Nukume Dori
by Leareth
Annex IV: Layers
The bell rang at precisely four o'clock, and, opening the door, Hokuto leapt out to catch her visitor in a warm hug. "Sei-chan!" she squealed happily. "So good to see you again!"
Sakurazuka Seishirou laughed, stumbling a bit but somehow managing to balance his grocery bags and the girl whose arms were latched around his neck. "Oof! Hello, Hokuto-chan. You're very energetic today."
"I'm always energetic, you know that." There was a funny smell on Seishirou's skin, and, wrinkling her nose Hokuto dropped lightly back onto the ground. She wondered if it was his cologne. "Come in, come in!" she said, relieving her friend of the grocery bags and waving him through the door. "Did you bring all the ingredients?"
"Brown sugar, white sugar, butter and eggs," replied Seishirou promptly as he took off his shoes. "I wasn't sure how much we're going to make so I bought extra."
"Excellent thinking!" Critically Hokuto watched as Seishirou removed his coat and gloves, her designer's eye running over the outfit that was revealed beneath. Dark grey wool-blend suit, a white shirt that looked like it had just come off the ironing board, blue silk tie with some subtle geometric pattern … the man looked almost exactly the same as that day nearly a year ago when he had turned up at her door half-carrying an embarrassed and temporarily lamed Subaru. Somehow in the months since then and now this man had become her brother's beloved. Hokuto loved him too, but unlike Subaru she did not allow that love to blind her. "Were you working this morning?" she asked.
"Just a couple of hours to check on some patients. Where's Subaru-kun?"
"Oh, he's working today too, unfortunately," Hokuto replied, taking Seishirou's arm again to lead him to the kitchen. "Why, have you been pining away for his presence?"
Seishirou's response to this was unsurprisingly cheerful. "Of course I am! It's very painful, you know, not being able to see the object of your affections every day!"
So they would both be continuing the game this afternoon. Hokuto could handle that. "Oh, poor Sei-chan!" she pouted with exaggerated sympathy. "Don't worry; your sister-in-law-to-be will take good care of you until your darling comes home. Now come on, I've already got the flour and baking powder sifted, so let's start this baking session!"
Smoothly she deposited Seishirou in the middle of the kitchen and emptied the contents of the grocery bags onto the bench. "What kind of cookies are we making?" Seishirou asked, draping his jacket on one of the barstools in favour of the green apron Hokuto had left out.
"Vanilla sugar cookies. A simple snack guaranteed to send you straight to the dentist!" Hokuto began measuring sugar and butter out into the mixing bowl. "Heat up the oven at one hundred and fifty degrees, will you, Sei-chan? Grease the trays as well."
"Very well."
With usual good humour Seishirou did as instructed, easily navigating his way about the kitchen as if it were his very own which was no surprise given how many times he had been over. Hokuto followed him out of the corner of her eye, a thoughtful pout on her lips as she racked her brain for what to do. The invitation to spend an afternoon baking had been a convenient excuse for her to try digging into Seishirou's feelings towards Subaru, but from the opening rounds Seishirou seemed to be taking everything in stride as if he had just seen her yesterday, apparently happy to let her guide their interaction. Hokuto wondered if he knew she was up to something. Being the smart man he was he probably did, but that was okay because Hokuto knew he knew enough to play along. "So, Sei-chan," she said brightly, trying to get the ball rolling again, "how have you been? I don't think I've seen you since that afternoon at McDonalds, what have you been doing with yourself?"
"Nothing exciting, I'm afraid. Work has been a bit hectic as of late so that's kept me busy, but things should be quietening down soon." He stacked the buttered baking trays on top of each other. "What about you?"
"Oh, the usual – school, shopping, homework, keeping my twin brother from working himself to death. Crack three eggs into the mixing bowl, will you?"
Seishirou did as he was told. "Where's Subaru-kun working today?"
"Downtown Shinjuku-ku. He's got a request to investigate some new religious group called the MS Institute, apparently it's suspected of being a cult."
"The MS Institute?"
Seishirou's reply had sounded oddly neutral. Hokuto looked at him and frowned but the man had gone to throw eggshells into the bin. "Yeah, the MS Institute," she repeated, watching him carefully. "Why, have you heard of it, Sei-chan?"
"A little." Seishirou turned to face her, his expression one of complete amiability. "There were a couple of articles about it in the papers recently. So Subaru-kun is investigating that group, hm? When did he start?"
Was Seishirou genuinely interested in Subaru's work or was this more of the casual conversation as demanded by their game? Hard to tell. "Just today, he's gone undercover as a high-school student. Speaking of which!" Hokuto whirled to point at Seishirou with the wooden spoon. "Did you know that Subaru's dropped out of school?"
Seishirou blinked at her. "No, I didn't," he said, sounding surprised. "When and why did he do that?"
"He decided it a few days ago and said it was because he already had a job as an onmyouji. I told him he was being stupid and he shrugged and said that he was already missing too many classes to graduate, and there was no way he could keep up with a university study load anyway if he was doing work at the same time."
"But I thought it was Subaru-kun's lifelong dream to be a zoo-keeper."
"Exactly what I said!" Hokuto cried. "I respect his decision and all, but it makes no sense for him to suddenly turn around and give up. You agree, right, Sei-chan?"
"Hm." Seishirou put a hand on his chin and looked thoughtful. "Well, I have to agree with Subaru-kun's reasons; he was already having trouble juggling work and classes, result being that his health and personal life suffered. And he's correct in saying that he already has a job, one that no one else can do, so he doesn't need to worry about a career."
Hokuto pouted. "Aw, c'mon, Sei-chan, I was hoping you'd help me convince Subaru to go back to school! You're the one with a university degree; of all people I would have expected you to put a value on education!"
"Formal education isn't always a guarantee of success in life, Hokuto-chan, and there are plenty of successful people who haven't gone to university. No, I'm with Subaru-kun on this one – if that's his decision and he's obviously thought it through then I'm with him one hundred percent. Besides," added Seishirou with a wicked wink. "I rather like the idea of playing the bread-winning husband in the relationship."
"Oh, is that how things are between you two?" Hokuto gave her friend a grin. "Well then, Sakurazuka Seishirou-san, you had better be prepared to work to death because I expect you to keep my brother in the kind of lifestyle he's accustomed to with me!"
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Seishirou dryly. "Are you going to discipline me with that spoon or are you going to start mixing up the cookie dough?"
Another change of subject. For a moment Hokuto considered calling Seishirou on it, except that would go against the unspoken rules and she wasn't so certain of herself that she was willing to break out of their usual patterns yet. The man was so good at this game it was sickening, which made Hokuto wonder just how and why he had gotten so good at it in the first place. "Neither. You're a man; you can do the hard work." To emphasise her words Hokuto took Seishirou's hand and gave him the spoon. "Cream the ingredients in the mixing bowl together and I'll add the rest."
"Fine, fine."
Still smiling good naturedly Seishirou took Hokuto's place at the bowl and began to mix strong, easy strokes. Hokuto kept watch over his shoulder, ostensibly so that she could add in the vanilla and salt but with growing irritation. Three feints so far to try and get some real reaction from Seishirou about Subaru, and she was no better off than when she had started. It was even more frustrating because as fond as she was of her friend Hokuto knew that there was something more to him, something that lurked beneath all the gentle congeniality. She had sensed it the moment Seishirou had inserted himself into their lives, but in the interest of Subaru's developing feelings and her real affection for the man she hadn't allowed it to bother her … until Subaru had confessed that things had turned serious. Suddenly the issue of Seishirou's true self was vital and there were too many things, too many little things that she questioned: his name, so close to the title of the Sumeragi clan's ancient adversary, the flatness of the eyes behind the glasses, the smell of—
Hokuto sniffed the air near Seishirou's neck and frowned. That disquieting scent again … "What kind of cologne are you wearing?" she asked bluntly.
"Hm?" Seishirou twisted his head a bit to look at her. "It's an Aramis, got it during one of the promotional sales at the Ginza Mitsukoshi. Do you like it?"
"Let me smell again." Closing her eyes Hokuto breathed in one more, resisting an instinctive urge to gag as she smelt cinnamon, a hint of nicotine and sandalwood over a base note of something … something faintly metallic …
"Hokuto-chan?"
Blood.
Hokuto's eyes popped open. Blood. That was it, that was the smell that she found so abhorrent on Seishirou's skin, but why was it there? Where had it come from, and how? The logical part of her brain was pointing out that Seishirou was a vet who regularly performed operations, so it wouldn't be surprising that Seishirou had some evidence of the surgery on him, but the excuse rang hollow. She backed away slowly. "The smell suits you," she called out as she went to get the flour and baking powder mix. "Very layered, I highly approve!"
She could feel Seishirou's eyes following her, cool and measuring, and couldn't help but smile a little – finally, a chip in that persistent mask of his. "I'm glad you approve," he said lightly, starting to stir the mixture again which had taken on a dull yellow colour. "Do you think Subaru-kun will like it?"
"He'd have to get up close and personal to smell it," Hokuto retorted a little sharply. Bloodstained hands touching her brother … "I don't think Subaru has done that yet – or has he?"
The sounds of mixing stopped. "Are you implying something, Hokuto-chan?"
"We-ell …" She dragged the word out to inject some cute. "My brother did stay the night at your apartment a couple of weeks ago, and from what he told me when he got home the next morning he had gotten soaking wet in the rain and you 'took care' of him, so you tell me, Sei-chan!"
Seishirou sounded hurt. "I assure you, Hokuto-chan, I was a complete gentleman!"
"Oh?" Hokuto crossed the kitchen back to Seishirou with the bowl of flour mix and a smile that showed all of her teeth. "So what did the two of you get up to then, all alone in your one bedroom apartment on a stormy night?"
"I gave Subaru-kun some hot tea, lent him dry clothes and let him sleep. I took the couch. In the morning I made breakfast, returned his clothes all clean and dry, and dropped him off at the station since he insisted on going home by himself." Seishirou met her gaze directly. "I assure you, on my honour, your brother's purity is still intact at least as far as I'm concerned."
Such cool eyes. Hokuto was inclined to believe them despite the blood-scent – if anything had happened there was no way Subaru would have been able to hide it from her, but to hear it so firmly denied from Seishirou made her feel much better, both about her brother's relationship and about Seishirou himself. That didn't stop her from ragging on them, though. "Aw, I'm disappointed in you, Sei-chan!" Hokuto teased, emptying the flour mix into the mixing bowl. "Here was me thinking you had a perfect chance to make your move!"
She kept a sharp eye on Seishirou as she went to put the bowl in the sink – the chip she had made in his mask was becoming a hole, and now she had to wait and see if he could be provoked. Sure enough, a dark, unpleasant smirk was spreading across Seishirou's face. "What are you saying, Hokuto-chan," the man asked. "Are you telling me it's really all right for me to sink my poisoned fangs into your precious little brother? Would you really allow me to seduce him?"
"If it's okay with Subaru." There, the viper had been drawn out and now it was time for Hokuto to let it know just who it was dealing with. "But."
"But?"
There was a knife in the drying rack, one Hokuto had used last night to cut fish. On sudden impulse Hokuto grabbed it by the handle and spun, hiding the blade in the flare of her skirt as pixie-like she twirled across the floor, once, twice, never stopping – until she brought the knife out and held it against Seishirou's throat. The man's smirk disappeared.
"But if you make Subaru cry," whispered Hokuto, eyes glittering into his. "I'll kill you."
Long silence. Hokuto held the knife steady, wondering if they would stay like this for the rest of the evening, her pressing the edge of the blade against Seishirou's artery, him standing as still as a marble statue and just as cold, until Subaru returned home to force them back behind their roles of madcap sister and friendly vet. She could smell the blood on Seishirou's skin beneath the cologne and thought she recognised her own. Then the phone rang.
Hokuto stepped back with a smile, but didn't lower the knife entirely. "I'll get it," she said sweetly, noting with satisfaction the way Seishirou reached up to touch the skin of his throat. "Finish mixing the cookie dough, once that's done we'll start dropping it onto the baking trays, all right?" With that Hokuto skipped off to dining area still carrying the knife and picked up the phone. "Hello, Sumeragi Hokuto speaking! Oh, good afternoon Nakayama-sensei, thank you for returning my call. Yes, I'm afraid you heard my message correctly; my brother Subaru has decided to leave school. Yes, he's sure, I've talked it over with him and we both agree it's for the best what with his work and all …"
In the kitchen Seishirou was quietly resuming his work, stirring the cookie dough as if nothing had happened. Hokuto watched him carefully – nothing had happened of course, because neither of them was going to tell Subaru about the incident and once she got off the phone the teasing games would resume again, but at least she had made one thing clear: Seishirou could keep his secrets, but he could not afford to dismiss Hokuto. Fond as she was of Seishirou, if Hokuto thought for one moment that he had hurt her brother she would not hesitate in extracting a pound of flesh in retaliation – and there were plenty of knives in her kitchen.
Amber eyes caught hers across the bench. Hokuto met them directly, a wordless challenge in emerald that would never be openly acknowledged, and smiled as they turned away. Score one for the elder sister. Now the rest was up to Subaru.
Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve
NOTES:
- Aramis is a perfume brand launched by Esteé Lauder in 1964 and is predominantly a men's range. By the year 1990 which is the setting for Tokyo Babylon it had eight men's fragrances on the market and although I didn't name my particular pick so that you can make up your own mind, I imagine Seishirou wearing something woody, with a touch of amber, and rich enough to mask the blood.