respond to unless he'd had very lucrative offers that night or was making good money, or he could message him those three simple words and ruin his entire life.
No, he was thinking like a crazy man again, repeating the same three steps across his dining room area like a prisoner confined to a six square foot cell, not even trying to distract himself from his thoughts because now he'd accepted them they were all he could think of. Love was a tricky thing it would seem, because it hadn't snuck up or him but he didn't feel like he'd had a shocking moment of revelation either, it had just kind of happened, he'd had the idea put into his head, thought about it then realised it was true.
Admittedly he supposed phoning his best friend with whom things were currently very wobbly at nearly five in the morning could most definitely be considered a freak out, and yes a little touch of hysteria had crept into his mind but really, who would blame him? He didn't really know what to do now, other than to sit the fuck down and have a cigarette before he wore holes through his carpet, but he did know he could not, under any circumstances, drunk, high or otherwise, tell him about this.
But he could, of course, think about it as much as he liked, debating in his head whether violence would follow or merely sheer avoidance, would Sly lash out and beat the crap out of him, or would he just fade away into the background again. Which would even be preferable? Well, obviously he'd like some kind of response, though he was certain Sly wasn't the sort to gently apologise and say he didn't feel the same, he'd probably laugh, thinking he was joking, eyes sparkling and crinkling at the corners the way they did when genuinely amused. His expression would fall, he'd be uncomfortable, trying to be demanding and failing as he got nervous, maybe even blushing a little pink, all the way up to his ears which he'd certainly have tucked his hair behind.
"Oh fucking hell," definitely in too deep now, and when had he even registered that Sly did half of that stuff? Over the rather long time they'd known each other he supposed, wondering how long it had been now, approaching two years he guessed, he'd hardly kept a note of it anywhere.
Two years seemed like a reasonable amount of time in which to fall in love with somebody, mind filled with thoughts of Sly and illogical decisions and the way he sometimes smelled like fresh baking as he got ready for bed. Last thought before he closed his eyes the same it always was, wondering where he was, if he was safe, warm, if he'd eaten that day or if he was hungry, hoping he was listening to Ren's advice, wondering if he was thinking of him.
He hadn't been sleeping well, but now he questioned that statement he realised he had issues with sleeping most nights, either because he was hopelessly drunk, or stupidly miserable, or busy doing all sorts of X-rated things with Sly. Far from realising he was in love comforting him, all it did was drive home the crushing loneliness he always seemed to exist under, because distancing himself from everybody around him had done nothing to bring him closer to the object of his affections.
All he'd done was push people away again and it seemed to be quite the talent, making friends then treating them so awfully they didn't even end up wanting to be around him, his mind would flash back through time at moments like this. He'd remember the faces of the people who had adopted him, told him to call them mum and dad, had remembered not doing it even once and eventually they had dumped him too. But he didn't like to think about that so he pushed it away the way he always did and tried to think of somebody else instead, of Tio, but all his treacherous brain did was remind him of how unsupportive he'd been, how judgemental, how unlike a friend he'd acted.
He really was hopeless.
He wouldn't normally deem himself an angry man, but certain events could snap the sweetest of characters and he was growling even before he answered the call, "the next time you wake me up at a stupid hour god help me I will stab you so hard your-"
"They're back! Beni-Shigure!"
His threat to throw his intestines onto the pavement died away and he sighed because this was definitely big enough to warrant being woken up, sitting up and shivering at the cold air above his sheets, groping around uselessly to find his lamp and flick it on, still dark outside. "Since when?"
"Last night I think, somebody thought they saw Koujaku and I saw his friend…" his voice trailed off because suddenly he realised he had no idea what his name was, Koujaku's right hand man, who he used to see frequently, who would always stop and talk to him, ask how things were going. He didn't even know his name. "Ah, you know, like his version of you?"
"Kou?"
"Yeah, I was jogging-"
"At five am?" he didn't even pause before he responded and Tio felt it would be useless to ask why the fuck he'd been outside, jogging, alone, at five in the morning of all times, just shivering as a cool breeze ran over his leg, tucking his covers around him better.
"Yeah, and I saw him and stopped to ask where they'd all been and he had no idea what I was talking about," he'd been half asleep before, feeling himself sinking back into his sheets, but something about that wasn't right and he frowned as he pulled himself upright properly and rubbed sleep out of his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I asked where they'd all been since they've been gone a while now, and he said he didn't know what I meant, that none of them had gone anywhere."
Tio was definitely paying attention now, not sleepy any more but incredibly confused, because they had been missing for a while now, he wasn't certain how long exactly, but definitely a couple of months at least. To hear they apparently had no idea they'd even been gone made dread rise thick in his stomach, feeling suddenly, illogically terrified, because if it was true then something very sinister was happening and he didn't much like that. "That's- What?"
"Exactly! It's weird, I knew something odd had happened but he wasn't lying to me, Iknow he wasn't lying I could tell from his face, he really had no idea what I was talking about. I'm going to see Koujaku later, to try and figure out what happened, will you come with me?"
He wanted to say no, he really did, and under any other circumstances he would have said so, turned his coil off and promptly gone back to bed, but there was a prickling feeling in his fingers and he knew this needed investigating, just groaning to show his disapproval. "Ugh, what time?"
It was obvious he hadn't considered that, just stammering for a second, presumably glancing at a clock to work out what would be reasonable, "um, like nine?" That was still too early for Tio to be truly happy, especially since the bartender seemed to have gained the annoying habit of thinking it was acceptable to ring him any hour of the day or night, but it was easier just to agree and end this conversation.
"Yeah sure, so are you done now?"
"Yeah. Sorry for waking you up. Again."
"Mm-hm," hanging up was easy and he didn't even feel rude as he cut off Mizuki's half-hearted farewell, remarkably surprised when he was able to roll over and feel sleepy almost immediately, knowing when he awoke a few hours from now he'd feel a damn sight more on edge about the whole thing.
He hadn't seen Tio since they'd discussed things, or argued about things if it was to be given its correct title, and they were more awkward than he felt they'd ever been, even more so than on the day they'd first met. There weren't really many safe topics they could speak about and conversation stuttered and died too many times, Tio glancing at him from the corner of his eye and Mizuki wondering if the red marks Sly had left were turning into bruises as he stared.
They fell into step beside each other easily though and those who saw them in the street were polite enough to pretend not to be gaping, open mouthed at the marks he now knew were on his skin, had seen reflected back in a shop window. They saved their whispering for after they were gone but not quite out of earshot and the rumours Mizuki knew had circulated before were flying around again, talk of them having gotten back together like they'd ever dated in the first place. Talk of cheating and fights in the street and crying following their stilted words, muttering quietly behind coil screens and across mugs of coffee, speaking words of pity for Tio, who'd been played once again.
But then Mizuki supposed that at least he couldn't object to, because even though they were all wrong he had to admit that it was, again, Tio who'd been hurt by him, by his thoughtless actions and cruel deceptions. So they faded into silence as they approached the hairdresser's home, salon closed today and both thankful that this trip hadn't been wasted, that Mizuki's first port of call in panic wouldn't have been woken and dragged out of bed for no reason. But perhaps if he wasn't selfish enough to still go to him after all he'd put him through, none of this would have happened.
"Oh, Mizuki, I wasn't expecting guests but come on in man," his surprise faded almost instantly, taking the fellow team leaders hand and pulling him into a half hug, clapping his back firmly and releasing him, moving aside so he could enter the apartment. His greeting with Tio was a little more distant but then they'd never been that close, just guiding him inside and closing the door behind them, Mizuki passing off his intense probing of the apartment as just general curiosity.
"Cheers, damn, been a while since I was here, huh?"
"Sure has, so what's the occasion? Not often I get you turning up at my door," he didn't seem put out though, just smiling broadly and gesturing for them to sit on his couch, taking the armchair for himself and sliding the ashtray over to them as he lit up himself.
"Nothing really, just haven't seen you about in a while, and some crazy stuffs been going on, wanted to make sure all was well with you and Beni-Shigure," he could feel Tio's mildly confused stare on him where he sat on the other half of the couch but he ignored it, he didn't want to dive in immediately like he had with Kou.
"Mm?" He seemed surprised, but he believed it nonetheless, sitting back in his chair and dressed more casually than either of them had really seen him before, kimono elsewhere and legs clad in dark blue jeans, chest covered now by a plain, long sleeve shirt in his usual red. He was the very picture of good health, not too pale or looking any thinner, there were no new scars amongst the ones that covered his hands, no bruises or any indication anything had happened to him at all, but despite that, he'd been missing along with his whole team. "Yeah, business as usual, you know? Starting to wind down for the end of the year, but things must be the same for your guys."
"Yeah, just, there's one thing I wanted to ask," Koujaku just waved absently at him, gesturing him to continue and dragging on his fancy cigarette, the only type he ever seemed to smoke and almost more a thin cigar. "Do you know what date it is?"
"Uh, you're joking right? It's like, the 20th, 21st, something like that, right?"
"What month?"
He'd been laughing before, amused at the odd question, because of course he knew the date, at least vaguely if not exactly, he had events to attend to and appointments to make, he couldn't afford to not know what day he was on. But now he'd continued to ask weird questions and the point of this visit was growing increasingly suspicious, tone a little harder as he answered because Mizuki was treating him like an idiot and he didn't appreciate that. "October. This is a prank, right? Kou said he saw you and you were talking crazy, like we'd all gone missing, what's with that?"
"You-" But now Tio was speaking, feeling that same sickness creep up into his mind, because Koujaku genuinely had no idea what they were on about, he wasn't a liar and what reason would he have to lie about this anyway? "Maybe we just haven't seen any of, you haven't been less active or anything?"
"I mean, perhaps a little, but I've been cutting hair most days like always, just the usual stuff," he'd shrugged then, the tone had gotten a little less accusatory and pointed and he supposed he could relax a little, pausing to consider and smiling in half apology. "We haven't done anything big, I guess there's a chance we just didn't run into each other for a while."
But no, that wasn't a chance, not a big enough one to be anything but ludicrous anyway, with at least 30 guys on Mizuki's team, and slightly less on Koujaku's, and living on such a small island the chances of them not seeing even a glimpse of the other team was almost impossible. It was easier though to accept that and deem their disappearance a strange occurrence that was perhaps imagined by those bored by life, wanting some mystery to happen, than it was to think about the alternative, so Mizuki just shot Tio a look as Koujaku offered them drinks.
"Coffee would be great, and sorry for the interrogation, we just wanted to check you were good, you know how stupid rumours spread."
"Sure do, Tio, want one too?" He nodded his acceptance and he headed into the kitchen, separated from them only by thin wooden screens and still speaking to them, rather thankfully as the topic of his enquiry was less than a pleasant one. "Speaking of rumours though, a little birdy told me you two were fighting in the street the other day, didn't sound like you."
Tio had lowered his head then, taking the now unused ashtray and tapping his cigarette into it, not looking up or seemingly willing to answer, Mizuki just cringing because he should have known everybody would have heard about it, even Koujaku had during his apparent disappearance.
"Oh, yeah, that was just a stupid argument about the bar, we work together so much sometimes we piss each other off."
"Mm, I know the feeling," it went quiet then, Tio finished his cigarette and began messing around on his coil instead, Mizuki close enough to see that he wasn't actually doing anything, just trying to distract himself from the newly awkward environment.
But Koujaku was back soon enough, flower patterned mugs in his hand and seemingly not quite sensing the tension, taking a sip from his own drink, diluted with milk, and continuing along the same vein. "Yoshie-san from the post office told me about it, said it looked like a lovers spat to her. She's got a great imagination."
He chuckled then, glancing up from his mug and expression faltering a little, opening his mouth again to question Tio's lowered head and hard jaw, his eyes averted away from the bartender and just now noticing the space between them on the couch. Mizuki managed a half-hearted laugh, as if trying to say how ridiculous that was, but he could tell the hairdresser was about to continue, to ask if she'd been right, just shaking his head at him and the other sensitive enough to drop the topic fast.
"She sure does, but um, this isn't just a social call," then Tio looked up, meeting crimson eyes and knowing with a sense of alarm that he knew Mizuki's excuse had been half a lie, just offering him the tiniest smile and wondering if Mizuki was going to backtrack to the real issue here. "I'm thinking of having a Halloween party at the bar, d'you and your guys wanna come? Feels like we haven't seen you in forever and with things being so weird around here it might be cool to have a night to relax."
He'd been taking a mouthful of his drink then, swallowing it down and grinning wide, uncomfortable aura of this whole thing diminishing then and even Tio's surprised expression bypassing him, because all that talk of being missing was making him nervous. "Yeah, sure thing dude, that sounds cool, I'm pretty sure most of the guys would be up for it."
"Awesome, fancy dress obviously, I might even invent a new drink for it."
So the conversation turned to nicer things then, details about their teams, funny anecdotes, new members being discussed and Tio having to give a rather awkward review of Kin, Koujaku's raised eyebrow saying it knew something he couldn't and they left with smiles and walked home in silence and pretended there was no problem.
"You know, Sly, I think we're doomed."
"To fuck til the end of our days?"
"Nah, just doomed."
"That's a dark thought for you bartender," he somehow managed to sound utterly unconcerned while actually looking a little surprised to hear such blatant negativity leaving his mouth, just continuing to roll his cigarette, licking it closed neatly and moving onto another immediately.
"Hey, I can be dark when I need to be."
He nodded absently at that, only half listening really, "thought your skin was the only dark thing about you." He wouldn't have looked up if it hadn't suddenly gone quiet, tattooist not replying and leaving his remark hanging in the air, fingers faltering just long enough for him to drop tobacco into his lap, scowling as he scooped it back up. What was strange was the flicker of pain that had crossed Mizuki's face when he'd said that, wondering what he'd done wrong, "what?"
"Oh, nothing, just… Kids can be mean."
"You get bullied by kids?" He was joking, he knew exactly what Mizuki meant, just glad when he looked amused and rolled his eyes, losing that horribly pained expression he'd had a moment ago, Sly knowing he could be nasty but having not intended it this time.
"When I was a kid too, asshole."
He debated taunting him for a moment, to mock him for being bullied and to talk to him in that condescending, babying voice, but he actually seemed ruffled and he didn't really do much to encourage Sly's teasing. "Well they're dumb, better to be dark than pasty as fuck," he shrugged then, because really he couldn't care less if Mizuki was darker skinned than was normal, societal norms be fucked, he was hot anyway. "I don't really give a shit what colour you are, besides, it makes you look exotic."
Now he was teasing, but in the nicest way possible, waggling his eyebrows at the bartender as he passed over one of his worst rolls, the furthest his generosity would go because this tobacco had to last him a while yet. "Exotic, huh?" It sounded as if he liked that, leaning against the counter and back to relaxed and at ease again, lighting up and offering over the flame so Sly could lean into it, adding something to his drink while he took his first drag.
"Mm-hm."
"You know, you can be pretty nice when you want to be," it was an observation he'd made before, more internally admittedly, but when Sly could tell somebody, or just him, was genuinely bothered by something he'd usually try to fix it, albeit with clumsy words, they were well intended.
"Only to you sweetie," and his pink lips smiled around his glass, drinking down Mizuki's latest concoction, a blend of several exotic fruit juices, mango sourz and peach vodka, having arrived halfway through him trying to invent a new cocktail for the bar, awaiting his response. "This is the best so far, got a good kick."
"Okay, so, try it with…" He paused then, searching through the frankly outrageous mixture of drinks and bottles of various things assembled on the counter, finding the chilli powder and carefully shaking in a little bit, handing him a stirrer to use. "This, and then let me salt the rim."
"This is fancy as fuck, I feel spoiled," he was joking, but he had to admit that he'd never normally get to taste drinks like this, they cost too much and weren't alcoholic enough to really be a sensible option for him, so getting to sample so many was frankly great.
"Just good timing I suppose," he took the glass then, wiping a slice of lime around the rim and dusting it with salt, aware suddenly of how stupid it had been to salt the rim after it was full as he got the tiny granules everywhere, including more in the actual drink than he meant to. "So, what does my master taster think?"he
"Master, hm? I like the sound of that, maybe I'll call you it when you fuck me later."
"Please don't," his grimace was only a little feigned, because he suddenly recalled one old hook up who'd liked to do exactly that, and while he hadn't hated it completely, something about it had really unnerved him and made their encounters suitably weird for him. But Sly just laughed and like the unintentional asshole he was, made Mizuki's chest go all mushy and gross, reinforcing his increasingly accepted feelings almost constantly without so much as realising.
Then he took a drink, then another, turning the glass so he could get the salt and lime taste again, licking his lips rather too thoroughly and eyes wide, voice a little distracted as he spoke, staring intently at the orange beverage, "if I could fuck a drink, I'd fuck this one. Like, really hard."
"Is that good?"
"Extremely," but the second the compliment was out he was harsh again, pointing accusingly at him with a cigarette-clutching hand, "and hey, you better be naming this after me, asshole."
"Suggest a name and maybe I will," it wouldn't really bother him, in fact it would save him the effort of coming up with one himself, always one of his weaknesses, creating was fine, but naming? He usually let Tio have the honour of that, and he was also usually the master taster, not that he'd ever applied that title to anybody but Sly, amazed suddenly at how much times changed because just a few months ago he'd never have expected this to be happening. He didn't feel anything but grateful even as he knew that maybe he shouldn't.
"Where are your parents from?" That came from nowhere and he frowned, pausing in sweeping up the salt and just lingering with his hand full of the small white granules, trying to work out why on earth he was suddenly asking that.
"Um, I have no idea, I'm probably half Thai though, or Cambodian? If that helps?"
"Yup, so call it the Thai something, there you go."
"Wait, wait, what is your logic here?"
"It's exotic, you're exotic, ta-daa. You're real fucking dumb sometimes," false enthusiasm dissolved in seconds, staring at him mockingly but bottom lip betraying him as it twitched into a half smile, too soft to be a smirk. He looked suddenly so sweet, tilting his head to the side and raising an eyebrow as he waited for a consensus that yes, he really was the smartest, best person in the room, and all Mizuki wanted to do was kiss him.
He cleared his throat too fast, averting his gaze to throw salt into the trash and taking a moment to try and calm his cheeks down, not knowing if they were pink or not, dragging on his cigarette, eyes landing on a small bottle of food colouring and getting an idea.
"I present, Thai Blue," he let a few drops fall in, not mixing but just floating to the bottom, making the drink fade into a gradient from deepest blue to the brightest, almost neon orange, amusingly enough both colours that reminded him of Sly.
"Sounds too much like my name, try Blue Thai."
"Or Blue Tie."
"Blue Tie, hm, I don't hate it. Kudos, bartender, you got yourself a new menu item, so can we fuck now?"
"Mm-hm," he didn't expect it when he was abruptly grabbed, forced over the bar and hot lips on his already, not entirely sure he minded since it was what he'd been thinking about anyway, deciding not to think too deeply into how much gentler he'd rather it be.
"So what was that drink for anyway?" As the first thing he said in the afterglow, it was a little unusual and Mizuki just regarded him lazily, watching his ribs heave as he caught his breath and pushed his sweaty fringe off his forehead.
"Oh, I'm having a Halloween party, thought it'd be cool to have a new drink," he shifted a little then, Sly still lying half atop him and seemingly not planning on moving, reaching across him for the box of proper cigarettes on the bedside table, handing Mizuki one before he even got his own.
"Where's my invite, dickhead?"
He raised an eyebrow then, because honestly they both knew there was no way Sly could ever be invited to the bar, let alone to a party just for Dry Juice and Beni-Shigure, though he supposed he didn't know it wasn't open to the public. But he was joking and that was obvious too, because showing up at the bar on a normal night caused enough trouble without him all but crashing a proper event, no, he knew he'd never be able to do that and probably wouldn't be stupid enough to even try. "Feel free to come by afterwards."
The invitation wasn't needed, nor was any explanation of subtext, because it was obvious what coming by afterwards meant and Sly didn't bat an eyelid, just grinning darkly and yellow eyes shining up at him, "I might even dress up for you."
"Oh yeah?" He knew what Sly's version of dressing up was, thinking it would be less a costume and more some way of making underwear even sluttier, he was more butt-plug tail than he was slutty nurse though and he had the feeling he'd like whatever he ended up being. "Hm, I'm thinking a cat."
"How basic do you think I am?"
"You don't want me to answer that," he snorted, leaning into the flame he was offered and puffing smoke almost into his face, skinny body lying across his chest and not moving, still a little tinged with sweat and ribs just starting to slow down in their movements, breathing calm and satiated.
"Not since I've got the fire," he just inclined his head at that, fully aware that the chances of Sly setting him on fire were seemingly as small as his chance of moving off him, wondering for a second if this was how fuck buddies were meant to act then realising that perhaps it was. Sharing cigarettes afterwards, lying close but not cuddling, traits this shared with his and Tio's fucked up mess of an agreement, so he supposed he couldn't complain at the strange behaviour, but he could certainly question it.
"You're rather cuddly today, aren't you?" He was reluctant to speak, but he was met only with a raised eyebrow, Sly snorting in some amusement and not moving from where he lay, just deliberately letting ash fall onto Mizuki's chest. But his words weren't wrong, while he wasn't exactly cuddly as such, he had maintained close proximity like he never normally would, not having rolled away or immediately gotten dressed and left, it was unusual.
"Oh fuck off, you tried to fucking spoon me a few weeks ago," he just shrugged at that, because yes he had, the loneliness had overwhelmed him and for some reason he'd reached for Sly as his saviour, but he supposed he should at least be grateful he hadn't taunted him then.
In fact he'd been increasingly nice lately, or as nice as he could be anyway, softer perhaps after he'd opened up to him a little, shown that life wasn't exactly perfect for him even if it seemed that way. Or maybe he just felt bad that he was ruining his life, maybe he realised Mizuki had no friends because of him now and had decided he may as well try and take their place, but Sly would never think that deeply about somebody else, even if he thought that he'd only be sticking around to ensure he didn't do something dumb like kill himself. "I can fuck off if you want?"
"No, no, it's fine," his answer just managed to not be too fast, verging on being distressed by that idea, but he was used to keeping things inside and Sly just lost the annoyed glare he'd had for a moment, flopping back over him and cigarette extinguished.
"Hm," he hummed a little cautiously, watching Mizuki's abandoned butt smoke down to nothing in the tray he'd shifted to his bedside table, propping his head up on one arm and regarding the bartender sideways. "You're like a fucking radiator, how come you're so warm?"
"Maybe because I don't weigh like a gram."
"Get fucked."
"Just did."
"You think you're funny, don't you?"
"A bit, you don't agree?"
Another hum, this one against his stomach, head having lolled back down and fingers tracing along his arm absently, more in curiosity than as any big act of affection, pausing on a thin scar as he responded, "you're not all bad."
"What a stunning review, I'll be sure to tell my friends that."
"I thought I scared all your friends away."
"Are you implying Tio is my only friend?"
"Yes."
He hesitated then, because he might have a point but he wanted his thinking clarified, enjoying this quiet moment between them where nobody was yelling or fighting or trying to get back into his pants, this moment where it was peaceful. But then it was strange, because the words he was saying seemed cruel but they weren't spoken that way, they were gently offered for him to consider, declared as facts not stinging opinion. "Alright, so define a friend."
"Somebody you'd hang out with, one on one, and yes, asshole, that makes us friends apparently. How disgusting."
"Hm, well in that case yes I have no friends, except you apparently. How sad."
"Pitiful really," he replied, grinning a little darkly as he rolled over, hair splayed across Mizuki's stomach now and frowning, or pouting, a second later, poking at his cheek when he didn't respond and just watched him instead. "Oi, I'm bored."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Hmm, we could fuck again," his grin was definitely dark now, propped up on his chest properly and eyes flickering across the bartenders face, looking at him more than he usually would and smile not dimming as Mizuki pretended to debate this, finally raising a hand to absently play with blue locks.
"Alright."
"Hey, what should I go as for Halloween?"
"Hm, how about a cold hearted, dead inside vampire?"
He blinked then, because it had kind of been a legitimate suggestion but at the same time it was obviously a dig at him, not even a subtle one either, cringing as he turned away from his laptop to regard him, sipping at a complimentary Blue Tie and looking neither pleased nor disgusted by it. "Still cold about the whole me lying to you, thing?"
"Just a little, the free drink might be helping though. It's good."
"You think? Yeah, I got- Um, never mind, it's, not important" he had been about to say that he'd gotten Sly to help, but he'd always had Tio to help in the past and he didn't feel quite right making it sound like he'd replaced him so bluntly, cutting himself off and clearing his throat awkwardly. He'd raised an eyebrow in his direction but he just shook his head and the issue was ignored, sliding a little further across on his stool and tilting the screen so Tio could see, pointing out the decorations he'd ordered for the bar and waiting for his opinion.
"Mm, they're good. The um, the drink, Sly helped you with it, didn't he?"
His breath did a strange choking sort of thing, alarmingly like a death rattle and even Tio looking suitably concerned as he coughed a couple of times to control it, topic not forgotten once he was done almost dying. "Er, yeah, he turned up while I was making it. I would have asked you, but, we weren't exactly on the best terms. Cause of the whole, me being an asshole, thing."
"Yeah. That. But anyway, what are you going to go as? I was joking about the vampire thing."
"I don't know, everything I can think of is kinda boring," he paused then, aware suddenly and out of nowhere that this was a chance to not be a shitty friend for once, to ask the question back where it was silently prompted. "So what about you?"
"I found one I liked," he reached for his laptop then, still familiar enough with Mizuki to just help himself, opening the right website and typing a couple of things, turning it back with the costume he'd intended on ordering on the screen. "It took me ages to find one that wasn't either really stupid or sexy."
"Sexy?"
"Mm, like police officers and army men and stuff, you know, the cliché costumes women apparently go nuts over, men in authority and all that. It's ridiculous, it was either something like that or I go as a dragon or a shark."
"Hm, you'd make a good shark."
"Oh shut up," but his elbow in the ribs was good natured and not hard, smiling and clicking back into the general costumes, browsing through them together and laughing at the particularly ridiculous ones, both staring at an inflatable T-rex costume for far too long before Mizuki deemed it too big for the bar, to both their displeasures. They could still function, and for now that was all Mizuki could ask for.
"I got a call about a disturbance," Tio turned then, the voice seeming familiar but so dimmed by the bustling crowd of the bar that he wasn't sure, breath actually faltering for a second because Jesus Christ he didn't know who it was but their costume was a miracle of the gods. It was well fitting in all the right places, shirt collar popped up and SWAT badge on one side of his chest, short sleeves ending at the exact right place on nicely formed biceps and straps across the chest and stomach drawing his eye a little worryingly.
But then he registered how goddamned tall he was, unable to see much of his face under the sunglasses he wore and the rather pointless helmet, scanning him again unconsciously, gaze lingering on the handcuffs on his belt and the shiny boots his pants were tucked into.
"Is there a problem, sir?" Then the lighting changed to a brighter colour and his mouth twitched into a smile at the same time, a lopsided, messy smile that he definitely recognised, cheeks flushing pink because he had not just been eying up Kin.
"Nope, but who are you trying to impress exactly? We're the only ones here, you're hardly gunna pull anybody."
"Feel free to volunteer yourself," he was joking and Tio knew that, changing the subject as he just rolled his eyes, pretending he wasn't watching Kin fold up his sunglasses and tuck them into his pants pocket, wondering for a horrifying second if the handcuffs worked. "So, what are you supposed to be? Or who."
"Robin hood, prince of thieves," not many people had gotten it yet, he'd been asked if he was one of the Hunger Games characters, then if he was a pirate, which was incredibly stupid because what kind of pirate had a bow and arrow? So he just grinned and repeated the answer again, playing it up maybe a little as Kin leaned in closer to hear, music a touch too loud to speak over comfortably.
"From that animated movie?"
"Kinda, but not the fox version."
"I gathered, no ears," he'd lifted his hood to check then, fingers brushing across his curls before retreating, tilting his head to the side to regard him and registering the bow in his hand, yellow tipped arrows in a quiver strung across his back. "Cute choice."
"Why does everybody say that? It's not meant to be cute."
"What's it meant to be? Sexy? Who are you trying to pull?"
He turned his face up into a sneer he definitely wasn't practiced in enough to pull off, pretending to look disgusted and frowning up at him, watching his freckles change colour under the shifting lights, "definitely not you."
"Rude," but he had that smile again and without the sunglasses he looked a decent amount more reasonable, and by that Tio meant he didn't keep staring at him, at least not when he was looking anyway, agreeing to follow him to the bar and ignoring how very tight his pants were, feeling overcome with alarm at how suddenly he'd found him attractive.
"Oh, you have to get a blue tie, they're so good!"
"A what?" The music was even louder here, they'd been pretty much in the middle of the room before but now the corner speaker was blasting them and Tio just shook his head, Mizuki heading over lazily and taking the order for two of the Halloween special, as it had been termed tonight. He waved away payment when they were done, trying to say something about Kin's costume only to give up and shoot him a thumbs up instead, Tio objecting more than he should as he noticed his eyes trailing up Mizuki's bare arms, streaked with camouflage paint.
He waved them off then, greeting some members of Beni-Shigure with a beaming, happy expression, clasping hands across the bar and all but yelling to communicate with them, asking where Koujaku was and laughing at whatever the response was, turning away to follow Kin through the crowd.
"He looks like he's having fun," it wasn't a loaded remark but somehow it hit that way and Tio knew it hadn't been said flippantly, it had been a clever observation and he wondered again if Kin was better at reading people than he'd like.
"Mm, I suppose so."
"You wish he was miserable, don't you?" He tried to hide his reaction to that, the smile that rose as brown eyebrows raised at him, noticing one strand of his stupid quiff flopping down into his eyes, the fault of his now abandoned helmet, no doubt. But he couldn't quite manage to keep in the grin that escaped, laughing to himself in annoyance Kin had guessed him so easily more than anything else, nodding sheepishly, eyes that were on him turning a little too soft.
"Little bit, so, what you think of the drink?"
"It's great, kinda spicy. What did you say it was called?"
"Blue Tie, Sly helped him with it apparently."
He regarded his glass with a little more cautiousness then, seeming surprised and impressed in equal measure and Tio couldn't deny him that, "well, say what you like about the guy, it's a good drink. Not as good as French kiss though."
He was doing it again, that bickering, flirting thing he did, but Tio was doing it too and he entirely blamed the several drinks he'd already had, the warmth of the packed bar and the tightness of his costume, just hiding his blush into his drink. "Suck up."
"A soldier? Wow, that's original," it was ironic, because his voice spoke distaste but his gaze said nothing of the sort, tilting his head to regard the bartenders skin tight black vest and the baggy camouflage pants he wore, tucked into shining, neatly laced up boots. He supposed the cap on his head and the makeup he'd smeared across his cheeks and arms helped too, watching where the green and brown streaks traced across his biceps.
"Oh shut up, what are you meant to be anyway?" He didn't even comment that he'd broken in again, didn't remark that he'd helped himself to cigarettes and a beer, the only alcohol he actually had in his apartment, he was used to it, just replying immediately.
"I, am a broken doll."
"Why a broken one?"
"Had to fit my cast into it somehow, so, what do you think?" He did a spin then and Mizuki had to admit the costume was kinda cool, odd and maybe a little creepier than he liked, but it suited him, the pigtails he'd pulled his hair into and the red of his lips.
His clothes looked like ones he'd found or stolen then customised, by which he meant his shirt had been messily torn across his stomach, more a crop top than anything else, legs bare except a remarkably short skirt he had to have stolen. There was a layer of red fabric sticking out of the bottom, almost like a petticoat, padding it out and all uneven lengths, mesh shredded up and entire white costume a sort of muddy colour, streaked with dirt and mud and probably ash from cigarettes too. He'd even involved his cast in the fun, broken wrist neatly held still under professionally looking applied papier-mache or something similar, white hard casing dirtied with mud and general grime, some cracks painted onto it.
"Hm, you must be cold."
He'd been joking but Sly's expression crinkled in a little annoyance, paint contorting his cheek to look chipped twisting and making his skin human again, scowling but losing his anger as he continued and realised Mizuki was teasing him. "God you're such an asshole, am I fucking cold? I didn't have to show up here, I could have stayed in Grime, nobody would have asked if I was cold there."
"You went back to Grime after what happened?"
"Yeah, it's a good night, and I watched my drinks this time, alright? No more nasty drug trips or showing up here unconscious. I'll be a good boy," he'd stepped closer then, one finger on his chest, lifting up the strip of bullets that wrapped around his torso, regarding them absently and blinking up at him with eyes a little too well made-up, large with eyeliner and cracking at the corners.
"You, good? I'd like to see that," Sly shrugged then, releasing the bullets and playing with his dog tag instead, turning it over to see the basic engraving, details empty but listed; ID number, name, blood type, squad. "Not too sure I'm a fan of the makeup though, bit too creepy."
"It is Halloween, some of us know it's meant to be scary. But I'll wash it off, it's fucking itchy," that was a lie and Mizuki knew it, he was washing it off because he didn't like it, because he wanted to be even a little considerate, because he'd been being weirdly nice lately, expression turning wicked as he continued. "Besides, I wouldn't want to get lipstick all over your dick, would I?"
"Knowing you, I doubt you'd care."
"Hm, you know me too well."
So they'd had drinks, Sly sitting on the couch with his legs too wide apart for somebody wearing such a tiny skirt, smoking cigarettes and swapping half-hearted insults neither really meant, Mizuki having just pulled his pants back up after pissing when Sly wandered into the bathroom.
"Relax, nothing I haven't seen before," his grin was cheeky as he shot him a lecherous wink and turned on the taps of the sink Mizuki didn't normally use, bending over a little and using his newly damp hand towel to begin washing off his face paint, makeup, whatever it was.
Mizuki wanted to object, but then he looked a little too long at Sly, particularly his bottom half, not seeing him tracking his eyes in the mirror and hiding a smile, biting it down under freshly clean lips, clearing his throat distractedly before he spoke. "I have a question."
"Let me guess, it's about my ass?"
"Well- Yeah kinda, are you, um," he cleared his throat then, because Sly had definitely bent over further on purpose just to show the black fabric he could see where his obscenely short shirt had ridden up, swaying his hips lightly as he washed his face. But then he changed his tactic from asking to stating, because he knew the damn answer already and he should have expected it from Sly because he was the most shameless person he'd ever known or probably ever would. "You're wearing knickers, aren't you?"
"I prefer the term panties, but sure am, and I might do it more often, I got a lot more attention than normal," he shrugged then, perhaps realising that mentioning the kind of attention they both knew he got now was foolish, drying off his face and paint all but gone, lips a little pinker and swollen where he'd scrubbed, turning to where Mizuki stood behind him and pulling him in closer by his belt loops. "So, what do you think, officer?"
"I think the military wouldn't allow that."
He was being deliberately dense to annoy him again, and it worked pretty fast, Sly shooting him a look so unimpressed and condescending he grinned, mouth twitching into a smile as he reacted, "you really are shit at roleplay, huh?"
"Drop and give me twenty?" Once again, mocking him and being mocked right back, speaking like he had no idea what he was saying even as he was certain if Sly wanted to be bossed around he'd be more than capable of doing it, but somehow didn't want to now, wanted more of that amused expression on him, the hands on his waist.
"Twenty what?"
"Push-ups? I don't know, I assume that's what they mean."
"Yep, useless," he should have definitely been offended, but yellow eyes were warm and not disparaging, not rushing to action but just holding him where he was, fingers in his waistband and not moving, allowing the arms round his middle, encircling him, smile too fond for him. "But I suppose I don't mind you being my army man anyway."
"Oh, yours, am I?"
"For tonight anyway, you got a problem with that?"
"Not really," but he should, he definitely should, and he shouldn't have noticed the difference in the way Sly sucked his dick, in the way he held on tighter and laughed more and demanded less, in how comfortable and relaxed he seemed afterwards, in the way he fell asleep curled almost into his side. Mizuki just shut his eyes and tried not to think about three little words and how much he wanted to tell him, how he almost hoped it might go well, because he knew he could wake up tomorrow and be fire and rage again, with Sly he just never knew.
