This is formatted for ao3 so bare w me TOT
Word count: 4573
TW: attempted SA
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"Your actions will be monitored." Mori hummed, the sentence being the conclusion to the lengthy task that Tsubaki had been given. However lengthy and convoluted it may be, she was not at all bothered. "You're the only one who knows your actions will be monitored. It's for evaluation purposes. I expect you not to blabble."
Tsubaki tilted her head with a small chuckle. "Have I ever?" She puts her hands behind her back. "I suppose we'll be leaving tomorrow morning, yes?"
"Correct." Mori nodded. Her, and two others who were assigned to this task. "You're dismissed."
"Wonderful." Tsubaki turned on her heel and took her leave. She had been on many long term missions before. Though it hadn't really been monitored before. Not that she ever did anything to need to be monitored. This was simply an evaluation for those she was working with.
A man, five foot eleven. He had black hair that was short and a little bit messy with matched black eyes. Nothing captivating about him, and he had no ability. No surprise to Tsubaki. Despite not having been in No Name for quite some time, she still remembered the files of everyone who existed then. Though was not of the same knowledge of people who had been born or moved to the city after she left her organization.
The other companion was a woman with long pink hair tied into a braid. She had white eyes, and had once had an ability. The ability to control someone's heart by looking into their soul. However, overusing it came with great consequence; blindness. Her eyes are of no use, and therefore neither is her ability. She wondered if this was a test of her combat skills to see if she had any worth now that her ability was useless. Well, she didn't really care. She was simply there to get the job done.
Tsubaki returned home, changing into comfortable sleepwear and then letting herself fall asleep. As always, she dreamed of nothing. As always, she felt intrusive scuffling around her brain. Very unwelcome, she's not sure why it's still there. Perhaps it's memories of feeling the centipede that had once infested her mind, but had been removed. Regardless, she wakes up early the next morning to get ready.
She meets with the two who she'll be working with. They both seem to have quite fun personalities; the man's more laid back and chill whilst the woman was quite bubbly. Tsubaki can tell the job will get done quite easily; It won't be something she has to worry about.
The two catch the suspect by the end of the night and kill him. Tsubaki's interference was minimal, as it was a test for them. However not so minimal to the point that it was suspicious. The three were in a room attached to a bar, where you could get in depending on status to simply relax or do other activities if one should choose to.
"I still don't understand why <i>I</i>had to be used as bait." The man huffed. 29, If Tsubaki remembered correctly. Twenty nine years old.
"Oh, shush!" The girl, 18, her name was — Rize, if she remembered correctly. Rize.. and the man's name was .. Takami. Takami and Rize.. Tsubaki had to hand it to them, she didn't expect them to be able to handle this so well. Though it was more thanks to Rize.. Takami had no plan and Rize made one up as she went. They're both quite capable, even if their methods were a bit risky and, at times, quite stupid.
The room they were in had mostly reddish-brown wood for walls, and concrete for flooring. There was a square table with four chairs, though only two were in use because Rize and Takami were sitting whilst Tsubaki was standing. "Alright! I'm gonna go get drinks!" Rize exclaims and stands. Tsubaki chuckled softly.
"I'll take anything, so long as there's not a lot of alcohol in it." Tsubaki smiled, not that she ever stopped smiling to begin with.
"Same." Takami smiled and stood, stretching his arms. Rize happily hops off.
<i> "I have a sneaking suspicion," Tsubaki had been told. "He has taken a special interest in you. I think you're the most capable for testing him. But due to your history, I am running it by you first." It was not an option, it was a heads up.</i>
Tsubaki sighed. "Well, tonight has been quite eventful." She chuckled.
Takami smiled and nodded in agreement. "That it has been."
<i> "I don't like the way he looks when he speaks of you. Should he try anything, I want him dead."</i>
Takami walked over to her, sighing. "You know.. me and Rize practically did all the work. I was looking forward to seeing you in action." He crossed his arms.
Tsubaki chuckled. "My ability is not to be flaunt about as though it were some trophy. I only utilize it when necessary."
"No offense, but isn't that what the Boss does? Not to discredit your strength— you <i>are</i> an executive." Takami doesn't sound like he means what he says at all, chuckling. "But you're definitely one step short of being flaunted as though you were a trophy."
Tsubaki pauses for a moment. "If you have questions about the way Mori operates, why don't you take it up with him?" In such a happy tone, that sentence may as well be telling someone to kill themselves. "I'm sure he would be delighted to answer any questions you may have."
Takami crossed his arms. "You've got some nerve."
"<i>I'm</i> not the one questioning Mori."
"I wasn't questioning him.." Takami huffed. "I'm questioning <i>you</i>. First of all.. I'm pretty sure you're the only member in the Port Mafia who calls the Boss his name, besides Dazai..."
"Your point?" Tsubaki didn't seem bothered that Takami was attempting to put some accusation on her. What that was, she wasn't so sure yet. But she could guess. Regardless, her tone was joyous. It was the fact she never cowered away, never got nervous, and never showed weakness that made it difficult for people to question her.
"..Well," Takami shrugged and turned, walking to the table. "I don't think much of it. But I'm sure you've heard the rumors floating around.." <i>He seems to have thought quite a lot about it, on the contrary.</i>
"Why don't you tell me those rumors then?" Tsubaki giggled. "I hate it when people beat around the bush. It truly shows what a coward they are."
Takami winces at that. <i>Ouch, his masculinity.</i> "Oh, please. A random woman shows up one day and somehow is automatically awarded the position of executive? You came out of nowhere, and the Boss had been acting strange before you showed up. Everyone thinks you're his <i>bitch</i>, what don't you get about that? You and the Boss got a thing for each other or what?"
Tsubaki pauses for a moment and starts laughing. Takami scowls, not finding her reaction very pleasing. And here he was, thinking he'd gotten a hold of something to hold over her head. "I don't think I've ever heard a man sound more offended asking a question that has nothing to do with them." Tsubaki is still laughing. "You sounded almost butt hurt."
Takami's eye twitched and he walked over to her, grabbing her wrist. Tsubaki's laughing stops at that. There are not many things that can peeve Tsubaki. One, is centipedes. It may be the only thing she fears. The second is non consensual touch; Being shaken in order to wake up, grabbing your hand to lead you somewhere, tapping your shoulder for attention— each made her blood boil. Especially when a man did it.
"So am I wrong?" Takami raised an eyebrow, incriminating himself as one to believe the rumors.
The man is knocked back a foot, by her ability, forced to let go of her wrist. "<i>Very</i>." Tsubaki's eye twitched. Her voice is still oh so happy but her demeanour couldn't be colder than it was. "And no, you don't have a chance either. I am afraid that you've been cruelly misinformed. I am no one's bitch."
Takami scoffed. "Who are you to decide whether I have a chance with you or not?"
Tsubaki's eyes open for a mere second and flickered. "Because you're <i>not my type</i>.."
Takami approaches her again. "Not all of us can be Psychotic Mafia Bosses." He scoffed.
Tsubaki's wrist is grabbed and she attempts to swing at him again, with immense force. He somehow managed to catch it, holding both of her wrists in his hand, before slamming her against the table, the edge of it digging into her stomach. His other hand was on the back of her head, holding it against the table. Tsubaki was no stranger to this position; Bent over a table, back facing him, being held down— although now.. it's twenty one years later. And honestly, she lectured herself of how she could've easily prevented this, and shouldn't have let him get a rise out of her.
"I can do.. whatever the hell I feel like to you.. you may be an executive, but don't act like you truly deserve that spot and didn't get it by fucking around with the Boss." He hissed. "That's how most women get to the top, anyway." Takami scoffed. "Everyone knows you're a dirty skank who couldn't kill a man to save her life."
"Is that so?" Tsubaki's smile is for once nowhere to be seen. Her legs lift, and wrap around his waist. Somehow, without the use of her hands, she flips herself over, now sitting on the table. Throwing him head first into the concrete flooring with her legs when she did so, and then letting go. He was dead, head smashed into the concrete, blood and brains everywhere. Tsubaki scoffed. "Men." She grumbled.
Tsubaki stood up, hearing the door open. "I'm back!!" Rize chimed happily, but stopped, catching the smell of blood. She knew something had happened and her gaze fell to where the smell was coming from, then stared at the dead man on the floor, despite not being able to see him. An impressive sense of smell she had. "..Wha... what happened..?" She was beyond confused. And terrified. Because Tsubaki's smile had returned to her face and she sounded oh so happy.
"I was ordered to kill him." Tsubaki walked to Rize and took a glass off of the tray she held. "Thanks for getting the drinks." She chuckled. "I'll be returning home."
"Ah.. shouldn't we report?" Rize murmured nervously.
"You can, that's fine." Tsubaki walks from the door to the exit of the bar, finishing her glass and placing it on a stray tray a waiter was holding on her way out.
Tsubaki has always, <i>always</i> been cautious ever since twenty one years ago. Especially of men. She had been informed about multiple complaints and reports regarding this man. It was a test for Rize in a sense to see if she was capable. It was a test for Takami.. to see whether or not he truly was a weasel. And why would Mori truly care if he was a weasel or not? Something that Tsubaki would compare to what many people knew as jealousy..? But she's not sure Mori can feel all the other things that are needed to come along with jealousy.
And speaking of which, there was the speculation going around about Tsubaki and Mori. It wasn't one that she had been a stranger to, for sure, but the simple thought of such an idea discredited her, her ability, and her intelligence. Of course, the only people who believe such a rumor are all men. But there is something else, because Tsubaki doesn't recall these rumors going around about Kouyou, either. Perhaps it was Tsubaki's sudden appearance as an executive in the Port Mafia? Granted Kouyou was an executive before Mori became the boss, but when Kouyou was made an executive, everyone acknowledged the reason why and that she deserved it. Most people did the same with Tsubaki.
Tsubaki realized she didn't care. She wasn't required to prove anything to the small portion of people who think she's a talentless dog. Though she wondered why their brains were so small. Why would she ever flaunt about the reason that she had appeared out of nowhere, with an executive position and an amount of power people took years to gain? Not that she didn't take nineteen years to gain the experience, knowledge, and skill she had that earned her an executive position; She simply didn't gain those years in the mafia, was all. The existence of No Name was better left unspoken, and would create a rift in any trust she may have with the people who now work alongside her. And even if she had been in the mafia all those years, why would she flaunt her ability? Doing so exposes your weakness to those searching for it.
Tsubaki wondered, after all of her thinking, as she unlocked the door to her apartment (and she can very much afford a luxurious place to live, but likes the comfort her apartment from nineteen years ago brought her and so chooses to live there), and stepped inside, locking it. Tsubaki stretched her arms. <i>His bitch.</i>. She sighed at the thought. Is that really what so many thought? That Tsubaki was a mindless woman Mori could have his way with whenever he felt like it? If that was the case, he would never have bothered making her an executive and would have probably just kept her at his own place, or in his office, with no official title. What sparked this rumour, anyway? She doubted Mori himself started it. There was no real point in doing so. But she does know there's no way he hasn't heard the rumors, and he's not exactly acting to disprove them. She's sure he probably gets a kick out of it.
Tsubaki sighed, deciding to put that man and those rumors out of her mind. Of course, the moment she thought that, there's footsteps beyond her apartment. She could hear them coming up the creaky stairs. The shifting of the weight on each foot is not completely even, but it's the most even Tsubaki has ever heard somebody walk. That is how she knew that Mori Ougai, who seemed to put a lot of effort into the way he walked and carried himself, would be visiting her in just a minute or so. Word travels fast, she supposed. Or, Rize did, anyway; he was here to follow up on the mission. After ten steps, he had finished climbing the stairs. At five, he was in front of her apartment door. She heard the fabric of a glove against the fabric of the pocket of his coat, and then heard it leave. And then the lock clicked, and the next two steps he took are into her apartment. "I thought I took that away from you." Tsubaki said calmly, referring to the key he used to get into her apartment. Her comment was only met with a light chuckle.
"You say that every time, but you never actually do." Mori held the bow of the key between his thumb and pointer finger. Tsubaki wasn't facing him; she was taking things out of the cupboards; dishes and ingredients. She was doing so almost mindlessly, Mori wondered if she even realized she was doing it. He grabbed her wrist, which Tsubaki didn't seem to mind. She only turned to look at him, and he held the key up to her. "Take it. I insist." He simply smiled at her. Tsubaki could <i>always</i> get that key back, whether he wanted her to or not. And yet, she didn't. As if she had heard nothing he said (not in the spacey way she was getting things down from her kitchen cupboards, but rather in a way where she purposefully meant to ignore him), she walked by him, and her wrist went with her, slipping out of his hand and leaving him with nothing but a key that he slid back into his coat pocket. Tsubaki would have probably pulled a big bowl out of the cupboards beneath the island in her kitchen, but when she got to the island she did nothing, almost not even sure why she walked over. Mori was right; Tsubaki had no idea what she was doing. What was going on in her mind, he wondered?
Tsubaki turned around, and despite there being no change to her smiling demeanor (as per usual), Mori could tell she was a little distressed, and trying to figure out what she was doing moments prior. Tsubaki saw all of the items on the counter. None of them could combine to make anything Tsubaki knew how to cook. ".. I'm not happy with you." Tsubaki said. "Can you tell?" She chuckled, and walked back to the counter and by him again, to put everything away.
"Oh, but whatever for?" Mori inquired innocently, as if he hadn't the slightest clue in the world. "I barely just got here. I haven't done a thing wrong." Tsubaki finished putting everything away, closing the cabinets. He took her wrist again, and placed a hand on her shoulder to turn her around to face him. He wants some sign- anything, anything changing on Tsubaki's face that he could catch. "I thought you would be happy Takami died. He wasn't one I figured you favored." He hummed, almost accusing her of being ungrateful of the situation.
"And is that why you sent me on the mission with them? So I could be happy?" Tsubaki tilted her head. His hand didn't leave her wrist, his other hand joining it. He pulled her hand up to his face, leaning his cheek against the palm of her hand, giving her the utmost innocent look.
"Whatever do you mean? I sent you to monitor them. Was that not clear?" He purred, his smile all the more mischievous.
"It's not like you too send <i>me</i> to do your dirty work, if anyone at all." Despite how just a bit ago, she had thought so distastefully of how Takami grabbed her wrist without asking.
<i>"It's your gloves."
"Oh come now, that's not a-"
"It's because you wear gloves."</i>
"Are you implying I personally wanted Takami dead?" Mori kissed the palm of her hand.
"I'm not implying. I <i>know</i>." Tsubaki said calmly. His gloves <i>were</i> soft. She much preferred them to Takami's hands, anyway. "You wanted me to kill him."
"And why would I have wanted that?" He used his thumbs to curl Tsubaki's fingers so that her hand was a loose fist, and he kissed the back of it. "All I want is for you to be comfortable. That's the truth of it." He almost sounds pathetic, trying to continue this little game while also hoping, which sounded much more like begging, for her to not be angry with him.
"Because he lusted after me."
"Tsubaki, darling, why do I feel like I'm more upset about that fact than you are?" Mori complained lightly, one of his hands falling to take her other one. Goodness, he quite liked her hands. "You're not bothered? You're not upset?"
"You know I am."
"So then why aren't I to be angry, too?"
"You can be as angry as you like, but you need to handle your issues on your own, instead of making me do it for you." Tsubaki huffed.
"Don't say such things. I don't make you do <i>anything</i>." Mori tugged her close just a step, his face suddenly becoming serious. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. Something he said upset you. What was it?" His grip on her wrists tightened a bit.
"If you had gone and done it yourself, maybe you could've known." Tsubaki chuckled.
"Tsubaki..." his tone sounded like a warning. Like she was treading on thin ice. "I'm still your boss, even in your apartment. And I'm asking to know what he said on a mission <i>I</i> assigned to you, to observe him."
"If I was upset with the way he was looking at me, what makes you think I wouldn't be upset with you for the exact same thing?" Tsubaki completely ignored him. The audacity to do such a thing, especially after already being issued a warning. When was the last time Tsubaki had actually been mad at him? It certainly wasn't for admiring her while she cut people in half or stopped their hearts from beating without even having to touch them. It certainly wasn't for him admiring her while she walked, either. Or stood. Or for him admiring her for simply being.
"Maybe you're right." Mori said simply, his grip still tightening on her wrists. "But I'm offended you'd compare my <i>loving</i> gaze to one like his."
"Oh, <i>loving</i>." Tsubaki chuckled, and suddenly he's pushed away from her, forced to let go of her wrists via the use of her ability. He easily steadied himself, and Tsubaki walked right by him. Tsubaki ran a hand through her hair, and Mori followed her as she walked to the living room.
"I don't like when people challenge what I say, and you are no exception." Mori said plainly. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him from behind, his other hand going to play with the braid over her shoulder. "I adore you, Tsubaki. You know I do." He said calmly. Tsubaki didn't fight back against his hold, saying nothing for a moment. "Must I prove it to you?"
"Please don't."
"No, really, obviously I haven't shown it enough." There was a bit of spite in his voice and he let her go, turning her around to face him, both hands on her waist. "What would be <i>enough</i> for you, to where you'll stop questioning my love?" His eyes are dark and dangerous. It's a rhetorical question. Tsubaki only leaned down a little, he was only a couple inches shorter than her.
"If you don't even know <i>that</i>, then you're already a lost cause, aren't you? How on <i>earth</i> could you be in love with me and not know how to show it?" Tsubaki's eyes were open, and her tone was serious.
Mori almost didn't hear a thing she said, bringing his hands up to her face to cup her cheeks, smiling lightly. "There you are~"
"I detest you." Tsubaki said simply, and quietly. No need to talk so loud when they were so close.
"Oh, I just <i>love</i> you." Mori chuckled, about as quiet as Tsubaki was, before he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers.
Mori would always talk a great deal just to get to see that other side of Tsubaki. He wanted to see it so badly, almost regularly. Her eyes open, her tone serious, and her smile gone. He almost needed it, like it was air, which he found was much more enjoyable breathing in when it came from Tsubaki's lips. Due to where they were standing, it was quite easy to get Tsubaki against the wall. He didn't even need to open his eyes when he did so. Tsubaki didn't seem to mind, it almost gave her more stability.
And then came the tugging. Tsubaki was quite talented in a lot of things, highly skilled and trained in anything her body let her bed. She was strong, durable, fast, could hear patterns from miles away, could smell someone coming up the elevator from the first floor to the thirtieth, could <i>sense</i> people who have made no noise near her. But that was only because she had the capability to learn that. Her sinuses definitely didn't help her breathe. Mori was so sure that whatever this permanent issue was, the inability to intake air through your nose, was caused by the same torture and experiments that caused a centipede to enter her head when she was twenty two. Whatever the case, Tsubaki couldn't breathe. Not right now, at least, as he cut off her only airway and did nothing but lightly chuckle at her hands that weren't even pushing him <i>away</i>, only holding onto him. Tugging, grabbing—
Mori knew the rumors, and why they spread. He hadn't intended for anyone to ever be around when he looked at Tsubaki the way he did. In all truth, after he realized that a subordinate had realized his fascination with Tsubaki, he almost wanted to kill him. Tsubaki hadn't known yet, at least, of his <i>love</i>. His fascination, he was sure she had known of ever since he began to work for her, and then way past when she worked for him. And it was not a good thing, to be so vulnerable in his position. But it hadn't gone the way he thought it would have at all. For some odd reason, Tsubaki was the target of the rumors, and he was almost completely cut out of any importance to it. It was all about <i>his</i> Tsubaki. Well, no one would ever get the answer to their ridiculous rumors. They have no right. Only <i>he</i> did. He finally pulled away from the kiss, Tsubaki coughing as she finally got fresh cold air into her lungs.
".. you belong to me. You know that, right?"
Tsubaki caught her breath, still panting very lightly. She began to laugh at him, and Mori couldn't be angry. Not with her. Not when he would've laughed if she had said the exact same thing.
"You have <i>lost</i> your mind." Tsubaki laughed softly, putting the back of her hand to her mouth as her laughing calmed down. "I'm still upset with you, by the way."
"What ever will I do?" Mori chimed, shrugging lightly.
"Maybe give me back my spare apartment key. That should suffice." Tsubaki held her hand out, and despite how confidently he'd offered it before when he was sure she wouldn't take it, he only put his hand in his pocket as if to tightly hold it away from her. No matter what the other says, or does, neither of them will take or give up that key.
"I think I'll keep it. Maybe put it on a necklace." Mori's eyes fall on her neck, and then back at her eyes.
Tsubaki just lowered her hand with a smile. ".. you're ridiculous."
"Only because you like it."
"Oh, really?" Tsubaki chuckled. "It's late. You should be going."
"I should start coming over earlier." Mori complained. "Always urging me to leave. You don't love me at all." What a baby.
"Goodnight, Mori." Tsubaki chuckled, walking by him to go to the hallway to her room. He walked to the front door, unlocking it.
"Goodnight Tsubaki." Mori replied, almost like they were just saying a regular farewell to each other. He stepped out and began to close the door, Tsubaki speaking one last time, but he couldn't see her because the door was already almost closed.
"<i>I love you.</i>."