Work Text:
“How gruesome.”
Ijichi looked over a crime scene photo related to a new case that landed on his desk. He had seen a great deal of gory deaths in his line of work, but they still made his weak stomach churn.
Two murders happened in a small seaside town that rarely saw any crime aside from some tourists' wallets being stolen. The bodies appeared to be torn apart in a way that did not seem possible by human hands. The first victim was an out-of-town food reviewer. He was killed after publishing a not-so-flattering article about the state of the stalls along the boardwalk. The second was a rising VTuber star who positively reviewed a certain restaurant and was then killed the night before she was set to leave.
The local police had gathered some information about the case; however, they got stuck. They heard one of the food stall owners talking to a man who was rumored to do anything for cash. Even kill when needed. The restaurant that had been recommended served the same signature dish as the smaller booth. The police assumed the owner had the pair killed either out of revenge for having his dishes shafted or to scare away anyone else from posting anything negative. Or he simply hated the social media types.
The issue was that the police had no idea how the murders were committed. They had nothing aside from rumors. After focusing on the would-be hitman, a Window spoke up, saying he heard that the man was a suspected Cursed Spirit user. Thus, the murders were passed along.
Ijichi found himself looking over the files, trying to think of a plan on how to solve this. They had a nickname of the hitman and a blurry photo. He was local to the small town and known to be a bit of a gambler. From what they found out, he loved food but was always too broke to afford the higher-end meals along the main road.
They needed to be able to draw the man out before he hurt anyone else, but how? Ijichi also needed backup on this job. He wasn’t a fighter. It wasn’t as if he could confront a murderer on his own. After a few hours, a plan slowly came together.
By sheer luck, the person he wanted to speak with came into the shared office to drop off some reports he was asked to sign earlier. Spotting the files spread across the normally messy desk, he spoke up, wondering what his co-worker had been working on.
“A new case?” Nanami asked his face not reacting to the gruesome photos the same way Ijichi did.
“Yes, I just got it today. I was hoping you could help me with it this weekend. I know you were supposed to be off though...” He trailed off, his voice weak, wondering how to convince the other man to come along.
It was very rare for anyone to have time off, let alone an entire weekend. As far as he knew, Nanami did not make plans aside from catching up on reading. If he refused, the only other option was to ask Gojo. And that was not something Ijichi wanted to deal with.
“Let me look it over,” Nanami said, reaching for the papers.
His tone didn’t let on his intentions of accepting or refusing.
“Since the suspect is a gambler, I’ve set up a small ball drawing game. Some of the local shops have donated small prizes. It’s been rigged so the largest prizes will go to anyone who has enough Cursed Energy to be our suspect. The ticket they’ll be given to claim their prize at the local shops will also be rigged so we can track their movement.” Ijichi explained the plan he had come up with.
The draw will only cost a hundred yen, so even a broke Cursed Spirit user could afford it. Any money earned would be donated. He just needed someone on standby in case he was actually able to draw out the murderer.
“Did you think of this on your own?”
Ijichi nodded, unsure if he was being complimented or mocked. When a hint of a smile appeared on his taller co-worker's face, he felt his heart flutter. The small reaction said more than any words could.
“Good job. I’ll come along.”
After they had ironed out the details for the weekend, Nanami left the room for Ijichi to finish some of his mountain of paperwork before he was set to leave in the morning. He took a moment for a few fist pumps in the air for receiving a very rare praise from a man he respected so much.
The next morning, the pair arrived in the small town ready to set up. Nanami left to get breakfast and to do his own investigation while Ijichi set up his small area for the weekend. It looked fairly professional for how little prep time he had beforehand. Due to his job, he gained a great deal of connections. Having a set of banners printed for a fake promotional event overnight wasn’t an issue. Most of the other items, like the extra table, cloth, chairs, and the ball hand crank dispenser used for the lottery, were already in storage. Ijichi often did random jobs like this one. He knew what items he had to work with. For a company that dealt in killing cursed spirits, it had an odd storage room. From dangerous, cursed objects to party supplies. Most of which Ijichi knew why those items were needed. Yet, he still didn’t understand why the company had a full set of off-brand Ranger costumes. He prayed there would never be a job that required them.
After he was set up, he started to carefully arrange a set of papers, mentally preparing himself for the day. Nanami returned with a bottle of water and a set of handmade onigiri from a stall nearby. He offered them to Ijichi, then looked over the set up.
“Do you not have a tent?” He asked, realizing what was missing.
“Oh, no. It’s currently being used, and I was unable to rent one on such short notice. I’ll wear a lot of sunscreen, so I should be fine.” Ijichi answered, not overly worried about being in the sun all day.
No shade would be an issue. Surely there was a place nearby where they could rent a vendor tent. Since Ijichi mainly worked at night, he was rarely outside in the daytime. He had long since forgotten how brutal it could be. Someone like him would only last an hour in the heat before sunstroke took him out.
“I’ll be back.”
Without another word, he left on a new mission. Because it was summer, Nanami wasn’t wearing his suit jacket. Instead, he wore a blue short-sleeve button-down shirt. Unable to hide his weapon the usual way, he kept it in a leather case slung over one shoulder. It wasn’t often Ijichi saw the sorcerer in his summer outfit. Normally, Nanami travelled during the warmer months for work, rarely staying in Tokyo. In fact, he hadn’t been around at all lately.
They had known each other since they were students. Even after returning, Nanami and Ijichi hadn’t gotten much of a chance to get to know each other again. They were still friends, yet some distance appeared between them over the years. There was a chance that a simple job in such a nice town might help them rekindle some of what they lost.
A few people had already done the lottery by the time Nanami returned. Ijichi found it oddly fun giving a prepared speech, answering questions, and handing out small prizes all worth slightly more than the one-hundred-yen draw fee. No shop could rent out a tent, so the next best thing was bought. Tucked awkwardly under his arm was a large blue beach umbrella.
With some effort, they were able to get it standing so Ijichi would have shade for the day. He already shed his suit jacket and tie, almost feeling naked without them. Sweat started at the back of his neck. Nanami really saved him with the umbrella. He would have done them no favors by passing out before they could gather any leads.
“I’ll be back around lunch time. Call me if anything comes up.”
“Understood.” Ijichi half saluted with the heat already relaxing him enough to be so comfortable around his old friend again.
Without so much as a second glance, he was left alone to work. If by chance the suspect arrived at the table, Ijichi only needed to convince him to do the draw and win the prize set aside and then call for backup. He had it easy for once. At the start of the day, he was convinced they would have the murderer arrested by the end of the weekend. As the hours dragged on and he spoke with countless people giving out prizes, he started to lose confidence.
Even under the shade, the heat was overbearing. He found himself using some papers as a makeshift fan. Refusing to let it get to him, he didn’t let it affect his performance. He dealt with curses and worse things before. Some sunlight wouldn’t beat him.
The main road near the beach was a long walkway lined with food stalls and family-run stores. Smoke from the grills caught the wind, sometimes stinging his eyes. The smell would stick in his clothing and hair. His stomach protested from being so near to food, but he refused to leave his post aside from using the restroom in a clothing store next door that agreed to assist in their little mission. He was thankful that the store owner let him use the space next to the building for the weekend. Normally, they had a table of better-selling items out front. The owners weren’t aware of cursed spirits. They assumed Ijichi worked for the police and were glad to help catch a murderer, even if that resulted in lower sales for a few days.
A breeze caught the umbrella, and Ijichi paused to adjust it. The sun had moved since the morning, so he was having trouble remaining in the shade. Glancing upward, he wondered if Nanami picked the first one he saw, or if blue was his favorite color. For a moment, he reflected on how little he knew about his sort of boss. Aside from his favorite food, he wasn’t aware of much. At this point, Ino knew more about Nanami even though they’d only worked together for a few years. Ijichi had driven the other man so often on missions, but that was it. Fighting alongside someone was much different and fostered a stronger connection. He almost felt jealous of the younger man for being so close to a person he’d known for longer.
‘Am I really cut out for this job?’
The question came to mind, no matter how hard he fought it back. A few people approached to play the lottery. He put aside his worries to focus on the task at hand. Every so often, doubt would creep into his thoughts about how useful he was. By the time lunch rolled around and Nanami arrived with a pair of bento, Ijichi appeared slightly depressed.
“Are those both for you?” Ijichi asked, nodding toward the boxes.
“Even I can’t eat that much. Here.” Nanami handed over the smaller box to his surprised co-worker.
“Thank you, but you didn’t need to bring me anything. I had breakfast today.”
A long silence came between them as Ijichi realized what he had just admitted. He rarely had more than two meals. If he ate breakfast, he would skip lunch. His stomach no longer could handle a normal amount of food after years of abuse. Nanami’s expression hadn’t changed yet, and cold air came from him. Disappointment. Accepting the box, Ijichi quickly sat down to slowly eat, careful not to upset his stomach.
“No luck so far. I wonder if this was a bad idea.” He mentioned trying to steer the subject away from his poor eating habits.
“It’s only been a few hours. From my understanding, the man we’re looking for isn’t the type to wake up early. We may have better luck near the end of the day.” Nanami pointed out.
He stood, letting Ijichi use the only chair. Unlike his co-worker, he ate fast. His lunch was finished within a few minutes, so he didn’t need to sit down. The crowd died down enough to give them a break. Most people were at the stalls getting food so they could talk for the moment.
“Do you need a break?” Nanami offered his head turned toward the other man, his eyes hidden and his face with his normal stern expression.
Ijichi shook his head. He didn’t want to risk leaving the table in case the man they were looking for came by. And he couldn’t imagine Nanami taking his place. If he did, a swarm of women would most likely block the table.
“No, it’s fine. I can at least do this while you do all the legwork today. Any new information?”
Nanami shook his head, his glasses reflecting the bright sunlight. They just needed one good lead or to get lucky. Unlike Ijichi, Nanami was positive that the lottery would draw out their suspect. He just didn’t feel comfortable leaving his friend doing all the hard work. He didn’t find walking around asking questions overly hard compared to being in one spot waiting for the right moment all day. Moving around gave the illusion of progress.
“I’m going to talk with the stall owner who may have hired the man we’re looking for. Call me if anything comes up. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Ijichi nodded, looking down at his half-eaten lunch, feeling guilty. He would be able to finish it, but doubted he could handle a third meal that day. It felt a bit odd being taken care of like this. Normally, he was the one who stayed on top of making sure others ate while on the job. He reminded himself to take some time to get Nanami a gift as a thank you before they left. Aside from g\food, he wasn’t sure what to get him, though. Snacks would be a safe bet.
After he left, Ijichi got right back to work. Every new person added stress to his nerves. As the hours dragged on, there was no sign of his lottery idea working aside from promoting local shops that donated prizes. As stressed as he felt, he found himself slightly enjoying himself. This was a change of pace from his normal job duties. Talking with normal people was nice. Not a single mention of curses or the worries they brought. Sometimes he forgot about what he and the sorcerers had been working so hard for. Every cheerful couple or family that did the lottery reminded him of that. Their smiling faces needed to be protected from the darkness of a world none of them were aware of.
Dinner time passed, and the sun started to set. Nanami got caught up following leads and was unable to get back to the main street. He called Ijichi to check in and go over what he learned. Since it was getting dark, Ijichi decided to pack up. He didn’t bring any lights to keep the booth going and reminded himself to get some for the next day. He carried items to the car while keeping his cellphone against his shoulder, speaking to his co-worker. Over the years, he gained a talent for talking on the phone while doing other tasks.
“I was able to track down the curse user’s family home. I’m on my way back now. I should meet you in under an hour. His mother hadn’t spoken to the man in over a year. There are no signs of him staying with her, so I doubt she’s lying.” Nanami spoke, standing on the side of a country road waiting for a cab to pick him up.
He should have taken the company car. He knew how to drive. But he felt like he should have left it in case Ijichi was suddenly called in for a more important task.
“It was impressive that you were able to find that when we only knew the man’s nickname.” Ijichi complimented.
“The stall owner gave up this man’s full name. They have known each other since school; however, they weren’t friends. Finding his family home was easy after that. This town is one where everyone knows each other in some way. There aren’t too many places to hide, so I believe this case will end quickly.”
It was a relief that they were getting somewhere. Ijichi sighed, feeling useless. Aside from driving them there, he didn’t feel like he had helped at all.
“Did the stall owner know this man could control cursed spirits? I fear that these two may feel like they’re being closed in on and will turn the spirits on the police to try to get away. I hope we can find this man before someone gets hurt.” Ijichi said, sighing again.
He placed the last of his supplies inside the trunk of the car, keys in hand. Shifting the phone to his other hand, he debated on their next step. Should they call for more help? Was there anyone available? He knew of some Windows in the area; however, he didn’t want to place them in harm's way.
A sound behind him caught his attention. Sharp pain exploded through his forehead, shooting down to his feet as darkness overtook his vision. Nanami heard the attack, and as Ijichi’s phone dropped hard on the ground. His grip tightened as he strained, trying to hear any hints that his co-worker might have just tripped or if something worse had just happened.
The phone was lifted off the ground, and a new voice came from the other end. One that sounded as if the man smoked far too often.
“I’ll save you two the trouble of looking for me. Follow the address I’ll send you. Meet me there in an hour. No cops. If you don’t come alone, your friend here is fish food.”
The line went dead. After the man sent a text, he tossed the phone aside, watching it break apart from slamming against the ground. He easily hauled Ijichi’s thin body into the backseat of the car, blood coming from his forehead staining the seats. He was alive, just knocked out, and would have a bad headache when he woke up next.
That wasn’t his worry. The cursed spirit user needed to take care of the two who came looking for him. They weren’t the police, and that stressed him out enough to act. He could deal with the police. He had some monsters on his side after all. He planned on fleeing far away after killing the pesky pair. It may be the last chance for him to have some fun before he needs to lie low for a while. Might as well enjoy it.
The address was for an empty boathouse along the dock. It needed repairs, the old wooden roof sagging. The place was a perfect spot for the cursed spirit user to bring his hostage.
After a bribe to get the cab driver not to obey the speed limits, Nanami arrived before the hour deadline. His face didn’t show the worry he felt. He wasn’t certain if Ijichi was still alive, and he blamed himself for it. He should have gotten back sooner. Or he never should have left the other man alone. Even a Window with him during the day would have helped. The sun had already set, the full moon casting enough light to see by. He was walking right into a trap. Aside from seeing the photos of the bodies, Nanami had no idea what the user was capable of. Calling for help was out of the question. If Ijichi were alive, he couldn’t risk his life.
Kicking open the half-rotten wooden door, he walked inside, weapon in hand, body tense. The boards made up a large room with an opening to the sea in the middle, made for a boat to dock in. The room smelled heavy of salt and a hint of rotten fish. A bald man stood ready, baggy clothing covering his thin body, and his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t built to be a fighter. He didn’t need to be. His pets did all the work for him.
“Not a step closer.” He ordered in a raspy voice.
Weak lights were set up inside, casting an orange glow over the space. Behind the man was a still figure on the floor. Dried blood on the side of his face matted into his dark hair, and his arms were tied behind his back. He was breathing, which was a good sign.
Bracing himself, Nanami shifted his foot, ready to attack. The man realized he couldn’t give the sorcerer a moment to prepare himself. Taku, the cursed user, was outside of the Jujutsu society. He was aware of spirits and knew people killed them, but nothing beyond that. He mentally ordered his pet to act.
A swarm of tentacles burst out from the opening, spraying seawater over the room. Nanami swung his weapon, cutting apart a batch of them. The largest one, thick and slimy, was too fast. It wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his side, nearly crushing the air from his lungs. He found it impossible to move as the limb tightened even more.
The water woke up Ijichi, washing away some of the blood and making his crooked glasses spotty with droplets. With blurry vision, he saw the attack unfold, regret and guilt deep within his stomach.
This was his fault. He let his guard down. He didn’t plan properly. Did this man realize the lottery was something to draw him out? Had he been waiting all day? Should Ijichi have done some sort of advertisements a few days beforehand to make the event appear more natural? There were so many things he thought he should have done. He couldn’t think about it now. He needed to do what he could in that moment.
He didn’t smoke, but he always kept a lighter in his pocket. Taku hadn’t taken it. Ijichi had no weapons or cash on him. Why take a lighter? Carefully, he moved his bound wrists to reach and grab the only thing that could get him free. The rope was a little damp, but the small flame took care of that. The heat burned and blistered his wrists. He could handle the pain. As he worked away at his bindings, Taku was doing a villain speech, so it bought him enough time to get free.
Without a sound, Ijichi stood up, taking hold of a wooden board by his side. His heart raced, and his head pounded with pain. The tentacles didn’t react to his movements. They would only attack if ordered. Putting all of his strength into his next action, Ijichi raised the board to bring it down in a sharp blow. It wasn’t enough. He was weak from his head wound. The board connected, but only knocked Taku back a step.
The tentacle around Nanami loosened only for a second. It then gripped down harder before he could get his arms free. He was unable to do anything but watch as smaller tendrils shot out from the water to overtake his friend.
“Son of a bitch! That hurt you, you know!” Taku snapped, placing a hand over where the board came down.
Long, thin limbs took hold of Ijichi’s wrists, raising his arms above his head and lifting his body off the ground. A batch wrapped around his kicking legs, keeping them still. They pulled, causing his arms to be painfully drawn over his head, wrists facing upward, his back arched as another wrapped around his neck, threatening to choke the air from his lungs if he fought back.
They were both trapped. Neither was strong enough to get free of the disgusting curling bindings. The suction cups left marks whenever they touched bare skin.
“Octopus likes small and dark spaces. That’s why their victims are torn apart from the inside. I can’t wait to make you watch as your little friend here meets the same fate as the others.” Taku mocked over his shoulder.
Hot tears came to Ijichi’s eyes. He hated the feeling of so many cold tentacles curling around him. Some under his shirt pressed down hard while others slipped under his pants legs, stopping at his knees to keep him still. No matter how hard he tried to struggle, it was useless. His eyes landed on Nanami’s face, seeing a rare expression of worry. It hurt him down to his core. Not only did he mess up on this job, but he also put a friend at risk. Deep down, he knew the other man would be strong enough to get away. But he hated the fact that he would need to watch Ijichi die in such a gruesome way.
“Please, don’t watch,” Ijichi begged in a soft voice, turning his face away, trying to hide it against his arm.
Something in the air shifted. A different expression came to Taku’s face after hearing Ijichi speak. His pet reacted to his change in emotions. They still kept a tight grip on their prey; however, the movements around were more of an exploring nature instead of blood thirsty. Unable to stop himself, Ijichi let out a small yelp when a cold tendril touched the inside of his thigh. Biting down hard on his bottom lip, he refused to let out any more embarrassing sounds.
While Taku was distracted by the sight before him, Nanami made another attempt to get free. A smaller tentacle was able to slip between his chest and the one that kept his arm pinned. It snaked under his shirt, around his torso, then around his neck, trying to get inside his mouth. Ruthlessly, he brought down his teeth, biting off the tip, causing it to draw back.
Taku didn’t notice him at all. Despite his best efforts, Ijichi was still making small noises with tears at the corner of his eyes. He still thought he was going to be killed, completely unaware of how the situation really looked.
“Are you... trying to make this erotic on purpose...?” Taku asked voice strained.
Ijichi froze. A new fear bubbled up. He would rather die than face what he had just heard. Yes, being torn apart while still alive would have been a better fate than realizing he was being fondled in front of a co-worker. Not just any co-worker. In front of the last person, he ever wanted to see him like this. Hell, even Gojo would be better. Squeaking out some failed responses, he felt his face flush red.
“What?! No! This isn’t-” He protested.
Suddenly, the tentacles burst into movement, swarming just him. Thankfully, they stayed away from more private areas, but that didn’t stop Ijichi from crying out, unable to deal with it all.
“It feels disgusting, stop it! Just kill me or call them off! At least don’t look at me!” He begged with more sounds he deeply regretted.
This couldn’t be happening. It all had to be some sort of nightmare. No matter how much he wanted it to stop, the actions just got worse. The cursed spirit reacted to its owner’s new emotions. He was unable to pry his eyes away from the poor, mortified manager. Not once had he ever considered using his powers in such a way. He was so transfixed that he even forgot there was another person held captive in the room. His mind wandered about how much money he could make if he recorded what was happening in front of him.
A larger set of grey tendrils slipped under Ijichi’s shirt, straining the fabric. The slippery flesh made his entire body tense up as it glided along his bare skin. The top buttons came loose, revealing a pale collar bone covered in small suction cup marks from the assault. With a sudden motion, his legs were brought up nearly to his chest, and his arms pulled back so far that it caused him to cry out in pain. The new pose made him want to curl up and just die. The smallest mercy was that the tentacles hadn’t gone further up into his black dress pants. They remained only above his knees, looped around, pressing so hard into the skin that it left bruises.
From the look on Taku’s face, he was going to mentally order his pet to go further in a few moments. His ears started to grow red as he placed a hand over his mouth as if trying to hide a smile. His mind was already racing through all the new ideas of what he was able to do.
Unable to hold them back any longer, the tears finally fell from Ijichi’s eyes. Large droplets landed on his glasses. He wasn’t stupid. He knew this kind of distraction would work out in their favor. He’d noticed how Taku made the mistake of forgetting about Nanami behind him. If he just played along and diverted all his attention, then the cursed spirit would let go of the sorcerer. He could get them out of here alive. It would only cost the last ounce of his dignity. His mouth opened, ready to start acting as if he suddenly enjoyed all this pain and humiliation. The noise caught in his throat. He mentally scolded himself. He’d gotten them into this mess. The least he could do was make some noises.
As it turns out, such a thing was not needed. When his tears started to fall freely, a switch flipped inside Nanami’s chest. Gritting his teeth, he used all his strength to slip one arm free. He only needed one. With a powerful grip, he ripped part of the creature off, causing it to draw back in pain. Within a second, he ducked down through the opening, finally taking hold of his fallen weapon.
Taku turned, face pale, realizing what had just happened. To him, the next minute happened in slow motion. The lustful air disappeared, causing his spirit to turn back into a killing machine. The tentacles around Ijichi clamped down, the one around his neck instantly cutting off his breathing. Hundreds more came from the water directed at Nanami. Each was taken apart by a well-placed slash. Parts of the creature piled up on either side of him as the blood flew. He cut through what should have been a solid wall of wriggling flesh to reach his target.
Taku raised a hand as if he could stop the fist coming straight into his jaw. His body was launched back a few feet, crashing hard into the wooden wall on the other side of the room. He slumped over, dead or just knocked out. Nanami didn’t care. He refused to waste another second to save his friend.
Quickly and carefully, he cut away the rest of the creature. He hadn’t killed it, but it drew back into the water now that its master was no longer giving it orders. Ripping off the tentacle from Ijichi’s neck first, he slightly winced at each small popping sound that came with the suction cups being removed. His heart pounded in his chest even if his face remained calm. The thin man was far too still. His chest didn’t appear to be moving at all. The tentacles were cut off the main body, but he lifted a limp Ijichi into his arms before he removed them all. His fingers felt for a pulse, praying he would find one. Just before he was going to set the man down to start chest compressions, a sputtering came from him. Gasping for air, he raised his hands, gripping onto Nanami’s shirt as if his life depended on it.
With relief flooding his system, Nanami got to work and removed the last of the pesky tendrils from his dazed friend. He gave him a few minutes to recover. The pair sat on the damp ground listening to Ijichi’s breathing return to normal.
“Are you alright?” Nanami finally asked.
“Yes.” Ijichi lied.
He kept his head down, his thoughts swimming, unable to keep up with what just happened. Finally, he glanced up, wondering what had happened to their attacker. Spotting Taku’s body in a dark corner, he dared to meet Nanami’s eyes.
“You... hit him pretty hard.” He pointed out, wondering how much trouble they would get into if the man were dead.
“He made you cry,” Nanami admitted without a hint of shame.
Unable to help himself, he raised a hand to rub a thumb over the corner of his friend’s eyes. He had no idea why he had just done such a thing. Or why he’d gotten so angry seeing those tears in the first place. It wasn’t as if he could take back those actions now. Might as well go all in. With a gentle touch, he brushed aside Ijichi’s hair to look over the now closed cut on his forehead.
“Does this hurt?” He asked in a whisper.
“No...” Ijichi lied again.
He froze, completely stunned when the other man got closer. Hot breath against his skin as he placed a small kiss on the cut as if trying to take the pain away. They were close. Far closer than they ever had been. A large hand placed on his back, keeping his smaller body upright. Nanami pulled away, but only enough to look down at the person he was holding so tightly.
“Kiyo...” The nickname he hadn’t used in years sounded like a soft breath.
The one sound was far too much. Ijichi drew his hands away, placing them over his face, hiding away half of it, looking as if he was trying to poorly pray. His movement of removing his grip caused the first two buttons of Nanami’s shirt to finally give up. They came loose, revealing a chest that showed he had, in fact, changed a great deal since they were students. A long line marked by the suction cups trailed across his skin, over his neck, and stopped at his cheek.
Ijichi looked no better. His shirt was untucked and half undone. His face flushed, and half-lidded eyes glimmered. The seawater that covered the room when the creature first appeared caused his pants to stick to his long, thin legs. He was bruised and blushing. The next few moments would decide how they would see each other forever.
A sound startled them out of the intimate scene. Nanami shot up, hand on his weapon, ready to attack. A piece of the half-rotten roof came down, loosened by the fight a few minutes beforehand. He found himself thinking clearly. A redness at the tip of his ears as he found himself unable to look back at his old friend.
“Let’s... keep certain things out of the report.” He said, his voice sounding strained.
“Understood.” Ijichi nodded, equally thankful and bitter over how things turned out.
When the cleanup crew arrived, none of them dared ask too many questions. They did their job and got the two medical attention. Everyone was glad the case had been wrapped up within a day without another death. They didn’t need the details.
Ijichi found it impossible to sleep that night. His thoughts kept going over what happened. He wanted to roll over and die. A part of him assumed the memory of their tender moment was from his brain lacking oxygen. Such a thing could never really happen, right? He wasn’t cleared to drive yet. Another person would arrive to pick them up. It would take a few hours, so he could spend some time on the beach if he wanted.
Sitting at a table, he looked out into the deep blue sighing away, feeling as depressed as he looked. His body was covered with bandages to hide the markings and bruises. They looked bad but didn't hurt as much as expected.
Without warning, a loud sound snapped him from his daydreaming. A massive place of food that could feed at least ten people was set down next to him. Nanami sat down, staring forward at the ocean. His choice of breakfast made his friend’s face fall.
The plate was nothing but a pile of grilled squid and octopus skewers. He never wanted to see another tentacle again. Yet here they were.
Without a word, Nanami picked up one and ate it in two bites. His face was normally hard to read. Since they knew each other for so long, Ijichi could tell the man was angry. Very angry. He grabbed another and held it until Ijichi had no choice but to accept it.
He nibbled at it, finding the taste very good but with one issue.
“It’s a little bit spicy.” He said in a weak voice.
“Bear with it. This is revenge.” Nanami said and kept eating as if this was a normal reaction to the trauma they endured.
“Understood.”
His stomach would hate him, but maybe this could help him get over what happened the night before.
In that moment, Ijichi decided that if by a very slim chance he ever got a vacation, he never wanted to see the beach again.