Work Text:
“Honey, I’m home.” The door clicks and closes.
“Welcome home.” Akiyama gives a quick wave before he hears a sigh.
Tanimura finds his way to the couch like it’s second-nature and collapses opposite of Akiyama, splayed out from end to end on his stomach, blue jacket hanging off the side. The office is open, meaning customers are welcomed by a guy sleeping on a couch and another reading magazines. Good business practices.
When Akiyama sleeps, Hana-chan goes on and on about ‘professionalism’ and ‘do you want this company to work or not!?’. And yet, Tanimura can laze around and Hana-chan says Akiyama should learn from him. Double standard, he swears. Well, Hana-chan is out (probably buying buns), meaning there’s no complaints or yelling or talking, just silence. Except for breathing, long, worn-out breaths from patrol or something along those lines.
After a few minutes of page-flipping brimming with hot Kamurocho gossip, there’s rustling and a groan. “I’m bored.” Akiyama flips the page and ooo, another celebrity scandal, eh? What is that, the third one this week?
“I said I’m bored.” Tanimura lolls his head towards him, revealing a pout with half-lidded eyes.
“I heard ya.” Akiyama flicks his eyes to Tanimura, then darts back at the magazine. Of course he’s bored. Kiryu’s off to Okinawa with the kids, Saejima’s back in prison, while Tanimura’s back to the same old, same old. Following Munakata’s arrest and dust settling across Kamurocho (or money in this case), it’s weird heading back to Sky Finance and going about your day. So when Tanimura enters Akiyama’s life after everything, it’s a nice change of pace.
Tanimura sighs and rolls onto his back, grumbling, “Ugh, why do I even come here?” And Akiyama seizes an opportunity when he sees it.
“‘Cause ya love me. Why else?” He grins, and Tanimura rolls his eyes, eventually lifting himself up.
“Yeah, yeah. Love you and your… loveliness.” He deadpans, waving his hands around before stretching his arms up with a groan and dropping them. Akiyama commends him for playing along; participation award acquired. Execution? Eh, about a 5 out of 10, which is really a 10 out of 10 for bored, grumpy Tanimura.
“C’mon, let’s get sushi or somethin’ instead of… whatever you’re doing.” He angles his head and grimaces at the title of the magazine.
‘Best new Cabaret Clubs open this month! Pick your Sweet Lucky Girl Today!’
That’s fair.
“Yeah, sure, let’s go.” Akiyama frisbees the magazine onto the table and springs up too quickly, a creak in his legs. ‘All you do is sleep!’. Great, maybe Hana-chan has a point, he thinks as he rolls his shoulders. He turns to Tanimura, who’s spraying one of the only two plants in the office with an annoyed look.
“Why have a plant if you can’t take care of it?” Akiyama scratches his head with a chuckle. “Eh, well, y’know… spruce up the office!”
Tanimura rolls his eyes and Akiyama almost regrets bringing him to Sky Finance to hang out. Almost. Wisting his worries away is the sound of spraying. In Tanimura’s hand is the dust-ridden, bright-pink spray bottle he got from the dollar store. Akiyama blinks. Maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t poke fun at him. Or the fact that the bright-pink bottle doesn’t match Tanimura’s dead-serious face. Or maybe, it’s because Akiyama sees Tanimura fitting right in with the piles of folders scattered across his desk, black couches and Hana-chan’s complaints; he can picture him in this little world he’s got going on. Doesn’t matter the reason, because all of it brings Akiyama to a chuckle and then to laughter.
“You sound like a villain, please stop.” Tanimura scowls at him, seemingly finished taking care of the plants.
“Yeah, just… heh, thanks.” He raises a brow but doesn’t respond, heading to the entrance with, “C’mon, let’s go already.”
The two end up on a rooftop with a box of sushi each. Unfortunately, Sushi Gin, the only decent sushi place, is closed; ‘Out fishing!’, so they say. Both settle on convenience store sushi and—
“Did you have to get the cheapest box?” Tanimura grimaces at the box like a salmon spat in his face. “You’re like… a bajillionaire.” He pouts at Akiyama, as if he didn’t just pay for the guy’s box of sushi.
“Hey, it was a two-for-one sale, man. Just ‘cause I have money doesn’t mean spending my life-savings on tuna. Plus,” He pats his wallet through his pocket. “I don’t carry my bank account with me. Withdrawing money every once in a while is annoying, so why waste the money I’m carryin’?”
“Say that to literally anyone who isn’t as rich as you. Oh wait, that’s literally everyone.” Tanimura remarks, waving his arms around. Akiyama chuckles, stuffing another salmon in his mouth. He doesn’t know what Tanimura’s complaining about, this is the good stuff. Simple, affordable, cheap. Nothing to be impressed by, but there’s charm to it, the same way eating from Smile Burger feels. Yeah, their burgers are oily, founded upon under-paid, overworked high-schoolers, but dang are they good. And Tanimura’s also going at his box of ‘cheap’ sushi, so he clearly thinks the same.
After a moment of quiet chewing and swallowing, “… It’s not bad, I’ll give it that.” The guy can’t be honest even if he’s dangling off a skyscraper, can he?
Nibbling the last few grains of rice on his wood chopsticks, Akiyama drops the finished box into the plastic bag to throw away later. He leans against the metal railing, lighting a cigarette in his mouth, errant hair dragging over his eyes.
The city is lit like a protest against switching off until daybreak, bright neon lights covering the streets and people forever flowing in and out of the district. No wonder the place is a red-light district; Cabaret clubs work day and night without customers noticing the difference.
A creak, and Akiyama sees Tanimura beside him, joining his city-watching. “Weird how different a place can look from afar.”
“Mm.” As interesting as city-watching is, Akiyama finds himself watching the guy beside him instead. Blue jacket rustling in the wind, eyes gazing and searching.
“Heh, you can see Homeland from here.” He points at a cluster of buildings that, when squinting, Akiyama can recognise as Little Asia from the few times he’s visited.
Little Asia is… honestly, overwhelming for a guy like Akiyama, not in a bad way. Kamurocho’s ‘community’ goes as far as bumping into a stranger and hoping they forget you within the next minute. Seeing Tanimura wave to kids and elders alike, exchange greetings and nods to one another, Little Asia’s the sort of world where you know your neighbours. The collection of the city’s outcasters, foreigners with no place in Kamurocho who, ironically, belong more than any guy on the streets.
Akiyama smiles as he reminisces about those visits. Even when he found himself lost in those thin alleyways more than Tanimura can face-palm and complain about, he finds a smile on that stern, blank face of his. Tanimura already has a world of his own, found family and everything, which is relieving, right? So why? Why does a quiet part of Akiyama die every time the fact mutters through his head? Who are you to force him into your world?
“You alright?” Tanimura says, looking straight at him and Akiyama stammers out the usual yeahs and I’m fine.
“Uh huh.” He says. “So how do you explain your cigarette slipping from your mouth?” Crap. Of course he calls BS, like the officer he is.
‘So you’ve been looking at my mouth, eh officer?’ The remark never leaves his throat. He smirks to himself of what their exchange could’ve been, and drops the smile to sigh, dragging a hand down his face. Innuendos aren’t half as fun when you don’t mean them.
“’s fine I said.” Akiyama waves a new cigarette around before putting it in his mouth and lighting it. “Just… thinkin’ about random stuff. Heh, maybe the view’s getting me all emotional.”
Tanimura frowns. Not the, ‘are you serious?’ frown, or the ‘you’re an idiot, Akiyama’ frown. Just a frown. “Oh.”
Traffic and honking hangs between them, distancing them with every second. Tanimura faces toward the city view once more. His gaze moves around like scanning a radar, intent, practical. And yet, something is off. His eyes are dull, seemingly gazing at nothing. Akiyama spots it the more they hang out, those mannerisms that speak louder than Tanimura himself. Eventually, you notice the finger tapping against metal, the crinkle in his eyebrows, the subtle cheek biting, all obscured under a face of certainty. Eventually, you unveil the rest of Tanimura.
“Y’know,” Tanimura starts, “Once, a woman was arrested for being too good looking. Didn’t get the crime until I saw you.”
Akiyama blinks, gaping his mouth and dropping a second cigarette that night. “Geez, god, sorry. I thought—“ Tanimura stutters, and takes a breath. “I thought you were feeling down, I dunno.”
“Pfft.” Akiyama wheezes and Tanimura tilts his head away, a hand obscuring part of his expression. Another mannerism of his. The joke gets an 8 out of 10, which is clearly a 100— no, a 1000— out of 10 for embarrassed, caring-in-his-own-way Tanimura. “Hah, well thanks. I don’t feel so down anymore.”
“Good to know. Means I won’t be needing to come up with any more awful jokes.”
“Wha— The jokes are great, keep ‘em comin’!” And Tanimura snorts with a passing smirk.
The two continue their city-watching, which is more of an excuse for both of them to stay in the comfortable bubble they’ve blown. Hours, minutes, seconds, they all blend until the three are indistinguishable. Well, Akiyama supposes at least a minute goes by until there’s a nagging thought nipping at him.
Wanna hang out again?
It’s not like he hasn’t asked before, more like Tanimura always shows up at Sky Finance himself. What if he doesn’t show up? Maybe Akiyama just wants the confirmation, which he mentally rolls his eyes at. What, is Tanimura gonna vanish one day?
“You got something to say?” He asks. Akiyama glances over at Tanimura, who looks him dead in the eye. “Tapping your foot, scratching your neck. You aren’t subtle at all, y’know.”
‘As if you’re one to talk,’ is what Akiyama would say if his mind was up to speed right now. In the time the remark has come and gone, Tanimura’s in front of him and he’s close. No questions asked, Tanimura’s lips press against his and Akiyama’s eyes blow wide. Every traffic light goes red, cars no longer honking or screeching against streets, and pedestrians pause their conversations, stepping aside to make way for them both. A hand lingers at Akiyama’s neck, the sort of hesitancy Akiyama would usually make a snide remark about. Right now, he’s busy weaving his own hand through Tanimura’s hair and taking in the sight; eyes shut and lashes longer than they have any right to be.
What was it again? Hours, minutes, seconds? Time is hauled off the roof until his lungs call time themselves. Akiyama pulls away, catching his breath while staring at the redder-than-ever Tanimura in front of him. He should stay silent, shouldn’t he? Savour the view. But Akiyama seizes an opportunity when he sees it.
“Heh, not what I… had in mind.” He stammers out, still out of breath.
Tanimura stares at him. “Huh?”
“Was just gonna ask to hang out some time, not pull you into a makeout sesh.” Maybe he expected Tanimura to get all shy on him, get a tease or two. Instead the guy puts on the slyest smirk all night.
“Hm, really?” He takes a step toward him, closing the distance between them. “No, ‘I love you, Tanimura!’ for me?” He raises his voice an octave higher like he’s impersonating some high-school girl. “That’s a shame.”
“Heh.” Akiyama grabs his tie and tugs until his breath is warm against his face. “And then, you’d say, ‘gee, Akiyama, I love you too!’” He makes a heart with his fingers and Tanimura smiles, amused by his dumb impression, like most things.
“Geez, you’re really learning from Akiyama, aren’t you?” Hana-chan grumbles. She stands above both of them splayed out across the couch which is way too small for them. Tanimura doesn’t seem to mind, an arm slung over Akiyama’s stomach and a smirk on his face.
“Yeah, yeah, he’s really rubbing off on me.” He deadpans, pinching Akiyama’s cheek who, in turn, tries shoving Tanimura off the couch.
“Jesus, how am I supposed to get my work done around you two? At least tone down the… everything.” She spins around with a hmph!, squeaking in her chair and continuing her consistent typing.
With Hana-chan in her desk, the picture is complete. A watered, healthy plant, next to his desk he… still hasn’t cleared out, next to Hana-chan being productive, next to Tanimura. Everything pieces his smile together until Tanimura rustles his hair and tells his obligatory, ‘why’re you smiling you weirdo’ joke.
“Nothing.” And there’s that soft smile Tanimura has when he thinks Akiyama isn’t looking. This time, the expression lay bare in front of him for the taking, like every minute is another strip away at the ever-present poker face. Every minute is another smile and a laugh shared.
“Want to visit Little Asia later?” Tanimura asks, and Akiyama snorts at his way of saying ‘not-date-but-also-kind-of-a-date’. It’s a work in progress.
“Sure, it’s a date, my little blueberry muffin.” Akiyama coos, preening from Hana-chan’s annoyed huff.
“I’ll tell Zhao you’re coming, then.” He responds. “Also, literally never call me that ever again.”