I have fallen hopelessly in love with the song 1961 by The Fray. It is the most beautiful song I've ever heard, and I think of SaruMi every time I listen to it. Jeez, SaruMi is a seriously angsty pairing! They have some serious issues. But where's the fun in writing about an otp without some difficulties!? I accept this challenge!
"Oi! Don't do that in public!"
Fushimi smiled as the boy wiped his mouth on his sleeve and pushed his face back. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You smiled so cutely."
"What kind of stupid reasoning is that? And would you stop calling me cute? We're the same age."
"But you're my beautiful blossom."
"If you ever call me that again, I will cut off your tongue without a second thought." He held the boy tightly by his collar and glared.
The sapphire eyed boy leaned in and kissed him again, effectively discarding the topic.
"I just said not to do that!"
Fushimi placed a hand on his cheek. "Nobody can see us here."
Misaki looked around. The man had pushed him into an alley and assaulted him with his lips. He was pressed against the wall; stacks of boxes covered their view of the street. The black haired boy grinned when he saw that the other agreed; even if he wouldn't say it out loud.
He kissed the redhead's neck. "It's been too long, Misaki. I miss you."
"You're being weird. We met up like three or four days ago."
"That's too long for me." Saruhiko sucked on the boy's neck, producing a reluctant moan from the other.
He felt teeth bite into his skin. "S—Saru…not there. People will see the mark."
The man removed his mouth just long enough to respond. "I want everyone to know that you're mine."
"We can't tell anyone about us."
"Well, I want everyone to know you're not available, even if you can't say it's me."
"That's not—" Misaki's mouth was covered before he could finish protesting the activity.
"If you aren't going to make sexy noises, be quiet. You're too noisy." He removed his hand and gnawed on the skin.
"Hnn, Saru," he breathed.
"That's better," the other replied. After another minute of sucking, Fushimi retreated to admire his work. "Wow, it's really dark."
"Damn monkey!" he exclaimed. "Just…put it on my chest or…somewhere else hidden next time," he mumbled.
"Fine." He stood and held his hand out to pull the other to his feet. As soon as he was up, the taller male seized his waist and kissed him hungrily. He cupped Misaki's cheek and dipped him as if they were dancing.
Misaki turned his head to the side to escape the man's lips. "Don't treat me like a girl. It's demeaning when you hold me like this."
Fushimi sighed. He tilted the teen so he stood upright and let go. "I have to get to work anyways. We're going after a gang that's been terrorizing citizens and robbing banks dry. It's rather odd; they have powers, but don't seem to be a part of any clan."
"That's kinda weird. We've been tracking down a few guys that might know something about the murder; I'm pretty sure I heard that they're notorious gangsters around here. We're supposed to meet with 'em today."
"Maybe I'll get to see you." Fushimi smiled.
"That's not a good thing, Saru! People would know something was off if we were in the same room without trying to kill each other. We're going to find ourselves in that situation eventually."
"I guess you'll have to try to keep up with my superior fighting skills, then."
"You…" Misaki clenched his fists.
Fushimi set a hand on his shoulder and bent so they met at eye-level. "I won't kill you, but you've got some serious rage issues that make you rather...unpredictable. Just think of the reasons you want to keep me around." He ran a hand through his red locks and winked at the boy.
"Hey! I can control myself. It's you that has self-control issues." He crossed his arms.
"That's true..." Fushimi pulled him into a hug. "Around Misaki, it's difficult to restrain myself."
Misaki blushed. "Whatever, monkey. I gotta go now. Just...call me later or something."
They nodded a goodbye and headed in separate directions; both hoping they wouldn't have to fight the other.
"Who's the lucky lady, Yata?"
Misaki looked up from his glass to see Mr. Kusanagi smirking at him. "Hm?"
"Marks like that don't come from a fist." He gestured in the direction of the swollen spot on his neck.
He blushed and put a hand over it. "Oh, um…yeah. It's nothing."
"What's with that answer? You should be proud of it, man!" Kamamoto voiced from the seat next to his friend.
Misaki tried to think up an answer. His thoughts were cut off by the curious bartender.
"Hold on. Something doesn't add up here." He poured more water into the boy's cup.
"What do you mean?" He looked around nervously.
"Yeah, he's right," Kamamoto chimed in. "You can barely talk to a girl; how could you let one close enough to do that?"
Damn it. Why does everyone have to use that against me? "It—it's a long story." He took a large drink.
"Unless…" The older man smirked at the redhead.
"Unless what?"
"Unless it wasn't a girl who gave it to you," he finished nonchalantly.
"Woah!" the other boy exclaimed. "Are you calling Yata gay?"
Misaki slammed his fist down on his head. "Don't say that so loud, moron."
"Who's the lucky guy, then?" Mr. Kusanagi asked.
The younger male blushed again. "Hey! Don't just jump to conclusions. I didn't say I'm into guys."
"But you're not denying it?" His question seemed more of a statement.
"Hey man, I don't care if you're gay or not. You're still Yata; it doesn't change anything," Kamamoto reassured.
"Yeah, we aren't homophobes. Besides, I already know another member of HOMRA who swings that way."
"Quit it! Enough with the mushy stuff…I don't wanna talk about this. I'm not gay, alright? Even if I was, it wouldn't be your business anyway."
"So...who is gay, then?" the larger boy asked.
The bartender threw him an annoyed look. "If he wanted everyone to know, you'd know already. I'm not one to gossip about a man's private life."
"Oh, um...right."
"Well, we have to head out anyway." Misaki relaxed, relieved that the conversation was over. "Yata, can you get your team ready in 5 minutes?"
The young clansman smiled. "It's about time."
Fushimi rested his chin in his palm and tapped his fingers on the table. He looked bored, as always. Once the lieutenant finished reciting her long plan, he spoke up. "Why would we only target three of them? Shouldn't we wait until they're all together?"
"These guys are the strategists; the group can't function without each of them. We've just gone over the whole plan, Fushimi. Stop being so lazy. Besides, we would send more than six of us if it was a difficult mission."
"Tch. Just tell me when I'm needed." He sat back in his chair and yawned.
"You're needed right now." The blonde woman glared daggers at the lounging clansman. "Our king has just sent out the order for us to go in."
Fushimi groaned. He stood and sluggishly exited the van. "Let's just get this over with," he mumbled.
Scepter 4's female lieutenant burst through the warehouse door, her fellow clansman following behind her.
Fushimi scanned the room. He immediately locked with pair of shocked brown eyes across the warehouse. Of course he's here. Luck is never on my side.
"We are here to apprehend the Yoh brothers," the woman announced. "You are under arrest for multiple robberies and murders. You will be taken back to Scepter 4 for interrogation. Struggling will only make things worse for you."
"Hey, lady. Can't you see we're busy here?"
Fushimi twitched. It was normal for Misaki to be confrontational with the Scepter 4 lieutenant, but he'd hoped that he would stay quiet since Saruhiko was in the group with her. Unfortunately, the boy was short tempered and always in the mood for a fight.
"I see the 4th king sent some of his clan here. I don't need to know the reason he sent you, but you need to step aside and let us handle the situation; you aren't our priority today."
A red-haired, pale man stood from a couch and turned to face the woman. "I'd prefer that you don't talk about me like I'm not here." A small girl with flowing white hair held onto his coat sleeve.
The blonde woman spoke discreetly into the communicator on her wrist. "Mr. Munakata, sir, Mikoto Suoh is here with some of the more powerful members in his clan. We might need some backup."
"Understood," a deep voice responded from her earpiece. "I'll send more men to wait just outside the door. Tell me if you need their assistance. I'm also ready if he gets out of control."
"Thank you, sir." Seri returned her attention to the enemy. "Will you come with us without a fight?"
It was the red king who spoke. "Sorry, but you'll have to go through HOMRA first. They have something we need."
"Not that you'll even get past us," Misaki finished. Mikoto smirked over at his confident clansman; Fushimi frowned at the display.
"Men, prepare for battle." Each blue clansman unsheathed their swords and responded 'ready'; everyone except for Saruhiko, who stood silently staring at the skateboarder across the way, who was avoiding his eyes. The woman turned to him.
"Fushimi, is something wrong?" Her tone was cold and unyielding. He kept his eyes on Misaki as he took out his sword.
"Fushimi is ready for battle."
"Do whatever necessary to capture the brothers, but don't kill them. The same goes for any red clansmen who defy us."
"Why did you look at me when you said that?"
Seri continued to look at the third-in-command. "Because you have an exceptional amount of resentment towards them; one in particular always seems to be locked in a battle to the death with you."
Fushimi waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I won't kill any of them."
The woman nodded. "Also, avoid the red king; we don't want to set him off. Ok, men. Move out!"
As his peers ran towards their enemies, Fushimi stayed put contemplating how he should handle the situation. He looked to where Misaki had previously been, but he had left the spot. As he searched, he heard a familiar voice.
"You're gonna die!"
Misaki skateboarded around Seri, his red aura growing. He dodged her sword and attacked with fiery red. She barely missed the blow. Fushimi leapt towards the two without thinking. He stopped a few meters away when he realized his recklessness. There wasn't anything he could really do to help Misaki without raising her suspicion. At the present moment, they were enemies.
He circled her again, this time successful in leaving a burn on her back; it wasn't a serious injury, but it was enough to make her cry out. The boy looked at the pained woman and snickered. "What's wrong, lady? Am I too much for you to handle? What a shame; I was hoping for a real fight."
While the woman composed herself, the redhead sensed Saruhiko and turned to look at him. In the short moment that he was distracted, his fighting partner stood and brought down her sword. Fushimi lunged forward, hoping to block her attack. However, the attack came too quick, and he only had time to push Misaki out of the way, placing himself in the sword's path.
Fushimi clutched his arm and grunted as he fell to his knees. The woman looked at him in shock. "Fushimi, why?" The man didn't respond.
"Get away from him, bitch!" Misaki suddenly reappeared and kicked her in the gut, sending her flying a few feet backwards. He dragged Fushimi back to lean him against the couch and knelt beside the bleeding man.
"You idiot, why did you do that? I had her!" He ripped off a piece of his shirt and tied it around the wound. Luckily, the sword hadn't hit any arteries or veins. It was fairly deep, but not a wound that would burden Fushimi for too long.
"She was aiming for your chest. It would've killed you; which is ironic considering that SHE gave the order to keep everyone alive. I guess she realized that there was no way she could take you as a prisoner."
Misaki looked at him with a serious expression. "If you had moved just a few seconds earlier, you could've been the dead one."
"Yeah, I know, but I had to protect you."
"Saru..." Misaki scanned the area to see if anyone was looking at them. He stared into the man's icy blue eyes and leaned in to kiss him. Fushimi grabbed the back of his neck with the hand on his uninjured arm to pull the boy closer.
"Misaki," he breathed.
"Saru…we have to…stop." He reluctantly pulled away and looked around again. "We can't let anyone see us. Who knows what would happen if our clans found out? We could be exiled or even killed. That might be a bit extreme, but we can't risk it."
Fushimi smirked. "You're the one who kissed me."
The redhead opened his mouth to retort, but decided against it. He looked down to the blue clansman's injury.
Fushimi placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, it's not serious, I'll be fine. Get back out there."
Misaki nodded. "I'll come over tonight to check on you."
"Oh, and Misaki…" The injured male pulled him back in for another kiss. He gently pushed the boy away and grinned again. "…try not to get yourself killed."
"Stupid monkey," he mumbled.
Just then, a blue clansman ran towards his fallen comrade.
"Fushimi-san, are you ok?" He held up his sword and took a fighting stance when he saw the infamous HOMRA captain.
The boy hopped onto his skateboard and looked at Saruhiko. "We'll finish this later."
The teen skated away and returned to battle.
"Hey, what happened?"
"Huh? Oh, um, I was distracted and he got me. I'm good, though; it wasn't my dominant arm. I'll just have to sit by the sidelines for a bit."
The other man snorted. "That shouldn't be a problem for you. The less work, the better, ne?"
Fushimi laughed. "Exactly. Now go help out; they need you."
The man gave a quick bow and left. The men sometimes didn't know how to act around him. His rank was above them, but he wasn't in charge of many things like Miss Awashima or the king. His leadership was only clear when he was sent out with a squad for special missions or headed a small investigation. Even without his title, he was their best swordsman and the men looked up to him for it.
He got to his feet and made his way to the exit, forcing himself not to look for his lover.
"Fushimi-san, Mr. Munakata called for you."
"Thanks." He nodded for his comrade to leave.
Fushimi stood and made his way to the office. He was unhappy to find the would-be murderer of Misaki standing across from the king's desk. He did his best to keep his anger hidden.
"You wanted to see me?"
Seri jumped in immediately. "Fushimi, why did you jump in front of that Yata boy?"
The man exhaled in annoyance. "Your attack would've been fatal if I didn't. I was just following your orders to keep everyone alive."
"You saved the life of the boy you've been trying to kill since you joined Scepter 4."
"Maybe I just want to be the one to take him out."
"That makes sense, but you got yourself injured." She gestured to the bandage on his wound. "There were other ways to stop my attack. It's not like you to put yourself in danger for someone you hate."
"Tch. There wasn't enough time. Besides, I think you're forgetting some important details. You specifically told us to only take prisoners. Did you decide to exclude yourself from your own orders? Or was it simply because you wanted revenge for the burn he left you? If that's the case, I guess I'll have to be extra careful around you. I wouldn't want my leg chopped off for commenting on your hair."
Seri grabbed the hilt of her sword. "Don't speak to me in that tone. I had my reasons, and it's not your place to criticize your superiors."
"Fushimi." The 4th King, who had been silently listening to the conversation, finally spoke up. "There is something I need your help with. Please, follow me."
The man complied, turning away from the angered woman and walking with him through the long maze of Scepter 4 Headquarters. His expression showed confusion when they arrived at their destination.
"Why are we in the prison?"
Reisi didn't answer. Instead, he continued to walk down the corridor, not waiting to see if Fushimi was following.
They stopped two cells from the end of the corridor. The older man opened the door to reveal a young prisoner sitting against the back wall, struggling with his arm restraints. Fushimi stumbled back when he recognized the boy.
"Misaki?"
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I finally got my two favorite movies: Batman Begins and Meet the Robinsons (this is exactly why people think/know I'm weird) so I'm happy.
I'll post chapter 3 soon!