It wasn't supposed to be an eventful morning. The main attraction was to come later, after rendezvousing with Homura and Tabitha at the abandoned Team Aqua base. Once together, they'd all then head to the next location, one way or another. While Kagari had made plans for taking the ship in case the helicopter wasn't functioning, ideally the Magma admins preferred flying - for Matsubusa's sake.
It was supposed to be a simple pick up before heading to the much anticipated reunion with the Magma admins' dear leader. And instead, it had turned in to a complete nightmare.
Kagari clenched her fists, quivering in anger as she stood on the deck of the ship, which had somehow transformed from their transportation in to the only barrier between the base and the police vessels that had followed them. The female admin had never thought it would happen, and she admitted that was entirely her mistake. And now the results of that mistake were glaring down at her just as much as she glared at it, in the form of five fully-armed police boats that had encircled the small island the base was on. "That... idiot! Doesn't she realize that if this had been an actual hostage situation with serious threats, Matsubusa would've been killed for this stunt!? Does she even care!?"
Courtney, who had roused during the later part of their trip, peered through a pair of binoculars with her mouth set in a hard line. "She looks like someone lit a fire up her ass and she's trying to put it out before she explodes."
Meanwhile, in the Team Aqua base, Shelly glared at the monitors in the security room, her entire body tense as she switched from camera to camera. "They haven't found the base itself yet, but judging by the way they're circling, they spotted your friends approaching close enough that they're going to search the island."
"I've already contacted the others, so they should be on their way," Izumi said as she typed away at the computer in front of her, her fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. "The boats won't make it in time, but the Pokémon'll get them here fast. Smaug alone'd cover the distance in minutes."
Tabitha wrung his hands as he took in the number of police boats, his mind whirling to come up with a plan. "If we run now we could make it to the helicopter... but if they have any flying Pokémon, we might not be able to outrun them."
An audible click came from behind the three admins, prompting them to turn just in time to see Homura drawing his gun. Matsubusa's personal assistant held the weapon up, pointing the tip at the ceiling as he looked at the three with a fierce expression. "...I'll take care of it."
Shelly moved quickly to put her hand over his on the gun, her thumb flicking the safety back on as her gaze bore into his eyes. "Denied. We're not killing cops."
Homura met Shelly's gaze with a steel one of his own. "'We'?"
"Oui," Shelly said as she leaned in closer. "Putting aside the fact that it's murder, killing a police officer would bring down the whole force on us. Right now, the cops think Aqua is a joke, but once one of their own dies, then they'll come down on us even harder than Magma, which means a lot of poaching pirate assholes will get to use the sea as their hunting grounds without us to kick their asses."
Homura paused as he considered that, then made a frustrated noise deep in his throat. "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Shelly directed the gun back into Homura's holster without ever breaking eye-contact as a wicked smile appeared on her face. "We have a Pokémon battle with the cops, of course."
Homura arched an eyebrow. "A... Pokémon battle?"
"Obviously not you," Izumi said as she got up and stretched, then grinned at Tabitha. "After all, you'd look rather suspicious fighting alongside us."
"With or without your masks," Shelly said as she side-eyed Izumi. "Not that a tournament champion needs help, right, Izumi?"
Izumi smirked as she crossed her arms. "I may not be as good as Aogiri, but I've won my fair share of tournaments while we traveled around the world."
Tabitha looked Izumi over appreciatively. "You're a woman of many talents, aren't you."
Izumi giggled as she reached up to flick her bangs back. "About time you noticed, sweetheart."
Tabitha's cheeks pinked as the nickname sent an embarrassed thrill through him, leaving him unable to do more than stammer a retort before he coughed into his hand.
Homura rolled his eyes before he turned to Shelly. "Fine. Do it your way."
Shelly lightly poked Homura's nose. "Just keep an eye on us from here while we stall until reinforcements arrive."
Junsar glared at the overgrown brush on the island through her high-powered binoculars, scouring for any hint of civilization. Her gut told her this was the place, and the hints of radio transition to the boat they followed came from this area. It was the only explanation for why the ship carrying the Kazan Industries employees would dock in such a remote place.
"Chief, what should we do?" one of the officers asked. "I don't see an entrance anywhere."
"Keep looking!" Junsar barked. "I want every inch of that island combed and watched from all sides! No one goes in or out until we clear it!"
"Got it, chief!" the police officer saluted, sharply. He then paused. "What about the people from Kazan Industries? Do we have them move?"
"Ignore them unless they interfere," Junsar grumbled as she peered around for any sign of the criminals.
Without warning, the world went nearly sideways as the ship shuddered and rocked harshly, teetering dangerously towards tipping over as a large Gyarados collided with the underside of the hull. Junsar and the rest of her officers on board cried out and slid across the deck as they suddenly found themselves scrambling for something to hold onto before they fell into the drink. Ryuko wasn't about to let them gather their bearings, however, and sent a blast of water across the deck that sent more than one officer flying into the briny blue.
Junsar barely weathered the attack by stubbornly clinging to the railing at the front of the ship, digging her heels into the wedge shape. "We're under attack!" she shouted after sputtering out water.
As officers on the assaulted boat clung for dear life, their comrades were quick to scramble to their defense. A flurry of light erupted as numerous Pokémon were summoned from their Pokéballs - a plethora of water Pokémon. Staryus, Starmies, Dewgongs, and more all appeared and prepared to attack the Gyarados.
On the nearest boat, a Wartortle prepared to take aim at Ryuko, gathering his breath. However, he never got a chance to ever let out the stream of water as he was suddenly attacked from above. Without warning, Goliath swooped down and landed on the Wartortle, crushing him underfoot so that he disappeared in to his Pokéball with a flash. The Garchomp then crouched and whipped about to face the gawking officers, letting out a loud roar as he fanned his wings.
Ryuko and Goliath had the advantage of the element of surprise on their side, but the number of Pokémon sent out by the police outnumbered them over a dozen to one. To make things more difficult, the police also got involved with stun guns and special devices made to capture Pokémon even if they already had a trainer. Soon, it was all the Team Aqua Pokémon could do to evade capture and defeat.
The admins of Team Magma watched helplessly. Despite having Pokémon of their own, none of them could risk incriminating themselves - or Matsubusa. Despite the unfairness of the fight, and the fact that Kagari and Courtney had unintentionally brought the situation to Aqua's door, none of them could get involved. They could only watch as the police attacked Izumi and Shelly's Pokémon, with Goliath swooping through the air and striking at any he could while Ryuko dived under the water before attacking them from beneath. The situation truly looked dire as minutes ticked on.
But then, minutes was all Team Aqua needed.
"Damn it, we don't have time for this!" Homura growled as he clenched his fists, finally having enough. Watching the fight from the communications room was maddening enough, but the situation was truly wearing on his already frayed nerves. Each minute the police took up was a minute he could've spent reuniting with Matsubusa - and they had wasted far more of his time than he ever would have willingly allowed. The personal assistant grabbed his Pokéball to summon his Talonflame. "Blaze-"
At that moment, an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the air, as if the sound itself was shattering the sky. It was reminiscent of a jet flying low, and prompted all the humans to pause and look upwards just in time to see a light appear - the light of a Pokémon being released. It gave Kagari, Courtney, and the police a good view of Leviathan as she appeared in the air, seconds before she dropped in to the water with a heavy splash.
Aogiri leapt from Smaug's back and onto the deck of Kagari and Courtney's ship before the Salamence could land. His smile was wide, bordering on manic, though his eyes were hard. "Avast! You officers are trespassing in Team Aqua waters, and I'm in a foul mood. I'll give you the choice of leaving now with your pride intact, or my mighty beast of the sea will show you why she bears the name Leviathan!"
Junsar could barely hear Aogiri's boisterous voice over the distance between their boats, but managed a reply all the same with a miniature bullhorn. "Aogiri Yoshizumi! Surrender yourself in the name of the law! We have you surrounded!"
Aogiri cocked his head slightly. "Oh ho, using my full name now, are we? Looks like you're serious this time."
Though Junsar couldn't hear Aogiri's reply, that didn't deter her from continuing. "We know about your connections with Team Rocket! Resisting will only incriminate you further!"
The smile melted from Aogiri's face into a blank expression as he stared at Junsar. After a long stretch of silence he let out a bark of laughter. "You need to lay off smoking the drugs you confiscate, lady! If you think Team Aqua would ever ally ourselves with those butchers, then you have no idea who we are and what we're about at all!"
That Junsar did hear, and she scowled. "This is your last warning! Surrender now!"
What little mirth Aogiri felt for the absurdity of the situation drained away and annoyance crept back in its place. It was obvious the police weren't interested in listening, so there was no more need for him to speak.
Leviathan slapped her tail down hard with a loud snap, the monstrous beast propelling herself deep underwater. After several moments, she returned to the surface, close to one of the outer boats. She began to circle it with slow and lazy movements, displaying no fear as the officers turned to pay their attention to the sudden behemoth in their waters. The massive Feraligatr continued to appear unperturbed even as the officers directed their Pokémon towards her, Leviathan moving leisurely about the boat in a circle.
Aogiri kept his eyes on Junsar, despite the distance between them, and raised his hand before he flashed one finger in the air.
Leviathan had been waiting for the signal. She twisted about with a jerk of her tail. With a low rumble that rippled through the water, the Feraligatr took off like a shot, tearing through the ocean with incredible speed. She swam right past the Pokémon as they reached her, the wake of her passing scattering them in all directions. She wasn't interested in them, she had a different target.
Instead, she charged straight at the police boat. None of the crew understood what was happening until it was too late. With a final burst of speed, the Feraligatr tore through the hull of the boat. Metal twisted and tore like tissue paper, offering no resistance as Leviathan rammed it, ripping straight through upon impact as she went in one side and then out the other. The protection that had been intended to ward off wild Pokémon was completely useless against Aogiri's prized Pokémon.
The boat gave a massive quiver as the water rushed in to the gaping hole. As the occupants of the other boats stared in horror, as the waves slowly consumed the damaged vessel.
As the boat began to sink, panic consumed those onboard. The crew scrambled for the lifeboats as the ship lurched and rocked while water flooded its innards. Those that couldn't make it to the lifeboats in time had no choice but leap in to the cold ocean. Within moments, the punctured vessel sank beneath the waves as police officers floundered about in the water.
Leviathan increased her distance from the boat and the crew before she began circling again, moving lazily about the officers in the water.
"...It's fortunate that you didn't bring Matsubusa with you," Kagari said, her voice deceptively light.
Courtney side-eyed Aogiri. "You better not do anything like this with Matsubusa around."
Aogiri was silent, but he nodded ever so slightly, his eyes never leaving the scene as he signaled Smaug to dive from above and use a sonic boom to knock officers and Pokémon over on the police boats to prevent them from rallying against Leviathan's attacks.
The scene played out like a horror film. Leviathan cruised through the water like a shark, swimming about lazily without any concern for her attackers before suddenly being thrown in to action by a mere gesture from Aogiri. The officers tried valiantly to stop the attacking Feraligatr with their own Pokémon, but none were able to even get close. Smaug and Goliath attacked any Pokémon that couldn't make it to the water in time, and Ryuko was joined by Imugi the Dragonair as they pursued the ones that had disappeared below the surface of the water.
In the end, no one could stop the leviathan from devastating the fleet, slamming through the boats and sinking them to the bottom of the ocean one by one. Further reinforcements for Team Aqua weren't even necessary, as the Pokémon made short work of their opponents. The five police vessels had been reduced to a single ship - Junsar's waterlogged vessel, floating among the debris and shipwrecked officers.
Leviathan drifted about, swimming in slow circles around the remaining ship.
"Captain, we need to recover our men and retreat!" one of the officers said, his voice urgent.
Junsar's mouth was twisted in a dangerous snarl. "Where's that damn back up I called for?"
"We can't reach anyone!" another officer shouted. "There's some kind of interference across all channels!"
Junsar snarled out a vicious curse as she surveyed the carnage and the Pokémon in the water as her officers scrambled to help recover their fellows from the drink. It galled her to come all this way with such a show of force, only to wind up losing most of the boats as well as the criminals she was after, but she hadn't lasted so long in her line of work without knowing when it was time to retreat to lick her wounds.
"Fine," Junsar snarled, the word coming out thin and tight. "We'll withdraw for now." She went on to bark orders at her officers to finish with the retrieval of the rest of their numbers while keeping a strong defense against the Team Aqua Pokémon.
And strong defense ultimately translated to fleeing and scrambling about in confusion, attempting to avoid what was tantamount to a bloodless massacre as the officers ran out of Pokémon to send to their inescapable defeat. Soon, not a single Pokémon was left, leaving the police entirely on their own.
When the last Pokémon disappeared, so too did Goliath, Smaug, Ryuko, and Imugi. They withdrew, though they weren't recalled in to their balls. Instead, they simply kept back a respectable distance and watched as Leviathan continued her lazy patrol around the final boat.
The officers weren't sure what to make of the sudden ceasefire, but were quick to take advantage. Dropping lifeboats, the crew of the surviving ship managed to round up their comrades from out of the water. Unmolested by Team Aqua, the police recovered every last victim and retreated back to their boat - now crowded thanks to the combined crews of the other ships.
Junsar glared murder into Aogiri, able to see his smirk through her binoculars even as the boat turned once all the police officers had been recovered. She gnashed her teeth hard enough to make them ache as she saw not a victory for Team Aqua, but for Team Rocket.
Again.
Aogiri watched the police retreat until they were barely more than a dot on the horizon, giving Goliath and Ryuko time to bring Shelly and Izumi to the boat. He nodded to his admins before turning towards the ladies of Team Magma. He barely had a moment to realize Courtney stood directly behind him before she jabbed her cattle prod into his crotch and sent him crashing to the deck in painful spasms.
Courtney narrowed her eyes at Aogiri. "That's for making me regret encouraging you."
Shelly grimaced at the sight and was quick to head over to make sure her captain didn't get electrocuted to death. "You do know we haven't hurt Matsubusa, right? I thought Homura relayed to you how guilty Aogiri was for all the crap he put Masky through and was making it up to him."
Courtney turned to Shelly, her expression deadpan. "That's why he gets to keep his balls."
Kagari arched an eyebrow. "She's being rather merciful."
Shelly side-eyed Courtney before slowly shaking her head. "Riiight..."
With the police gone, it was finally safe for Tabitha and Homura to leave the base and venture out in to the open. Boarding the ship, the two wasted no time in joining their female comrades on the deck - just in time to see Leviathan scale the side of the ship to land beside her trainer, crooning sympathetically down at his crumbled form.
Homura paused as he eyed Aogiri, then turned to shoot Courtney a flat look. "You stole my shot."
"I called dibs on roasting his nuts months ago," Courtney said. "Just ask Matsubusa."
Homura arched an eyebrow as he regarded Courtney. He then turned to Aogiri, watching as the man painfully sat up with a grimace on his face. "...I trust you've kept Matsubusa safe, Mr. Yoshizumi."
Aogiri gave Homura a lopsided grin tinged with pain. He tried to sound like his usual cocky self even as his voice wheezed and cracked. "Yup. Masky and me have been having a grand time... up until I had to come out here and bail you guys out."
Homura arched an eyebrow as he regarded Aogiri, his expression forcibly neutral. "And I trust he'll still be fine when you take us to him."
"Better than when you called us earlier, that's for sure," Aogiri said. "No storms or sudden phone hang ups to worry him."
Homura crossed his arms. While he wasn't particularly satisfied with the response, it was enough to mollify him for the moment. "Good. I think you've put him through enough."
"Agreed," Aogiri said, cheerful despite his pain. "Now let's get back before Masky does something reckless like drink himself stupid and decide riding a speedboat to get in on the action is a brilliant idea."
Homura blinked and turned to look at Shelly, quizzically.
Shelly looped her arm around Homura's shoulders and leaned into him. "Allow me to show you a new video that's trending on the internet."
The mess hall was eerily empty, with most of Team Aqua's crew that hadn't left to rendezvous with the rescue party keeping their distance. It left Matsubusa, Matt, and their Pokémon as the only occupants of the colossal room, making the absence more than noticeable.
Matsubusa had no problem with it, however. He rather liked the silence, the opportunity to be alone so that he could recover his nerves. Sitting at the head table and sipping tea slowly, the leader of Team Magma was perfectly content to remain as he was for as long as he had the opportunity.
Matt, on the other hand, found the silence to be maddening, especially after the awkward incident between them earlier. He tried to distract himself by cooking lunch, but now that they were all seated, it left him faltering. "So... uh... how about that weather?"
Matsubusa paused and looked over the edge of his cup at Matt. "...Terrible."
Matt grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, yeah, the storms..."
Matsubusa took a deep sip of his tea before lowering his cup. "...I suppose it could have been worse."
"Yeah, it could've been a typhoon," Matt said with a small shrug.
Matsubusa felt a chill run up his spine, though he resisted the urge to shiver. "...I-I assume that even in that scenario, this base would have held firm."
Matt immediately realized his mistake. "Oh yeah, sure, of course! It's stood strong through at least three already, and who knows how many there were for the people who originally built this place."
Matsubusa hesitated before he sipped at his tea, looking away so that Matt couldn't see the concern on his face. "Of... of course."
"Heck, this place has a surprising amount of bomb shelters in it," Matt said. "It was originally made during the last war when the country was freaking out about nukes."
Matsubusa nodded as he sipped his tea, not trusting himself to speak. Under the table, the redhead reached over to touch his Houndoom, seeking the reassuring warmth Dante provided.
Dante nuzzled against Matsubusa's hand with a comforting rumble even as his eyes glared daggers into Matt.
"Yo, Masky, Matt!" Aogiri shouted, his voice echoing faintly through the halls of the base. "Where you at?"
Matsubusa looked up sharply, nearly dropping his tea. "Eh? Is that...?"
"Oh thank Arceus," Matt muttered under his breath before shouting. "We're in the mess hall, boss!"
Matsubusa hesitated before he stood up on his feet, feeling a mixture of emotions that he couldn't quite explain. Hearing Aogiri's voice filled him with a sense of comfort and relief, and yet there was no logical reason for it. "Did you get-"
Matsubusa barely had a chance to rise from his chair before he was suddenly tackled to the ground by Courtney in a surprisingly enthusiastic hug.
The redhead howled in alarm as he fell backwards, landing roughly on his back. He grimaced before he glanced up, finding himself face to face with the culprit. "Courtney-?"
Courtney buried her face in Matsubusa's chest, which muffled her voice when she spoke. "I'm so sorry I encouraged you to give an asshole like Aogiri a chance."
Aogiri snickered as he heard Courtney just as he came in to see her on top of Matsubusa. "I feel the love here. It's so touching."
Matsubusa paused before he reached up to place his hand on top of Courtney's head, his expression softening. He was at a loss for what to say, so he simply remained where he was. He only glanced away when he heard footsteps and glanced up to see Homura staring down at him, flanked by Kagari and Tabitha. The redhead felt a rush of embarrassment and he quickly looked back down at Courtney. "I-I... I'm fine."
Courtney looked up into Matsubusa's eyes, her gaze scrutinizing. "He didn't force himself on you?"
Matsubusa's eyes widened as crimson flooded his face. "What!? N-no!" At the critical stares he got, the redhead reached up to point at his Houndoom. "D-Dante would've bit it off!"
Dante nodded sharply with a bark that licked his teeth with vibrant red flames.
Aogiri knelt down beside Matsubusa and gently took hold of the other man's hand before kissing the back of it. "I might be an asshole kidnapping pirate, but I'm also a gentleman."
Matsubusa paused at that before his blush took an even deeper shade of red. He scowled up at Aogiri, though he didn't jerk back his hand. "Y-you shameless-!"
Courtney didn't even look at Aogiri as she shoved his face back. "You can flirt after we hear everything that happened from Matsubusa."
Matsubusa jerked before he sat up, sharply. "W-w-w-we're not flirting!"
Courtney cocked an eyebrow at Matsubusa. "I meant just Aogiri."
Homura crossed his arms as he arched an eyebrow, regarding the redhead's equally crimson face.
Tabitha smiled a little. "Well, if Matsubusa is in this good of a mood, then it must not have been as bad as we feared."
Matsubusa paused as he realized what he had done and swiftly reached up to grab Courtney's shoulders, pushing her back. "I-I didn't-! Nothing happened!"
"It better not have," Homura said as he watched Matsubusa's face closely. It was fairly obvious something had happened, but he was withholding comment until he could figure out what.
Matsubusa trembled as his face burned, and he glared at his personal assistant. "Y-you come all this way just to judge me!?"
"Nothing happened, so what's to judge?" Homura asked, his voice deceptively light.
Matsubusa paused at that, then grimaced. "A-absolutely nothing, that's what."
"We came all this way because we were going crazy worrying about you," Courtney said.
Matsubusa blinked before he returned his attention back to Courtney, and his expression softened again. "...I... didn't intend..."
"Of course not, honey," Kagari said, soothingly. "No one intends to be kidnapped."
Courtney jabbed her finger at Aogiri's nose. "That's this asshole's fault."
Aogiri jerked back and rubbed his nose. "Guilty as charged."
"...Despite what they're saying, they don't seem all that angry," Izumi murmured as she watched the scene from the doorway, her hands on her hips.
Shelly leaned against the wall, arms folded in front of her with one leg cocked. "It looks like about as serious as we get with our drinking games."
Matt inched his way over to the ladies and out of the way of the reunion. "Only with less puking. "
"That's good, right?" Ushio asked as he scratched the back of his head.
"No one's getting shot, so I'd say so," Shelly said with a wry grin.
It took a while for Matsubusa to recount the story of what happened, particularly the parts where he was drunk, sick, or both. Aogiri helpfully filled in the gaps with another Team Aqua admin adding in a detail or two, much to Matsubusa's chagrin. It was only fortunate for him that the rest of Aogiri's crew had surprisingly kept a large distance between themselves and the mess hall, as he had more than enough of Team Aqua's grunts without any of them adding in their two cents.
Homura leaned back in his chair, his expression fierce. He felt a whirlwind of emotions, though primarily anger at what Matsubusa had gone through. "I should never have let you go to Kanto by yourself."
"To be fair, we would've gone after Masky in Hoenn too," Aogiri said slyly as he slid his gaze towards Matsubusa.
Homura turned to give Aogiri a withering glare.
Matsubusa blushed deeply as he avoided looking at Aogiri. "I-It was... just a bizarre situation, that's all."
Aogiri reached out to stroke Matsubusa's hand. "You say that like we'd settle for being normal."
Matsubusa glanced down at Aogiri's hand, his blush still firmly present on his face. "...I suppose that'd be asking for too much."
"You're damn right," Aogiri murmured as he leaned in to steal a kiss from Matsubusa's lips.
Matsubusa jumped, startled. He quickly reached up to push Aogiri back, his expression flustered. "B-bastard! N-not in front of-!"
"But it's fine in private?" Courtney asked, her neutral tone and expression making it hard to tell if she approved or not.
Matsubusa whipped about to stare at Courtney, his eyes wide. "E-eh? I... ah..."
Aogiri squeezed Matsubusa's hand, grinning. "Don't worry, I'm making keeping myself in check. Masky sets the speed in this relationship."
Matsubusa glanced at Aogiri out of the corner of his eyes, then glanced to see Homura staring hard at him. He quivered, then quickly looked away, staring at the floor. "I-it could hardly be called a... a... I don't... you're reading in to this too far!"
Shelly prodded Homura's cheek as she leaned in closer to him. "Don't give him too hard a time now. Aogiri has been bending over backward trying to make up for being an ass to Matsubusa, so he could talk him into pretty much anything at this point."
"It's true," Aogiri said with a grin.
Homura glanced at Shelly. "Your captain isn't the one I'm worried about being talked in to anything."
A loud outburst from the Pokémon caused all the assembled humans to stop, turning to where their assorted Pokémon had gathered. Leviathan was the source of the outburst, making excited noises to Kappa, who simply nodded his head. Typhoon had a weird look on his face, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, while Ryuko and Goliath turned to stare at each other. Of the Magma Pokémon, Burst had what appeared to be a blush on her face while Blaze gawked. Kagari's Ninetails, Miko, rolled her eyes, while Dante sported an annoyed look as he glowered at the Blastoise. The only one who didn't appear even mildly affected was Courtney's Chandelure, Willow, as she drifted overhead with a blank expression.
Aogiri blinked, startled, before cocking his head slightly. "Sounds like the Pokémon are having fun."
Matsubusa eyed the Pokémon, in particular Kappa and Dante. His suspicions ran rampant as he tensed, his jaw clenching. "...Yes, that's all it is."
Leviathan's tail wagged as she grinned, positively radiating happiness. She turned to Aogiri, her tail moving even faster as she snapped her jaws together.
Aogiri raised his eyebrows. "You seem happy. What's up?"
The Feraligatr turned to smile at Matsubusa, wiggling her brow.
Matsubusa bristled before he stood up sharply, slamming his hands on the table. "A-anyway, you should be talking to me, not your Pokémon! It's rude to ignore your guests!"
Aogiri started at the outburst, but was quick to recover, his smile turning sly as he took both of Matsubusa's hands in his. "You're absolutely right, Masky. I should be focusing entirely on you and what I can do to make you feel amazing."
Matsubusa blushed darkly. While mortifying, it was better that the attention be taken away from Leviathan and on to him - on the off chance that Kappa did do what the redhead suspected he did. "...T-that's right. You should absolutely be talking to me, and not... anything else!"
Aogiri leaned in closer to Matsubusa, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Oh, I can do a lot more than just talk to you if you really want all of my attention."
Matsubusa's eyebrows shot straight up as he leaned back slightly. "E-eh? Um..."
Suddenly, Leviathan spooned Matsubusa from behind, interrupting Aogiri. The Feraligatr purred deep in her throat as she flopped her chin down on top of the man's head, her grin impossibly wide.
Matsubusa yelped as he tensed, his eyes going wide. "W-w-w-what-!?"
Aogiri straightened up and snickered at Leviathan's antics. "Can't wait, huh? Whatever it is must be huge."
Leviathan wiggled her brow at Aogiri as she rumbled.
Matsubusa yelped before he reached up, trying to push Leviathan's head off his own as he blustered. "E-enough! I didn't... I didn't give you permission to come near me!"
Leviathan's head didn't move in the slightest, the redhead's efforts in vain. Instead, she reached down to point at Matsubusa meaningfully before she opened her jaws repeatedly, pantomiming speech.
"Oooh, you've got some juicy info about Masky?" Aogiri asked in a light and merry tone. "Ooh, girlfriend, dish!"
"No!" Matsubusa snapped as he reached up to grab Leviathan's snout, trying to hold it shut.
"...What is this nonsense?" Homura asked, arching an eyebrow. "Enough screwing around."
"No screwing going on around here," Aogiri said with a grin. "Right, Masky?"
"Shut up shut up shut up!" Matsubusa shrieked, his face a deep shade of crimson as he held Leviathan's jaw shut. "I forbid it!"
Leviathan didn't fight against Matsubusa's grip. While she could certainly open her mouth if she wanted, she instead simply wiggled her brow before she pointed at Matsubusa, then moved her clawed hand in a pantomime of talking, then pointed at Aogiri.
"Oooh, Masky was talking about me while I was away?" Aogiri teased as he looked at Matsubusa's flustered face.
"Lies! She's lying!" Matsubusa said, glaring at Aogiri. "It's all lies!"
Shelly leaned against Homura and mock-whispered in his ear. "He does realize that by denying it so much he might as well be shouting it's the truth, right?"
Homura glanced at Shelly, his expression long-suffering. "Yes, but he can't stop himself."
"It's kind of his thing," Tabitha said with a shrug.
"Though, I must admit I don't see what the issue is," Kagari said as she arched an eyebrow.
"Matsubusa always talks about Aogiri," Courtney said.
"I do not! Shut up!" Matsubusa snapped, growing increasingly flustered as he tugged on Leviathan's snout, squirming. "Stop talking about this!"
Aogiri stroked Matsubusa's chin softly. "Don't worry, beautiful. There's nothing you could say about me that could turn me off you."
Leviathan pushed down on Matsubusa's head so that the man was forced to duck down with a yelp, so that she could look at Aogiri eye-to-eye. She smirked as she lifted her arm and began to pantomime. The gesture was immediately recognizable, a smooth jerking motion with her hand cupped in a circle.
Aogiri stared in disbelief at the gesture for a long moment before he began beaming from ear to ear. "You don't say."
Matt choked on his soda. "That isn't what I think it is, is it?"
Homura's eyes widened as he stared at Leviathan, more specifically at her gesture. He was struck completely mute, unable to speak.
Izumi's face turned a light shade of red as she slapped her forehead. "Oh really..."
"What? What's she saying!? What-?" Matsubusa demanded, his panic growing as he took in the reactions around him. He looked up sharply just in time to see the gesture and his jaw dropped. He let out a cry, his words strangled together to form an incoherent scream that was implied to be a protest, as he whirled around and shoved harshly at the Feraligatr's chest.
"O-oh my," Kagari said as she covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggle.
"W-wait, he... you sayin' he jerked one off!?" Ushio demanded, turning to Kappa for confirmation. His jaw dropped as the Blastoise nodded.
Matsubusa let out another shriek as he shook his head, his high-pitched voice trying to utter a denial that was lost in his mortification.
"Whelp, that was something I could've gone without hearing," Shelly said with a rueful chuckle. "At least we know now that Masky is as hot for Aogiri as he is for him."
Tabitha's face turned rather pink as he looked away and coughed into his hand.
"It's not a big deal," Courtney said. "Everybody masturbates."
Aogiri leaned in close to Matsubusa, thrilled beyond words. "So... you went and had fun without me while I had to deal with blue balls then fried balls? Now I really feel like I missed out."
Matsubusa felt a shiver run up his spine as he whipped about to gape at Aogiri, like a deer in headlights. He stayed that way for several moments before he let out another scream of protest, striking at Aogiri's chest swiftly before he whirled on his heels and darted for the doorway as quickly as he could.
Aogiri was knocked off balance, but only for a moment. Within seconds, he was on his feet and chasing after Matsubusa, laughing all the way. "Yo, Masky, wait up!"
Matsubusa did no such thing, instead racing down the hallway as quickly as his feet could carry him. With surprising speed from sheer embarrassment, he made it past the grunts who loitered in the area before they could even realize what was happening. Though, none tried particularly hard to pursue, instead moving out of the way. Soon enough, he found his way back to Aogiri's room and whipped about to try and slam the door shut.
Unfortunately for him, Aogiri was in peak physical condition and was able to catch the door just before it could close all the way. "You seem upset. Want to talk about it?"
Matsubusa braced himself against the door, trying to push it closed. The fact that it felt like he was shoving against a rock didn't deter him in the slightest. "Bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard bastard!"
Aogiri waited until Matsubusa paused for breath before he spoke again, trying his best to minimize the mirth in his voice. "Matsubusa, I'm not going to make fun of you. Hell, I told you all about how I wanked off to thoughts of you all the time. Just last night I had to dash off in the middle of our make out session, remember?"
Matsubusa trembled as he snapped his eyes shut, pressing up against the door as he quivered. "That's different!"
"How about this?" Aogiri asked lightly. "How about you let me in and explain it to me why it's different? Because from where I'm standing, I'm seeing this as a great thing. I'm thrilled that you think I'm sexy!"
Matsubusa kept his eyes closed as he moved to rest his forehead against the door. He was completely overcome by embarrassment and shame, and it was hard to decide what to listen to - his emotions or Aogiri. "I-I...!"
Aogiri slipped a hand into the crack between the door and the frame so that he could place his hand on Matsubusa's shoulder, squeezing gently. "I promise, I won't take this as an excuse to toss you onto the bed and demand we have sex right this second."
Matsubusa opened his eyes to turn and look at Aogiri's hand. After a moment, he tentatively reached over to rest his hand overtop it, relaxing his stance against the door. It admittedly wouldn't have done much good against Aogiri as the pirate kept the door from being fully closed with little effort, but the symbolism was still there.
Aogiri stroked Matsubusa's palm with his thumb as he held the Team Magma leader's hand in his gently. "I told you before, remember? The idea is for both of us to have fun."
Matsubusa trembled slightly, reaching up his free hand to grip at the collar of his changshan. "...I know."
"Mind if I come in?" Aogiri asked softly. "I promise I won't do anything you're not comfortable doing right now."
Matsubusa was silent for a moment before he grunted. "...F-fine. If it's that important to you."
Aogiri smiled and pushed the door open lightly, waiting for Matsubusa to let him enter the room before slipping inside and closing the door behind him.
Matsubusa stood awkwardly in front of Aogiri, fidgeting with the collar of his changshan as he stared down at the floor. It was much safer than the pirate's face.
Aogiri made a show of locking the door. "There. Now we won't get interrupted by anyone. It's just you and me and a nice soft bed to cuddle on."
Matsubusa slowly lifted his eyes to look at Aogiri, his face still red. He jerked on his collar anxiously, his heart beginning to thunder in his chest.
Aogiri's gaze softened at the vulnerable expression Matsubusa wore, and he pulled the redhead into his warm embrace. "And when I say cuddle, I mean cuddle. No euphemisms there, I swear."
Matsubusa hesitated before he relented, relaxing in to Aogiri's arms. He reached up to touch Aogiri's chest, though his other hand was still firmly on his collar. "...Your Pokémon's a blabbermouth."
Aogiri couldn't help but chuckle. "True that. Levi can never keep any good news to herself, especially since she knows I've been burning for you for a long, long time now."
Matsubusa grunted as he leaned in to Aogiri's embrace. "She just wanted to tease me."
"Can't deny that was probably a bonus," Aogiri said slyly as he stroked Matsubusa's back. "You're so cute that it's hard not to tease you a little."
Matsubusa closed his eyes as he buried his face in Aogiri's chest. "...Idiot..."
"Let's just relax in here for a while," Aogiri said, sliding his hand up into the other man's soft red hair to play with it. "No one's going to give you a hard time in here." He paused then chuckled a moment. "Though I can't promise you won't make me hard. You turn me on so damn easy, after all."
Matsubusa felt his heart skip a beat and he pressed his face more firmly in to Aogiri's pectorals, thankful that it blocked his face as he could only imagine the blush that was there. "I-is there anything that won't!?"
Aogiri hummed, pretending to mull the question over. "Nope! Sorry, but you're too damn sexy for me to keep my torpedo under control. We'll just have to live with me occasionally excusing myself to let it explode in private so we can get back to this." He slipped his arms around Matsubusa again and gently squeezed the leader of Team Magma close to his body.
Matsubusa felt a swelling of pleasure, both at the pirate's words and at the way he held him close. However, the feeling was completely shattered when it fully dawned on him what the pirate had said. Looking up sharply, the redhead glared at Aogiri. "Y-you! You used that word again!"
Aogiri burst out laughing, unable to help himself. "Can I help it if I love your pet name for my favorite part? If you want to give it some more, I'd love to hear them."
"N-no! Absolutely not!" Matsubusa protested, with a shake of his head. "You'd just use them!"
Aogiri slid a finger along the back of Matsubusa's neck. "That's the idea."
Matsubusa shivered at the touch, his breathing hitching. "Y-y-you-!"
"I have a feeling not using words to talk about my torpedo would be worse," Aogiri chuckled. "Seeing as how that pantomime Levi did didn't go over so well."
Matsubusa grimaced. "...W-why talk about it at all!?"
"Because it happens," Aogiri said, his expression softening. "We guys can't help when we get hard after all, especially because we get each other hot and bothered, and it's not a bad thing to get some relief. Freezing it down isn't anywhere near as fun as an orgasm, you know?"
"I-it... it never happened to me before I met you!" Matsubusa snapped, his expression flustered. "I-it's your fault!"
Aogiri felt his heart swell with triumph and pride. "Hey, I'll happily take all the blame for something as fantastic as that."
Matsubusa glowered at the pirate, though it was far more embarrassment than anger. "Y-you would!"
Aogiri leaned down to kiss each of those flushed cheeks. "Yup~! I can't tell you how thrilled I am that I turn you on as much as you do to me."
Matsubusa's breathing hitched at the kiss before he furrowed his brow. "...Why?"
Aogiri chuckled, which softly tickled against Matsubusa's skin. "Well, there's your looks, but more than that I love that clever mind of yours, that tendency you have to get flustered, and just overall the way you make me feel so alive."
Matsubusa moved his hands to grip the front of Aogiri's wetsuit, trembling slightly. "...You're so ridiculous... and baffling..."
"That's love, baby," Aogiri said before moving in for a kiss.
Matsubusa made a soft noise in to the kiss, his eyes drifting closed. He savored the warmth that flooded in to his body, mingling with the pirate's taste. It removed any lingering traces of tension in him, allowing him to relax in the pirate's grip.
Aogiri lost himself in the kiss, letting it linger until he was left breathless and panting. He smiled in satisfaction at the dazed look on Matsubusa's face and the way that the redhead needed to catch his breath too. "And there's also those looks you give me like right now."
Matsubusa blinked blurrily as he panted, clinging to Aogiri tightly. "Hnn?"
Aogiri smiled as he brushed back Matsubusa's bangs. "You just look so happy and content, and it's because of me. That's amazing."
Matsubusa paused at the contact before his blush returned, full force. "...W-well, I suppose I... I'm not... particularly unhappy."
"You damn right," Aogiri chuckled. "That's why I'm going to tell the others to cool it with the sexual harassment if your crew hasn't already."
Matsubusa stared at Aogiri, his eyes becoming impossibly wide as images of unwanted indecency flooded his mind. "S-s-s-s-sexual harass-!?"
Aogiri immediately realized his mistake and held up a hand. "Wait, no, no, I didn't mean it the way you're probably thinking. My crew would never lay a hand on you. I just mean that making jokes about sex or other sex-related cracks at them when they're not cool with it is sexual harassment. It's why we don't make any about Matt since he's way uncomfortable with sex."
Matsubusa blinked before he furrowed his brow. "...That would explain a few things." Admittedly, he wasn't particularly comfortable with sex, either. In the end, it had resulted in a rather awkward conversation that neither of them wanted to experience again.
Aogiri slowly raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Care to elaborate?"
Matsubusa quickly looked away, fidgeting with the front of Aogiri's wetsuit. "Not in the least."
Aogiri stifled a snicker behind his hand. "Had a feeling. I doubt Matt will fill me in either. Guess it'll just have to remain a mystery."
"Yes, it will," Matsubusa said firmly.
Aogiri lightly poked Matsubusa's nose. "Ohh, man of mystery, then maybe I shouldn't tell you about what I've got planned for this evening and leave it a big surprise."
Matsubusa squeaked and reached up to cover his nose, then shot Aogiri a suspicious stare. "What? ...What're you talking about!? I didn't approve of a surprise!"
"Surprises usually don't get approval," Aogiri teased.
"They do when I'm involved!" Matsubusa huffed.
Leaning back, Aogiri let out a hum. "I don't know..."
"I forbid it!" Matsubusa snapped as he yanked sharply on Aogiri's wetsuit.
Aogiri looked down at Matsubusa's hands, unable to keep a straight face. "Okay, okay, since it's so important for you to hear spoilers, I guess I'll go ahead and tell you about it."
"So tell me!" Matsubusa demanded as he tugged again.
Chuckling, Aogiri placed a peck on Matsubusa's forehead. "My crew is planning on throwing a big bonfire bash for you and your crew tonight. There's going to be music, booze, dancing, games, and whatever else we can think of to have a blast."
Matsubusa paused, then furrowed his brow. "A... bonfire? For us?"
Aogiri nodded with a huge smile plastered across his face. "Yup! Everyone's invited." He paused for a moment then winked. "Well, except the cops of course."
"E-everyone?" Matsubusa repeated before panic flooded his face. "W-who's everyone!?"
"Team Aqua and Team Magma of course," Aogiri chuckled. "Who else?"
Matsubusa hesitated. The idea was alarming, but he couldn't imagine Homura allowing such a thing to happen. There was no way they'd be able to involve the grunts of Team Magma, especially given that they were stuck in their civilian forms. "...My admins, you mean."
"We could fly in the rest of your team if you want," Aogiri said. "But I got the vibe that you weren't so close with them as you are with your admins."
Matsubusa arched an eyebrow. "Considering they've never seen my face, I would agree with that assessment."
Aogiri rubbed his chin as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Yeah, the less people who know a secret identity the better..." Sheepishness crept into his expression. "I guess I should've tried harder not to make it so obvious that I was going after you because I'm absolutely crazy for you. I only told my admins what I figured out, but some of my crew are bound to put two and two together."
Matsubusa jerked at that, his face turning dark red. He bristled as he tugged sharply on Aogiri's wetsuit. "O-or they'll think you're a philanderer!"
"Or that," Aogiri said with a shrug. "I'm sure at least a few of them think I just saw you on TV, went DAMN, and lunged after you since I couldn't seduce 'Masky' or whatever."
Matsubusa quivered as he tugged harshly on Aogiri's wetsuit. "I-I wasn't seduced!"
Aogiri ran his hands along Matsubusa's taut knuckles. "My point exactly."
Matsubusa stopped and looked down at Aogiri's hands, then quickly back up at Aogiri's face. His hands tightened, though they didn't release the pirate's wetsuit. "...A-anyway, that's... this is fine, isn't it!?"
Aogiri bent down to steal a kiss from Matsubusa's lips. "Better than fine."
Matsubusa squeaked at the kiss before he began to tug anxiously at Aogiri's clothes, unthinkingly. "J-just so long as you don't... start regretting... b-because you have no business...!"
Aogiri stroked his fingers across one of Matsubusa's burning cheeks, his expression fond. "It doesn't matter if we have sex tonight, tomorrow, or never; we can still make love by just being together like this."
Matsubusa felt a shiver run up his spine as his heart raced in his chest. His face was impossibly red, to the point at he felt like he might faint. "I-i-idiot! Y-you... i-i-idiot!"
Laughing, Aogiri leaned in to press their foreheads together and gazed deeply into Matsubusa's vibrant crimson eyes. "A fool for love actually, and this fool is all yours."
Matsubusa went silent as he looked at Aogiri. After several long moments, his expression softened. "...You better not forget you said that."
Aogiri slid his arms around Matsubusa's waist and enjoyed how the warmth of their bodies mingled together. "I won't, believe me. I've never felt anything for anyone like I have you, Matsubusa."
Matsubusa closed his eyes as he rested his head against Aogiri's chest, feeling his strength and warmth seep in to the redhead's body. "...Good. It'd be... unfair if you had."
Aogiri smiled as he caught the implication. "I love you too, Masky."