Ficcage!
Was hoping to put something together for International Blog Against Racism Week. Am not sure I'll make it. Oh well. Before then, have more Post-It-verse, with extra Nagi being retarded. Next installment will have Ken. Yay Ken!
"Mmm, no," Mamoru said, sliding an arm around Nagi's waist and holding him in place. "Stay." He was half-asleep, sweet and warm against Nagi's side.
"You've got a meeting in the morning," Nagi protested. He could break Mamoru's embrace easily, of course, but ... it felt good.
"Castle's always cold," muttered Mamoru. "Y'r warm." His fingers slid into the waistband of Nagi's boxers. "C'mon."
"Mamoru," Nagi protested, but his body had its own ideas.
And it was always cold in the stupid castle anyway.
Tonkinese was on his second coffee when Rex came in. They weren't late, exactly, but he'd been waiting a while, and he was pretty edgy to begin with.
She had someone else with her; he was short and dark-haired, wearing a dark grey, well-tailored suit at least as expensive as Rex's.
"This is Panther," Rex said. "He'd like to speak with you."
"A step up in the animal kingdom, huh?"
The young man smirked. He was maybe a year or two younger than Tonkinese, when he got up close. His suit was perfect but his shirt looked wrong; too loose around the neck and oddly tight across the chest. Nice tie, though; silk, for sure, in a dark, subtle pattern. "You've done excellent work," he said, settling into the chair across the table. "We'd like you to take things to the next level."
That was intriguing. Probably meant more work, but might mean more money, too. "Next level?"
"A new team," Panther said. "With you installed as the leader. The work would be a bit more...diverse than what you're used to."
Diverse. Did that mean less killing people, or more killing people in creative ways? "What about the rest of Weiss? I assume they're not invited, or they'd be part of this meeting."
Panther nodded. "You're correct. We'd fake your death. Safer for all involved."
That was unacceptable. "No."
"Why?"
"I...have loyalties there."
Panther's voice was sharp. "Loyalties? Or one loyalty in particular?"
Tonkinese looked down at his coffee cup. "Does it matter?"
"It might."
Well, then. "I won't go anywhere without Ragdoll."
"Rex suspected you would say that." Panther's hands were folded neatly in front of him. His shirt cuffs were too short. "Do you think Ragdoll would be ... amenable to this?"
Ragdoll would certainly be amenable to less killing and more money, if that was the case. But the whole thing smelled funny. "Where does Persia fit into this?"
"You'll still be working for him," Panther said. "Indirectly, as before."
"So why all the secrecy?" He looked up; he wanted to see Panther's face when he answered.
"Your security," Panther said, looking him in the eye. "As well as that of Weiss."
That was ... not encouraging.
"I'll have to think about this," he said.
"Of course."
"And you really should wear your own shirts when you come to make these kinds of offers."
The waitress behind them dropped her dishes; there was a loud crash.
"Speaking like that," Panther said, his voice sharp as flint, "will not be to your benefit, Tonkinese."
Well, that was interesting. Panther had a temper, and a nasty one, by the looks. "I see," he said.
Nagi's mood was beyond foul when he got back to the mansion. He tugged at the ridiculous neck of his shirt; was Mamoru really built so differently? Never again. He'd go back to his own damn apartment next time, wear his own fucking shirts and underwear-- though at least the underwear fit....
Rex, who had known better to say anything on the car ride back, said, "We'd better report in."
"Of course," Nagi said. Of course.
"Should we do anything to sweeten the pot?" Mamoru said. "Or wait him out?"
"He's suspicious," Nagi said. "I think sweetening will only make him more skeptical. You were right, though; letting him bring Ragdoll in will make him feel he has more control of the situation."
Mamoru tapped his fingers against the desk. "Rex?"
"I think he's right," she said. "If he asks me about the operation, I'll of course tell him that Panther is to be trusted."
"That's assuming he trusts you," Nagi noted.
"He puts his life in my hands," Rex says. "He trusts me." Mamoru nodded his dismissal, and she left.
"I'm going to go home and change," Nagi said, "if that's all."
"There's shirts in my closet," Mamoru said.
"Yes," Nagi said dryly, tugging once more at the ill-fitting neck. "I know."
"No," Mamoru said, moving on to the next pile of paperwork. "Your size. I had them delivered."
Of all the things that Naoe Nagi was not in the mood for, his-- whatever the hell Mamoru was-- buying him clothes was very, very close to the top of the list. "What-- Why?"
"I thought it would be easier," Mamoru said.
Easier than what? "I--"
Mamoru looked up from the paperwork, his face confusion and annoyance. "I mean, you're here often enough, if we--"
"You don't own me," Nagi finally snapped.
"No," Mamoru said, his expression changing. "I don't-- I didn't--"
"I'm going home," Nagi said, and slammed the door behind him.
Mamoru didn't see Nagi again until the morning meeting the next day. He looked exhausted; dark circles under his eyes and a wince that looked like a headache.
Mamoru didn't want to know, he told himself. He really didn't.
The meeting was blessedly brief; probably word had gotten around that Nagi had left early the night before. Mamoru didn't care. To hell with them. He didn't talk to Nagi as he left, either. To hell with him too.
He sequestered himself in his office and didn't talk to anyone until Rex returned in the afternoon with the results from Weiss' latest assignment. "They're all in," she said confidently. "And Tonkinese had more questions."
Interesting. "What kind of questions?"
"The right ones," she said. She looked smug.
"Good," he said. Now get out of my sight was just implied, but she got the hint.
He put his fingers to his temples and rubbed. If people would just stop expecting things. If he could just stop expecting things. If he could have just slept last night.
He'd slept alone for most of his life; Nagi'd spent the night, what, twice? And a few times in Australia.
He was insane.
He got through the rest of the day in a state somewhere between sleepwalking and despair. He ate dinner with Ran, who-- blessed relief-- had somehow known better for two nights than to ask where Nagi-nii-san was. She said the food was good, but he couldn't taste any of it. She had homework, so he flipped channels for a while.
He went to bed after he tucked her in, and stared at the ceiling until dawn came.
The next day, the next evening, were more of the same. Ran gave him extra hugs. They helped, a little.
Mamoru wondered if apologizing would make things worse and sent her off to her room to do her homework.
There was a knock at the door. No one ever knocked without getting buzzed through first, except--
Nagi still looked like he had a headache. His gaze swept over the room and rested for a moment on Ran's open door. "Tonkinese and Ragdoll are in."
"I see," Mamoru said. "Thank you." Would inviting him in be asking for trouble?
Nagi reached up and touched the side of Mamoru's face.
Mamoru sighed and leaned forward into his hand. He tried not to show how relieved he was, which probably didn't make any difference at all.
"I should've had you keep the shirts," Nagi said, and curled an arm around Mamoru's back.
"I kept them anyway," Mamoru said. "I was going to have Ran give them to you for your birthday."
"You asshole," Nagi said, but there wasn't any anger in it.
"When is your birthday? She asked me yesterday and it's not in your file."
"Don't know," Nagi said. "I think maybe September."
"We should decide on something," Mamoru said. "I don't want to explain to her why you don't have a birthday. Not yet, anyway."
"Okay," Nagi said. "I'm sorry."
"I should've asked," Mamoru said. "I don't own you. You're right."
"This used to be an easier job," Nagi said. "This used to be a job."
Mamoru laughed in spite of himself. "A contract job," he said. "remember that?"
"I thought I'd be out of here in a year." Nagi took his hand off Mamoru's face and stroked his hair. "We should turn off the cameras."
Mamoru sighed. "They all know anyway."
Nagi didn't answer, but he didn't move, either.
Mamoru stepped back and let him in the apartment. "You didn't kill anyone important, did you?"
Nagi shook his head. "They'll never find the bodies, anyway."
Mamoru sighed. "That's something." He slid a hand under Nagi's shirt and let it rest against his waist. "So they're both in?"
Nagi nodded.
"Phase Three, Nagi-kun."
Nagi's powers shut the door behind him. "Don't sound so fucking pleased about it."
But Mamoru was pleased. "This is our chance."
"It's the most dangerous part of all."
Mamoru slid his hand up the back of Nagi's shirt and grinned. "Isn't that what I just said?"
"Just don't be stupid." Nagi tipped his head down and nuzzled at Mamoru's neck; uncharacteristic, and deeply welcome.
"When have I ever been--"
"I'm not answering that," Nagi said. "And you don't want me to."
"So what should we name them?" Mamoru said. "I was thinking of Grau."
"That's not the most cliched thing you could think of or anything." Nagi's voice felt strange against Mamoru's neck.
"So you have a better idea?"
"Anything would be a better idea. Death Kittens from Space would be a better idea."
"Death Kittens from--" Mamoru started laughing. He could feel Nagi's laughter too.
"What's so funny?"
"Have you done your homework?" he asked Ran, automatically. One of the comforts of having a small child around was that almost any awkward question could be countered by another.
"Yes," she said. "What's so funny?"
Of course, there was no guarantee the tactic would work. "A movie we watched," Nagi said, saving them both. "A grown-up movie. What was your homework?"
"I'm practicing my letters," she said. "You want to come see?"
"Yes," he said, and followed her into her room, squeezing Mamoru's hand for just a second before he left.
"Death Kittens from Outer Space," Mamoru murmured to himself. "You're crazy."
Post-it stories.
"Mmm, no," Mamoru said, sliding an arm around Nagi's waist and holding him in place. "Stay." He was half-asleep, sweet and warm against Nagi's side.
"You've got a meeting in the morning," Nagi protested. He could break Mamoru's embrace easily, of course, but ... it felt good.
"Castle's always cold," muttered Mamoru. "Y'r warm." His fingers slid into the waistband of Nagi's boxers. "C'mon."
"Mamoru," Nagi protested, but his body had its own ideas.
And it was always cold in the stupid castle anyway.
Tonkinese was on his second coffee when Rex came in. They weren't late, exactly, but he'd been waiting a while, and he was pretty edgy to begin with.
She had someone else with her; he was short and dark-haired, wearing a dark grey, well-tailored suit at least as expensive as Rex's.
"This is Panther," Rex said. "He'd like to speak with you."
"A step up in the animal kingdom, huh?"
The young man smirked. He was maybe a year or two younger than Tonkinese, when he got up close. His suit was perfect but his shirt looked wrong; too loose around the neck and oddly tight across the chest. Nice tie, though; silk, for sure, in a dark, subtle pattern. "You've done excellent work," he said, settling into the chair across the table. "We'd like you to take things to the next level."
That was intriguing. Probably meant more work, but might mean more money, too. "Next level?"
"A new team," Panther said. "With you installed as the leader. The work would be a bit more...diverse than what you're used to."
Diverse. Did that mean less killing people, or more killing people in creative ways? "What about the rest of Weiss? I assume they're not invited, or they'd be part of this meeting."
Panther nodded. "You're correct. We'd fake your death. Safer for all involved."
That was unacceptable. "No."
"Why?"
"I...have loyalties there."
Panther's voice was sharp. "Loyalties? Or one loyalty in particular?"
Tonkinese looked down at his coffee cup. "Does it matter?"
"It might."
Well, then. "I won't go anywhere without Ragdoll."
"Rex suspected you would say that." Panther's hands were folded neatly in front of him. His shirt cuffs were too short. "Do you think Ragdoll would be ... amenable to this?"
Ragdoll would certainly be amenable to less killing and more money, if that was the case. But the whole thing smelled funny. "Where does Persia fit into this?"
"You'll still be working for him," Panther said. "Indirectly, as before."
"So why all the secrecy?" He looked up; he wanted to see Panther's face when he answered.
"Your security," Panther said, looking him in the eye. "As well as that of Weiss."
That was ... not encouraging.
"I'll have to think about this," he said.
"Of course."
"And you really should wear your own shirts when you come to make these kinds of offers."
The waitress behind them dropped her dishes; there was a loud crash.
"Speaking like that," Panther said, his voice sharp as flint, "will not be to your benefit, Tonkinese."
Well, that was interesting. Panther had a temper, and a nasty one, by the looks. "I see," he said.
Nagi's mood was beyond foul when he got back to the mansion. He tugged at the ridiculous neck of his shirt; was Mamoru really built so differently? Never again. He'd go back to his own damn apartment next time, wear his own fucking shirts and underwear-- though at least the underwear fit....
Rex, who had known better to say anything on the car ride back, said, "We'd better report in."
"Of course," Nagi said. Of course.
"Should we do anything to sweeten the pot?" Mamoru said. "Or wait him out?"
"He's suspicious," Nagi said. "I think sweetening will only make him more skeptical. You were right, though; letting him bring Ragdoll in will make him feel he has more control of the situation."
Mamoru tapped his fingers against the desk. "Rex?"
"I think he's right," she said. "If he asks me about the operation, I'll of course tell him that Panther is to be trusted."
"That's assuming he trusts you," Nagi noted.
"He puts his life in my hands," Rex says. "He trusts me." Mamoru nodded his dismissal, and she left.
"I'm going to go home and change," Nagi said, "if that's all."
"There's shirts in my closet," Mamoru said.
"Yes," Nagi said dryly, tugging once more at the ill-fitting neck. "I know."
"No," Mamoru said, moving on to the next pile of paperwork. "Your size. I had them delivered."
Of all the things that Naoe Nagi was not in the mood for, his-- whatever the hell Mamoru was-- buying him clothes was very, very close to the top of the list. "What-- Why?"
"I thought it would be easier," Mamoru said.
Easier than what? "I--"
Mamoru looked up from the paperwork, his face confusion and annoyance. "I mean, you're here often enough, if we--"
"You don't own me," Nagi finally snapped.
"No," Mamoru said, his expression changing. "I don't-- I didn't--"
"I'm going home," Nagi said, and slammed the door behind him.
Mamoru didn't see Nagi again until the morning meeting the next day. He looked exhausted; dark circles under his eyes and a wince that looked like a headache.
Mamoru didn't want to know, he told himself. He really didn't.
The meeting was blessedly brief; probably word had gotten around that Nagi had left early the night before. Mamoru didn't care. To hell with them. He didn't talk to Nagi as he left, either. To hell with him too.
He sequestered himself in his office and didn't talk to anyone until Rex returned in the afternoon with the results from Weiss' latest assignment. "They're all in," she said confidently. "And Tonkinese had more questions."
Interesting. "What kind of questions?"
"The right ones," she said. She looked smug.
"Good," he said. Now get out of my sight was just implied, but she got the hint.
He put his fingers to his temples and rubbed. If people would just stop expecting things. If he could just stop expecting things. If he could have just slept last night.
He'd slept alone for most of his life; Nagi'd spent the night, what, twice? And a few times in Australia.
He was insane.
He got through the rest of the day in a state somewhere between sleepwalking and despair. He ate dinner with Ran, who-- blessed relief-- had somehow known better for two nights than to ask where Nagi-nii-san was. She said the food was good, but he couldn't taste any of it. She had homework, so he flipped channels for a while.
He went to bed after he tucked her in, and stared at the ceiling until dawn came.
The next day, the next evening, were more of the same. Ran gave him extra hugs. They helped, a little.
Mamoru wondered if apologizing would make things worse and sent her off to her room to do her homework.
There was a knock at the door. No one ever knocked without getting buzzed through first, except--
Nagi still looked like he had a headache. His gaze swept over the room and rested for a moment on Ran's open door. "Tonkinese and Ragdoll are in."
"I see," Mamoru said. "Thank you." Would inviting him in be asking for trouble?
Nagi reached up and touched the side of Mamoru's face.
Mamoru sighed and leaned forward into his hand. He tried not to show how relieved he was, which probably didn't make any difference at all.
"I should've had you keep the shirts," Nagi said, and curled an arm around Mamoru's back.
"I kept them anyway," Mamoru said. "I was going to have Ran give them to you for your birthday."
"You asshole," Nagi said, but there wasn't any anger in it.
"When is your birthday? She asked me yesterday and it's not in your file."
"Don't know," Nagi said. "I think maybe September."
"We should decide on something," Mamoru said. "I don't want to explain to her why you don't have a birthday. Not yet, anyway."
"Okay," Nagi said. "I'm sorry."
"I should've asked," Mamoru said. "I don't own you. You're right."
"This used to be an easier job," Nagi said. "This used to be a job."
Mamoru laughed in spite of himself. "A contract job," he said. "remember that?"
"I thought I'd be out of here in a year." Nagi took his hand off Mamoru's face and stroked his hair. "We should turn off the cameras."
Mamoru sighed. "They all know anyway."
Nagi didn't answer, but he didn't move, either.
Mamoru stepped back and let him in the apartment. "You didn't kill anyone important, did you?"
Nagi shook his head. "They'll never find the bodies, anyway."
Mamoru sighed. "That's something." He slid a hand under Nagi's shirt and let it rest against his waist. "So they're both in?"
Nagi nodded.
"Phase Three, Nagi-kun."
Nagi's powers shut the door behind him. "Don't sound so fucking pleased about it."
But Mamoru was pleased. "This is our chance."
"It's the most dangerous part of all."
Mamoru slid his hand up the back of Nagi's shirt and grinned. "Isn't that what I just said?"
"Just don't be stupid." Nagi tipped his head down and nuzzled at Mamoru's neck; uncharacteristic, and deeply welcome.
"When have I ever been--"
"I'm not answering that," Nagi said. "And you don't want me to."
"So what should we name them?" Mamoru said. "I was thinking of Grau."
"That's not the most cliched thing you could think of or anything." Nagi's voice felt strange against Mamoru's neck.
"So you have a better idea?"
"Anything would be a better idea. Death Kittens from Space would be a better idea."
"Death Kittens from--" Mamoru started laughing. He could feel Nagi's laughter too.
"What's so funny?"
"Have you done your homework?" he asked Ran, automatically. One of the comforts of having a small child around was that almost any awkward question could be countered by another.
"Yes," she said. "What's so funny?"
Of course, there was no guarantee the tactic would work. "A movie we watched," Nagi said, saving them both. "A grown-up movie. What was your homework?"
"I'm practicing my letters," she said. "You want to come see?"
"Yes," he said, and followed her into her room, squeezing Mamoru's hand for just a second before he left.
"Death Kittens from Outer Space," Mamoru murmured to himself. "You're crazy."
Post-it stories.