Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows and Flame ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

 

They dropped Tsuzuki off first. Blaze and Hisoka walked the short distance to his apartment building hand in hand. They stood outside talking for a while.

 

“Blaze, what do you really think about Tatsumi-san? I think you know deep down he never hated you.”

 

“Yes, I know he never really hated me. I keep getting conflicting emotions from him and it's never more than a slight flicker so I can never get a handle on them properly. As for what I really think of him. I think he's an amazing man. He's smart, forthright, determined, generous and caring when it comes to those he holds dear to him.” She laughed self derisively. “I'm not sure where I'm even going with this, Hisoka.”

 

“I am. You care about him. A lot. Just like he cares about you and would rather you not know that. I know you felt what I did coming from him when he dropped his shields tonight while you were dancing. I just don't understand what the problem is.”

 

Blaze sighed. “It's complicated, Hisoka.”

 

“Why is it complicated? You care about him, he cares about you. What's so complicated about that?”

 

“Yes. You really are one of mine,” Blaze said laughing.

 

“You're avoiding answering the question,” Hisoka said.

 

“You're entirely too smart for my own good. You know that don't you.”

 

“Runs in the family,” Hisoka said smiling. “Okay, let me put this another way. Have you two ever had any really serious fights other than the usual sparring matches?”

 

Blaze looked thoughtful for a moment. “Only once. That was the first fight we ever had.”

 

“About?”

 

“Tsu.”

 

Hisoka blinked at her, startled but somehow not terribly surprised that his partner was what had started all of this. “Why?”

 

“I'd watched Tsu go through two other partners. I really thought that Tatsumi was a good grounding force for him. When he just bailed on Tsu like he did, well, needless to say I lost my temper. We had a screaming match I'm sure most of the Universe had to have heard considering Kwan-Yin gave me a three day lecture concerning not scaring subordinates. Not that he was ever scared of me in the first place, but I think we scared just about everyone else in the building. Everything just kind of spiraled out of control from that point on.”

 

“But you actually liked each other before that point.”

 

“Yes. We got along quite well before that. I even thought that maybe . . . but that's in the past.”

 

“That maybe you'd work as a couple,” Hisoka said.

 

“Right in one.”

 

“Did you ever think that it might still work out that way?”

 

“I think he and I are too far gone on too many things to ever repair the damage that's been done.”

 

“I don't believe so. I know you felt what I did from him tonight, Blaze. You know what he feels for you. Since he's not going to do anything about it, I suggest you take matters into your hands,” Hisoka said, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. “If you don't end up with Tatsumi-san, do you think several hundred generations removed is far enough away for me to date you?”

 

Hisoka had tried to say that with a straight face but it hadn't worked. He was grinning and starting to giggle before he could get it all out.

 

“You do have a sense of humor, Hisoka. A sick, dark and strange one. Dear gods, you are one of mine!” she said laughing.

 

“Brunch tomorrow. Don't forget.”

 

“Yes, I know. Night.”

 

“Night.”

 

Blaze watched him walk into the building and stood there until she sensed him enter his apartment. She slowly started walking toward Watari's place thinking on the past. It was true she had hoped she and Tatsumi could have made it as a couple. There had been something about him from the first moment they had met. The connection between them then had been incredible. Sparking and flaring to life almost instantly. Even the decades of fighting between the two of them hadn't been able to fully snuff the initial spark.

 

This naturally started her thinking on her relationship with Watari. He was one of her best friends in the universe. She loved him beyond her afterlife but there had never been anything resembling a real love affair. He was her partner in crime and she dragged him off to bed on a semi regular basis. It was as simple as that. Not that he had ever seemed to mind it.

 

She had missed out on the six months or so that he and Tatsumi were a couple. It didn't seem odd to her that two of the men she loved had been lovers. It was just a fact. She supposed that it had been the whole opposites attract thing considering the two men were as far removed in personality as anyone could get. However, both men held much in common as well. Both were extremely intelligent, held strong views and opinions on the world, cared deeply and genuinely about the people around them. Both thought that her darling grandson and Tsu should just get on with being a real couple since they obviously were anyway. She smiled slightly as that started another thought. She wondered if it registered to Hisoka how much he really loved Tsuzuki.

 

Coming up to Watari's apartment building she scanned the place for him. Finding him on the third floor she made her way up the stairs to his door. She knocked once then flung the door open.

 

“Honey, I'm hooooome!” she said. “I always wanted to say that.”

 

“So you are,” he said hugging her.

 

“Yutaka, if you're going to buy plants, shouldn't you at least remember that you have them?” she asked, looking over his shoulder to the pitiful row of dried plants on the kitchen counter.

 

“Yeah, well. As you know, I'm rarely here.”

 

Blaze shook her head. “Silly boy,” she said.

 

She went to the plants and passed her hands over each of them in turn. They crackled a bit as the dried leaves fell away and new shoots started to spring to life. Some of them blooming almost immediately upon her touch.

 

“Make sure you take these to the lab and at least water them. Either that or take them to Tsu. It isn't nice to let them die of neglect.”

 

“I never get tired of watching you do that,” he said, running his fingers along the new petals of one of the flowers.

 

She shrugged. “It's a minor thing. Gaia just walks somewhere and everything blooms for her.”

 

“Still, to breathe new life into something that was essentially dead.”

 

“They weren't fully dead or I'd never have been able to help them,” she said, looking at the miniature roses now blooming on the kitchen counter. “There has to be some spark of life left.”

 

Watari put his arms around her waist from behind and hugged her to him.

 

“Blaze, what are you doing here?”

 

“What do you mean? I always stay with you while I'm here,” she said, looking back at him.

 

“That isn't what I mean and you know it. You know you'd rather be somewhere else, with someone else.”

 

“Yes. But I wouldn't even know how to begin making that happen,” she said.

 

Watari gave her a little squeeze then went to the sofa and picked up something from the arm. He tossed it to her when she turned around.

 

“Start by taking him his jacket back. It's Armani and he's probably freaking out right about now. Blaze, I've never known you to not go for what you wanted. What's stopping you from doing this?”

 

She laughed a little. “Sheer terror.”

 

“Of what?”

 

“Rejection,” she said truthfully. “Kind of strange coming from me.”

 

“No. Everyone who has ever lived has those fears. Just because you're a few thousand years older doesn't mean those fears aren't still there and very real. You aren't immune to the way you feel, Blaze. And neither is he much as he'd like to be.”

 

“What do I do if he won't have me, Yutaka?”

 

“Tie him to the bedposts,” Watari suggested. “I don't think you'll have that problem. But just in case that happens come back here to me. I'll rip his head off later. Providing Tsuzuki or Bon don't get to him first,” he said smiling at her.

 

She put her hand up and touched his cheek. “Thank you for understanding.”

 

“Hey, it's what I'm here for.”

 

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I love you, Yutaka.”

 

“I love you too. Now get going. I'm sure he's about to claw up the walls thinking about the two of us together.”

 

“You're probably right,” she said, heading toward the door. “Honey?”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Out of insane and morbid curiosity, is he a top or a bottom?”

 

“I'll let you figure that one out for yourself.”

 

“Tease.”

 

“You know better than that,” he said smiling. Then shooing her out the door. He leaned against the closed door and smiled.