Author's Note: Please be advised that this chapter has been heavily censored in order to fit within this site's rating guidelines, with the respective areas designated by a #. For the full chapter and the mature content within, please see either our Tumblr DragonandTiger or our Archive of Our Own accounts as users Mouko or Yuki. Due to the censoring of outside links, we unfortunately cannot provide them directly. We apologize for the inconvenience.
By the time the party wound down, it was closer to dawn than midnight, which left many people quite fatigued as they retired for the night. Aogiri, to Matsubusa's amazement, still had enough energy to carry the leader of Team Magma to his bedroom while humming a jaunty tune from one of the many songs played at the party.
Matsubusa slouched in Aogiri's arms, resigned to his fate, as his arms dangled downward. "Are you even capable of feeling tired?"
Aogiri bent down to nuzzle his nose against Matsubusa's. "Not when it comes to spending time with you."
Matsubusa blushed darkly as his heart fluttered in his chest. "Y-you... you just say that crap so easily...!"
Aogiri entered his bedroom, pausing only to kick the door closed behind them, then sauntered towards the bed. "And it's all true, Masky babe."
Matsubusa made a noise in the back of his throat as he reached up to cover his face. "A-and what's with carrying me like this?! I'm not... s-some blushing bride!"
Aogiri chuckled and made a show of laying Matsubusa onto the bed. "Nope, you're a blushing Masky."
Matsubusa huffed as he sat on the soft bed, his face still a deep shade of crimson as he glared at Aogiri. "A-and you're... an idiot!"
Aogiri leaned over Matsubusa as he slid onto the sheets beside the redhead until their hips touched, his arms fencing Matsubusa in against the bed. "An idiot who's dumbstruck with love over you."
Matsubusa's eyes widened as he leaned back, then squeaked as he fell backwards against the bed. He hesitated, then gripped the sheets tightly. "...Which makes you even more of an idiot..."
Aogiri brushed his lips against Matsubusa's before flashing his former rival a grin. "And what does that make you?"
Matsubusa's breathing hitched at the light kiss, and he felt warmth pooling in his stomach before spreading to the rest of his body. "...Just as much an idiot as you..."
Aogiri practically melted at those words, his eyes softening with affection before he moved in for another kiss. "Happy to hear it," he murmured against Matsubusa's lips.
Matsubusa shivered, Aogiri's lips ticklish against his own. His hands moved instinctively to grasp at the pirate's shirt, holding it tightly. "Aogiri..."
"Matsubusa...," Aogiri whispered, the word coming out like a sigh. He pressed close to Matsubusa, but made sure to keep the bulk of his weight off the lithe man beneath him so as not to make the redhead uncomfortable. He wanted to savor the feeling of Matsubusa in his arms, the tender warmth the Team Magma leader radiated that gently mingled with his.
Matsubusa felt his heart flutter at the way the pirate said his name, and looked at Aogiri's face to see his blissful expression. The very idea that he had such an effect on Aogiri was thrilling, it made him feel important to the leader of Team Aqua. He rather liked feeling important - he liked feeling like someone actually cared whether he lived or died. It made him feel wanted and desirable.
But would Aogiri still desire him when he was gone?
Such a thought sent chills through Matsubusa's body, and his hands moved to grip the pirate's shirt tightly. Even if Aogiri said they'd make it work, distance still had its ways in ruining things. He had enough experience to know how expendable people tended to find him, with only the most stubborn willing to stay by his side.
Matsubusa's hands shook as he tugged on Aogiri's shirt, his expression becoming uneasy. "I..."
Aogiri could see the anxiety in Matsubusa's eyes and the subtle nervous quake in the Team Magma leader's normally confident voice. Gently, the leader of Team Aqua kissed Matsubusa's cheek and rubbed the redhead's shoulders. "It's okay. You might be making me hard, but I won't be pushing you to polish my torpedo like earlier if you're not in the mood. I'm having tons of fun just holding you like this and making out."
Matsubusa hesitated at that before he looked away. "...And if I don't, will you still...?"
Aogiri blinked, confused for a moment, before he chuckled softly and placed a kiss on Matsubusa's cheek. "I love you, Matsubusa. Being together with you like this is what I want more than anything. Sex might be an awesome bonus, but you are the grand prize."
"...But will I be such a prize when I'm out of reach?" Matsubusa asked, his voice sullen.
"Oh, so that's it," Aogiri said. "You think just because you're going home tomorrow that I'm going to stop chasing you since I've already caught you once." He let out a chuckle as his grin turned sly. "Masky, I've been chasing after that hot ass of yours for years, and I don't intend to stop any time soon."
Matsubusa looked at Aogiri's shirt as he fidgeted, tugging at it anxiously. "...Is that so."
Aogiri kissed Matsubusa's forehead. "We'll make it work. I'll sneak over to your place when the cops aren't looking, and whenever you go out with that mask on, you can take a detour to come see me if me and my team don't come to you first."
Matsubusa closed his eyes as he gripped Aogiri's shirt tightly, pulling him closer unthinkingly. "...So business as usual, then... with you being a complete nuisance as always..."
Aogiri took that as a sign to mark a trail of kisses along Matsubusa's jaw line. "You better believe it, baby. I have no intention of ever leaving you alone."
Matsubusa shivered, his breathing hitching as his heart began to thunder in his chest. Aogiri's kisses left a hot trail against his skin that lingered even after the lips had moved on. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white at how tightly he held the pirate's shirt. "I-is that supposed to make me happy?"
"If it doesn't, just give me time," Aogiri said in a near husky purr before playfully nipping Matsubusa's chin. "I'll find out everything that makes you happy, sooner or later."
Matsubusa shivered as he tilted his head back, exposing more of his neck and throat to the pirate. "W-what makes you think I'd tell you...?"
Aogiri took his time to run his tongue along Matsubusa's now exposed throat before answering. "What you did just now told me plenty."
"I-it t-told you nothing-!" Matsubusa gasped out as he tilted his head further back, giving Aogiri full access to his throat as he snapped his eyes shut.
Aogiri kissed and lightly sucked on Matsubusa's skin with a husky growl."Nah, it told me you love it when I attack your neck with kisses."
"I-I... a-ahn...!" Matsubusa gasped, his fingers fanning as he pressed his palms against Aogiri's chest.
Aogiri chuckled, which created a ticklish sensation against Matsubusa's skin. "See?" He slid his hands along the redhead's shoulders. "You're telling me what you love loud and clear."
Matsubusa's breathing hitched as he squirmed beneath Aogiri, his skin becoming flushed. "I-it said n-nothing... nothing of the sort...!"
A quiet moan escaped Aogiri as he enjoyed the way Matsubusa writhed against him. "Oh yeah... this cute body of yours is saying, yes, yes, give me more kisses. How can I say no to that?" He brushed his lips along Matsubusa's chin for emphasis, working his way up to the other man's flushed cheeks.
"B-bastard...!" Matsubusa's voice came out as a soft whine as he clung tightly to Aogiri. He felt his body growing impossibly hot, magma flowing through his veins.
"And those cute noises you're making?" Aogiri chuckled as he moved to whisper in Matsubusa's ear. "Damn. How can I resist?"
Matsubusa shivered before he yanked on Aogiri's shirt tightly. "Y-you aren't even trying...!"
Aogiri leaned back, but with Matsubusa tugging so firmly on his shirt, he couldn't go further than to look at the Team Magma leader eye-to-eye. "Do you want me to try?"
Matsubusa paused at that, his eyes opening wide. He was silent as he considered the question for several moments before he anxiously furrowed his brow. "...Do you... want to?"
Aogiri placed a kiss on Matsubusa's nose. "I'm up for anything and everything you are." He paused for a moment before his expression turned wry. "Well, maybe not hardcore BDSM or stuff like that. Can't say I'm a big fan of dishing out pain unless it's to an evil bastard that deserves it."
Matsubusa blinked slowly before he arched an eyebrow. "...Keep my whip out of it."
Aogiri blinked before he burst out laughing at Matsubusa's expression. "Oh good. I was hoping you weren't interested in using that whip on me, or any other painful toy you carry around with you to dish out justice."
Matsubusa began to scowl, despite his blushing cheeks. "...I might consider it, if it'll stop you from talking about such nonsense!"
Aogiri smiled and brought a couple of fingers to the corner of his mouth, closing his lips as he drew a line across them while making a zipping sound.
Matsubusa rolled his eyes before he let out a heavy sigh. "Honestly..."
Aogiri stole a kiss from Matsubusa before grinning again. "Hey, it's a good thing to find out where our boundaries are so we don't make each other uncomfortable."
"Or you're just teasing me again," Matsubusa murmured, sourly.
"A little," Aogiri admitted before kissing Matsubusa's pouty lips. "But I'm serious about the boundaries thing. I want our time together to be nothing short of amazing."
Matsubusa's expression softened, and his eyes drifted down to his hands. He still lightly held the pirate's shirt, his fingers not yet ready to release the clothes from his grip.
Aogiri ran his fingers through Matsubusa's hair as he looked fondly into the other man's vibrant red eyes. "Speaking of which, I better take care of this armed torpedo before it goes off or kills me with blue ball bombing and ruins our fun."
Matsubusa jerked as his eyes widened, before both his scowl and his blush returned in full force. "D-don't call it that-!"
Aogiri kissed Matsubusa's forehead before he started to sit up. "I'll be right back."
Matsubusa's grip became a vice, grasping Aogiri's shirt tightly so that the pirate jerked against it as he stood up.
Aogiri paused when it was obvious Matsubusa wasn't about to let go and leaned in with a wry smile. "Not ready to let me go yet, huh?"
Matsubusa hesitated, his expression uncertain even as his grip remained strong. "I... Aogiri..."
Aogiri took note of the uncertainty and lowered himself to the bed so that he could pull Matsubusa close to him. "That's fine," he said gently, rubbing the other man's back. "I can hold off a little longer so I can hold you longer."
Matsubusa went quiet as he felt Aogiri close against his body, his heart pounding in his chest. His emotions were a whirlwind, and not simply because of what he had been through the past few days. It was admittedly very overwhelming, to suddenly find himself so close to the man that had driven him crazy for years. It felt like a dream, far too surreal to be real. And yet, he absolutely couldn't deny how real the other man's body felt against his own.
The redhead could feel his temperature rising, and feelings he didn't entirely understand bubbling through him. And among those complicated feelings was the ever growing anxiety towards his departure in the morning. It made no sense for him to be upset about such a thing, as it was precisely what he had wanted barely a day or so prior. And yet being faced with that reality now, he felt only unhappiness and an overwhelming need to feel more of Aogiri's affection - and anything else he had to offer.
Matsubusa closed his eyes as his hands trembled, trying to will his emotions under control. None of it made sense, but then it never did make sense when Aogiri was involved. All he knew was that the pirate had a way in getting past his defenses and making him feel. And as of that moment, all he wanted to do was feel.
After several long moments of silence, Matsubusa finally opened his eyes and tentatively looked up at the pirate's face. "...Aogiri...?"
"Yeah?" Aogiri asked softly, sensing the seriousness in the air.
Matsubusa opened his mouth, but the words couldn't seem to come out. He snapped his jaw shut with an audible click and fidgeted, toying with Aogiri's shirt. He really couldn't believe he was considering this, that he was actually tempted to even approach the subject. Logically, he should have backed off. And yet, he couldn't.
The redhead lapsed in to silence again, and he could feel Aogiri watching him closely. The pirate was waiting to see what he'd do, what he wanted to say. Aogiri was surprisingly perceptive, for a complete idiot. And if that was the case, perhaps words didn't even need to be said - as it certainly seemed like Matsubusa couldn't utter them.
With that in mind, Matsubusa turned his eyes to look at Aogiri again. He felt his face begin to burn even as he tentatively drew back one of his hands, releasing Aogiri's shirt to reach up and unbutton the top button of his changshan.
Aogiri's eyebrows shot up as Matsubusa started to strip. It was just a single button removed, but the significance was unmistakable. He kissed the trembling hand that lay over the changshan, his eyes never leaving Matsubusa. "We'll go as far as you want, love, and stop whenever you need to. All we're doing is enjoying each other, so I'm not going to be upset if you get too overwhelmed and change your mind at any time."
Matsubusa felt a wave of both relief and irritation that Aogiri had caught his meaning without words. Part of him had hoped Aogiri wouldn't, so that he could retreat from the situation with his pride intact. But that part was much smaller than the rest of him, which begged him to at least try and see what the pirate had to offer. He wanted to feel Aogiri's affection, his so called love, and see how real it was. Quietly, the redhead nodded.
Aogiri brushed his lips against Matsubusa's chin before gazing deeply into the other man's vibrant red eyes. "Since you have trouble speaking up, how about I tell you what I'm going to do, and you nod or shake your head depending on if you want to do it or not? That way, you don't have to say anything, and you don't have to be scared that you can't."
Matsubusa hesitated before he tentatively nodded. He clenched his jaw tight instinctively, his face the same color as his hair. It was embarrassing to admit that he couldn't speak, that the words refused to come, but he hoped that Aogiri at least gave him credit for finding a way to continue onward in spite of that.
Aogiri's expression softened and he brushed his lips against Matsubusa's in a tender kiss before ruffling the other man's hair. "Hey, no need to tense up. I promise, all we're doing is what we enjoy. Just make sure to let me know what you don't, and I'll put a stop to it like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis.
Matsubusa grimaced before he reached up to smooth out his hair. He slowly brushed back his red locks as he looked at Aogiri through the tussled bangs. "...I'm going to hold you to that."
"Good," Aogiri murmured as he stole a quick kiss from Matsubusa. "For starters, how about I undo a few more of those buttons?"
Matsubusa made a soft noise in to the kiss, then huffed. "...Don't break them."
Aogiri chuckled as he leaned back just enough to get a good look the changshan and Matsubusa's face as he worked at undoing the buttons one by one. "Don't worry, I'll be reeeeal gentle..."
Matsubusa shivered as he glanced downward, watching Aogiri's fingers as they slowly unbuttoned his changshan. At the time, he thought it was a safer option than Aogiri's face, but seeing his clothes come undone proved to be the far more dangerous option. "...Ah."
"Don't worry," Aogiri murmured after seeing Matsubusa's expression. "Right now all I'm doing is just taking this off. My clothes will come next."
Matsubusa's eyes flickered up to Aogiri's face before going back to the pirate's hands as they undid his changshan, all the way down to his stomach. He couldn't find the words, and instead simply nodded his understanding.
Once Aogiri finished unfastening the changshan, he forced himself to resist the temptation to kiss that pale exposed chest before him and straightened up. He grinned wickedly as he made a show of slowly unbuttoning his own shirt, taking time to caress his muscles to draw Matsubusa's gaze to them. The way the other man's eyes widened at the sight of his firm flesh did not disappoint him.
Matsubusa reached up to grasp at his collar out of habit, only to be startled when he touched flesh instead. He blinked, then blushed ever darker as he stared at the pirate in front of him. "A-ah..."
Aogiri let his shirt slip off one shoulder, the front hanging wide open, as he took Matsubusa's hand in his and kissed the back of it, his eyes never leaving the redhead's.
Matsubusa's hand grasped at Aogiri's own as the redhead's breathing hitched. "A-Aogiri..."
"Like what you see?" Aogiri asked in a sultry tone as he slid his shirt down both his arms.
Matsubusa blinked before he looked away, with a flustered scowl. "I-it's... passable...!"
Aogiri chuckled and leaned in to kiss those pouty lips. "Let's see if we can make it even more enticing when I get the rest of this off..." He hooked his thumbs into his pants, tugging at them in a tantalizing manner.
Matsubusa jerked about to stare, his eyes wide. Admittedly, he knew that part was going to happen, since it'd be rather hard to progress without doing it. However, the prospect of it suddenly looming in his face was still a bit startling. "A-ah-!"
Slowly, Aogiri slid his pants down, revealing like before that he had opted out of wearing underwear, as well as the fact that he sported a rock hard erection.
Matsubusa gave a start as he gaped at Aogiri, his eyes wide. Now that he had neither nothing nor water to obstruct his view, he was left stunned by the sight. "B-by Arceus... it really is a torpedo-" The redhead immediately jerked and clasped both hands over his mouth, looking up sharply in horror at what he had let slip.
Aogiri tried to hold it back, but that outburst was too much, and he couldn't help but laugh. "So I take it my magnificent meaty manhood meets with Masky's approval?"
Matsubusa bristled, glaring at Aogiri with a mortified expression. "I-it's passable!"
Aogiri chuckled and bent down to kiss Matsubusa's flushed cheeks as he squirmed his way out of his pants, kicking his clothes off the bed. "Ready to show me your mighty missile?"
"My miss-?" Matsubusa began before he bristled again as realization hit him. "D-d-don't go nicknaming... t-t-that without my permission!"
"But it's perfect, don't you think?" Aogiri asked with faux innocence. "We both have weapons that explode - mine shoots through water and yours over land, just like our teams."
"D-don't apply logic to n-naming our-!" Matsubusa sputtered before he slammed his hands on the bed. "I forbid it!"
Aogiri traced the contour of Matsubusa's chin. "Just think of them as our mighty weapons of mass orgasm."
Matsubusa shivered at the touch before he huffed again in indignation. "S-stop talking about them and get on with it!"
"As you wish," Aogiri practically purred before reaching down to tug on Matsubusa's pants.
Matsubusa froze when he felt Aogiri's hands on his pants. His eyes locked with the pirate's, who kept his gaze firmly on the redhead's face. The leader of Team Magma paused when he realized the pirate had stopped and was waiting for the redhead's approval, before Matsubusa shakily nodded his head, his fingers digging in to the sheets.
Aogiri took his time in easing Matsubusa's pants downward, taking great care not to overwhelm the other man. He smiled at the sight of the tent in Matsubusa's boxers, but decided to hold back on another wry quip just yet. "You really are damn sexy, Masky, you know that?"
Matsubusa glanced away, still holding the bed tightly. "...I'll... take your word for it."
Aogiri bent down to nuzzle Matsubusa's neck before placing a kiss there. "Good, since I think you're driving me crazy with how much you excite me."
Matsubusa shivered at the contact of Aogiri's beard against his neck, then turned his head to look at the pirate. "...Aogiri..."
Aogiri smiled, his expression gentle, before he pressed his lips against Matsubusa's in a tender kiss.
Matsubusa closed his eyes as he allowed himself to relax in to the kiss, his hands releasing the bed to reach out for Aogiri's shirt. Instead of cloth, they only found pectorals. His hands paused and he briefly debated retracting them, but instead allowed his palms to rest against Aogiri's skin, his fingers fanning.
Aogiri let out a quiet rumble of pleasure, his voice vibrating against Matsubusa's lips. "Go ahead," he murmured, voice husky. "Explore all you like."
Matsubusa opened his eyes until they were half-lidded, looking at the pirate. Tentatively, he moved his fingertips around the firm surface, noting how powerful Aogiri's muscles were. It was only to be expected, the man was a powerhouse.
A quiet sigh intermingled with a moan escaped Aogiri as he savored the way Matsubusa touched him, so tentative yet eager. He couldn't help but smile and stroked the other man's long red hair to help encourage Matsubusa to enjoy such intimate exploration.
Matsubusa's hands journeyed across Aogiri's chest, slow and cautious as he became familiar with the other man's body. After several minutes of examination, the redhead looked up to meet Aogiri's eyes. "...I..."
"Ready for more?" Aogiri asked huskily, trying not to sound too eager.
Matsubusa was silent for several moments before he nodded.
#
Dawn was still quite a ways off when the helicopter carrying the CEO and top admins of Kazan Industries came down to land at the airport. It was an early morning trip, giving them the shroud of darkness in hopes of avoiding too much attention. Unfortunately, it appeared to be a wasted effort, judging by the enormous crowd gathered in the darkness.
Matsubusa scowled as he stepped out of the helicopter, the other admins joining him. He glared at the gathering of reporters and police officers, his face twisted in a sulk. "...I should've just slept in."
"With Aogiri," Courtney said from behind him. She wore another set of fuzzy pajamas that looked like a Pokémon - this time it was in the style of a Chespin.
"I tend not to sleep much with him a-," Matsubusa began groggily before he realized what he was saying. He quickly clapped his hand over his mouth and whirled to stare at Courtney, and then Homura. His face burned as he saw Homura's tight-jawed stare, then looked away. "I-it's just too early, that's all!"
Tabitha chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, right boss."
"Hmhm," Kagari tapped her finger against her mouth as she smiled crookedly. Her eyes drifted over to Homura. "Well, I'm sure Homura understands quite well. I hear he didn't get much sleep this week, eith-"
Homura's hand reached over to cover Kagari's mouth, his own face showing hints of red despite his self-control. "Regardless, we will need to get to the limos as quickly as possible."
Courtney looked from Matsubusa to Homura. "Like father, like daughter?"
"...Are you volunteering to be the vulture bait this time, Courtney?" Homura asked, his tone seemingly light.
Courtney stared at Homura for a moment more before she grabbed Tabitha by the arm and shoved him towards Homura. The dark haired admin yelped and stared back at her as she gave him a salute. "Good luck."
"H-hey, wait a second!" Tabitha sputtered as he watched Courtney walk away.
"Someone needs to do something," Matsubusa grumbled, even as he stayed right where he was. "It's cold."
Homura paused before he sighed. "Fine, I'll-"
At that moment, a limo followed by a fleet of smaller black cars suddenly appeared on the tarmac. Driving across the airport without a care in the world, the vehicles came to a stop close where Kazan Industries' own vehicles were parked, forcing the assembled crowd who had surrounded them to immediately retreat. The people had no time to recover before the doors to the small black car swung open, men in business suits emerging in large numbers.
The driver's door to the limo opened, revealing a man with short, teal-colored hair in a white business suit. He walked about to the door closest to the helicopter and opened it, standing dutifully to the side.
From within, two individuals emerged. First, Sakaki slipped out of the limo, wearing a black business suit. He straightened up, a fine jacket draped over his arm, before he reached up to put a black fedora on his head. He stepped back from the limo, turning back to the entryway. Within the darkness, dazzling light could be seen seconds before his Persian leapt out to the ground beside the limo. She straightened up, her ephemeral glow illuminating the area softly before she pranced forward and turned to strike a pose in front of the gathered reporters.
Sakaki turned to reach his free hand inside the limo, which was taken by the well-manicured hand of the final occupant. Sakaki helped a beautiful woman with long red hair and voluptuous curves slip out of the car, her black business suit hugging her body in all the right places. After getting to her feet, she brushed her bangs back and turned to smile at her escort. She glanced at the doorman with her red eyes as he closed the door behind them, then the trio focused their attention on the crowd.
The woman snaked her arms around Sakaki's offered arm and the two proceeded forward, the suited men surging around him like a tsunami that threatened to crash against the assembled crowd. Wordlessly, both reporters and police alike moved back, parting like a biblical sea as Sakaki made his way to the helicopter. His black-suited men formed a barrier between the reporters and police, lining the pathway as they stood firmly at attention like a finely trained army.
Sakaki and the woman stopped just outside the helipad itself, with only the teal-haired man continuing onward. He walked directly up to the helicopter and offered an easy-going smile up at the staring admins and their leader.
"I'm quite pleased to see you safe, Mister Kazan," the man said, cheerfully. "Welcome back to civilization. Shall we be off?"
Matsubusa paused before he nodded, proceeding forward towards the awaiting attendant. He reached up to grasp at the collar of his changshan tightly, anxious at the prying eyes. Homura and the rest of the admins followed after him quite closely, hovering around Matsubusa as a protective barrier of their own.
The teal-haired man led the way, Matsubusa following after him. Matsubusa did his best not to glance about, as he could feel all attention upon him as he made his way to where Sakaki awaited. He instead focused on other details, such as identifying their guide as one of the top executives of Silph Co. – Apollo, if he remembered correctly.
The walk only took a few seconds, but the attention of the reporters and the shouts of their questions as they vied for attention made it feel unbearably long. Apollo stepped to the side once they reached Sakaki, lacing his fingers behind his back as he continued to smile.
Matsubusa stood awkwardly in front of Sakaki, his eyes drifting from the proudly posing Persian to the CEO of Silph Co. and the woman beside him, who he knew as Athena. She was Sakaki's wife, and a high-ranking executive in Silph Co. as well. She gave him a small smile when their eyes met, and he quickly returned his attention to Sakaki. "I... wasn't expecting to see you in Hoenn."
Sakaki tilted his hat in greeting to Matsubusa. "I'm not surprised given all that you've been through."
"Hostages typically are out of the loop," Apollo said, brightly. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll recover quickly enough."
Matsubusa's eyes darted over to Apollo before they returned to Sakaki. "T-thank you for your concern."
"I'm just glad we managed to get a happy ending out of all this," Sakaki said as he readjusted his hat. "Now then, shall we go? I imagine you're awfully tired after everything you've been through."
"I... yes," Matsubusa said, his face turning red as he nodded. Images of Aogiri 'putting him through' quite a bit played in his mind, making his blush ever darker.
At that moment, the rather familiar and unwanted sight of Chief Junsar came in to view, her teal-colored hair vivid even in the dusk as she approached the group with a hard look on her face. "Well, well, glad to see you made it back in one piece, Mister Kazan. I hope the first thing you plan on doing is giving us as much information about Team Aqua as you were able to gather during your stay. With your help, we can finally take that pack of jokers down for good."
Matsubusa tensed as he looked up sharply at the police chief, before his vision was blocked by Homura as the purple-haired man moved to prevent her from getting too close.
Sakaki turned to Junsar with a keen interest in his eyes. "Ah, Chief Junsar. How delightful to see you."
Junsar froze as she got a good look at Sakaki for the first time, her hand placed over her breast pocket. "S-Sakaki."
Sakaki smiled at Junsar. "I'm sure that Mister Kazan needs a bit of time to recover from his ordeal before he can be asked to make an official statement." He tipped his hat back slightly. "You understand, don't you?"
For a long moment, Officer Junsar remained still as a statue. Slowly, she gave an imperceptive nod and walked away without a word, though she never took her eyes off Sakaki until she disappeared into the crowd of police.
Sakaki looked sideways at Athena and shared an amused look with his wife. "It's always a pleasure to meet an old friend, isn't it?"
"Mmmhmm," Athena nodded as she returned the smile with one of her own. "Though, she looks like she could use a bit of a vacation. Such severe stress lines on her face."
"I imagine you'll be wanting a vacation as well," Sakaki said as he turned back to Matsubusa. "After all, quite a lot has happened to you lately, hasn't it?"
"I, ah... y-yes, though I most certainly am looking forward to getting back to work," Matsubusa said as he fidgeted, his face still quite red. "I'm sure production has been severely limited without me."
"A regrettable consequence," Sakaki said. "But hardly an unforgivable one given the circumstances."
Homura stared as the officer retreated, then turned to Sakaki. While it was initially surprising, it made a certain amount of sense as well. Not many people wanted to cross the most powerful man in the country. He turned to see the other admins unloading the luggage, taking it to the limo, and then turned to Matsubusa. "I'm sure that Kazan Industries will recover quickly, now that you've returned to us. Once you've fully rested, at any rate... which I believe is our cue to get you home." He then turned to Sakaki and bowed deeply. "Please excuse us, Mr. Takakami."
Sakaki tipped his hat to Homura. "Of course. We'll be in touch."
Homura quickly ushered Matsubusa to his limo with the other admins in tow, while Apollo did the same for Sakaki and Athena at a more leisurely pace. Apollo watched as Homura got Matsubusa in to the car and out of the public view before he chuckled, smiling slyly. "My, my... what an adorable man. He reminds me of our own darling little redhead."
Athena reached over without looking at the man, grabbing his earlobe and giving it a sharp twist. "Careful, Apollo. If we weren't such good friends, people might assume you're implying something." She gave another twist for good measure, though Apollo neither flinched nor allowed his smile to waiver.
"My apologies." Apollo said, with a smile that didn't quite fit the words.
Matsubusa collapsed in the limo, slumping against the soft chairs. He barely looked up when Homura got in with him, along with Courtney. He imagined that Kagari and Tabitha got in the limo behind his own, but didn't think too much about that as the doors closed once again. "Well, that was a lucky break, wasn't it?"
"That wasn't luck, or a coincidence," Homura said, with a shake of his head. "Still, it was fortunate, so let's leave it at that."
"Sakaki has a lot of influence," Courtney said as she settled into the seat across from Matsubusa.
Matsubusa sighed as he closed his eyes. He didn't have much energy to worry about it. He really did feel exhausted, but mostly he was relieved that he didn't need to talk to any reporters or the police. He was sure someone would eventually make a comment about what he had said that got him kidnapped, and he simply wasn't in the mood for any that.
The redhead didn't really want a reminder, especially when Aogiri's company – or rather lack thereof - was serving to be enough of one. He knew it would be unpleasant, that he would miss the pirate's presence after having him so intimately close for so long. He never cared about such things before and certainly never felt lonely before, but the void Aogiri left behind was feeling a bit suffocating. Time would make it ease, at least a little bit, but at the moment it was still very oppressive.
Homura frowned as he watched Matsubusa's sullen face before he glanced to Courtney, who was seemingly ignoring them both as she fiddled away at her Pokédex.
Silence descended on the limo, lingering around them like a dark cloud. It made Matsubusa all the more aware of Aogiri's absence. Even when things were quiet, it was never truly silent. Aogiri had a way of making his presence known, without saying a single word. It made Matsubusa's heart ache in a way that he was never prepared for.
"What am I going to do with myself?" Matsubusa thought as he sighed again. Just then, a beeping noise caught his attention. His eyes darted to his Pokédex, which he instinctively flipped open. A text message had appeared across the screen, from the newest contact on his list - Aogiri. It was a simple emoticon, a heart. While plain, it sent waves of warmth and pleasure through Matsubusa, causing the redhead to smile softly. He returned the text message with one of his own, sending back the same heart emoticon to the pirate.
In that moment, the redhead noticed something off about his background. His background was typically a picture of Dante as a Houndour, with a shoe in his mouth. It was a familiar sight, one he had grown accustomed to and expected to see. And yet the background his eyes had glanced over was not Dante in the slightest. When Matsubusa took the moment to look more closely at the background, the image became perfectly clear.
It was Aogiri's penis.
Matsubusa jerked as his eyes widened, his face turning a very dark shade of crimson. He immediately recognized the appendage as Aogiri's, as he had grown very familiar with it over his stay - both it and the finely chiseled abdominal muscles that accompanied it in the picture. The pirate's manhood was perfectly erect, with a drawn heart and words scribbled beside it that read, 'Thinking of you always.'
The redhead nearly dropped his Pokédex, barely managing to catch it before it hit his lap. Holding the device with both hands, he furiously texted 'you bastard!' to Aogiri before he searched for the options, to not much avail. "H-Homura! How do I change my background, again!? Is it under options or... or customize... or theme!?"
Homura blinked before he extended his hand. "Here, I'll-"
"No!" Matsubusa barked, causing the personal assistant to pause and stare in confusion at his leader. "Just... just tell me!"
Homura blinked slowly. "...Why?"
"J-just tell me!" Matsubusa snapped, his face still burning. He knew Aogiri had done it on purpose, using the text message to make Matsubusa check his phone and find what the pirate had left him.
"It's Aogiri's dick pic," Courtney said.
Matsubusa looked up sharply to stare at Courtney, his jaw dropping. "How-!?"
Courtney pointed over Matsubusa's shoulder. The CEO looked back at the tinted window with confusion until he spotted the faint reflection of himself and his phone on the glassy surface.
Matsubusa let out a strangled noise as he promptly closed his Pokédex, quivering with mortification. "S-shut up! Shut up!"
Homura's expression deadpanned as he stared at the flustered CEO.
"D-don't look at me like that!" Matsubusa barked as he held his Pokédex to his chest. "F-fine, forget it! I'll figure it out myself!"
Homura let out a heavy sigh as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "When it comes to you, it looks like Aogiri really, honestly, and truly cannot keep his dick in his pants."
Matsubusa let out a shriek before he hurled his Pokédex at Homura unthinkingly, who caught the device easily. The redhead paused before he let out another howl, diving at Homura to try and grab the device back even as the personal assistant twisted about to keep him from grabbing it. "Give it back!"
"You asked me to fix it, so I'm going to fix it," Homura said as he held the Pokédex out of reach, pushing Matsubusa back so that he couldn't reach. "Sit down, the limo is moving."
"I said give it back!" Matsubusa demanded, flailing his arms as he tried to reach the device. "Homura!"
"You gave it to me," Homura said, moving his arm back and forth as he extended it fully backwards, still using his other hand to push back at the blushing CEO. "I'll give it back when I'm done."
Matsubusa scrambled to try and get in to his personal assistant's lap in an attempt to decrease the distance between him and the offending Pokédex. "Homura! I'm serious! Don't open my Pokédex!"
As Matsubusa continued to squirm, Homura moved to suddenly pin Matsubusa down to the chair, forcing him down with one arm. Matsubusa yelped before he bared his teeth, letting out a low growl as he attempted to twist about so that he could get a hold of the arm – with the obvious intent to bite.
"You start biting, I start tickling," Homura said, as he held the smaller man down, moving to sit on his legs.
"Homura!" Matsubusa howled in anger. "You bastard!"
Courtney watched the two men struggle with an unwavering expression. "I didn't know you were so keen on seeing Aogiri's penis, Homura. Shelly is going to be jealous."
Homura paused at that, his eyes widening. "...What!?"
Matsubusa immediately saw an opportunity, twisting his body about so that he could wrap his legs around Homura's chest. He yanked the other man closer as he lashed out to grab his Pokédex, securing it in his hands before he held it up with a triumphant crow. It didn't last, however, as Courtney's words finally registered and the CEO blinked, lifting his eyes to stare at the admin. "What? What's this about Shelly-?"
Homura growled before he lunged, his fingers instantly seeking out the redhead's sides. Matsubusa could barely let out a strangled shriek before he was reduced to squirming giggles, attempting uselessly to fend off his personal assistant. "Nevermind that!"
"N-no, stop! I-ahaha-I order you to stop!" Matsubusa protested as he tried to shove Homura away. It was hard to speak as Homura assaulted him with tickles. "T-t-that's an o-order-!"
Courtney watched the two men without cracking a smile. "Homura slept in Shelly's room while you were sleeping with Aogiri."
"W-w-wha-what-he-he did wa-a-kyaha-!" Matsubusa curled up in to a ball, trying to protect his sides as Homura continued his attack.
"We're pretty sure they had sex," Courtney said. "Drunk sex."
Homura had his fingers roam along Matsubusa's sides and stomach, seeking out every vulnerable space he could. It reduced the CEO to a quivering pile of shrieks and squirming, unable to really respond as the Pokédex was all but forgotten. As he did, he looked pointedly at Courtney. "What was that, Courtney? Are you volunteering to take Matsubusa's place?"
Courtney stared at Homura for a moment before she conspicuously slid further away along her seat as she gave Matsubusa a salute. "Good luck, Leader. I'll let Aogiri know Homura put his hands all over you so you two can have hot jealousy sex later."
Homura paused before he arched an eyebrow. "Actually, I think he'd find it hilarious that we're fighting over his dick-"
Matsubusa let out a howl before he lunged up to clasp both of his hands over Homura's mouth. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
Courtney ever so slightly cocked her head to the side. "So does that mean you're interested in a threesome, foursome, or partner swapping?"
Homura struggled to hold Matsubusa's hands away from his mouth as the redhead shrieked in embarrassment, thrashing about. "It means you're being a troll."
Courtney shrugged. "Water is wet."
Electricity sparked as the large machine at the center of the room hummed. Looking like it came straight out of a mad scientist movie, the device resembled an industrial-sized oven with a central window. However, it wasn't cookies or cake it was baking - it was the future. Through the central window, a glistening orb could be seen sitting on a pedestal, surrounded by energy that let off an ephemeral glow.
From a safe distance, behind reinforced security walls that surrounded the machine and wearing radiation suits complete with protective eye goggles, was Matsubusa and his admins. The redhead stood with his hands laced behind his back, his expression tense as he watched the machine do its work.
Beside him, Homura was busy writing on his clipboard, documenting his observations even as the more high-tech equipment recorded the data and transmitted it to the assorted screens scattered across the room.
"We're now reaching the final stages," Kagari said as she kept her eyes on the screens, sitting at a computer console at the far back of the room.
Courtney's fingers flew across the array of buttons and switches in front of her, her eyes darting from one monitor to the next. "Everything is within acceptable limits."
Tabitha stood furthest back from the machines, his arms folded as he kept a sharp eye out on the situation should something go wrong.
The humming intensified as Matsubusa and the assembled admins watched in tense silence. The orb at the center of the machine began to flash violently, electricity arcing off of it. The glow within the machine steadily increased as the arcing flickered about in a light display not entirely unlike a static ball.
Matsubusa watched the orb, his jaw clenching as his eyes scoured for every detail even from such a distance.
"Tech Master, please initiate shutdown," Kagari said.
"Initiating shut down sequence," Courtney said without looking up. Within a minute, the whirring of machinery slowly wound down until there was nothing left but the quiet hiss of cool air pumping in from the vents.
"It's the moment of truth," Homura said. "Now we wait and-"
Matsubusa stepped forward, startling Homura. Walking out from behind the protective wall, the redhead strode purposely towards the machine. Ignoring his personal assistant's protests, Matsubusa opened the door to the machine and snatched the orb with one of his glove-covered hands.
Tabitha reached Matsubusa's side in seconds. "Sir! Please get back!"
Matsubusa didn't even so much as glance at Tabitha, his eyes focused on the orb. He lifted it upwards to shine it in to the light, turning the small trinket about to view all of its sides. The redhead paused when one of the sides came in to view, revealing a small indent on the otherwise perfectly smooth surface - and a crack within said indent. Matsubusa let out a violent curse before he roughly handed the orb over to Tabitha, as if he were tossing it away. "More trash!"
Tabitha yelped and scrambled to get a better hold of the flawed orb as it nearly slipped through his gloved fingers. "A-again?"
Homura took the orb from Tabitha and regarded it, critically. "...It's still our best one to date. The flaws are minimal, and I imagine it's even usable."
"Only a couple times before it breaks!" Matsubusa snapped as he whirled to point at the orb, jabbing his finger at it like a knife. "It's still a failure!"
"It's less of a failure than the previous attempt," Kagari said as she crossed her arms. "Not everything has to be an absolute, honey."
Matsubusa snorted derisively. "I'm not interested in second place."
"...Considering we're the only ones competing," Homura said as he arched an eyebrow. "I'd say we're in all the places. And Sakaki has no complaints, either."
"But I do!" Matsubusa said as he threw his arms up in frustration.
"But we can still use it," Tabitha said, trying to sound cheerful. "It doesn't matter if its uses are limited if we can just make more whenever we want."
Matsubusa whipped around to face Tabitha, tearing off his protective goggles. "Oh, yes! Because that's totally the point, isn't it!?"
Tabitha cringed and took a step back as he held up his open hands.
Courtney tilted her head slightly. "You're grumpier than usual. Missing Aogiri that much?"
Matsubusa jerked before his face turned scarlet red. He quickly glanced around at the other employees in the room, normal employees of Kazan Industries who had no ties to Team Magma of any sort. He bristled at their confused looks, then whirled to hiss at Courtney. "S-ssshut up, shut up, shut up! That has nothing to do with this!"
Courtney shrugged, her expression unchanging. "If you want to take a vacation to spend more time with him, go ahead."
"No!" Matsubusa snapped as he straightened up. "That last 'vacation' set us back weeks! No more 'vacations'!"
Homura rolled his eyes before he held the orb out to Matsubusa. "Can we focus less on that pirate and more on the fact that we're getting closer and closer to a working artificial Mega Stone with each prototype? This one may not be perfect, but it's progress."
Matsubusa paused and eyed the stone, then wrinkled his nose and looked away. "Progress doesn't mean much when we've hit a plateau. We just don't have the means to generate the pressure necessary to condense the energy in to a solid, usable state that won't shatter after several uses."
Tabitha smoothed back his hair. "So, what do we do now? Do we try to get in contact with that group in Kalos-"
"-And what exactly would that accomplish?!" Matsubusa demanded, cutting off Tabitha with a flourish of his hand. "Besides making them aware of our project? Let us ignore the fact that we're essentially striving to eliminate their monopoly and bring their prized Mega Evolution to the 'unwashed masses' they so despise, what could they possibly offer us!? Digging around in the dirt and looking for lucky finds is hardly useful to our situation!"
"They've had the opportunity to study them a lot longer than us," Tabitha offered, though he was starting to regret suggesting anything at all.
"It's true, no one would be more knowledgeable," Homura agreed as he glanced to his coworker. "But they're also well-known for their refusal to share that knowledge, and their disdain of outsiders. I can't even begin to imagine how they would react if they knew our intentions."
"We don't need them," Matsubusa said, with a huff as he crossed his arms. "We need a better power source."
"We could follow up that tip about the Orb of Groudon," Courtney said, her eyes sliding away from her computer screen towards Matsubusa's irritated face. "Before you say no, I did more digging on it, and found some promising leads."
"Not that nonsense again," Matsubusa said, with a heavy sigh.
"...No one's asking you to seriously believe that a giant Pokémon created all land on earth during a fight with an equally large water Pokémon," Homura said, shaking his head. "It's just local superstition and folklore, and most people in Hoenn have long since forgotten about it. But don't forget that superstitions and folklore was how humans tended to rationalize things they didn't understand."
Matsubusa hesitated before he fell silent, frowning.
"There are many different kinds of creation myths, so Hoenn having its own variety is nothing surprising," Kagari said, as she glanced over to Courtney. "It's entirely possible the orb exists, even if the Pokémon it's named after does not."
Tabitha gave a half-hearted shrug. "What could it hurt to check? The other orbs that source directed us to were legit, after all. And some of the best Mega Stones in Hoenn, I might add. All the good ones are usually found in Kalos, but the source really paid off when we listened to them last time."
Matsubusa reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "...Fine. You can look in to it, if you think it might actually help us with our research. If it's worth pursuing, we can decide where to go from there."
"Already done," Courtney said as she typed at the nearby computer. "I sent all the information I found so far to your email."
"Then this sounds like a good time for lunch, don't you agree?" Kagari asked with a bright smile.
Homura nodded before he turned, gesturing towards the closest intern assisting the scientists - a red-eyed woman with shoulder-length, disheveled black hair tied up in a ponytail by twist-tie with two small red baubles. She wore a white lab coat like everyone else in the room, though she was carrying around trays and clipboards rather than actually doing any research herself. She jerked to stare at Homura with an innocently blank face as the purple-haired man focused on her. "Take everyone's order, then call it in."
The young woman practically beamed, her enthusiasm a bit too strong for such an ordinary task. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"
Tabitha chuckled as he watched the woman dart around quickly to jot down orders. "Interns," he said with a knowing look that he shared with his fellow admins.
Matsubusa sighed heavily. He could already see that it was pointless to debate, especially when his admins were so dead-set on arguing with him. The redhead finished removing his protective gear as he headed out of the room, leaving everyone else to deal with the results of their failed test. A failure was still a failure, no matter what silver lining it had. And each failure made him feel increasingly desperate for success, his pride demanding it. It didn't matter that his backers were thrilled with the results they had, he wasn't.
"I'll get some work done through lunch," Matsubusa muttered as he headed to his office, reaching up to massage his forehead. "Look through the data one more time, see where the energy output can be improved..." It had to be there, somewhere. He just needed to look harder in order to find it.
The foul mood hung over Matsubusa like a thundercloud as he entered his office and all but slammed the door behind him. It was only then that his instincts kicked in, warning him that he wasn't alone. His sharp eyes scanned the room, assessing for potential threats when his gaze settled on his desk - and the man currently sitting on it. Instantly, the CEO jerked back, his eyebrows shooting up as he outright gawked.
It was Aogiri. The sight of the leader of Team Aqua at Kazan Industries wasn't just shocking enough on his own, but the fact that he was tied up only made his appearance more startling. Silky red colored ropes wound around his body in intricate knots, strangely managing to accent more intimate areas. Despite being bound with arms folded behind his back, the pirate smiled widely as he drank in Matsubusa's shocked yet flushed reaction. "So... about that plan B."
Matsubusa stared at Aogiri in stunned silence for several moments, slowly registering what he was seeing. Once it dawned on him that the leader of Team Aqua had spoken, the redhead snapped to attention and focused on the pirate's smirking face. The expression alone only served to increase his embarrassment, deepening his blush. "P-p-plan B...?"
"This time, I'm your prisoner for a while," Aogiri said in an almost sing-song tone. "It's only fair; don't you agree?"
Matsubusa's eyes widened as his face burned a deep shade of red. He was silent for several moments as he stared at the bound pirate, Aogiri wiggling his eyebrows as he sat in open invitation despite supposedly being a prisoner. The redhead swallowed hard before he finally reached back behind him to lock the door with an audible click.