“You okay?” Teruo pushed the elevator’s button. “Taniguchi went a bit nuts on you.”
Shinji shrugged. “I’m not about to break down because a criminal tried to guilt-trip me. I did my job.”
They settled next to each other in the elevator and Teruo squeezed Shinji’s hand. The smile Shinji offered warmed his heart and he couldn’t wait to get home for a good night’s sleep in Shinji’s arms.
~ * ~
The both of them remained in the office until late in the evening, finishing up as much paperwork as they could. With four victims and all the paranormal details—which Teruo couldn’t write in the reports—everything was going to take double the time.
“Is this how it’s always done?” Teruo asked. “Erasing anything supernatural from the files?”
“Yeah. The people I work for have access to all sorts of high places. They can alter any information to keep non-supernaturals from finding out.”
“Why the need for secrecy? Wouldn’t it be easier to just let everybody know? It would save you all a lot of headache.”
Shinji raised his head from the documents. “Not really. We can’t predict what will happen once the secret is out. It could have horrible consequences. Will we be accepted? Or persecuted? Used? Imprisoned? It’s anyone’s guess. We’d rather not find out. There are already many rogue supernaturals breaking the law. The rest of us risk being discriminated against too because of them.”
It hadn’t occurred to Teruo what repercussions saying the truth would have. It should’ve since he, himself, had quite a bad reaction when Shinji told him. Others could have worse reactions. Wrapping one’s head around the fact that there was a world after death wasn’t an easy feat. Deceased family, friends, lovers still walked this earth in spirit form, longing to be alive, to connect with the ones they left behind.
Teruo wondered if there had been ghosts haunting him at any point in his life. Ghosts of victims or of murderers. He shuddered at that thought.
“Makes sense,” he finally said, not knowing what else to say. When he’d asked Shinji for explanations, he hadn’t expected it to be something of this magnitude.
Shinji placed more documents over the pile on his desk. “Should we wrap it up for today?”
“Yeah...”
Shinji rose to his feet and stopped by Teruo’s side. “Something’s bothering you.”
“This thing with the energy and me healing you. I’ve never experienced such a thing. It worries me.”
“We’ll figure it out. I know you want answers—as fast as possible—but, please, bear with it just a bit longer. I won’t leave you hanging with this, I promise.”
Shinji sat down on his thigh and threw an arm over Teruo’s shoulders. Cupping his jaw, Shinji stroked his thumb over Teruo’s cheek and smiled warmly. Teruo placed his palm over Shinji’s and pressed his lips on the pulse at Shinji’s wrist. Then he leaned forward and brought their mouths into a kiss.
Someone could walk in on them at any moment, but Teruo didn’t want to break away. He didn’t care about anyone or anything right now. It was only Shinji and his soft lips, and delightful tongue, tasting sweet from some snacks he had feasted on earlier. Shinji’s fingers curled around Teruo’s neck, tracing little circles on his skin, sending hot thrills down his spine. Teruo skimmed his palms over Shinji’s back and down to his thighs, moaning as they explored each other’s mouths.
Shinji pulled away and Teruo gave him a grunt of complaint.
“I think we had some rule about kissing in the office,” Shinji said. “I broke it again.”
“Seems we both suck at following rules.”
“You’ve turned me into a rebel. Shame on you, sir,” Shinji playfully scolded him.
“Oh, please.” Teruo rolled his eyes, not able to hold back a grin. “You’ve been nothing but a rebel since you arrived.”
“I think you’re into that.”
“Very much.” Teruo placed a kiss under Shinji’s ear and a few more down his neck.
A buzz from Shinji’s desk interrupted them. He pushed back to his feet and picked up his phone. “Superintendent Yoshida wants to see me,” Shinji said.
“Go. I’ll wait.”
Shortly after Shinji left, Megumi made an appearance. She poked her head inside, glanced at Shinji’s empty desk then entered.
“I thought I might find you two…” She trailed off, wiggling her eyebrows.