[love_bingo FIC] "Donor's Dillemma " (YnM, PG-13)
So, for this one, I decided to write a bit of a follow-up to "Red Moon (Akatsuki)", the first YnM fic I ever wrote (and which was also a crossover with Twilight). I'd wondered what was going on between Tatsumi and Mercy Falcone, the Ministry of Hades operative from the United States, and they were kind enough to let me in on it...
Pairing: Seiichirou Tatsumi/Mercy Falcone (OFC)
Prompt: "seeing other people"
Word Count: 716
Tatsumi and Mercy had been seeing each other regularly since the Cullen case in Kyoto. Due to Seiichirou's frequent bouts of insomnia, Mercy had offered to help him settle down at night by feeding from him (usually by a gentle, sensuous massage, sometimes by things that were a bit more...intimate). The partnership worked well: she told him from the outset that she did not want anything more than a donor-feeder relationship from him. Even still, he wondered how long it would take before the relationship started to develop in directions that neither of them really intended.
About a year after they formed the partnership, the two of them met for coffee one day, at a coffee shop where they often came together. But this time, Mercy was not talking much. Not that she was exactly a motormouth the rest of the time -- something which Tatsumi liked the most about her. Usually she chatted about her daughter Allison or the less sensitive elements of a case which the American branch of the Ministry of Hades was covering. But this time she kept falling silent over the course of their get-together, as if there was something that she wanted to say to him, but she was uncertain how to phrase it.
Finally, she drew in a breath and spoke. "Seiichirou, there's something that I need to be honest with you about: I've been seeing my ex-husband Doyle."
Tatsumi looked at her, and adjusted his eyeglasses. "Mercy, you know that employees of the Ministry of Hades are not allowed to visit or appear to members of their family. It could be traumatic, or it could make the grieving process harder for them to go through, in order for them to heal properly."
"This was different: we were trailing a faery that had abducted a young girl off the sidewalk during Haunted Happenings in Salem. Doyle was on patrol that day, since they needed an extra police presence in the city," Mercy said. "Doyle can see the spirits of the dead. He got the ability from his mother."
Tatsumi started to say something, then stopped. "I see. I suppose that changes the situation drastically," he said. "Does he accept the fact that you're dead?"
"I've been dead for two years now, he's had that much time to grieve," Mercy replied. "He was surprised to see me, but if anything, he was happy to hear that I'm doing well.
"After my team had gotten the little girl back to her family, Doyle and I met for drinks, just to catch up. He's happy that I finally made it onto a tactical team: he'd been hoping I'd make it one day, and one of the things that he regretted the most was that I'd never had that chance when I was alive. But he's glad to hear that I'm doing well," she said. "One thing hasn't lead to another, but we've been meeting once a week to touch base."
"Are you still in love with him?" Tatsumi asked, delicately.
Mercy wagged her head. "I love him, but it's a different kind of love than when we were married. I don't want to sleep with him, if that's what you're thinking. He pretty much said, he'd rather not try that, much as he still likes me."
"It would be rather unsettling for a widowed spouse, to say the least, even if they have the sight," Tatsumi said.
"Rest assured, I won't be dropping you as a donor, any time soon," Mercy said, smiling at Tatsumi and nudging his ankle with her toe.
"I didn't expect that you would: we mutually agreed that we would not try to let any attachments form beyond that of donor and feeder," Tatsumi replied, smiling just a bit. "And I will admit, there is someone whom I am somewhat drawn toward."
"Oooh, is it someone tall, dark and violet-eyed?" Mercy asked, grinning.
"I am looking out for him and his well-being, but I wouldn't say that I am seeing him," Tatsumi replied.
"Awwww, too bad! I'd think you and he would make a cute couple," Mercy teased.
"I am his supervisor and it wouldn't be good form if I were more than that to him," he admitted, having the last word.
But he would not deny, to himself, that the desire to be something more with Tsuzuki was there in his innermost heart.
Pairing: Seiichirou Tatsumi/Mercy Falcone (OFC)
Prompt: "seeing other people"
Word Count: 716
Tatsumi and Mercy had been seeing each other regularly since the Cullen case in Kyoto. Due to Seiichirou's frequent bouts of insomnia, Mercy had offered to help him settle down at night by feeding from him (usually by a gentle, sensuous massage, sometimes by things that were a bit more...intimate). The partnership worked well: she told him from the outset that she did not want anything more than a donor-feeder relationship from him. Even still, he wondered how long it would take before the relationship started to develop in directions that neither of them really intended.
About a year after they formed the partnership, the two of them met for coffee one day, at a coffee shop where they often came together. But this time, Mercy was not talking much. Not that she was exactly a motormouth the rest of the time -- something which Tatsumi liked the most about her. Usually she chatted about her daughter Allison or the less sensitive elements of a case which the American branch of the Ministry of Hades was covering. But this time she kept falling silent over the course of their get-together, as if there was something that she wanted to say to him, but she was uncertain how to phrase it.
Finally, she drew in a breath and spoke. "Seiichirou, there's something that I need to be honest with you about: I've been seeing my ex-husband Doyle."
Tatsumi looked at her, and adjusted his eyeglasses. "Mercy, you know that employees of the Ministry of Hades are not allowed to visit or appear to members of their family. It could be traumatic, or it could make the grieving process harder for them to go through, in order for them to heal properly."
"This was different: we were trailing a faery that had abducted a young girl off the sidewalk during Haunted Happenings in Salem. Doyle was on patrol that day, since they needed an extra police presence in the city," Mercy said. "Doyle can see the spirits of the dead. He got the ability from his mother."
Tatsumi started to say something, then stopped. "I see. I suppose that changes the situation drastically," he said. "Does he accept the fact that you're dead?"
"I've been dead for two years now, he's had that much time to grieve," Mercy replied. "He was surprised to see me, but if anything, he was happy to hear that I'm doing well.
"After my team had gotten the little girl back to her family, Doyle and I met for drinks, just to catch up. He's happy that I finally made it onto a tactical team: he'd been hoping I'd make it one day, and one of the things that he regretted the most was that I'd never had that chance when I was alive. But he's glad to hear that I'm doing well," she said. "One thing hasn't lead to another, but we've been meeting once a week to touch base."
"Are you still in love with him?" Tatsumi asked, delicately.
Mercy wagged her head. "I love him, but it's a different kind of love than when we were married. I don't want to sleep with him, if that's what you're thinking. He pretty much said, he'd rather not try that, much as he still likes me."
"It would be rather unsettling for a widowed spouse, to say the least, even if they have the sight," Tatsumi said.
"Rest assured, I won't be dropping you as a donor, any time soon," Mercy said, smiling at Tatsumi and nudging his ankle with her toe.
"I didn't expect that you would: we mutually agreed that we would not try to let any attachments form beyond that of donor and feeder," Tatsumi replied, smiling just a bit. "And I will admit, there is someone whom I am somewhat drawn toward."
"Oooh, is it someone tall, dark and violet-eyed?" Mercy asked, grinning.
"I am looking out for him and his well-being, but I wouldn't say that I am seeing him," Tatsumi replied.
"Awwww, too bad! I'd think you and he would make a cute couple," Mercy teased.
"I am his supervisor and it wouldn't be good form if I were more than that to him," he admitted, having the last word.
But he would not deny, to himself, that the desire to be something more with Tsuzuki was there in his innermost heart.