[Challenge: hypogeal] Kusakabe, Hibari: "Whatever Works"
Challenge: #17 - hypogeal
Title: Whatever Works
Word Count: 564
Summary: Hibari & Kusakabe, and the first act of insubordination. There is an admirable art to managing a servant and master relationship.
Rating: PG-13
Notes: So, in Target 19 it seems that the Disciplinary Committee is down with disposing of any inconvenient corpses you might have around...
"Good," said Hibari. "You got shovels."
Five members of the Disciplinary Committee stared blearily at him. Three A.M., Thursday, and their president called to summon them to the woods near the shrine, telling them to bring certain pieces of equipment:
They were fundraising.
And the person Hibari was dragging behind him wasn't moving.
Kusakabe Tetsuya looked around and saw that the others were still goggling at the limp figure taped up in trash bags. He made his face neutral and said, "Get to work. We're fundraising."
In his neighbourhood running into gangs was inevitable. They took you in, or they took you down. It was equal parts luck and a tough-guy reputation that Kusakabe hadn't yet ended up with one of those options before going to Namimori Middle School, and then Hibari Kyoya happened to him.
You could tell the Disciplinary Committee was a gang on the high level, likely to do yakuza type stuff. It was why he'd joined. Kusakabe told himself he didn't mind, because this was pretty much where he'd always figured he'd end up. It was pretty easy after all, ignoring the body and digging the hole in the faint morning mist.
Fifteen minutes in there was a complication.
"Why are you stopping?" said Hibari, tonfa in his hands.
The Disciplinary Committee members whimpered and kept digging.
Ten more minutes, and Kusakabe's guts were in a ball. What kind of man was he, letting this carry on? Even against Hibari, he'd stand up for himself!
"Um ... President..."
"You," Hibari said in acknowledgment.
"He's not dead."
Hibari looked at the bound figure, which had been wriggling frantically for the last few minutes. Everyone else stopped and stared too, sagging in relief.
"It won't be a problem once he's buried," Hibari mused.
There was a muffled scream. But they looked at Hibari, and they started digging again.
Kusakabe worked steadily for a few spadefuls, and then slowed - definitely not stopping - in what was hopefully a thoughtful way.
"President," he said. "Who'd pay more? Someone who doesn't even need to dispose of a body after all, as it turns out, or ... someone who is really motivated right now to give the Committee some cash?"
He let dirt patter onto the plastic bags, and high-pitched whining erupted from the person on the ground.
Hibari stared down, looking faintly troubled. "I..."
"Yes?" Kusakabe said hopefully.
"I'm ... sleepy..."
He stepped back, leaned against a tree and yawned.
"Errrr..." said the Disciplinary Committee, as one, and then Kusakabe snapped out of it.
"You heard the President," he said sternly, imitating his father's favourite tone of voice in desperation. "We need to get this done quickly. Unwrap the donor so we can get everyone home!"
The other four staggered off with the almost-corpse, fast and close together so their shovels clacked against each other. Kusakabe didn't join them, and then figured out why.
He turned and bowed to Hibari, thankful even if Hibari might not have meant to be merciful. "President," he said in farewell.
"Vice-President," Hibari said in acknowledgment, and sat down to sleep at the foot of the tree.
Kusakabe stood staring.
He didn't think he'd ever understand his leader, but maybe he'd always be amazed by him.
Then Kusakabe turned and hurried away, before he did something as detrimental to survival as draping his jacket over Hibari's shoulders for warmth.