fic for pipsqueaks (part 2)
> go to part 1
--
Finding the scarf in question and sending it up in flames didn't take long with Kusano's knowledge of the various nooks and crannies the department used to store their props and costumes. Even without his help, Masuda had a feeling it wouldn't have taken that long to find, the scarf hanging off a hook in a pretty conspicuous spot, no one obviously making an effort to hide it. They didn't even run into any trouble from other students or faculty or even cleaning staff, the halls of the drama department oddly empty, no one around to walk in on them and spot the scarf burning in a metal trashcan that they'd filched from an unlocked office and ask what the hell they were doing.
It was almost anti-climactic, how easy it all was, and if Masuda hadn't known how very not fun it was when things didn't go easily like that, he might have been vaguely disappointed. As it was, he was just relieved and tired and, if he was being honest, a little bit sad that it was over.
Not that he wanted the ghost to keep hurting people; he was glad that she was done suffering and that life on campus could go back to normal now, but he knew that this meant they didn't have any reason to stick around here any longer and that by this time tomorrow they'd probably already be on their way to the job that was still waiting for them in Fukui, without so much as a chance for Masuda to tell Tegoshi goodbye. He knew it was probably best that way, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
He decided to focus on the fact that they'd finished another job and put a soul to rest without sustaining any injuries or really even so much as breaking a sweat instead. It didn't happen that often in their line of work, so it was a nice change of pace. And even if they were leaving tomorrow he had gotten to see Tegoshi again, so that had to count for something--even if it did mostly just mean that Masuda realized how much he'd missed him during the years he'd spent avoiding his past.
They let Kusano drag them out for a celebratory dinner with little protest. Masuda really wasn't in much of a mood for socialization, but Ryo seemed to really like Kusano's company and he knew that if he bowed out, however gracefully, Ryo would just end up spending the night either annoyed at him for not being there or worrying that something was wrong and he really didn't want to ruin the other's chance to unwind. So he smiled and nodded at Kusano's offer and let himself be dragged to a yakiniku place that Kusano swore up and down was the best in all of Tokyo.
Masuda wasn't sure about the best, but it was really good, and even if he was tired he still found himself smiling and enjoying Kusano's stories and ready laughter. Ryo seemed to be enjoying himself, too, looking relaxed and happy despite the dark circles under his eyes, and Masuda decided that that, if anything, was worth it.
"So, how did you guys become hunters?" Kusano was on his third beer and talking a bit louder than was probably wise. Luckily the diners around them were either even further into their beers than Kusano or weren't paying attention to what he was saying, too caught up in their own dinners and conversations.
"My uncle was a hunter." Ryo looked a little less relaxed as he reached for his beer, his mouth pulled tight around the edges and his eyes getting that slightly distant look that they had whenever Ryo talked about this. "He raised me, taught me the lifestyle."
Kusano nodded, smiling a little. "My uncle's a hunter, too. I used to beg him to take me with him and show me the ropes, but my mom threatened to gut him if he tried it."
Ryo laughed, his mouth relaxing a little. "Your mom sounds scary."
"You don't even know the half of it." Kusano grinned and grabbed a piece of meat off the grill. "Honestly, I probably would have run off to join up with some hunters after high school if I hadn't been afraid she'd track me down. I might see if she'll bend a little on the issue after I graduate but who knows--she's dead set on her kids having a normal life."
"There's nothing wrong with having a normal life."
"It just seems kind of pointless when you know there's more out there." Kusano frowned slightly, his eyes sliding over to Masuda as he sipped at his beer. "What about you? Were you born into this, too?"
"No. I kind of stumbled into it," Masuda admitted with a rueful smile, glancing at Ryo out of the corner of his eye as Kusano stared at him, obviously waiting for him to elaborate. "My parents and older sister were killed when I was 18. I started reading up on the supernatural after that and one thing lead to another, I guess."
Kusano gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm guessing their deaths weren't from anything normal, then?"
"Not unless you consider a demon normal."
"Shit, I'm sorry. That's rough." Kusano took another sip of his beer, obviously searching for words to fill up the sudden awkward silence at the table. Masuda could practically feel Ryo tense beside him, obviously doing the same. "Did you kill it, at least?"
"No." Masuda reached for his mostly full beer and took a sip, smiling sadly as he pulled the glass from his lips and rested it back against the table. "Ryo did."
"Guess that explains the partnership, then."
"Yeah." Masuda turned his head to look at Ryo, noting the way the other had his eyes fixed on the table, jaw clenched and hand wrapped tight around his glass. He opened his mouth to say something reassuring that might wipe that look off Ryo's face, something that would remind him yet again that he hadn't had anything to do with what had happened to Masuda's family, but a familiar voice cut him off before he even got a chance to try.
"Massu?"
Masuda could feel just how wide his eyes were as he whipped his head around to find Tegoshi standing beside their table, looking pleasantly surprised to see him there. "Tegoshi. Hi."
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" He looked from Masuda to his companions, his smile a little uncertain and Masuda shook his head, not really sure what else to say. Luckily (or not, as it were) for him, he didn't have to say anything, since Ryo took care of that for him.
"You're a friend of Masuda's?"
"We grew up together."
"Tegoshi goes to school here now," Masuda added dumbly, watching as Kusano motioned to Tegoshi and the other took the empty seat across from him, making some sort of comment about how small the world was that Masuda didn't really hear, too intent on trying not to look at Ryo. He didn't think the timing for this could be any worse. "Tegoshi, this is Ryo and that's Kusano."
"Nice to meet you." Tegoshi gave a quick, polite bow of his head and then grinned, turning toward Ryo. "You must be Massu's partner. I've heard a lot about you."
Ryo blinked, shooting Masuda a look out of the corner of his eye and smiling a tight lipped smile. "I can't really say the same about you. Sorry."
"That's okay." Tegoshi laughed it off and Masuda swore he could practically feel the tension radiating off Ryo from the chair beside him. "We fell out of touch for a few years."
More like he'd cut Tegoshi out of his life, Masuda amended mentally, but he barely had time to register the thought, let alone correct the other, before Ryo spoke again.
"You must have been surprised to see him here tonight, then."
"Not really tonight. We've been running into each other on campus a lot the past few days. I think I'm starting to expect it."
"Really?" Ryo shot Masuda another look, not even trying not to be obvious about it. "He didn't mention it."
"Probably too tired from all that research he's been doing." Tegoshi glanced between Masuda and Ryo, his smile faltering a little. He hesitated for a moment and then rose from his chair again with an apologetic look. "I have to meet some friends so I should probably go. It was nice meeting you all, though." He nodded to Ryo and Kusano and then turned his attention back to Masuda. "Maybe I'll see you again before you leave, Massu?"
"Yeah. Call me and maybe we can meet up."
"I will," Tegoshi promised, offering one more smile before he turned and left, leaving Masuda alone at the table with a very confused looking Kusano and an unsmiling Ryo.
Well, he'd gotten his chance to say goodbye to Tegoshi before he left, at least. Now he just needed to figure out how to explain to Ryo that he'd lied to him for his own good. It was going to be hard, considering he wasn't entirely sure he still believed that excuse himself.
--
Ryo didn't get angry and tell him off on the way home. He didn't say anything to him at all, actually, the silence on the walk back to their hotel almost deafening. Masuda started to apologize a few times, to try to make excuses and explain, but stopped before he could ever get the words out. All it took was one look at Ryo's expression, more sad and resigned than hurt or angry, and the words dried up in his mouth.
Ryo was still silent when they got back to their room, digging a t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms out of his bag before he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Masuda alone with his currently far too guilty thoughts.
He should have told Ryo about Tegoshi, shouldn't have kept it a secret from him. But it honestly had seemed like the right thing to do at the time. He hadn't had any way of knowing Tegoshi would just happen to be at the same restaurant they were tonight. There was no way he could have seen this coming.
Still, none of the excuses that he was readily making in his head actually made him feel any better about it. The look that Ryo had been wearing on their walk home had been the exact type of thing that he'd told himself he was trying to prevent.
Masuda listened to the shower run and tried to come up with the right words to apologize. He wasn't really surprised when he couldn't manage to find them and ended up just sitting on his bed silently when Ryo emerged from the bathroom, stealing awkward glances at the other while he toweled off his hair.
Ryo, in true Ryo fashion, didn't exactly do anything to make it any easier, either. He did a pretty good job of not acknowledging Masuda's presence at all, in fact, and once he'd finished with his hair and tossed his wet towel back into the bathroom (not bothering to hang it up, most likely because he knew how much wet towels on the floor irritated the other) he climbed into bed and turned his back on him without so much as a word.
Masuda sighed and went to take his own shower, deciding to leave it until morning. Maybe he could think of something to say by then.
--
Masuda woke up the next morning after a few hours of fitful sleep to the sound of his phone ringing from the nightstand. He reached out for it blindly, barely registering Ryo's low grumbling from the other bed or anything aside from the incredibly irritating electronic squeal of his ringtone. He decided then and there that he was changing it to something less grating the first chance he got, still half-asleep as he flipped it open and pressed it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Massu?" Masuda rolled onto his back and rubbed at his eyes as he turned his head to glance at the clock on the bedside table. 7 am. When had Tegoshi ever gotten up at 7 am? "Did I wake you?"
"No--I mean, yeah, but it's okay." Masuda yawned, turning his head to blink up at the ceiling. "Did you need something?"
"You said you were leaving today, so I thought if you wanted we could meet for breakfast before you leave. If you have time."
"I--" Masuda glanced over at the other bed and the lump under the blankets that was Ryo and started to say no, but something about the hopefulness in Tegoshi's voice stopped him. Taking an hour to meet Tegoshi for breakfast wouldn't make much difference in the grand scheme of things.. If he left now he could probably be back before Ryo even woke up and he could leave a note explaining where he was, just in case.
Probably not the best idea for mending things between them, but he was tired enough right at that moment not to really care. It wasn't like he expected to ever see Tegoshi again after this, anyway.
"Massu, are you there?"
"Sorry." Masuda cleared his throat quietly, turning his eyes back to the ceiling. "Breakfast sounds good. Where did you want to meet?"
--
Masuda dressed as quickly and quietly as possible, careful not to wake Ryo as he slipped a note onto the nightstand beneath the other's book and then headed out the door. He felt a small twinge of guilt as he slid it shut behind him but brushed it aside, reasoning that this was probably his last chance to see a good friend and there would be plenty of chance to make this up to Ryo later.
It was already warm out as he made his way toward campus, the streets of Tokyo alive with people making their way to work or school or, in a few select cases, stumbling their way home after a long night. Masuda smiled a little at those, remembering some of the all nighters that he and Ryo had pulled on jobs in the past. He wondered how many well-dressed, normal people had assumed that the two guys stumbling their way down the sidewalk, dirty and battered (and in Ryo's case, probably glaring daggers) had assumed they were making their way home from a bender.
His smile faded abruptly when he remembered that when he got back to the hotel he would probably be the one Ryo was glaring daggers at. Or, worse yet, giving that sad, hopeless, guilty look that said he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and Masuda to decide he wanted to leave.
Masuda couldn't ever decide if that look made him want to give the other a hug (although, honestly, that probably would have just been awkward) or smack him.
The cafeteria already had a decent sized crowd when Masuda got there, something that he hadn't quite been expecting. He'd always been a bit of a freak in high school for being a voluntary early riser and most of the people that he knew didn't suddenly start liking getting up this early once they switched from high school to university classes. It seemed to be just the opposite, in fact.
The unexpected crowd meant it took a bit longer to search the sea of faces for Tegoshi, a search that came up empty and left him lingering in the doorway, glancing at the faces of everyone who walked in and feeling more than a little awkward. He was just getting ready to walk outside and call the other to double check that he hadn't gotten the wrong place when his phone went off in his pocket, the ringtone less irritating now that he was up and awake.
"Hello?"
"Massu, I'm so sorry! The professor I work for called after I talked to you and needed me to pick up some things from his office. I only thought it would take a couple of minutes, but I can't find the papers he wanted--" There was a brief shuffling sound in the background, like someone sorting through stacks of papers and Masuda smiled, imagining the look of frustration on Tegoshi's face. "I'm not sure how much longer it will take. I don't know how he finds anything in here."
Masuda laughed softly. "Do you want me to just meet you there?"
"Are you sure? I know you probably have to leave soon..."
"It's okay," Masuda assured him. "I can help you look if you're not done when I get there and we can have breakfast afterwards. We're not leaving at any set time."
"Only if it's not too much trouble," Tegoshi said, but Masuda could imagine the way he was smiling at his phone, bright and a little guilty, but mostly relieved. "His office isn't far. We can go to the cafeteria after."
"It's fine," Masuda promised and listened carefully as Tegoshi gave him directions. He hung up his phone and shoved it back in his pocket, hoping that back at the hotel Ryo had decided it was a good day to sleep in.
--
Tegoshi was still frantically searching his professor's office when Masuda arrived there a few minutes later, and after seeing the office in question he couldn't say he was surprised it was taking him so long. It was a small office, but every surface was covered in stacks of books and papers thrown here and there with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Masuda's hands itched with the need to start straightening things just looking at it.
He ignored the urge and shoved them in his pockets instead, lingering in the doorway as he watched Tegoshi continue to search. He'd offered to help but Tegoshi had politely turned him down, pointing out that there wasn't really enough room for both of them to go poking around without causing some sort of massive paper and book filled avalanche and reassuring him that it wouldn't take that much longer.
Tegoshi kept up a steady stream of talk while he searched and Masuda had to smile at that, remembering how quiet and awkward Tegoshi had been when they'd first met, the little boy with long hair and wide eyes and an almost fanatical love of soccer next door. He'd always been so reluctant to talk back then, until he'd realized that he really didn't have to say or do anything to impress Masuda other than be himself. After that, he'd practically never shut up. Masuda hadn't realized just how much he'd missed that chatter.
"Ah, I found it!"
Masuda chanced stepping into the office then, deciding that he was probably safe from falling debris or something jumping out at him now that Tegoshi was no longer digging through the piles. He stopped on the other side of what was probably a desk beneath all the stacks and stacks of papers and grinned as Tegoshi turned to wave a stack of papers triumphantly in the air.
"Do you need to drop those off somewhere before we have breakfast?"
"No, it's good. He just wants me to drop them off for him when we meet later." Tegoshi shook his head, setting the stack of papers on top of the desk with a smile.
"I don't think I'd put those there if I were you," Masuda mumbled, eying the other papers on the desk like they would jump and swallow the stack beneath Tegoshi's hand and the other would have to start his search all over again.
"Don't worry. I won't lose track of them." Tegoshi laughed and stuffed the papers in his bag with a grin. "See? They're safe."
"Good." Masuda grinned back. "Ready for breakfast?"
"Yeah." Tegoshi's smile wavered a little as he leaned forward against the desk, resting his palms flat against one of the stacks of paper. "Sorry about this. You're probably in a hurry to leave and I'm wasting your time making you watch me look for things."
"You're not wasting my time. It's nice to see you." Masuda smiled, his tone genuine. If Ryo was upset that they were leaving later, well, he would deal with that. It wasn't Tegoshi's fault and he didn't plan on telling him and making him feel guilty, anyway. "I'm glad you called."
"I'm glad you came." Tegoshi laughed. "You should have brought your partner with you. It would be nice to get to know him, too."
"Ah, he's not really a morning person." Masuda reached up, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I thought it would be best to let him sleep."
"That's too bad." Tegoshi looked away from him, reaching out to pick up a heavy-looking leather bound book from the desk, fingers skimming over the cover idly. "This would be easier if he was here."
"Easier?" Masuda frowned, giving the other a puzzled look.
"Keeping you here. I can't let you leave, you know. Either of you."
"What--" Masuda started but stopped as Tegoshi lifted his head, his eyes flashing red beneath the flourescent lights overhead. He froze, all the air seeming to leak out of the room as he reached down and slipped a hand in his pocket as surreptitiously as possible, reaching for the vial of holy water that he kept hidden there. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, I think you know, Masuda." Tegoshi's words trailed off into a low growl, his lips curling upward and eyes narrowing in an expression that looked wholly out of place on such an angelic face.
"You're not Tegoshi." Masuda's expression hardened and he thrust his hand deeper into his pocket, fingers scrambling frantically against the worn material, only to find nothing.
"Actually, I am. Or this body is, at least." Tegoshi lifted his hand and tossed a familiar looking vial onto the desk between them, letting out a sharp bark of laughter. "I think that's what you're looking for? Not that it would do you any good, you know.. I'm not some paltry little demon that's scared of getting wet. It takes more than a few parlor tricks to stop me."
"Let Tegoshi go." Masuda curled his hand into a fist at his side and narrowed his eyes, giving the thing standing across from him the nastiest look he could muster. "If you want me you can have me. Just don't hurt him. He doesn't have anything to do with this."
"Sorry, but I've got orders. No letting him go until I'm done with him." Tegoshi smiled again and lifted his other hand, waving Masuda's phone in the air beside his face with a grin. "And if you don't want me to hurt him, you'll do me a favor and call your loverboy Ryo for me. My master wants him here and he'll come if you ask."
"No." Masuda bit out the word, fingernails digging into his palm as he tightened his fist.
"You're just making this harder on yourself, you know." Tegoshi sighed and shook his head, the look he gave him almost sad. "And I don't have time to waste arguing with you, so I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way."
"What do you me--" Masuda started but Tegoshi lifted the hand still holding the book, bringing it up and over until the book smashed against the side of Masuda's head, sending him reeling to the side and making his world explode briefly in pain before everything faded into darkness.
--
Masuda opened his eyes slowly, able to process two things: an almost blinding pain in his head and Ryo's voice, extremely unhappy if the volume and amount of swear words that he was saying were any indication. He groaned as he turned his head to search for the source of the other's voice, wanting to tell him to please keep it down and stop making his headache worse. His eyes didn't seem to want to focus properly, though, and a voice cut into his thoughts before he could manage to finish blinking the last of the fuzziness away.
"Well, looks like someone decided they didn't want to miss all the fun."
"Tegoshi?" He turned his head to find the other standing a few feet away, staring down at him with a smile that looked more animal than human and a wicked-looking knife clutched in one hand. Masuda started, squirming away from him and trying to pull himself into a defensive position on reflex, only to find that he couldn't move, his hands and feet bound tightly behind him by what felt like some sort of rough hewn rope. He moved his hands, testing the strength of the knots as he glanced around, fighting the fuzziness in his head as he looked for something he could cut his bindings with or some other way out. His search didn't help him find any way out of the situation, but it did make him realize that they were no longer in the cramped, paper littered office and instead seemed to be in the middle of the stage in the school's otherwise empty auditorium.
And they weren't alone. Ryo was kneeling a few feet to Masuda's left, trussed up with his hands and feet tied behind him, bleeding sluggishly from a gash above his temple and looking as pissed as Masuda could ever remember seeing him. Which was saying a lot.
Masuda felt his heart sink. This situation was definitely not looking so great for them.
Tegoshi grinned and waved the knife in the air, clucking his tongue. "Now, now, Massu. I already told you that I can't let you go anywhere. I have orders."
"Let us go or you're going to regret it." Ryo spoke up, his voice rough and about as pissed off as Masuda had ever heard him.
"I don't think so." Tegoshi continued to smile, twirling the knife between his fingers idly. "I think you're going to stay right there until I kill you for getting in the way, just like my master wants."
"Listen, you little prick. I didn't hurt you because that body you're wearing is Masuda's friend, but I swear to god, if you don't cut me loose now--"
"You'll what, kick my ass? Please, you fight like a girl. I didn't even break out a sweat taking you out the first time. What makes you think it would be any different the second?"
"Why don't you untie me and we'll see about that?"
Masuda shot Ryo a warning look that the other ignored, too busy staring at Tegoshi, hatred and frustration and something that Masuda recognized as being close to hopelessness in his eyes. This was not good. If he didn't do something Ryo was going to taunt Tegoshi--or whatever it was riding Tegoshi's body around at the moment--into a fight that would probably end with one or both of them bleeding. That was not what they needed right now.
"Your master," Masuda started, cutting off whatever Ryo had been about to say and forcing Tegoshi's eyes and attention over to him. "You said your master wanted us. Why?"
Tegoshi shrugged, looking briefly puzzled. "Because you got in the way. I don't know. I don't ask questions."
"You're going to kill us and you have no idea why? What are you, the demon equivalent of a little bitch boy?"
Masuda caught a flash of red in Tegoshi's eyes before they slid over to Ryo, the look he gave him dark and dangerous enough to make Masuda's stomach drop. If they got out of this alive, he and Ryo were going to have a serious talk about not taunting supernatural creatures who had you at a disadvantage. Especially not when they seemed to intent on killing you.
"I am not a demon. Or anyone's little bitch. You'd be good to remember that."
"Oh yeah--" Ryo started but Masuda cut him off, speaking over him and trying to pull Tegoshi's attention back to him. Ryo threw him a severely annoyed look but he ignored it, telling himself that Ryo could be as annoyed at him as he wanted as long as he was still alive. "Who's your master?"
The distraction seemed to work, thankfully, Tegoshi's gaze turning away from Ryo and back to Masuda, his expression slightly amused. He looked for a moment like he might answer, but a voice from the curtain behind Ryo and Masuda beat him to it.
"That would be me."
Masuda turned his head to spot a familiar looking man standing just behind Ryo, a smug expression on his face as he moved around them to stand beside Tegoshi. He lifted a hand and ran it against Tegoshi's hair and Tegoshi let out a low, contented sound that almost like the low growl Masuda could remember his cousin's dog making when someone scratched behind her ears. Masuda had always kind of hated that dog.
"Oh great, just what we need, a total douchebag to keep us company." Ryo swore under his breath and glared daggers at the man across from him. "Are you going to make us act out what we think our deaths will be like before you kill us?"
Masuda looked over at Ryo and then back at the man in question, his eyes widening as the reason why he looked so familiar clicked into place. "Wait... the drama professor?"
"Now, Ryota--or should I say Ryo? You really didn't make much of an effort picking a fake name, did you?" The professor paused for a split second before continuing, not waiting for a real answer. "I wanted to let you go, but I really don't have a choice. If I'd let you leave you would have eventually realized that your little ghost trick didn't really solve anything, and then you wouldn't have been back, sticking your noses where they didn't belong and trying to stop me. I really don't have any choice but to let my little pet kill you."
"Why, because we wanted to stop you from setting your little bitch over there on innocent students?"
Tegoshi let out a low growl and narrowed his eyes at Ryo, his lips stretched tight across his teeth. He took a small step forward and Masuda tensed, preparing to throw himself sideways if he lunged at Ryo, but the movement never came. Tegoshi just stood there immobile instead, body taut like it was being held back by some invisible force as he continued to growl low in his throat and throw the professor slightly impatient sideways glances. Like he was waiting for permission.
"It's not very wise to talk to me that way when my pet's around. He gets a bit overprotective."
Masuda glanced from Tegoshi to the professor and back again and felt his mouth go dry. "He's not a demon."
"What?" Ryo turned a confused look on him and across from him the professor smiled. "What do you mean?"
"It said it wasn't a demon earlier to me."
"Demons lie all the time. You know that."
"That's what I thought, too, but a demon wouldn't be this obedient. Not to a human."
Ryo's eyes widened as he turned to look, really look at Tegoshi, practically snarling at them from across the room. "You stupid bastard. You summoned an Inugami, didn't you?"
The professor laughed. "He's a gifted actor but he's not really that bright, is he?"
"Fuck you--"
"Ryo," Masuda cut him off, his voice low and urgent as he turned to give the professor a cautious look. "Do you have any idea what you're messing with here?"
The professor snorted, turning to give Tegoshi a brief pat on the head before he turned back to Ryo. "I'm not messing with anything. I merely summoned a loyal servant capable of carrying out my wishes."
"It's a death spirit," Ryo hissed out, face wary as the professor leaned over, whispering a quiet command in Tegoshi's ear and the younger man closed the distance between himself and Ryo with surprising speed. Masuda heard Ryo suck in a sharp breath before he had time to realize that Ryo was kneeling between them, pressing the curve of his blade to Ryo's throat with a wicked smile.
"And it's under my control. It doesn't act without my orders." The professor sighed, clucking his tongue and giving Ryo and Masuda both a look that would have seemed understanding in any other circumstances. "It hasn't killed anyone, you know. Granted, that's about to change with you two, but up until now it really hasn't done that much harm. Made a few problem students who were making things difficult for myself and the department go a little crazy, but nothing lasting. Give it a few months and I'm sure they'll all be back to normal."
"It doesn't matter," Masuda said, his voice almost too loud in his own ears as he struggled to keep it from wavering. He could hear Ryo gasp softly as Tegoshi pressed his knife tighter against his skin, stopping only when the first hint of blood welled up against the blade. "You think you have it under control now, but you don't. These things will only take orders for so long and then they slip their leash, and when that happens it's going to come for you."
"I don't think so." The professor laughed, the sound soft and self-assured, and Masuda had to admit that Ryo's assessment of him had been entirely too accurate. Only a complete douchebag would play around with the type of dark magic that it took to summon up this kind of spirit and be arrogant enough to think that it wouldn't backfire. "I think it will keep doing whatever I tell it to do. It's very obedient. Just like a real dog, only with less mess to clean up after."
"Dogs turn on their masters all the time. This thing will turn on you and it won't be pretty. We've seen it happen." Ryo made a soft, pained noise beside him and Masuda fought the urge to turn and look at him, keeping his eyes trained on the professor instead, trying to keep the man's attention on him, hoping to distract him from Tegoshi and the knife he had pressed against Ryo's throat. If he could just buy them some time, then maybe he could figure out a way out of this. Preferably one that ended with everyone alive.
"Obviously those people were weak and didn't know how to keep their pets in line. That or the two of you charged in there half-cocked and mucked things up, which really wouldn't surprise me. You don't seem terribly good at what you do." The professor strode forward to stand in front of Masuda, forcing him to tilt his head back to meet his eyes. "You had no idea what was going on here. It was disgustingly easy to let my pet use your friend to fool you into thinking this was the work of some ghost and then lure you both in here."
Ryo gave another hiss of pain beside him, as if right on cue, and Masuda's eyes widened, his voice catching. "If you let that thing spill blood it will never stop. Call it off while you still can."
"You know I can't just let you go." The professor leaned in closer, tilting his head to the side as he studied Masuda's face thoughtfully. "You and Ryo are close, aren't you? The cousins story was obviously a lie, but you've got some sort of connection. It would make you sad to see him hurt, wouldn't it?"
Masuda swallowed, his gaze sliding to the side automatically, watching Ryo briefly out of the corner of his eye. He had his teeth clenched and his neck pulled taut from where Tegoshi was forcing his head back, his face nothing but a mask of anger, but even looking at him sideways like this Masuda could see the fear in his eyes and his heart sank a little. He had no idea how to get them out of this.
"I was going to have my pet slit his throat while you watched, but I think I have a better idea." The professor pursed his lips, giving Ryo a long, appraising look before shifting his gaze to Tegoshi's face. "Cut him loose."
"What?" Masuda tensed, thinking for one terrible moment that the professor's words held some hidden meaning, but when he turned to look Tegoshi had lowered the knife from Ryo's throat and was sawing through the ropes binding his wrists and ankles with quick, efficient movements. Ryo tilted his head forward and turned to meet Masuda's eyes, his expression mirroring the other's confusion.
"I thought you couldn't let us go." Ryo ground out, obviously resisting the urge to lunge forward in some sort of suicidal bid to take the other down. Masuda watched him out of the corner of his eye and willed him not to do anything stupid.
"I'm not letting you go. Just making a slight change in plans." The professor rose from his crouch and motioned to Tegoshi. "I don't really like Masuda's little friend very much. He was useful, but not someone I think I want to keep around. You, on the other hand... I wasn't lying when I said you had talent. You'd be a really asset to keep around the department."
The look on Ryo's face was caught somewhere between disbelief and horrified amusement. "So, what, you want to keep me around so I can act in your stupid plays and be your class pet?"
"More or less. My pet seems to be easier to control when he has a body to possess. It just seems poetic that it should be yours."
"You can't." Masuda's heartbeat sped at that, his expression more than a little desperate as he tried to think of some way to plead their way out of this. Death was bad enough, but spending your life with an angry spirit riding your body, aware but completely out of control of your actions--that was more than anyone could handle. "Take me instead. I won't fight you. Take me and let Ryo and Tegoshi go."
"Takahisa," Ryo hissed, the word a sharp warning. Masuda couldn't remember the last time Ryo had used his first name, if he ever had. It definitely served it's purpose now, though, managing to get his attention for long enough for him to throw Ryo an apologetic look.
"I mean it. Take me."
The professor seemed to consider for a long, breathless moment before he shook his head and his lips curved into a smile that held absolutely no warmth. "Nice offer, but I think I'm going to have to turn you down. It looks like my pet's already made the decision for me."
Masuda's whipped his head around to look at Ryo, taking in the tension in his shoulders and the way his hair fell around the side of his face, hiding his eyes. Masuda breathed out his name quietly, trying to get his attention before a soft gasp made him look away, only to see Tegoshi staring at him over Ryo's shoulder, looking dazed. There was a loud clatter as the knife slipped from between Tegoshi's fingers and fell to the stage floor, the sound almost deafening against the silence of the room.
"Massu... what's going on?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," the professor assured him, his voice deceptively kind. His tone set off alarm bells in Masuda's head, but he didn't have a chance to give Tegoshi any kind of explanation or warning before Ryo let out a low growl and lifted his arm, smashing his elbow back against Tegoshi's face and sending the other sprawling.
"Tegoshi!" Masuda struggled against his bindings in a vain attempt to reach his friend, but a hand around his throat and a low laugh, so familiar and yet so very, very wrong stopped him. "I wouldn't worry about him. By the time we take care of him you'll already be dead."
Masuda swallowed, gasping as the hand around his throat tightened, lifting him up and forcing him to his feet, his back to the wall.
In front of him, Ryo smiled in a way that was completely alien and leaned in, his voice a low growl against his ear. "Don't worry. I promise I'll make it quick."
--
"This isn't you." Masuda's voice was calm, but Ryo could smell the fear rolling off him in waves and it only made him smile wider, closing his eyes and leaning in to breathe it all in deeply, something deep and dark inside of him devouring the scent.
Masuda wasn't trembling yet, but he was tense, muscles wound tight like one of the strings on the beat up guitar Ryo kept in their backseat got right before they snapped. Ryo could still remember the look on Masuda's face the first time he'd played for him, his fingers clumsy with nerves and his head ducked, avoiding looking at the other's face as he tried to focus on the song. He remembered Masuda's applause afterwards and the grin on his face, bright and happy, like his skin wasn't still red from the hour long shower that he'd taken to wash away all the blood from their latest job; like they were just two normal guys on a road trip somewhere, holed up in a cheap motel together while Ryo entertained them both with stupid songs.
Even then, there'd been something dark inside of Ryo, just waiting to be let out..
"How can you be so sure?" Ryo pulled away to look in Masuda's eyes and laughed at the stubbornness he could see there, fighting with the other's fear. That stubborness was one of the things that Ryo had always loved about Masuda. That even with someone like Ryo he could give as good as he got when he really felt strongly about something.
Not that it would do him any good now. Not when Ryo had the knife in his hands and orders that he knew he needed--no, wanted to fulfill.
Masusda had to die because his master said so, and the darkness curled up inside Ryo's belly wanted it to happen.
"Because I know you."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that."
--
"Please, Ryo." Masuda swallowed back a surge of panic as he felt Ryo press the knife tighter against his throat, the blade stinging as he cut into his skin just enough to leave a thin line of blood behind. His mind worked frantically, trying to think of some way out of this. He didn't have anything on him that was powerful enough to drive the spirit away long enough to let Ryo regain control of himself, and even if he had, he wouldn't have had a hand free to use it.
He didn't even have the reassurance that Ryo was there to back him up if he really needed it, to charge in and save the day if Masuda fucked things up too badly or made the wrong choice. If he didn't figure this out soon, that thing would make Ryo kill him and even if Ryo managed to eventually get free of it Masuda knew that he would never, ever forgive himself.
So, Masuda really had no choice but to think of something and think of it fast, because he wasn't about to let that happen.
Ryo seemed to read the determination in Masuda's eyes then because he picked that moment to press the knife a bit deeper into his skin, sending a warm trickle of blood down his neck and pulling a sharp, pained hiss from between his teeth. The professor, who Masuda had actually managed to forget about momentarily, stepped forward and ran a hand through Ryo's hair, clucking his tongue disapprovingly.
"No killing him just yet. Wait until I give the order, remember?" He smiled and Masuda felt his stomach lurch, realizing just how much this guy was getting off on ordering the spirit around. It shouldn't have been a surprise, really, given the type of people that usually liked to dabble in this type of black magic, but even with as many power junkies as they'd dealt with in the past, it still made him feel slightly ill.
Ryo turned to look at the professor, his eyes glinting red as the other man walked away, moving to stand over Tegoshi with a slight smile. "Maybe I'll have you take care of this one while Masuda watches. That would be fun, wouldn't it?"
Ryo growled low in his throat and kept his eyes fixed on the professor's back, his jaw clenched tight and his expression one of barely controlled anger. Masuda could feel the tension running through his body, like it was all he could do to keep himself from snapping and he felt his heart start to beat frantically at the seed of hope forming in his chest.
It was a long shot, but he might have just found their way out of this mess.
"He's not worthy of you, you know." Masuda kept his voice low, trying to gauge Ryo's reaction as he spoke, his words escaping him in a nervous rush.. "He doesn't know what he's really dealing with."
Ryo blinked, turning his head slowly to meet Masuda's eyes, his own flashing a quick, dangerous red. "That's my master you're talking about."
"He doesn't deserve to be." Masuda gasped softly as Ryo leaned in closer, his breath hot against the side of his face as he growled a warning. Masuda swallowed and forced down his panic, trying not to stumble over his words. "I know the things that you can do. I know how strong you are on your own, but you're letting yourself be controlled by someone who doesn't even understand what you are."
Ryo growled again, but the sound was less fierce this time, almost slightly questioning. "He doesn't have to understand. He just has to tell me what to do, so I can obey."
"But you don't have to just obey. You could give yourself your own orders. You wouldn't have to listen to him anymore, or anyone. You wouldn't have to let him use you."
"You--pet." The professor chose that moment to interrupt them, his voice full of the same smugness that it had held all night, smugness that Masuda was really starting to hate. "Stop playing with that one and come here."
Ryo whipped his head around, the whites of his eyes tinged red as he narrowed his eyes a the professor and stood there, unmoving.
The professor didn't seem impressed by this, his mouth pulling into a thin line as he gave Ryo an angry look. Masuda had just a moment to think that he wouldn't have wanted to be a student on the receiving end of that look before he barked out an order. "Did you hear me? I said let him go and come here."
Masuda could feel Ryo's arms tense and hear the low rumble rising in his throat and he sucked in a breath, watching Ryo's expression out of the corner of his eye and waiting.
"That's an order. Here. Now." The professor had barely finished the words before Masuda felt the air start to shift around him, starting as a light breeze that ruffled the hair at the base of his neck and growing stronger as Ryo's eyes started to shine red.
"No."
"What?" The expression on the professor's face was almost comical as he gaped at Ryo, looking at an utter loss for a moment before he regained his composure and strode across the stage, stopping a few steps from Ryo and leaning in to whisper dangerously.
"You can't tell me no. I give the orders here. I own you."
Ryo dropped his hand from Masuda's neck and let him go, sending Masuda crashing onto his backside against the stage as he turned to face the professor, a dangerous smile on his lips and a low, rough laugh rising in his throat. "I don't think I want to listen to your orders anymore."
"You don't have a choice."
"Yes, I do." Ryo laughed again and lifted the knife. Masuda could see the fear flash in the professor's eyes as he waved it in the air in front of him before tossing it to the side and reaching out, pushing his palm flat against the other man's chest.
"What are you--" he started, trying to back away from Ryo's hand but some unseen force held him there, wide eyed and shaking as Ryo's eyes glowed a sickening crimson. It was like time froze for a moment, leaving Masuda stuck there in an unending moment, watching the professor try to struggle away from Ryo's hand while Ryo sneered in a way that was nothing like the Ryo that Masuda knew.
And then, finally, the stalemate broke and Ryo curled his hand into a fist against the other's chest slowly and Masuda could see the air start to shimmer and caught the first whiff of burning flesh before the professor burst into flames with a horrified scream, Ryo's hand holding him there, body squirming while the flames consumed him.
Masuda watched, wide eyed and horrified, the smell of burning flesh enough to make bile rise in the back of his throat. Just when he thought he might be sick all over the stage it was over just as quickly as it had begun, Ryo's hand dropping do his side as the professor's ash covered suit dropped to the stage, empty of any evidence of the person who had so recently been wearing it.
Masuda swallowed and stared at it in vague horror, feeling a short lived pang of guilt. He hadn't really had much of a choice and he'd known that if the spirit turned on its master the end result wouldn't be pretty, but he still hadn't thought it would be anything like that. All he'd been worried about was getting himself and Ryo and Tegoshi out of this alive.
Masuda's introspection was cut off by a brief growl and he looked away from the still smoking pile of clothing and up at Ryo, shivering at the unnatural smile that the other was still wearing.
"I'm supposed to kill you." Ryo took a step forward, crouching in front of Masuda and eying him curiously, as if he'd never really taken the time to look at him close up before. Although he supposed that the creature looking out through Ryo's eyes actually hadn't. "But I don't have to follow those orders anymore. And I don't think I want to."
Masuda let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding and nodding slowly, his voice cautious. "What about Ryo?"
"I don't think I want to kill him, either."
"What about his body? Will you give it back to him?"
Ryo pursed his lips in thought and seemed to consider for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, I think I will."
"Thank you," Masuda breathed, his voice catching as Ryo smiled at him then closed his eyes. He could feel the air shift around them again as Ryo let out a long, low sigh, lips still curled into a smile as he slumped over onto his side.
"Ryo?" Masuda leaned forward, nudging the other's still form awkwardly with his shoulder and letting out a soft sigh of relief when Ryo's eyes fluttered open and he got a grumpy moan in response. He sat back then, taking a deep breath and trying to keep himself calm and not think too hard about how close they'd all just come to being casualties of some crazy man's spirit powered career goals.
Ryo groaned again and sat up slowly, his hand clutching at his head as he gave Masuda a dirty, tired look that Masuda answered with a shaky smile.
"You okay?"
"I've been worse," Ryo mumbled, voice rough as he dropped his hand and softened his expression from death glare to mild annoyance. "How did you know that would work, getting it to turn on him like that?"
Masuda laughed, the sound short and nervous. "I didn't. I just couldn't think of anything else."
Ryo let out a groan that was more nervous than annoyed. "Please promise me you'll never do that again."
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to," Masuda admitted with another soft laugh. Ryo echoed it and grabbed the knife with fingers that only trembled slightly and crawled around to cut the ties still binding Masuda's ankles and wrists. Masuda sighed in relief and pulled his hands in front of him, trying to rub some of the numbess out of his hands. He heard Ryo toss the knife somewhere to the side and turned to give him a smile, caught a little off guard by the look that the other was giving him, full of hurt and reluctance and more guilt than Masuda could ever remember seeing there.
"You're still bleeding." Ryo's reached up, fingertips shaking as he wiped the blood from Masuda's neck, his eyes narrowed as he leaned in to inspect the cut marring his skin carefully.
"I'm fine." Masuda smiled and let him fuss for a minute before pushing him away gently. "It's just a scratch."
"It's deeper than a scratch," Ryo mumbled, his voice subdued as he reached up, catching Masuda's hand where the other was about to prod at the gash on his temple in return. If Ryo was going to fuss over him then it was only fair for Masuda to fuss over Ryo in return. "I'm fine. We should check on your friend."
Masuda started to argue but stopped, deciding that he could push later. Ryo was conscious and himself and not bleeding out all over the floor and that would have to be enough for now. He turned and crawled across the few feet separating him from Tegoshi and called out the other's name softly, leaning in to inspect the damage. "Tegoshi--hey, Tego, wake up. Come on, let me know you're okay."
Tegoshi groaned softly and lifted a hand, swatting at him halfheartedly. Masuda smiled a little at that and ran his hands through the other's hair, feeling the lump where the back of his head had hit the stage gently and earning another complaint. He'd never been so happy to hear Tegoshi whine at him in his life.
"How is he?" Ryo slid up beside them, voice and eyes guilty as he eyed the bruise blossoming across Tegoshi's cheekbone and the swelling around his right eye.
"We should probably get him to the hospital to get the bump on the back of his head checked out, but I think he should be okay. He's already being difficult, so it can't be that bad."
Tegoshi groaned again, his eyes opening to slits as he mumbled something unintelligible but no doubt none too friendly and reached to swat at Masuda again, as if on cue.
Ryo nodded, looking relieved and, if possible, even more guilty. "I'll go call an ambulance and hide Professor Ash Pile over there. You stay with him."
Ryo turned and started to stand to leave but Masuda reached up, grabbing his sleeve to hold him in place. "Ryo, I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth."
Ryo looked at him blankly, frozen in a half-crouch, taking a moment to process the other's meaning before he shook his head and tried to pull away. "It's okay. It's none of my business, anyway."
"Ryo--" Masuda tightened his grip on Ryo's sleeve.
"No, I mean it. Your past is your past. I'm not a part of it."
"Things might have changed a lot for me in the past few years--I might have changed a lot, but me in the past and me today are still the same person." Masuda sighed and shook his head, looking at Ryo with an expression that was as uncertain as it was pleading. "My past is still a part of who I am--"
"I know. That's why I'd never ask you to give it up."
"No--just shut up for a minute and let me finish, okay?" Masuda snapped, earning a surprised look from Ryo. He swallowed, his eyes apologetic as he tugged on Ryo's sleeve, urging the other back down onto his knees beside him. "My past is part of who I am, and who I am is your partner, Ryo. Your friend. I owe it to you to let you know that side of me, too and I shouldn't have lied about Tegoshi. So, I'm sorry."
Ryo swallowed, his expression unreadable as he stared at him, the silence stretching out between them. Masuda fought the urge to look away or squirm until, finally, Ryo seemed to come to a decision and his lips curled into a genuine, if hesitant, smile. "I think I'd like knowing more about you."
"You would?"
"Yeah." Ryo's smile widened into something so genuine and bright that Masuda returned it without even thinking. "But you have to make me a promise."
"I--sure. I can do that."
"If we meet any more of your old friends, they're not going to try to kill me."
Masuda laughed and nodded, surprising himself with just how relieved his voice sounded. "I'm not making any promises."
One Week Later
"So, basically what you're telling me is that every scary story that anyone has ever told me is real." Tegoshi took a bite of his cake, eyes moving from Ryo's face and then back to Masuda's for comfirmation.
All things considered, Tegoshi was taking the news that ghosts and monsters were real and that Masuda and Ryo spent their time traveling around, banishing and killing them and in general just smiting everything that they could, really well. Ryo had commented to Masuda that he thought he was taking it a bit too well and had given Tegoshi some funny looks before Masuda assured him that that was a completely normal reaction for the other. Ryo had calmed down after that and started to warm up to Tegoshi with a sort of wary reluctance, much to Masuda's relief. He didn't really need Ryo thinking he needed to slip holy water in Tegoshi's drink everytime he saw him just in case. Now that he'd decided to be honest with both Ryo and Tegoshi, he found he really, desperately wanted them to get along.
So far, it was going alright. They were both still a little prickly and uncertain around each other, but they seem to have made some sort of unspoken agreement to at least get along for Masuda's sake, and for now that was enough.
Not that he'd have to worry about that for awhile after tonight, since he and Ryo were finally leaving in the morning and had no idea when they'd be back.
"Not all of those stories are real, you know." Masuda smiled across the table at Tegoshi, attention snapping back to the conversation. "Fan death is a total load of crap."
"As far as we know, anyway," Ryo added, using the voice that Masuda recognized as his attempt at sounding ominous. Masuda and Tegoshi both laughed and shook their heads while Ryo looked slightly offended. "Hey, you never know. Just because we haven't seen it doesn't mean it can't happen."
Masuda sipped at his coke and refrained from pointing out that Ryo had called fan death a "load of horse shit" quite loudly on numerous occasions.
"I wonder if anyone has ever thought to study the psychology behind all of this." Tegoshi gave them both a thoughtful look, the one that Masuda knew usually meant trouble. It was the same look he'd always gotten right before he'd spouted off some brilliant idea that usually ended up getting them both grounded for a week.
"Behind fan death?"
"No." Tegoshi's eyes lit up a little as he looked at Ryo and Masuda sighed and bit his cheek to keep from asking Ryo to please not encourage him. He'd have to learn on his own eventually. "Behind ghosts and monsters and all of this stuff. What makes them tick."
"They're ghosts and monsters and creepy supernatural shit. Why do you need to know what makes them tick?" Ryo looked at Tegoshi like it physically hurt to be having this conversation. "All you need to know is how to get rid of them."
"But that's just it. With the right psychology, maybe you could help them heal and move on."
"So, what, you want to go out and start giving therapy sessions to every random kappa you run across?"
Masuda snorted, ignoring the simultaneous annoyed looks that they both gave him.
"No," Tegoshi answered with a slight smile, pretending like they hadn't been interrupted. "But imagine the research you could do with this. If we knew more about what makes these things tick, maybe we'd know more about what makes us tick. Imagine the grants you could get for that kind of thing."
Ryo snorted. "I can see why you and Massu are friends. You're both idiots."
"And you're friends with Massu, so what does that say about you?" Tegoshi's grin widened as Ryo opened his mouth and then shut it again quickly, looking like he actually wasn't quite sure how to answer. He threw Masuda an "are you going to let him talk to me like that" look, but Masuda just shrugged and smiled at him helplessly.
"Whatever. That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."
Tegoshi grinned and turned to Masuda. "You know what you guys remind me of? Those books about the brothers who travel around killing things by what's his name... Carver Edlund."
"Supernatural?" Masuda supplied with a quiet sigh while Ryo groaned beside him.
"Yes, Supernatural! You've read them?"
"Not exactly." Masuda smiled and glanced sideways at Ryo, who seemed to have developed a sudden interest in his coke and was staring at it like his life depended on it. Tegoshi, who could be surprisingly perceptive when he chose to be, followed the look and broke out into a wide, knowing grin.
"You read them, Ryo?"
Ryo looked up suddenly, scowling in an effort to cover up his embarrassment. Unfortunately his ears were a bit too crimson for it to be effective. "I've looked at a couple when I was bored and didn't have anything else to read."
Masuda covered his mouth and coughed to cover up a laugh, earning him a dirty look from Ryo and a curious one from Tegoshi. He knew for a fact that Ryo had read every book in the series that had been translated into Japanese so far--and a few that had unofficial fan translations up online--but he really didn't think the other would appreciate him telling Tegoshi that and Masuda had come close enough to being killed once this week already.
"So are your lives really as exciting as the books, then?" Tegoshi leaned forward and Masuda couldn't quite tell if he was just trying to get a rise out of Ryo or if he was honestly curious.
"Not quite that exciting," Masuda answered, laughing a little.
"No muscle cars or sawed off shotguns for you, then?"
"Those are a bit harder to get your hands on in Japan," Ryo mumbled beside him, looking slightly disappointed. Ryo had brought up the whole issue of sawed off shotguns and salt rounds once and had seemed pretty excited about the whole idea until Masuda reminded him that they couldn't really carry them around without risking getting stopped by the cops and the whole hunting for deer excuse probably wouldn't fly that well in Japan. Not that you used sawed offs for hunting actual animals, but it had gotten the idea across to Ryo. After he'd sulked for a few days.
"We don't cry that much, either," Masuda added, earning another glare from his partner.
Tegoshi laughed and reached for his drink, sipping it thoughtfully as silence fell across the table. They'd all finished their meals and it was almost time for them to leave and go their separate ways, but he found himself wanting to linger just a little longer.
Tegoshi seemed to be having the same thoughts because he met Masuda's eyes across the table and gave him a teasing smile. "So, are you going to use your hunter skills to disappear on me again, Massu?"
"No." Masuda shook his head and looked away from the other, embarrassed. "I have your number and email now. I promise I'll stay in touch."
"I hope so. I missed you while you were gone, you know."
Masuda looked up and smiled at the other sadly. "Yeah, me too."
"Jesus, you two are such girls." Ryo gave Masuda a look that said he really didn't approve of all the feelings being shared at the moment and then frowned at Tegoshi across the table. "You don't have to worry about him dropping off the face of the Earth again. I'll make sure he calls you, okay?"
Tegoshi nodded, his expression stunned. "Thanks."
Ryo shrugged and turned his attention back to his coke. "Don't mention it. If it stops you two from having a full blown chick flick moment, that's enough for me."
Masuda smiled at Ryo and then shared a look with Tegoshi across the table and made a promise to himself that he'd drag Ryo back to visit someday soon.
After all, they could both use a few more chick flick moments in their lives.
Ending Note: a few handy links for kappa, inugami and fan death--that link only talks about South Korea, but it's also a pretty popular Urban Legend in Japan (left out of the header to prevent possible spoilers).