"You!" Kashuu Kiyomitsu almost choked on his breath. He stared wide-eyed at the guy who had just killed someone and was now making lewd jokes. His eyelids twitched a few times before he managed to resist the urge to pull the trigger.
"Sorry, I told you to shut up your pipe dream." Kashuu Kiyomitsu laughed in anger, his voice trembling slightly. He raised an eyebrow at Yamato no Kami Yasusada, his neck held high like a proud peacock. "I was just about to tell you, Yamato no Kami Yasusada, we're done for."
"Having just experienced the brink of death, is this all it takes to do? Isn't that a bit too heartless?" Yamato no Kami Yasusada was taken aback, then chuckled.
"I'm not kidding you, we're breaking up, getting a divorce, that's it!" Kashuu Kiyomitsu took a half step back, shouted this, and then turned and ran away, completely unaware that he had said he had never married Yamato no Kami Yasusada.
"Hey! Where are you going!" Yamato no Kami Yasusada shouted, raising his voice as he watched Kashuu Kiyomitsu flee in disarray.
"move place--!"
"What kind of international joke is this?!" Yamato no Kami Yasusada kicked aside the corpse blocking his way and took off after him.
"...Did you teach him that next time he finishes off an enemy, he should just throw the body away?" Hijikata Toshizo, who had witnessed the whole thing from the corner, nudged Okita Souji next to him with a dark expression.
"...After all, compared to pursuing love, sometimes these little things don't need to be taken seriously," Okita replied uncertainly, touching his nose.
"I think your partner is a tsundere." Izumi no Kami, who had been ruthlessly dragged here by Yamato no Kami Yasusada to do hard labor, stirred the yogurt in the box, put on his headphones and looked at the computer screen, and lazily commented.
"I know without you telling me." Yamato no Kami Yasusada rolled his eyes, stepped on the gas, and the engine roared to life.
"You could have just shot you dead, but you insisted on dragging the main battlefield back to your home. I'm telling you, I've read the script; it has a happy ending." Izumi-no-kami mumbled, biting his spoon.
"Shut up and eat your yogurt." Yamato no Kami Yasusada stared sullenly at the satellite image sent by Izumi no Kami, watching Kashuu Kiyomitsu's location slowly move towards home. He had always thought he knew Kashuu Kiyomitsu well enough; even that kiss was carefully considered to ensure Kashuu Kiyomitsu wouldn't slap him, although it turned out he didn't get slapped. But why hadn't they reconciled? Actually, after their identities were exposed, it was obvious that Ran Toushirou wasn't the mistress Kashuu Kiyomitsu had imagined. Besides, apart from that one mission conflict, the two hadn't had any other work-related confrontations that required them to draw their guns against each other. Everything seemed to be proceeding normally, so why did it seem to be getting worse?
Yamato no Kami Yasusada frantically grabbed his hair, turning the steering wheel incessantly in his hands. He felt that he must have made a mistake somewhere, but damn it, which step was it?
"Seeing how conflicted you are, why don't I chime in?" Izumi-no-kami said gloatingly from the other end.
"Spit it out," Yamato no Kami Yasusada snapped at him irritably.
Do you know what the best way to deal with a tsundere is?
"..."
"It's about taming him! Taming him! Please, if you don't respond, I'll lose face."
Tame...? Yamato no Kami Yasusada was frantically overtaking other cars on the road while pondering what Izumi no Kami had just said.
"I'm not trying to be mean, but don't you think you're being a coward in your relationship with your partner?"
"Am I a coward?"
"Yeah, you don't have that arrogant and domineering aura you had when we went on missions together!"
"..." Did he ever do that?
"Just be direct! Why waste words with him! Just... just go for it first, right? These days, isn't it common to get on the bus first and buy the ticket later?" Izumi no Kami, after all, had more theoretical knowledge than practical experience, so he couldn't say it directly when it came to that kind of thing. He changed the subject and used a metaphor instead.
Yamato no Kami Yasusada was about to ponder the deeper meaning behind those words when the scenery changed, revealing that they were already close to home. Around a bend, Kashuu Kiyomitsu's car was right in front of him. Yamato no Kami Yasusada frowned, floored the accelerator, and gave chase. Finally managing to use his superior vehicle to drift and block Kashuu Kiyomitsu at the door, Yamato no Kami Yasusada rolled down his window, about to speak, when he saw Kashuu Kiyomitsu behind the glass angrily give him the middle finger. Before Yamato no Kami Yasusada could even utter a few curses, Kashuu Kiyomitsu rammed head-on into him.
"Damn it!" Yamato no Kami Yasusada stumbled along with his car after being hit. He watched as Kashuu Kiyomitsu drove his beat-up car, with one of its headlights blown off, wobbling into the parking garage. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, opened the car door, and jumped out.
He knew that at this very moment, Kashuu Kiyomitsu must have already run into the house and prepared ample firepower aimed at the front door, so he absolutely could not enter through the front door.
Just as Yamato no Kami Yasusada was about to crouch down and climb over the fence of the small garden, a surprised voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Oh dear, Mr. Yamato no Mamoru, you can't park your car on the road." Yamato no Mamoru turned around and saw that it was Mrs. Suzuki from next door.
He gave an awkward twitch of his lips and explained in a low voice, "I'll move the car right away, but my husband is a bit angry right now, so I have to appease him first."
"Young people like that always have such big tempers," Mrs. Suzuki said with a smile, expressing her understanding. Before leaving, she patted Yamato no Kami Yasusada on the shoulder and gave him a encouraging look.
"I hope that when we tear down the house later, she'll look at me with that same kind expression." Yamato no Kami Yasusada thought to himself as he watched Mrs. Suzuki walk away.
It was already dusk, and the last rays of sunlight had disappeared below the horizon. Under the dim moonlight, Yamato no Kami Yasusada groped his way up the garden fence to the back of the house. He glanced at the second-floor balcony, muttered something under his breath, then held his breath and began to climb, using both hands and feet.
The guns and ammunition were stored in the workshop on the second floor, but Yamato no Kami Yasusada wasn't sure if Kashuu Kiyomitsu was there. Although he had Izumi no Kami helping him outside, the other side had an even more capable guy helping to block signals. Sigh, I really want to find a different teammate.
Although that's what he said, it was an unchangeable fact at this stage. Yamato no Kami Yasusada could only sigh resignedly, grabbing the railing with both hands, and with a sudden burst of strength, he cleared the railing, landing as silently as a cat. Yamato no Kami Yasusada pulled out his Glock 18, pressed his body against the window frame, and gently hooked his free hand on the windowsill, slowly opening a crack. He turned sideways and glanced inside; the items were arranged exactly as he had left, indicating that Kashuu Kiyomitsu hadn't arrived yet. Yamato no Kami Yasusada breathed a sigh of relief, slid into the workshop, and after confirming several times that there were no ambushes, immediately reached for the wall behind the workbench, tapped a few times, and a square groove appeared in the wall. He skillfully pulled out the keypad, took out a Desert Eagle and several magazines from inside.
With the bullet chambered and the safety released, the feeling of holding the weapon in his hand gave him a sense of security. He also loaded a new magazine into his Glock 18. Yamato no Kami Yasusada slowly moved to the door, turned sideways and opened the door a crack. After confirming that no one was outside, he immediately slipped out.
"Tame him," Yamato no Kami Yasusada told himself as he ran. "This time, I can't back down."
Kashuu Kiyomitsu was standing in the living room with a submachine gun pointed directly at the front door, but he knew that Yamato no Kami Yasusada wouldn't be foolish enough to break in through the front door. So he lowered the gun after a short while and slowly moved towards the hallway.
In truth, he didn't intend to actually kill Yamato no Kami Yasusada. It wasn't that he was soft-hearted; Kashuu Kiyomitsu had repeatedly emphasized to himself that such weakness and girlishness would never exist in him. So, he simply didn't want that love to continue. Perhaps Yamato no Kami Yasusada could choose to vanish from his sight or continue living a carefree life elsewhere. In any case, it was out of humanitarian concern that he chose not to physically eliminate him.
Damn it, how come he never realized he was so good at hypnotizing himself?
Kashuu Kiyomitsu shook his head, trying to throw away the sweet memories he had shared with Yamato no Kami Yasusada. He was a big liar, Kashuu Kiyomitsu told himself, even though he had deceived Yamato. But that didn't matter! After all, he had never truly wanted to spend his life with him in the first place!
Kashuu Kiyomitsu wanted to brainwash himself some more, but the faint footsteps coming from upstairs made him immediately throw away these random thoughts and focus all his attention on the current struggle.
So you chose to go from the top, huh? Yamato no Kami Yasusada, you idiot.
Kashuu Kiyomitsu narrowed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the other person's location by sound, while simultaneously raising his submachine gun, aiming it at a spot in the second-floor corridor, and firing a shot!
"California is cleaned up, my ass!"
Hearing Yamato no Kami Yasusada staggering and cursing from upstairs, Kashuu Kiyomitsu suddenly felt much better for some reason. He quickly ran to the stairs, first firing his gun at the upper floors, and after hearing no more noise for a while, he slowly tiptoed upstairs.
"Don't play dead with me, come on, let's have a showdown, Yamato no Kami Yasusada!" Kashuu Kiyomitsu shouted provocatively, gun in hand, while his eyes darted around warily.
“…Go to hell.” A slightly weak voice suddenly came from the left. Kashuu Kiyomitsu immediately drew his gun and pointed it at the corner. Just as he was about to approach the corner, the shadow behind the vase flickered. Kashuu Kiyomitsu’s eyelids twitched and he instinctively took half a step back. The bullet grazed his cheek, leaving a red mark on his fair skin.
This damn guy cheated! This thought almost made Kashuu Kiyomitsu explode with anger, especially since his carefully maintained skin had been scratched. Doesn't this idiot know that you shouldn't hit someone in the face?
"Damn Yamato no Kami Yasusada, go to heaven!" Kashuu Kiyomitsu roared, firing his submachine gun as he advanced.
Hiding in the shadows, Yamato no Kami Yasusada, seeing his first shot miss, smirked and quickly ran away to the other side. Hearing Kashuu Kiyomitsu's angry roar behind him, he knew he was in the wrong, scratched his cheek, and megaphoned his mouth with one hand, "I know I was wrong! I promise I won't hit your face next time!"
"You want a next time?!"
Counting the frequency of Kashuu Kiyomitsu's runs, Yamato no Kami Yasusada hummed a little tune as he dodged the attack from the side, slowly changed the magazine of his pistol, chambered a round, turned around, and fired a few shots behind him.
The two began playing hide-and-seek, though most of the time Kashuu Kiyomitsu simply blasted open entire walls or decorative vases with his superior firepower. Yamato no Kami Yasusada tried a few clever tricks, but they seemed to have no real effect other than further provoking Kashuu Kiyomitsu. He was looking for an opportunity, a chance to tame Kashuu Kiyomitsu.
Finally, after seeing Kashuu Kiyomitsu accidentally step on a piece of porcelain and fall, causing the obstructive submachine gun to be thrown away, Yamato no Kami Yasusada knew that his chance had come.
He pounced like a hungry wolf, but Kashuu Kiyomitsu reacted quickly, stepping on the shards like a skateboard and rolling halfway forward, escaping Yamato no Kami Yasusada's attack range. He then turned and ran towards the kitchen. Yamato no Kami Yasusada missed his target, grabbing onto a curtain he'd torn from somewhere and rushing into the kitchen after him.
"Hehehe! It's not good to go at someone with a controlled knife directly." As soon as he rushed in, he saw Kashuu Kiyomitsu holding a kitchen knife and pointing it at him. Yamato no Kami Yasusada said a few words with a rag in his hand, and then took advantage of the moment when Kashuu Kiyomitsu was distracted. He used the rag to block his way and rushed forward.
By this time, Kashuu Kiyomitsu realized what was happening and tried to grab his knife, but it was too late. The cloth reduced most of the impact, and Yamato no Kami Yasusada, wrapped in the cloth, threw the knife and the cloth at him. Seeing that he was now without a tool, Kashuu Kiyomitsu gritted his teeth and punched. Yamato no Kami Yasusada, not even having a chance to celebrate his plan's success, saw a fist coming straight at him. He instinctively bent to dodge, but his flexibility was lacking, and he landed hard on his backside. Kashuu Kiyomitsu grinned maliciously and stomped on a certain part of Yamato no Kami Yasusada's body.
"Hey! You should think about your future!" Yamato no Kami Yasusada yelled as he rolled over on the ground, then stood up with a lingering fear.
"I want you to be a big idiot!" Kashuu Kiyomitsu lunged forward. Although he looked soft, he had been on the front lines for many years and his close combat skills were already top-notch. He was not at a disadvantage in a fight.
"Let's talk this out!" Yamato no Kami Yasusada dodged around, continuing to rant as he went. "What are you so angry about! You know perfectly well that I didn't cheat on you!"
"Bullshit! You've been lying to me all along!"
"You're not saying you're not lying to me!"
"I..." Kashuu Kiyomitsu was taken aback by his words, his movements faltering. Yamato no Kami Yasusada's eyes immediately lit up; there was an opening! He unleashed all the stamina he had been holding back, landing several straight punches that caught Kashuu Kiyomitsu off guard, followed by an over-the-shoulder throw that sent him sprawling to the ground. Kashuu Kiyomitsu tried to get up, enduring the pain, when he heard the sound of a safety pin being pulled above his head. Looking up, he saw the dark muzzle of a gun, and Yamato no Kami Yasusada, his face now calm and collected, his roguish demeanor gone.
Kashuu Kiyomitsu knew he had lost, but his pride wouldn't allow him to admit defeat. He suddenly pulled the Beretta from his waist and, lying on the ground, pointed it at Yamato no Kami Yasusada.
"Shoot! Damn it! I won't lose!"
"You cried, Kiyomitsu."
After a long pause, Californian realized that he had been in tears all along.
"So, what exactly do we need to do to make up?" Yamato no Kami Yasusada looked at him quietly and said slowly.
"We will not make up."
"You're lying."
"I don't!"
“You’re really easy to understand, Kiyomitsu.” Yamato no Kami Yasusada curled the corners of his lips, his azure eyes filled with mockery. “Do you know what you look like right now? Your face is practically screaming, ‘Don’t abandon me, don’t leave me behind.’ Your eyes, your movements, everything about you has told me…”
"Damn it, I just don't want to admit I like you, so what!"
Kashuu Kiyomitsu finally lost his temper and roared out with his eyes closed.
-TBC
Chapter 10
"..."
"..."
For a moment, both of them were in a state of shock, though their specific reasons for the shock differed greatly, their expressions reflected a blank look on their faces. After a few seconds, as if they had each gone through different emotional journeys, their expressions underwent a noticeable change.
Compared to Kashuu Kiyomitsu's suddenly flushed cheeks and evasive gaze, Yamato no Kami Yasusada's intimidating gaze was almost tangible, like a wolf ready to tear the man before him apart. He felt this was a historic moment, something that should be recorded so they could use some software to mock Kashuu Kiyomitsu in their old age, seeing how this former tsundere had been utterly subdued. Of course, this was just a thought; such opportunities were rare, and chances for a tsundere to be honest were few and far between. Rather than such trivial matters, he felt he should do something more important, something that any adult would do.
For example, to comfort his little brother who has suffered for so long.
This wasn't a normal thought. Perhaps a normal person, when one side softens their tone, would try to appeal to emotions and reconcile, instead of acting like he was driven by lust and only wanted a quickie. But unfortunately, neither of them were normal. So when Yamato no Kami Yasusada stared intently at Kashuu Kiyomitsu, the other seemed to read something in his eyes as well. After a long stare, they simultaneously threw away their guns as if by telepathy.
Yamato no Kami Yasusada yanked Kashuu Kiyomitsu up from the ground. Before he could even stand properly, Yamato pulled him to his chest, cupped the face he had been longing for, and kissed him fiercely.
Unlike the surprise kiss at the Okita residence, Yamato no Kami Yasusada's movements were incredibly gentle, as if a lost treasure had finally returned to his grasp. Even the way he traced the lips was like touching a cherished, fragile object, tender and gentle to the core. His rough fingertips caressed the fair skin, though they were dusty from the earlier commotion, but this did not deter Yamato no Kami Yasusada from taking things further. In a moment of inadvertence, the pressure of his caresses increased slightly, eliciting a soft gasp from Kashuu Kiyomitsu. In the past, Yamato no Kami Yasusada might have stopped, but now… looking at the face so close to his, neither of them, unusually, closed their eyes in the deep kiss, instead staring at each other. Yamato no Kami Yasusada could see himself reflected in those clear red eyes—seemingly calm, yet turbulent within.
Would Kashuu Kiyomitsu understand? He deepened the kiss, his gentle movements turning into rough force, his right hand moving from the other's face up to his waist, looking from a distance like an embrace, pressing the person in his arms closer to his heart.
He'll understand, won't he? Beneath this calm, there's an undercurrent of tension. Every glance, every movement, is a desperate attempt at restraint and endurance. But all of this will eventually come to an end. Like magma that has been accumulating for too long, carrying intense heat, it will finally erupt all at some point.
He will understand, Yamato no Kami Yasusada chuckled to himself, for they were all the same.
Perhaps feeling the kiss was taking too long, Kashuu Kiyomitsu, who always struggled to breathe when nervous, was now completely flushed. He playfully pushed Yamato no Kami Yasusada, trying to urge him to end this seemingly endless kiss. But Yamato no Kami Yasusada wasn't about to grant his wish. His hand mischievously pinched Yamato no Kami's waist, causing Kashuu Kiyomitsu to gasp and Yasusada to thrust deep inside him.
The tongue, plundering everything in his mouth, roughly licked his palate and jaw, its relentless force making Kashuu Kiyomitsu want to shrink back, but he was quickly overtaken by Yamato no Kami Yasusada with even more ferocious force. This left the already cramped space almost completely devoid of air, forcing Kashuu Kiyomitsu to gasp for breath through his nose, his eyes gradually losing focus amidst the welling tears. The hand on his waist was an inescapable constraint, and the uncontrollable smacking sounds from Yamato no Kami Yasusada's mouth assaulted his ears. All of this was testing Kashuu Kiyomitsu's fragile nerves. He looked up in a daze and found himself trapped in Yamato no Kami Yasusada's dark blue eyes, tinged with madness. Kashuu Kiyomitsu could even smell the gunpowder on this man; what would have normally made him wince in disgust now seemed like the perfect aphrodisiac.
This guy is really awful, Kashuu Kiyomitsu thought, so he must be even worse, since he still has desires even though he's been treated like this.
Clearly, he wasn't the only one thinking this; Yamato no Kami Yasusada had also noticed something. He finally ended the long kiss, deliberately leaving a trail of saliva as they parted. Looking at Kashuu Kiyomitsu's chest heaving with heavy breathing, his gaze slowly moved down to the thing pressing against his abdomen. A slight smile played on his lips as he teased Kashuu Kiyomitsu, who was already blushing so deeply he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground:
"Kiyomitsu, you're hard."
Kashuu Kiyomitsu felt that if God could give him another chance, he would never have turned left when leaving the Okita family home. No, even if he had turned left, he would never have driven into that house.
“But obviously you don’t have a second chance.” Yamato no Kami Yasusada, who was pressing down on Kashuu Kiyomitsu, smoothly finished the sentence for the man, then smiled slightly at the man’s resentful gaze and threw the belt he had just pulled off onto the ground.
"I, I'm telling you, that's extremely expensive! You couldn't even buy it if you sold yourself... Ugh! You bastard, where are you touching me!" Kashuu Kiyomitsu was only halfway through his sentence when he felt a chill on his lower body. A certain embarrassing part of his body was being mercilessly fondled through his underwear.
"Of course, it's the place Kiyomitsu wants me to touch." Yamato no Kami Yasusada's tone was light and teasing, but his actions were quite the opposite. The already erect part became even harder and hotter under the unquestioning kneading of his palm, and with the two snow-white and slender legs on either side, Yamato no Kami Yasusada felt the desire in his heart rush to the top of his head.