Relius wanted to say that Terumi had wasted his evening. He'd tried at the very least. What he'd gotten was a crash course on a man he couldn't say he held much affection for. Terumi had sat him down on his own sofa and tried to talk him through a lot of trash. Terumi spoke about whatever seemed to strike him. If it actually held any value, Relius had no idea. He wasn't much of one for conversation outside of the academic but he found himself still as engaged as he could stand. There was something peculiar about Terumi's mannerisms and the way he held himself. It was hard to take his eyes off him.
When the rain let up enough late into the night Terumi stopped talking and pacing long enough to stare out the window. Without much ceremony he put his coat back on and said he was going to be off. He never did share why he'd tried to leave the facility in the first place. As much as Terumi had shared, Relius still felt like he didn't know anything. What was his end game?
It was a thought that kept him up when he did finally go to bed. He wasn't convinced this agreement was a mistake yet. The feeling was something else—something he chose not to really explore. It was too early.
Over the next few days he found Terumi more in his shadow. The slender man would appear behind him while working and lean over his shoulder—sharing a little something here and there that Relius could use for his research. His lips always parted into a toothy grin before he'd get Relius guidance or ideas. It wasn't too long before Relius no longer tensed at the approach. Within only a couple days he had made so much progress after all. There was one issue however.
Terumi had still not shared what he needed Relius to make. He dodged the question excellently which only made Relius more concerned. It felt like he'd made a deal with the devil. At any moment this little demon was going to turn on him.
A week passed and Relius decided he wouldn't take it any longer. He caught Terumi in one of the break rooms and bodily blocked him from the door. It was a casual stance, but likely clear enough Terumi would understand his meaning. Terumi's eyes narrowed as it clicked.
"You know if you just missed my company so bad you could say so, Relius."
Relius didn't legitimize those words with any direct response. "Take a seat, Terumi."
He didn't look pleased to do so but Terumi dropped onto the sofa, crossing one leg over the other. Once both arms were rested back across the couch Terumi looked ready to talk. Relius sat in the chair across from him once more, not unlike that first day he'd tried asking him questions. Hopefully this exchange would be more fruitful.
"What would you have me make for you? I want to get to work," Relius said, being at least somewhat honest.
Terumi cracked a crooked grin and started to laugh. "Oh man, are you sweating now Relius? Worried I'm looking for a big nasty murder device or something? I mean, you'd make that in your spare time for funsies right?"
"I'm asking you seriously," Relius answered more firmly. He doubted Terumi would change his tune over just a sterner tone of voice. At the very least, Terumi's expression remained much of the same—except a new thing Relius hadn't quite caught before. This slip of danger and something deeper still became more obvious in Terumi's eyes. When had he adjusted to seeing those golden eyes usually shaded by the hood over his head? There was something about them in that moment that kept him tense.
Terumi instead relaxed. He looked right at home. "I want you to make me a body." He took a special interest in the way Relius reacted—the way he looked so dumbfounded. What was he expecting exactly? Terumi wasn't in the business of easy requests. Relius could do it though. He could do it if Terumi wanted him to.
"I...don't think I understand. A...human body? Another one like your own?"
Terumi nodded. "You got it. Just about as real as you can make it. I need it to pass inspection after all. But about like this one. I'm kind of comfortable in it." When Relius went silent in thought, Terumi carried on. "No unnecessary additions by the way. I'm sure you'd put all kinds of fun junk in there, but I need mostly human. Maybe a little better than human. Believability is the thing I guess."
Relius' silence continued, leaving Terumi to try and figure out what the hell he was thinking so hard on. The look on Relius' face as far as he could see was focused—deeply focused. Already Relius started to mentally put together a blueprint for such an idea. He knew what sort of things he would need and there were a few minor problems of course—there always were—but he had a basic layout after a few minutes.
"No corpse reanimated or anything. The real deal Relius—something functional on it's own. Basically—"
"Essentially a body with it's own soul. A body...that you intend to take over somehow?" Relius interrupted.
"Bingo. Make it nice and cozy for me. A body with no soul in it—well it just kind of rots. I need a little lasting power. And I know how much you love digging around with souls...how about making one?"
Relius didn't want to admit it but already his mind was racing with ideas. There were experiments he needed to do certainly and tests to run after that. He could see it coming together. Already the mountains of information he had—everything he'd already worked on—it all came together to start to form a clear path. This was completely within his power. He could do it and somehow Terumi knew that.
He gives the thin man a sterner look. "When you came after me as a partner then..." he began but Terumi was more than happy to finish for him.
"I'm good at what I do, Relius. Don't mock me. I can tell you like the idea anyway. Really gets your gears turning, doesn't it? So when do we start?"
Terumi's attitude was awful and frankly Relius couldn't stand his company in the long term. The idea of being attached to this brat for longer research didn't really excite him; however, what Terumi seemed to know and how he knew it was frustratingly interesting. At this point, he didn't even care why Terumi wanted such a thing. He would agree purely out of curiosity for the possibilities.
"After the usual hours...my office," Relius answered after a lengthy silence.
Terumi stood up and leaned over the coffee table between them; giving Relius a smug look. "Sounds like you have a date. See you then. Dress nice, ditch the lab coat maybe?" Terumi suggested jokingly, straightening up after and making his way out of the break room. Relius didn't have the mind to stop him. This man was a pain in the ass. A pain in the ass but terribly interesting.
Relius could hear his damn laughing out in the hallway. He didn't regret the decision and yet it was one he had trouble predicting where it would lead him. He got the feeling he might get to know Terumi very well and very soon.
He worked through the rest of the day distracted. He couldn't get this new project out of his mind. Nor could he remove that smug look on Terumi's face. They didn't cross again and yet his thoughts kept drifting that way. Terumi was a perplexing figure.
By the time most everyone else had retired Relius returned to his office. There would always be stragglers in the facility; however, Relius' office and smaller, personal lab attached to it were out of the way enough. Although he was certain he'd locked the door when he left, somehow Terumi was in the office to greet him—sitting at his desk even.
"Good evening, partner. Are you as excited as I am?" Terumi asked through a crooked grin. He enjoyed this far too greatly.
Relius approached carefully, stepping around the desk casually and opening up the lab in back. "I have something of an idea worked out...I need time to draft it properly. But there's one other matter I'll need your assistance with."
Terumi didn't take well to being ignored. He was starting to figure out how difficult Relius could be in that way. He'd talk when it suited him and it would be on his own terms. Outright ignoring Terumi seemed to be his fix for avoiding any fun with him. Terumi shrugged and stood to follow Relius into the lab.
"This is your area of research. I dunno how much you expect me to do. I'll sit here and look pretty if you need my company that bad," Terumi chattered as Relius got the lights up and put a few things into place. Only once he'd gotten a clear table in order did Relius bother to turn his head Terumi's way.
"I'm going to draft up the basic plan I have in mind right now. I'll have you look at it," Relius explained shortly, laying out a large sheet of paper and starting to draw out over it. Terumi moved to his side and watched. For once he held off on the chatter a little.
It was impressive. In so little time Relius had worked out some of the basic plan. It helped it was close enough to Relius' usual personal research—just a step forward. A bigger, new challenge: The sort of challenge a man like Relius Clover couldn't back down from. Terumi didn't hide he used that to his advantage. There stood no reason to. He had a very good feeling this exchange would be mutual. Relius could probably wring enough out of him that he wouldn't feel at a loss for the trade. Question it later, maybe, but regret it? No, not Relius.
Terumi grinned as the plan came together, commenting as he could and helping improve the base of this. They spent quite a few nights like this. Research on one thing during the day, moving into this project for a few hours by night. Neither ached much for sleep; although they would agree to part and rest at a point each time. It reached a point they could stand each other a little better even.
There were no bumps until Relius moved out of the planning stage and into the actual development. Terumi intended to let Relius work at his own pace and keep a little out of the way; however at the start there was one small detail to sort out. It was obvious—disgustingly obvious but the most annoying kind of detail. One Relius couldn't ignore and carry on without. Relius Clover did not do things half-hearted.
The scientist had Terumi meet him in the small hidden lab in his office that night for the first time in a short while. Once again he found the troublesome man in his chair at his desk before him, resting back and looking quite at home.
"Well, well, well. Have an update for me then? Or maybe you need an extra set of hands?" Terumi suggested with a grin.
Relius stood still across from him at the desk. "You want a body close to your own, do you not?"
"Yeah, don't make it weird or anything. About the same is better."
Silence filled the room briefly before Relius came out with his order. "Then I intend to inspect you closely—body and soul so I can create something suitable. Understood?"
An odd look froze over Terumi's face—like he hadn't even considered that for himself. "Not even buying me dinner or something before jumping that many dates ahead, Relius?"
Relius grinned. "I cooked for you once already."
"That's really not the same," Terumi snapped back, standing up from the chair. "But fine, whatever. Last thing I need is for you to fuck this up and make the new one wrong. Where do you want me?"
Something about that phrasing irked Relius just a little. This man was nothing but a pain. "In the lab, under the light."
Terumi shrugged animatedly and strolled into the lab. He picked a spot right under one of the brightest lights. It was an artificial source of illumination and wouldn't really reflect him in the clearest picture but Relius could work with it. Relius pushed his examination table under the light and gestured for Terumi to jump up there. The brat gave him a less than pleased look, but did as instructed. Once Terumi seated himself up on the table Relius moved in closer.
Terumi straightened up in place and kept his hands resting at either thigh. He couldn't see Relius' eyes through the mask and even then he felt the intensity of his gaze. The details of Terumi's body were not the issue just yet—Relius looked deeper for that filthy soul residing in him. That there was anything to him at all always surprised him. The light brimming from Terumi's soul resonated mostly from power—the man had no light to him. It was part of what made Relius unsure about working with him at first. Terumi's mind was filled with trash and hate—Relius knew that, but there was something in that filth. He decided he could work with it. Inspecting it closer gave him no joy—just deeper curiosity.
What the hell was Terumi anyway?
The silence left Terumi squirming a little—shifting in place and glancing away impatiently. The movement thrust Relius out of his wandering thoughts and got him on track and in order again. Terumi could be good for a thing or two at least.
"Don't move without guidance," Relius said, setting his hands at Terumi's shoulders. The hold drew in Terumi's gaze. His eyes scanned over Relius as if he could see any tricks up his sleeves. He opened his mouth to comment and shut it right after as Relius' hands traveled down his shoulders. Terumi actually had no clue what he was trying to accomplish for once. Studying? Maybe?
Both gloved hands traveled parallel down Terumi's arms, halting at his hands. He picked each hand up, one at a time, pulled Terumi's gloves off and inspected further. The movements and gaze were scientific, sure, but that didn't leave Terumi more at ease. He knew where this was headed now.
"Your coat," Relius directed once he finished for the moment.
"You really have to do the whole feeling me up thing to get this right?" he asked, still doing as requested and pulling his arms free of his sleeves and letting the coat fall back.
"Your shirt too while we are here. And seeing your body is not the same as knowing it. You would ask me for accuracy and then drop out of sharing those details? That's sloppy, Terumi," Relius replied. He didn't look bothered with the idea at least. Relius had very little shame and the mask over his face would have hidden a portion of it anyway.
Terumi held his tongue—briefly. "If you wanted to see me naked so bad, you could just say so."
There was no change in the stone faced look Relius gave him. It was like he was impervious to teasing—the bastard. Terumi had his shirt flung off in a timely enough manner that Relius simply went back to inspecting him from the shoulders again. This time his gloves had contact with skin—the change in sensation considerable. Relius was not that delicate or gentle about it either.
By the time he reached his hands again, Terumi felt antsy all over again. This needed to be over. Over or something. And yet here Relius remained, slow as hell feeling and turning his hands over once more. He had no idea what could be so interesting there.
"I thought there might be nothing redeeming about you, but your hands at least are very well formed," Relius said blandly, without warning. The comment drew a look of embarrassment and confusion over Terumi's face.
"Is that even a fucking compliment? The hell?"
Relius looked back up at Terumi's face and reached a hand to his chin to keep his face right in place. This only made Terumi a bit redder. "You do more than grin and scowl. That is vital to know too, Terumi. Continue as you are." Just barely, Relius' lips turned to a grin.
"I'm not gonna sit here and make faces for your entertainment!"
"Not on purpose, I assume."
Terumi started to snap at him, but Relius' hands moving to his neck and collar distracts him once more. At least Relius touched lighter this time. Relius peered in closer and further back before settling in close once more and tilting Terumi's head some to better examine his jawline. As Relius inspected closer Terumi could lightly feel his breath against his skin. It was warmer than he would have guessed. It sent the smallest sensation down his spine. He cursed Relius silently.
Relius' path took him up over Terumi's face, holding him by the chin and turning his head as he needed to see. He drew far too close to get a good look at his eyes. Terumi did him the favor of staring right back at him for now—he had a point after all. It wasn't like his body had to be exact, but as close as possible would be preferred. It'd be easier to possess if this body and soul were closer and developed to fit just him. Terumi sighed very slightly—relaxing as much as he could under Relius' inspection.
Relius' hands moved from Terumi's neck and collar further down—slipping along the slight curves and ridges of his body and skin. That he was being so meticulous and along with his direction served to distract Terumi from the greater purpose. His thoughts wandered far off track and frustratingly so. Just as he was about to try and hurry him up, Relius interrupted first. His hands grasped Terumi at his sides and waist—just a little tight.
"I'd noticed you were small but...I didn't realize how much so until now," Relius muttered.
"Can you do this without criticizing me? Seriously, what the hell is your problem?"
Relius didn't answer right away. His focused seemed drawn into Terumi's shape and his own hands as they slipped further to his hips. "My apologies then. I am somewhat impressed you manage to live like this, if that helps."
"It doesn't help. Try compliments or something. It's not that hard," Terumi said with a slight huff, leaning back on his hands for the moment. Parts of him braced for worse and for where his hands were going to travel next.
"Compliments would probably be my first choice if my goal were a little more sensual, but right now I'm trying to learn your body so I can copy it properly. I wouldn't order you into my lab and tell you to strip down if I were aiming that direction to begin with. I have more tact than that," Relius replied with his usual tone as his hands continued down Terumi's hips to feel along his thighs. "With that in mind, you'll need to take everything else off."
Terumi felt himself straighten up at the spine and his breath catch slightly as Relius' hands moved over him firmly. "At this point a little tact wouldn't hurt. I'll take that over you manhandling me like this," he muttered.
"Would you even accept that? I was under the impression you'd just yell at me over that too."
Relius' answer felt like it hit a little too fast. He had a point however. Still, Terumi made himself grin. "You didn't even try. I know you don't have any dates to run off to—you have the time to spare."
"So do you, you're right here with me."
"Is that you asking me on a date, Relius?"
Relius tilted his head up a little like he were observing Terumi's face closer. "Take your pants off, Terumi."
Relius could be manipulated into this and that, but not into a date Terumi noted quickly. Not that he was sure he even wanted one. Seeing Relius awkward and uncomfortable certainly held a kind of curiosity. Pieces of him wanted to rip Relius apart—see what made him tick. Here stood a man who could withstand teasing and playing like this with little shame while obviously taking mental notes for the scientific portion of the project. For every inch below Terumi could scratch off Relius's surface there were miles underneath he'd not even seen yet. He could barely stand the man sometimes, but still he kept playing with him like this. He was trouble, Terumi knew that. He wondered how much he could get away with.
Terumi took a moment to sit up straighter so he could look very directly at Relius as he started to loosen his pants. "Don't get too distracted then...Accuracy, remember?" he said in a more hushed voice. That change and his motion and tone caught Relius' attention a bit more fully. Terumi grinned and continued with pulling his zipper down. "Try not to be too rough about it either. Gentle maybe?"
"...If you insist," Relius hesitated to reply at first. Something about that pause, the way his voice dropped too—maybe he was taking him seriously? Terumi wondered if he'd even bothered with that sort of thing seriously before. It was slight, but maybe there was a sliver of embarrassment in his face? Terumi banked on it. Motions slowed, Terumi made more of a show of every slip of skin that came with removing the rest of his clothes. Relius didn't stop him—he watched.
The moment felt brief when Terumi finally stopped. Relius didn't move immediately either. That short pause gave enough time for curiosity to fill him. For that second, Terumi couldn't guess what Relius would do. A short, strange tension and then it was gone.
Relius set his hands at Terumi's hips where he'd left off and continued a path downward along his sides—committed to learning his memorizing his shape just as he intended. As always, he was serious and focused, but Terumi sensed just a hint of something else; something about the pace of his breath and the heat he was giving off even from that short space away.
At the very least, the interest in each other was mutual.