“I… uh… I want to kiss you,” Shinji said. “But I’m scared I’ll do something bad to you again.” Namely drain Teruo of his energy, which seemed to have a mind of its own and healed Shinji regardless of what he wanted.
Teruo smiled. “I think we said no kissing in the office.”
“Did we?” Shinji feigned confusion.
“Come ‘ere.” Teruo waved him over.
Shinji walked to him, hesitating, but Teruo cupped his cheeks and pressed their lips together. As Shinji expected, the healing energy surged through the moment their skin touched. Though brief, this little shared moment made Shinji feel a lot better and not only because of the energy exchange.
“I’m tempted to say you’re so hot, you make me dizzy,” Teruo said, rubbing his temples.
Shinji shook his head, amused. “That’s corny.”
“But,” Teruo added, “you’re actually cold. Why are you always cold after using your energy?”
“That’s how myreiryokuis. I deal with dead people, remember? The dead are freezing.”
That wasn’t exactly the truth. Many supernaturals dealt with spirits but it was only the Shinigami who had an icy energy because they were closer to ghosts than everyone else.
“Yeah, makes sense.” Teruo nodded. “Why is it affecting me so much all of a sudden? The first time I saw your energy it had no effect on me.”
“It was sealed and I was only using about five percent of my full powers.”
And it was likely that Teruo was probably becoming extra sensitive after coming into contact with the touch of death. Or perhaps there was another reason. Shinji had no idea and it vexed him.
Teruo gaped for a second before speaking, “How much did you use at Ishida’s apartment?”
“Well… all of it.”
“Ah, I guess that explains why I felt like I was dying.”
Guilt surged through Shinji knowing he’d brought Teruo pain. He hoped Superintendent Yoshida would find a solution to this problem soon. The last thing Shinji wanted was to drain Teruo of his vitality each time he used hisreiryoku. He would turn into a burden fast, not to mention add another rift to their relationship.
Teruo’s phone buzzed and he checked it. “It’s Megumi. She wants to know if I’m around.” He tapped an answer for her then put away his phone. “She’ll come over for a bit.”
“Do you want to tell her about us?” Shinji asked, reaching for Teruo’s hand, then withdrawing it with a frustrated grunt. His energy wasn’t at its fullest yet, so it was better to keep away—as much as that annoyed him.
“Yeah, I’d like to.”
The office’s door opened and Chief Inspector Koga entered, a cup holder in her hand with three coffees.
“Hey,” she greeted, smiling wide at Shinji. “It’s tough to find you two.”
“The case drove us crazy these past few days,” Teruo said taking a cup from Megumi. “Thanks.”
“I can imagine.” She passed another cup to Shinji and he bowed deeply.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Don’t be so formal. Just call me Megumi. Now that you’re dating Teruo, we’re practically family.”
Shinji and Teruo choked on their coffee, liquid dripping down their chins. Megumi burst into a wicked laughter and grabbed a few tissues passing them along.
Teruo wiped his mouth and checked his shirt for any stains. “How did you figure it out so fast?”
“I’m that good.” She grinned, eyebrows wiggling.
“No, seriously. Are we so obvious? It’s bad if we are.”