Work Text:
It was quiet at his workplace. Only the scratching of the pen tip could be heard. Like lightning, it flew over the blank pages and filled the designated panels with black ink. After the last sheet was filled, Rohan gently put the pen aside and stretched his fingers extensively. Satisfied, he let his eyes roam over the pages and hummed approvingly.
The chapter had turned out better than expected. The characters underwent development and the main character struggled with a loss. Even the cliffhanger at the end was perfect. It would leave the reader wondering, surprised, and full of anticipation for the next issue. He was done weeks before his deadline. So he might as well give himself a break.
Rohan stretched his entire body from fingertips to toes and felt vitality flow back into his limbs. His gaze wandered to the clock. He was almost startled. Half past ten already. Normally he stayed up even longer, but this time it was different.
Josuke and the others must have already started the movie without me, he thought. For whatever reason his boyfriend and his friends had to have a movie night at his house. Didn't they have their own TV?
The mangaka sighed and slowly stood up. He might as well join them. Not because it was cold and he wanted to cuddle with his boyfriend. No. He just wanted to see if these troublemakers hadn't rearranged his living room and everything was still in the right spot. He should warm up his office more often and allow the light to come in. He felt like a snail in his house. Hidden and secluded.
Although he and Josuke did a good job of making sure he got out more since they started dating. And not just to sketch some buildings or nature, but to go on dates or go to the beach together in a big group and enjoy the sun. I wouldn't mind going to the beach once again. I could sunbathe and secretly take my sketchbook with me to make a few drawings of the local sea life.
The beach topic reminded Rohan of a conversation he had with his editor the other day. Apparently, some readers were asking about the infamous beach episodes. Rohan frowned for a moment and shook his head as he closed the door to his workroom behind him. Like he was stooping down to such a platitudinous level of harem manga. Pink Dark Boy was a psychological thriller with mystery and crime elements, not a cheap copy of a slice-of-life anime.
The hallway was dark, except for the flickering light that radiated from the living room. In addition, strange noises crept out of the television, which Rohan could hardly classify. It sounded like squeaking and growling.
Probably a horror movie. How original. If he had voted, he would have rather chosen a lighthearted film like Ghost or Grease.
Screeching blasted from the speakers the moment Rohan entered the room. Tense and with their eyes glued to the television, Josuke and Okuyasu huddled on the large sofa. The chair next to them shared Koichi and Yukako, who miraculously fit on it together.
The smaller boy squatted, biting nails, almost on the lap of his girlfriend, who, unlike him, seemed unimpressed but still interested in what was happening on the screen. Even Mikitaka was there, to Rohan's amazement. He looked at the TV with his eyebrows drawn together in confusion, as if he didn't quite understand what was going on.
All that was missing was that Yuya and that despicable Hazamada and it would be a party. Maybe Joseph and Jotaro would come along with his family.
Amused by these thoughts, Rohan had to snort briefly, attracting the attention of everyone present. Josuke's expression changed from mild fear to brightest sunshine. "Hey, Rohan. Come sit with us." He lifted the blanket he was sitting under and patted the now vacant spot.
Yukako a little gruffly instructed Josuke to be quiet. "It's about to get tense." Koichi understood less and almost disappeared in her hair.
"How can you watch this movie without getting creeped out? If those monsters haunted me, I'd get out of town."
"Do not be afraid, my sweet Koichi. If you are ever hunted by bloodthirsty creatures, I will be there to protect you."
Rohan sat down next to Josuke and was immediately captured in his boyfriend's warm embrace. "What are you watching?"
"Gremlins." replied Josuke as Okuyasu sipped his orange juice through a colorful straw. "A movie you must enjoy very much." He grinned mischievously at Rohan and stuck his tongue out for a second.
The mangaka wrinkled his nose and bared his teeth. "What's that supposed to mean, Higashikata?"
"The biology of Earth and humanity is truly fascinating. That organic life forms can multiply at the mere touch of water verges on a phenomenon that even we aliens can't grasp," Mikitaka blathered as a Gremlin fell victim to the blender on the screen.
"Dude, that's certainly not how humans or animals reproduce … I think.", Okuyasu answered him.
"Definitely not.", Josuke confirmed.
Yukako cleared her throat. "Guys, stop your conversations. Or I'll tie up your mouths."
Preferring not to disagree, everyone turned their attention to the movie. Rohan was leaning against Josuke's side, absent-mindedly looking straight ahead. He could only half-heartedly follow the movie. Mostly he felt exhausted, but was glad that his boyfriend had put an arm around him protectively. Together with the blanket under which they cuddled, Rohan's tired bones warmed up.
It took time and strength for him to allow that. At that time he would never have shown affection openly, even in front of friends, but in the two years that Rohan and Josuke were dating, the younger man softened him. Just a little bit, anyway. At least that's what Rohan told himself.
Never would he admit that he had developed a soft spot for his erstwhile rival. Although rivals didn't quite fit the bill. They didn't want to outdo each other in anything. At least Rohan knew nothing about Josuke suddenly wanting to pursue a career as a mangaka.
Enemies, however, was not apt either. Rather, a person one preferred to avoid. At sixteen, Josuke had been more of an annoying teenager and nuisance than anything else in Rohan's eyes. But as the younger man grew up and turned eighteen, their relationship changed. Rohan learned to appreciate the presence of others more and got off his high horse. Most of the time. And Josuke became a little older, more reliable and responsible.
A few months after his eighteenth birthday, Josuke had confessed his feelings to Rohan. At first, the mangaka did not think he would ever return them. But here he was now. And there was no place he would rather be. But over his dead body would he ever admit that. Maybe with fewer spectators around.
Josuke hugged Rohan tighter and wrapped his arms around him. Rohan laid his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and let himself be captured by the pleasant feeling. On the screen, a horde of Gremlins were trashing a bar, getting drunk, trying their hand at gambling, or clinging to the ceiling fan. Almost more absurd was his thought that something like this could really happen in this town named Morioh. The fact that they had not yet met an opponent who looked like a murderous Furby was astonishing.
Josuke laughed aloud. "Gremlins remind me a little of you."
Rohan nearly choked on his spit and looked at his boyfriend in disbelief. "What the hell, Higashikata. Is that supposed to be some kind of compliment?"
Okuyasu snorted and almost spit his orange juice on Mikitaka. "Bro, I can see what you mean. They're small and angry."
Even Yukako had to grin and giggle a bit. Mikitaka didn't understand what was going on anymore and Koichi looked pityingly behind his girlfriend's hair. "Guys, don't say that. That's mean."
"But even you have to admit there are similarities", Josuke teased his boyfriend, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I do, but … still."
Rohan felt a bit betrayed. "Even you're stabbing me in the back, Koichi?"
"Rohan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!"
"Calm down, sensei. You may be as aggressive and brutal as Stripe, but in my eyes you're also as cute as Gizmo."
"I look like a Furby to you?"
"Gremlin. Not a Furby. Besides, they're – how did the movie describe them again? Mogwai."
"That really relieves me now", Rohan said sarcastically, snuggling closer to Josuke.
"Should we try throwing water at Rohan and see if he quarters? Maybe he and Josuke will be blessed with children that way."
Okuyasu looked thoughtfully at the self-proclaimed alien. "Miki, please, no more ideas. Even though I would love to test this out firsthand. Maybe we shouldn't feed Rohan after midnight."
"As rarely as he goes out in the sun, I could also imagine him dying from it."
"Careful, Higashikata. I'll be happy to let you sleep on the couch tonight."
Immediately Josuke struck a pleading tone and littered the face of his boyfriend with soft kisses. "No. I'm sorry. I love you even if you are a nasty, evil creature."
With big puppy eyes, Okuyasu nudged Josuke with his elbow. "Bro, does that mean you don't like sleeping with me on the couch? All snuggled up like that?"
"If Rohan doesn't want me anymore …"
"Hey, I never said that," the mangaka quickly interjected. "Besides; what does that mean, we? I don't remember inviting you guys to a pajama party."
"You didn't have to. We thought we'd stay the night and spend it watching a bunch of horror movies." Josuke gave him a gentle kiss on the head. Rohan could sense that he was smiling. "You don't usually go to sleep until three in the morning anyway."
Rohan wanted to object, but said nothing and only gave a discontented grumble.
"You're welcome to sleep here, too. The three of us would make the couch very cozy, and I wouldn't mind the two of you."
Rohan rolled his eyes. "Best we still stack up, right?"
"Hey, good idea, honey."
"Call me that one more time and you'll be sleeping on the floor. Then I'll even ban you from the couch."
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and a shrill sound thundered through the house, startling everyone present except Rohan, Yukako, and Mikitaka. Koichi huddled deeper into his girlfriend's hair and Josuke almost jumped into Okuyasu's arms.
"You really are kids", the mangaka muttered, rolling his eyes. After peeling himself out from under the comforter, he stood up and walked to the front door. "It's just the pizza delivery guy."
Only soft murmurs were heard from the entrance before the door closed again and Rohan walked into the living room a few seconds later. He put down the pizza boxes and went into the kitchen to get plates.
Okuyasu was about to put in the movie's sequel.
Koichi shivered. "Do we really have to watch the second part? Wasn't the first one enough?"
"I'm interested", Yukako volunteered. "If you're scared, then snuggle up tighter to me."
Mikitaka agreed with her. "I am extremely interested in these strange life forms that seem similar to Rohan-sensei."
Okuyasu laughed. "Don't let him hear that."
The next moment, said man returned with dish in hand and they all made a beeline for the pizza in seconds.
"Who would have thought that diverse topped flatbread made of yeast dough could taste so delicious? There's no extraterrestrial specialty I can compare to that", the alien commented as he inspected a slice of salami.
"Are you all right?", inquired Josuke, looking at his boyfriend with concern.
Rohan sat down and made an annoyed noise. "That pizza guy was scarier than that movie. You never know if they're about to rob you or jump you."
"He delivers pizza. What do you expect?" Josuke was getting a little jealous, though. "You want me to go after him and teach him a lesson?"
"Well, not a supermodel now. And no, don't do that. We really need to do something about your anger issues."
"Shh, the movie's starting", Yukako shushed them.
After Koichi nearly fainted from fear when Okuyasu accidentally knocked his plate off the table, Rohan was allowed to put in a movie and chose Grease. At least everyone could enjoy singing, dancing and teen drama.
***
Hours later, the entire house was dark, silence was in the air, everyone was asleep.
Koichi cuddled up tightly to Yukako on a free futon, clinging to her like a baby monkey to its mother. The movie had really scared him. Yukako, on the other hand, seemed little affected, but was happy that her boyfriend was so close to her.
Okuyasu was snoring on the sofa, alone. Josuke and Rohan had gone upstairs and were sleeping in the mangaka's bed. The latter opened his eyes tiredly and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to him. It was three in the morning.
Rohan's throat was raw and demanded hydration. With a foggy brain, he got up and fumbled his way down the stairs, careful not to stumble. In the kitchen he turned on the light, took a glass and ran water into it until it was half full. He drank it greedily and felt full of life again.
He turned around and almost dropped his glass in shock. "Holy – what the fuck!" In front of him sat a small, hairless creature with big, threatening eyes, huge ears and spikes. It looked like one of those Gremlin monsters from the movies.
"Sorry, did I scare you?", this creature suddenly asked.
To avoid further misfortune, he set the glass down behind him and rubbed his forehead with his free hand while the other clung to the kitchen counter behind him. "It's just you." He recognized the alien's voice. "Is this your new hobby or something?"
"I, as an extraterrestrial life form, feel no need for sleep. I lie awake all night watching the stars. When Venus and Neptune are favorable, I can view my ancestral home."
"And why do you look like that? That reminds me, I always wanted to know if you were really an alien." Rohan moved closer to the now gremlin-turned Mikitaka and picked him up.
"Of course I am. There's no doubt about it."
"Fascinating. I'll have to look into that more." The artist sat Mikitaka back on the table. "I've never seen your abilities firsthand. So you can shape-shift and transform?”
"Correct. Into everything you show me. Except for complex things that require more power than I can muster or in earthlings. To me, you're all far too alike to be distinguishable." The Gremlin changed its appearance to an indefinable blue mass, resembling an octopus, before Mikitaka sat on the table. "Show me an object and I will transform."
Glancing around the kitchen, Rohan mused. "The pan?" He pointed to the kitchen utensil on the wall.
Mikitaka immediately carried out this suggestion. "I would ask, however, not to place me on the stove when it is hot. I would burn myself if you did."
"This is really incredible." Rohan could hardly get out of his amazement. "Have you done this before?"
"Actually, only when requested. I myself like to move around in my human form. Once I was a pair of binoculars, once a die, and - "
The mangaka's eye twitched. "A dice?" His voice suddenly icy as a fire siren and the crackle of flames sounded in his mind.
"Oh …", came from the pan after a long comedy-like pause. "That highly confidential information would have done well to be kept under wraps. Josuke will be furious."
"Believe me. That will be the last of his worries." Rohan grinned deviously. "Mikitaka, are you familiar with an armored animal called a turtle? I think someone deserved a lesson." Actually, a certain someone deserved a much worse punishment, but that person was lucky to be his boyfriend, so he was lenient.
***
Josuke lay peacefully in bed and traveled through the realm of dreams. Right now he was in the land of Cockaigne together with Okuyasu and Koichi and was munching his way through various edible bushes made of fruit gum, drinking from chocolate lakes and feasting on ice cream mountains. Yukako was the queen of the black licorice wheels and commanded her sluggish subjects to take Rohan's home, the Cotton Candy Forest Valley.
Just as the battle reached its zenith, a bloodcurdling scream erupted. Not knowing whether it came from a dream or reality, Josuke awoke and sat up in bed, looking around in the darkness. It was night, so he turned on the small bedside lamp and wanted to wake Rohan. But he wasn't lying next to him.
Panic gripped him, his breath came in short gasps and sweat broke out on his forehead. Josuke knew immediately what was happening; Rohan was in danger. That had been his scream.
He tore the blanket aside, jumped up and ran out into the hallway. The cry came from Rohan's workroom, which was lit up. What was the artist doing in there so late, if he may ask? Couldn't he sleep and therefore had gone back to work? But there was no time to think about it now. Rohan was in peril!
Josuke pushed open the door and looked in horror at the scene before him. The mangaka was lying on the floor covered in blood. So much blood … And on his stomach sat a … A horrible monster that was tearing him apart. It was … Was a … Turtle!
He responded by letting out a scream that could be described as high-pitched. He staggered back against the wall and began to stammer as another burst of sweat broke out. But the turtle wasn't even the worst of it. Rohan was threatened and heavily battered. And that was his greatest fear. That he couldn't protect the people he loved.
His boyfriend, Rohan, the love of his life, whom he wanted to protect at all costs, was lying there with this thing on top of him, looking at him with pleading eyes as he continued to bleed. "Josuke … Please, help me!", he begged as he dramatically lolled on the ground. "This monster … It's going to kill me. If only a strong hero would come and save me."
At that moment, the turtle bit Rohan's arm and he started bleeding again like a movie, spraying red, thick liquid everywhere. Josuke became lightheaded and didn't know what to do. There was a murderous turtle on the loose, but Rohan was in danger … But turtle!
Josuke couldn't think straight, he was still too sleepy and his brain fogged with fear, otherwise he would have noticed how badly his boyfriend was acting or that the blood was just red paint. Rohan grinned to himself as his brilliant revenge unfolded. He had to control himself not to start laughing at him. Not yet.
Meanwhile Mikitaka wondered how many more times he would be used by this couple for tricks.
The young man gave a frustrated growl before gathering his courage and pushing himself off the wall. He ran screaming towards the scene and kicked the turtle off the artist with a well-aimed kick. For a moment, he could have sworn that this horrible creature sounded like a certain alien …
However, there was no time to think about that. He quickly grabbed Rohan and ran down the stairs carrying him bridal-style.
"Hey, what were you doing?" Actually, Rohan hadn't planned for Mikitaka to get hurt in this prank. Actually, no one was supposed to get hurt. Oh please, don't let it end with a burning house again.
"That monster tried to kill you! And it's still here! We'll get the others and then escape as far as we can and call the exterminators right away."
Oh, damn. Now would probably be the time to confess everything before something worse happened and other people got dragged into it for no reason.
Josuke stormed into the living room with his rescued lover in his arms and flipped on the light with his elbows. "We need to get out of here now! Don't ask questions until later, we just need to run fast!"
Yukako woke up grumbling and covered her eyes with her hair. "Wake me up again this late at night and you'll regret it." She hugged Koichi tighter, who was still asleep despite all the noise, and rolled over.
"You don't understand, there's a monster in the house! It attacked Rohan!"
"Um, Josuke, listen - " began Rohan, but was interrupted.
"A turtle! I repeat, a turtle!" He ran to Okuyasu and nudged him with his foot. "Bro! Alert level tank! Alert shell!"
Oku opened his eyes tiredly and saw his best friend standing in front of the sofa with his lover in his arms. "Do you want me to remove it for you again? Like usual?"
"Nah, I already have. We need to get out of the danger zone. Come on guys, hurry up!" Then he looked around and slowly noticed something. "Where's Mikitaka?" At first it was quiet. Suspiciously quiet. Then Josuke turned pale, imagining the worst possible scenarios. "Oh my God, he's already been eaten by the turtle. Miki, why oh why?! You were so young … Well, in alien years."
"Josuke, listen to me", his boyfriend spoke up.
When Josuke looked at him, he noticed all the blood and sat him down on the coffee table. "Hang on, we'll get to that in a minute." He put his hands on Rohan's shoulders and started healing him with Crazy Diamond.
Yukako did get curious now and raised her head. Koichi slowly woke up and didn't understand what the ruckus was about until his girlfriend explained it to him. Behind him, Okuyasu sat up and rubbed his eyes dozily. "I had a dream that Rohan was that Sandy chick and Josuke was Danny from the movie yesterday. You were singing and dancing to that song together, the one they performed at the fair, and then you were doing pottery together, like in the other movie."
Josuke did not understand what was going on. His power was not working. No matter how hard he tried, Rohan's wounds wouldn't fade. Panic easily broke out in him as his nightmare came true. His powers were failing when he needed them most to protect the person he loved.
The mangaka hung his head and sobbed. Was he crying? His shoulders began to move up and down without making any other sound. Josuke got scared as Rohan burst into peals of laughter. Oh no. When Rohan laughed like that, it usually never ended well.
"You should see your face, Higashikata", he laughed until he was almost in tears. "Well, that went better than I planned."
Josuke didn't understand what was going on. Rohan seemed fine after all. But why?
The next moment, Mikitaka appeared in the room, looking a little displeased. "Was this act of violence part of the plan? Is this a normal human way towards these creatures? I understand because they have a shell, they are more robust and are used to ball sports."
"No, Mikitaka. Please never kick a turtle when you see one," Rohan admonished him. "That was just his overreaction because he panicked."
"Time out!", shouted Josuke, removing his hands from Rohan's shoulders. "Can someone please explain what the hell this is all about?"
"That's what I want to know", Yukako spoke up. "I hope you have a good reason for waking me up this late."
Rohan crossed his legs and grinned smugly. "See, Higashikata, I just wanted to pull your leg a little and play a prank on you as revenge for what you did to me that time. You know, an eye for an eye. The turtle wasn't real. It was Mikitaka and the blood was just red paint. But your fear was real." Rohan's sadistic grin was not something Josuke should find so sexy. Especially not in a situation like this.
Dropping the tension from his shoulders, the young man sank to the floor in front of him and let out a sigh he'd been holding back for a long time. "And what was that appropriate payback for, please?"
Rohan grinned even more wickedly, slid off the table and knelt behind his boyfriend, wrapping his arms over his shoulders. "You know," he whispered seductively in Josuke's ear, brushing back his undone black hair, and the latter couldn't suppress a shudder, "Mikitaka here told me all about the dice incident at our little Cee-lo game, a few years ago … Jo~suke~kun~”
Now Josuke had a real reason to panic.