Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Understanding ❯ Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Again, written for a Livejournal drabble challenge, which is why it's so short. ^^

<><> Understanding <><>

"He's here."

There was a long pause as the proprietor of Kokakurou blinked sleepily at the immaculately suited man standing in his gardens. Passing a hand over his eyes and through his hair, Mibu Oriya began rummaging around in his kimono for his pipe, pretending to ignore the way the shinigami stiffened at being ignored for even a few seconds.

"Yeah, he's here." Oriya looked up, once again wondering what had possessed this person to appear at five in the morning. Damned ungodly hour. He'd been about to go to bed. "I'm not letting you have him, though."

The shinigami -- his name was Tatsumi . . . Tatsumi . .. something or other -- stiffened even more, if that was possible. "Do you think you can stop me, Mibu-san?"

A faint grin crossed Oriya's face as he finally found both pipe and tobacco. This guy had a serious case of stick up the butt. "I can keep Muraki out if I want to. Sure I can keep you out." He looked up through long strands of hair, fingers still moving through the routine motions of packing the pipe. "You may be shinigami and a shadow master, but no one enters Kokakurou without my permission."

Tatsumi's fingers curled slightly at his sides as he was forced to acknowledge the fact that he could not continue without Oriya's good will. "You have to know what you're harboring."

Oriya had to admire that composure. The only sign that the man was in the grip of a murderous rage was the intensity of expression in those cold eyes. His voice was steady and level, his posture straight and his manner polite. He was undoubtedly fully justified in coming here, knowing Muraki. But still, Muraki was his friend, and badly wounded after whatever had happened in the secret lab.

He wasn't going to just hand over his oldest friend.

"I know who he is, Tatsumi-san. Probably better than any of you do."

The shadows around the garden flickered and swayed in a manner that had nothing to do with the rising sun. For a moment, Oriya wondered if Tatsumi was the sort of man whose honor would not allow him to kill someone who had not personally wronged him or his friends. If the man chose to use his ability to manipulate shadows, there wasn't much Oriya could do to fight him. And with Oriya dead, he would be free to enter the building.

But, no. For a man like Tatsumi, honor was important. He forcibly relaxed his tense posture, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "I will do anything to keep the one he hurt safe, Mibu-san."

Oriya paused in the process of lighting his pipe, and their gazes met, similarly intense and proud -- then he took a deep pull on the pipe, and turned his face to the sun. "Then we understand each other."

When he looked back after a few minutes, he was alone in his gardens.