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It wasn’t every day that Munakata found himself outside of his office during work hours, but the appearance of the Red King’s Sword of Damocles was a sure way to bring him out. Suoh knew this and used it shamelessly.
Since unreasonable displays of power were Suoh’s forte, Munakata had thought that with the ridiculous amount of times they’d clashed he’d exhausted all the possible ways such situations could be resolved, but it appeared that he had overlooked a possibility because both of them ending up in front of his apartment door was something new. At least following an encounter in their official capacities as Kings; Munakata had brought him here of his own volition plenty of times in the past.
Thinking about what had caused this new development had him feeling uneasy. Suoh had looked so haggard when he’d arrived on the scene that he hadn’t even been able to summon the typical annoyance meetings like that usually caused.
He’d come alone, ready to scold Suoh for his continual abuse of power and the way it piled paper on his desk, and had ended up phoning back to headquarters saying that the matters had evolved and he would not be returning to headquarters that day. Awashima had immediately offered to send back-up, but he’d swiftly refused. It might be arrogant of him, but he didn’t think any of his clansmen would know how to deal with a Suoh Mikoto offering them their hands in surrender.
Which is why he’d ended up taking the other King to his apartment. In normal circumstances, he would have thrown him into a prison cell (he had, in fact, the first time something similar to this had happened), but Suoh had been alone, and despite the sword hanging over his head, nothing in his immediate vicinity had been destroyed. That had made Munakata apprehensive, but the look of barely concealed relief on Suoh’s face was what had done him in. Just this once he’d given in to his selfish desires and done what he’d wanted to and not what the protocol prescribed. The fact that that course of action had also probably prevented an instance of massive destruction of city property had made him feel better only marginally.
Thankfully, he had a competent team behind his back, so he wasn’t worried about things spontaneously combusting in his absence. He’d handpicked every single one of them – he knew their capabilities and he trusted their judgement completely, even if the sentiment probably wouldn’t be returned if they knew what he was currently doing.
But he was used to having a higher than usual number of contingency plans where Suoh was concerned anyway, so he felt quite comfortable unlocking his door for a man that should by all rights be his arch enemy.
Suoh trailed after him through the door and dragged himself to the living room. Munakta let him. Even if the reason why they were here was unusual, Suoh’s presence in his apartment was nothing new. Checking the security system while Suoh made himself at home on the couch felt like routine and the familiarity of the act had him relaxing a little.
If he played this right, it would end up being an unplanned vacation instead of an official duty; but to do that, he had to get himself out of uniform first. Otherwise this heavy air would continue to hang over them for the rest of the day, and Suoh had shown enough vulnerability by calling Munakata out, so he would probably be completely averse to acknowledging there was anything wrong to any further extent. This would make talking to him about it nearly impossible, but he was used to Suoh not listening to him either way so that wouldn’t be so far from normal.
Speaking of normal, Suoh had apparently made himself at home. From his position by the bathroom door, the only thing Munakata could see of him were his feet (thrown over the edge of the couch), some wisps of red hair, and a trail of smoke going upwards. How uncouth.
“Do refrain from burning down my furniture. I know you are a barbarian, but that would be no way to repay my generous hospitality.”
A cloud of smoke rose up.
“’tis crap. If you wanted thanks, you should’ve bought a bigger couch.”
“I’m afraid we do not offer additional comforts to people who avoid paying their taxes.”
Because as much as he wanted to help Suoh, he still had his pride. He was going to be doing a lot of concessions today, so he could at least retain this piece of their routine. And sniping at him could go a long way in reinforcing the feel of normalcy that he was aiming for.
“You’d be more comfortable if you took that rulebook stick outta your ass.”
It would seem like for once they were on the same page. No explicit acknowledgements, but appreciation all the same. Munakata could live with that. Especially because he was pretty sure that the corners of Suoh’s mouth were turned up, the same way his own were.
By the time he had finished changing into more comfortable clothes, there were no more visible signs of smoke present in the air; which meant that Suoh had probably fallen asleep or was lazing about. Even though Munakata himself had never before thought about it that way, he had a feeling that Suoh viewed this as a brief vacation away from his duties as a King. There was no other plausible explanation as to why he would have turned himself in for the third time otherwise. It kind of irked him, that he’d only now caught on to why Suoh had started doing it in the first place, but at the same time it pleased him that it was Munakata he came to when he couldn’t handle the burden alone anymore. Him, not Totsuka Tatara, who Munakata had deduced functioned as something of a stopper, a control lid on his power, and would have therefore been the logical choice. That kind of trust was at the same time annoying (because of course Suoh couldn’t take care of his own mess) and heart-clenchingly gratifying (because Suoh had so casually showed himself at his most vulnerable to Munakata).
Sometimes he really wished that Suoh would just turn himself in permanently. It would not only make his job easier, but also release that tightness in his chest that appeared whenever he thought about the reckless way Suoh went about using his power and the way he couldn’t continue doing so indefinitely. He had no want to watch Suoh burn out; not if he could prevent it. But at the same time, he would never begrudge him the way he went about things. Because as much as Suoh complained that Munakata’s way of doing things was boring he’d never tried to change it. The least he could do was return the courtesy.
And today, maybe he could do a little bit more. In his essence, Suoh really was a simple man with simple needs. And one of them was food, so Munakata headed into the kitchen. It kind of amused him that the only times he actually bothered to cook were when Suoh was over, or his family came to visit. (Awashima only got tea. He wasn’t sure he could handle a whole meal topped with anko.) It was an interesting implication about their relationship, but one that Munakata didn’t feel was untrue. After all, there were very few people that he was willing to indulge to this point, incapacitated on his couch or not.
Surveying the contents of his fridge, he mentally browsed the database of food he knew how to make before deciding on a relatively simple dish which would appeal to them both. He was a bit out of practice as far as cooking went, and Suoh wouldn’t appreciate anything too elaborate anyway if past experiences at high class restaurants were anything to go by. If Munakata didn’t have to deal with Suoh being impossible on almost a daily basis, the way he complained when in a formal setting would have amused him. As it was, he’d only made a mental note to take him out when he needed to piss off particularly tiring government officials. Suoh would probably enjoy passively threatening someone as he suffered through a several-course meal. And complain. The amount of situations in which Suoh was not absolutely infuriating was regrettably very low.
It seemed that he really had fallen asleep since Munakata had been almost finished with their meal when a familiar weight was draped over him. He had to balance for a moment because Suoh had put his chin on his shoulder and let him carry all of his weight. He elbowed him with the arm holding the pan in retaliation. Suoh grunted and shifted a little so his hands wrapped themselves around Munakata’s waist in a way that gave him a bit more freedom of movement. Even in this position, Munakata was supporting most of their weight, but at least he was stable enough to do so.
Seeing that the new position wasn’t going to earn him an elbow to the ribs, Suoh turned his head and pressed a kiss into the first bit of skin revealed by the wide collar of Munakata’s shirt. The warmth spreading from that spot sent a pleasant shiver down Munakata’s spine and made him smile. Yes, Suoh was infuriating ninety percent of the time, but he also always inadvertently made up for it.
He was also really just an overgrown cat looking for attention so Munakata let go of the pan for a moment to run his fingers through his hair. The way Suoh was wrapped around him didn’t leave him in a position where he could do much else. Not if he didn’t want the food ending up burned.
The answering murmur made him smile again, as did the instinctive tightening of the hold around his midsection. He’d kind of expected that Suoh would either leave, or start demanding more attention, but he just spent the time it took Munakata to finish the meal hanging over his shoulder, his fingers sometimes tracing patterns that that burned right through his shirt and into his skin.
When the meal was done cooking, Munakata elbowed him again, and Suoh dislodged himself from his place on his shoulder with a grunt. Now able to move freely, Munakata did some post cooking seasoning while Suoh lazed around behind him.
“Plates are in the top left cupboard; cutlery is in the middle drawer.”
He heard another grunt and registered movement from the corner of his eye.
“Your prison service is worse than usual.”
The only thing that stopped Munakata from letting out a really loud sigh to convey just how much he was not impressed by that reply was the fact that Suoh was reaching for the specified cupboard.
The past two times when Suoh had not resisted arrest, he’d done nothing but complain about SCEPTER 4’s hospitality. So much that sometimes Munakata had really resented not informing Awashima that they had him in custody; his second in command would have come up with some brutal solutions that would have either ended Suoh’s freedom or his reign as a King. However, at that time he’d been more interested in figuring out why Suoh was even there than thinking of any long term solution. It figured that he would understand only when he looked beyond his duty. And that Suoh’s attitude wouldn’t change a bit.
“If you insist, I can still cuff you for the rest of the day.”
Suoh shot him a grin.
“If it was to the bed, I wouldn’t mind.”
Munakata just shook his head and carried the dishes to the table. Suoh raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the food in front of him.
“Oi, Munakata, do you cook for all your prisoners?” This looked almost the same as what Suoh had gotten the last time he’d been arrested.
“Being the head of SCEPTER 4 does not encompass such duties, no.” But Munakata wasn’t above ordering take-out from a place he knew Suoh liked. Or replicating that meal for the lack of better ideas. Still, it was cute that something like this could unnerve him.
“So I’m special.”
Smugness was much less cute.
“Prison food just seemed suitable for this occasion. And you have already proven you have no taste for fine cuisine, so an elaborate meal would have been wasted on you.”
“I appreciate food just fine,” that tone was really irritating “places you choose just kill my appetite.”
There went the last of his hopes that he the first class food could even out the dislike Suoh had for formal restaurants. He sighed.
“You really are unmanageable.”
The corner of Suoh’s mouth twitched. Munakata would have been more annoyed by it had his legs not also slid to tangle with his own. As it was, he just moved his own to accommodate Suoh’s better and pushed the other King’s favorite side dish towards him with his chopsticks.
-
He ended up washing the dishes even though that was usually Suoh’s task. It was hard to force him to do anything when he kept remembering how he had looked when he’d come to meet him earlier that day. It was an expression that did not suit Suoh’s face, and Munakata had no wish to see it again.
He wasn’t really surprised that upon finishing he found Suoh on the balcony, smoking. The fact that he hadn’t just lit one inside like earlier made him smile a little as he went to join him outside. Suoh could be really perceptive and indulging in an understated way.
The sound of the balcony door opening had Suoh turning to face him for a moment and pulling out his cigarette pack to offer him one. Munakata declined by shaking his head, at which Suoh just shrugged and pocketed it, turning to face the city again. It gave Munakata a perfect excuse to study him for a while.
Seeing Suoh with a cigarette hanging from his mouth wasn’t an unusual sight; it was such a common occurrence that he wouldn’t have batted an eye upon seeing it in any other situation. Today every little thing seemed more important than usual. So he focused on Suoh’s face and the way his eyes would fall shut when exhaling; the way that, for once, he seemed to be really enjoying the act of smoking. It made him wonder just how many little pleasures Suoh had had to give up since becoming a King. Because this Suoh looked content, somehow more open. It wasn’t something Munakata saw often, but it never failed to cause an ache in his chest. This was how Suoh should always look. Alive.
“My face that interesting?”
Yes. Especially when the lines of it were more relaxed than usual, his eyes gleaming with a softer fire – one baiting Munakata into playful banter.
“Not particularly.”
Those lips stretched into an indulgent smile and Suoh put out his cigarette. Munakata was distinctly aware of every movement Suoh made as he stepped over and pulled him in for a kiss. It tasted like smoke and spices, and felt like all those things they’d never bothered to put into words.
His fingers found Suoh’s hair again and stayed there when the kiss broke and Suoh’s forehead found its place on his shoulder. The action brought back the awareness of the situation and Munakata couldn’t help the fond exasperation that bled into his words as he ran his fingers through the mess of red hair on his shoulder.
“You should have said you needed rest. There is no need for you to push yourself here, idiot.”
-
That was how two hours later found them on the couch, Munakata reading a book with Suoh’s head in his lap. Every now and then his fingers would stray to caress the side of his face or twirl around a particularly rebellious strand of red. The way Suoh kept unconsciously leaning into his touches was equally nice as when he inched away when something Munakata did tickled him. And he slept through it all.
Taking care of Suoh had somehow turned into a day of giving into his wants. It was at the same time liberating and frightening, and Munakata didn’t think he could handle it on a more frequent basis. Suoh and he understood each other so well precisely because they were Kings, even if they dealt with the burden in different ways. But they were both unwilling to give it up. Or at least they were most of the time. If Suoh woke up now and asked him to go away with him and leave everything behind he was afraid he would have actually given it serious thought, maybe even said yes. In any other circumstance he wouldn’t have even entertained it. He smiled at the sleeping face in his lap. Only this man could bring so much chaos into his otherwise structured world.
Thinking like this made his fingers twitch with want to grab his PDA and call into work. Not because he was worried, or really wanted an update of the situation, but because he needed something to ground him. Instead he returned to the book in his hand and forced himself to focus on the words.
He only put it away when Suoh’s breathing changed, in favor of turning on the TV and catching what was left of the evening news. Suoh groaned a little, or it might have been a snort, but still turned so he was properly facing the TV too. He only really started paying attention when a report about serial ransoms near his territory came up. The hand in his hair gave a warning tug.
“Not like I could do anything without you hounding my ass.”
Munakata sighed. Only Suoh could bring his exasperation levels so high so fast.
“If you had any semblance of reason, I wouldn’t have to.”
“Nah. That would be boring,” a grin stretched his lips, “and I would lose a chance to piss you off.”
The fingers disappeared from his hair.
“Is that so?”
“Mhm. You look good when you’re angry.”
The way Munakata’s eyes narrowed had Suoh grinning wider and reaching up to kiss him. Munakata must have been really miffed by that comment because he pulled away without responding, annoyance on his face more visible than before.
“You can’t just kiss me to end an argument.”
“Hm.”
Suoh pushed himself up into a sitting position and leaned in for another kiss. A hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Suoh.”
There was some sort of warning in that tone, but he chose to ignore it.
“M’not arguing. I’m trying to kiss you.”
Munakata sighed again, but didn’t push him away when he leaned in this time. Suoh smiled inwardly and proceeded to coax him into responding. This game of push and pull was always entertaining when it was with Munakata.
By the second kiss Munakata’s lips were already moving against his, so he chanced dragging his teeth over his bottom lip. This earned him a harsh kiss along with an answering nip on his upper lip. He parted his lips on instinct and angled his head to give Munakata more leverage, perfectly content to let him do whatever he wanted now that he’d gotten him properly engaged. Pissing Munakata off always paid off.
-
They ended up missing the rest of the news, along with the weather forecast. Suoh looked pretty smug at that, but Munakata let it go with a slight smile. If Suoh was being more of a pain like usual, that at least meant he was doing better. He squished back the thought that reminded him that this meant they would be going back to being enemies tomorrow.
He steeled his belief that he was doing his duty as a King in keeping Suoh contained. Even if that for some reason meant Suoh commandeering the remote and switching channels to some weird sci-fi movie involving aliens. If nothing else, it was infinitely more enjoyable than doing paperwork.
With that thought in mind, Munakata made himself comfortable against Suoh and browsed the TV guide on his PDA. For tonight he would be content with the familiar heat of another body by his side and Suoh’s throaty comments in his ear. In simpler times it would have been everything he’d ever wished for.
***
He woke up first. Suoh’s face was close to his own and it tugged at his lips. No matter how big the bed, Suoh always bridged all the distance between them. This was why it was extra hard to get out of the sheets and begin the day. Today they were back to being on the opposite sides of the field; he could tell by the tension on Suoh’s face.
For a moment he entertained the thought of gently shaking him awake and offering to talk about whatever nightmare he’d had, because god knows Suoh kept too many things inside. But he couldn’t. He had to be the Blue King, the leader of SCEPTER 4 today. That person had no sympathy, much less tenderness for someone like the Red King. And if he broke character now... he wouldn’t. So he got up and out of the bed, and headed for the shower.
When he reentered the living room in his uniform, he found Suoh sitting on the couch. He was already dressed, not smoking for once, and his head was tipped down. Munakata could not tell whether he was sleeping or not so he grabbed him by the hair (and ignored the flash of memory form yesterday, of running his fingers through it) and pulled his head back. Half-lidded eyes stared back at him.
He bent down to kiss him and pulled harder. It felt like he was trying to punish them both with this kiss, but Suoh didn’t fight him. Oh, he responded, in a way that was much more feverish than any of their kisses yesterday, but he let Munakata have all the control, let him take everything he needed. Suoh understood, even when Munakata didn’t want him to. The Blue King broke the kiss and wanted to be mad at Suoh for not giving him what he’d wanted, but couldn’t. So he let go of the hair, his fingers feeling numb, and walked out. When he returned to the apartment Suoh wouldn’t be there. He never was. (But traces of him would linger.)