Title: It's Just The Costume Pairing: Taiga x Yasui Rating/Warnings: NC-17 warnings: kind of dub-con (hidden under spoiler cut if you don't want to read it), it's meant to be pretty creepy/disturbing (though it may actually be more funny/unrealistic) Summary: It's Halloween night at the Jimusho. Word Count: 5621 Author's Note: Thrown together pretty quickly and roughly.
“I knew there was something fishy about this.” Shintaro huffs at the others as they're plunged into darkness for a few seconds before the backup generator kicks in the emergency lighting comes on. “We're all going to die you know?”
Taiga can tell from his tone that he's more angry than anything but there's a note of worry in his voice too. Taiga feels it too, not quite that there was something fishy - even if it is rather uncharacteristic for Johnny to agree to an office wide Halloween Party - but there's just something unnerving about it all. He'd thought as much even before the power cut out, now he's downright perturbed.
“It's a prank.” Juri scoffs. “It's Halloween, it's supposed to be scary.”
“I hate this kind of thing.” Jesse whines, fidgeting with his bandages.
“Are you going to cry for your...mummy.” Juri laughs and Taiga's glad when Hokku hits him over the head.
“Prank or not, it could be dangerous.” Yasui offers. “If we start wandering around in the dark we could trip or break something. We should all just wait here.”
“And pray?” Hokku asks, clearly still highly amused at Yasui's choice of costume. Of all people, Yasui has the least right to try and act the part of a nun.
“Bite me.” Yasui retorts smugly.
Taiga just rolls his eyes and moves back into the centre of the room, plonking himself down on the floor. Shintaro lets out an unamused groan and looks every part of his zombie costume as he drags his feet over to where Taiga is and slumps down beside him.
Shoki has been silent so far, tucked away in the corner on the chair he'd been sitting on when the lights had gone out. Taiga knows he hates the dark and he's hardly in the best of company - half of them just as scared as he is and the other half jerks. “Moro-chan.” Taiga says lightly and Shoki lifts his head, his killer clown make up nowhere near as terrifying over that frown. “Come sit down here with us, we'll be safe together.”
Shoki doesn't answer but he gets up and moves over to them, sitting down on Taiga's other side. Yasui joins them too, and then eventually Jesse, then Hokku then Juri.
For a while they just sit in silence, Shintaro picking at his fake scabs while Juri claps his big furry paws. They're an unlikely lot Taiga thinks, a werewolf, a zombie, a vampire, a mummy, a clown, a nun and himself, a pirate. It was hardly an original costume but he didn't have plans to go out at all until he got the anonymous message yesterday about the party and had to find something to wear quickly. It's pretty well made at least, the eye-patch is comfortable and he has a decently realistic looking pistol and cutlass.
“Is it safe for us to at least talk?” Juri asks sardonically.
“Yeah, I didn't go to all this effort just to sit around in silence.” It's funny, because all Hokku has done is put in some fake vampire fangs and dressed in a suit and cape, Taiga doesn't laugh though.
“Fine, but no ghost stories.” Shintaro answers and both Juri and Hokku laugh.
Their laugh is cut short when the lights go out completely. “What happened to the back up generator?” Jesse asks shakily.
“How would we...” Juri starts, but he falls silent when laughing of a different kind starts up. This isn't amused laughing, this is something dark and maniacal, and it's coming from right beside Taiga.
When the emergency lighting starts to flicker back on, all faces turn to Shoki and the way he's rocking back and forth, that spine-chilling sound emanating out of him.
“Shoki. Stop it.” Shintaro snaps and Taiga automatically turns to him only to gasp.
Juri has noticed it too and he doesn't look amused any more either, his eyes are wide, his paw half lifted to point at Shintaro.
“What happened to your face?” Yasui asks in a shocked whisper.
“Are my scabs falling off?” Shintaro asks, but he sounds more worried than curious and so he should - where Shintaro's fake scabs had been are gaping wounds, oozing some kind of greenish brown pus.
Taiga looks quickly around at the others, at Shoki still rocking on the floor laughing to himself, at Jesse fiddling anxiously with his bandages, at Hokku, his face turning red as he stares intently at Yasui while Yasui gapes in horror at Juri who is salivating and scratching at what look like very realistic paws.
It's then that they all freeze to the sound of a machine gun firing and the lights flicker again. The last thing he should do is go and investigate but when Taiga hears Genki scream Jinguji's first name his feet launch him towards the door.
The halls are even more poorly lit than the dressing rooms but Taiga can make out a dark shape moving quickly along the hall away from him, and then a head pokes out of a door a little way away. “Yuta. Come back.” Genki yells and Taiga lets out a breath as he runs towards him.
“Genki what happened?” Taiga asks, taking Genki by the shoulders but Genki doesn't even see him until Taiga has marched him backwards into their dressing room and pushed him down onto the sofa.
“What's happening?” Genki asks in response, his eyes bright with moisture.
“You tell me.” Taiga asks a little irritably but then Genki's troubled expression makes him remember himself and he tries again more softly. “What happened in here? Where's Jinguji? Who fired a gun?”
Genki looks down, and for a moment Taiga doesn't think he's going to answer but then he lifts his arm again, pulling with it an automatic rifle. “It came with my costume. It wasn't even real...but then Yuta started rubbing up against Reia...I got jealous, and Reia didn't like it and he was messing with the lights and I panicked...I didn't even think about reaching for it, but it was in my hands and...I don't even know how to hold a gun, but it just felt right...I think I shot him.”
The feeling of it all clicking into place is like ice water down his back. Shintaro the zombie's grotesque scabs, Juri the werewolf having paws...Shoki's evil laughing, he should have figured it out sooner but it hadn't been until Genki had said it, the gun was part of his costume, his soldier costume. They're turning into their costumes.
“Where's Jinguji now...or more importantly, what is he now?”
“He was dressed as a cat...” Genki says. “When he started rolling around rubbing against us I thought he was just being a flirt but then Reia...”
Genki's eyes look past him and to the corner of the room. Taiga turns to follow his line of sight and what he finds is quite possibly the most disturbing thing he's seen so far. It's Reia's face, his terrified features, his hair even but they're merged with his bright yellow costume. Long yellow and black ears stick up from his head and there's electricity zapping in the air around him.
“Pika...” Reia attests, as though Taiga needed any confirmation.
“It's the only thing he can say...and when he gets uncomfortable the sparks get bigger and the lights flicker...” Genki says quietly from behind him. Taiga can't do anything but stare at Reia in abhorrence as his features scrunch up and static snaps in the air around him but Genki speaks again, louder. “Are you OK? Are you a pirate?”
“I'm OK.” Taiga answers quickly, he feels OK considering. “The others though...”
He hasn't even started thinking of how to explain when he hears Yasui squeal and he remembers just how serious the situation through there is likely to be. They're dressed as a group of monsters and turning more into them with every passing second.
Hokku has Yasui backed against the wall when Taiga burst back through the door and without even thinking he darts forwards and tries to pull Hokku away. “Guys!” he shouts to the others “Help me!” His pleas fall on deaf ears, Shintaro and Jesse are too preoccupied with a battle of their own while Juri limps in circles, half crawling, and whining piteously to himself. Shoki has stopped laughing at least, but that menacing grin is still there as he rocks back and forth on the floor.
It's Genki that comes to his aid, grabbing one of Hokku's shoulders and pulling at it while Taiga tries desperately to uncoil his fingers from around Yasui's throat. He's not strong enough, but their combined efforts seem to shake Hokku to his senses at least.
Yasui drops to the floor in a coughing fit when Hokku lets go of him, and Hokku stands watching in terror, his gaze turning from his hand to Yasui. “I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that...” but the way he licks across his teeth tells Taiga he knows exactly why he did it. It's not important right now though, all that matters is that Hokku is himself again.
“So you're OK now?” he checks.
“I feel...” Hokku starts, scratching a little at his throat. “I feel weird, but I'm OK.”
Taiga nods, it's close enough, and he holds out a hand to help Yasui back to his feet. Yasui shuffles as far as he can from Hokku, but the scandalised way he looks over Taiga and Genki says he's not exactly comfortable standing with either of them either.
“Guys.” Shintaro's voice grunts from behind them. “Something is really wrong with Jesse...”
Taiga spins around to find Shintaro on the floor, Jesse hovering above him, his black eyes seeming to glow from hollow sockets. He doesn't have time for anything more than launching himself at Jesse and knocking him over before Juri lets out a blood-curdling howl from the centre of the room.
“Pikaaa...” Reia says, his voice all panic and then the lights start to flicker as Juri howls again. The last thing Taiga sees before the lights go out completely is Juri leaping in Reia's direction. When the emergency lights come back on seconds later, both of them are gone.
The hairs on Taiga's neck are standing, but it takes a few more seconds for him to realise why, to realise that Juri and Reia aren't the only ones that are gone.
“Where's Shoki?” Yasui asks, his voice close to tears.
“Yuta, Reia.” Genki says softly, his voice the same as Yasui's and then with a sniff he starts for the door.
“Genki.” Hokku calls and there are actual tears running down his face when Genki turns back. “We have to stay here.”
“I can't...Jin-chan and Reia are out there...they're my friends.”
“Juri and Shoki are out there too...they're our friends...but it's too dangerous. They're too dangerous.” Hokku argues softly. “Just stay here.”
“I don't want to burst anyone's bubble.” Shintaro says from beside Taiga on the floor. “But I don't think it's exactly safe in here either.”
Jesse moans from somewhere beside them as he gets back to his feet, his eyes void of life even as he staggers towards them. Taiga's pistol is in his hand before he's thought it, pointed in Jesse's direction and it's only Genki diving at him and knocking it from his hand that prevents him from shooting Jesse. The action is as much a reminder as he needs of what had happened earlier and he thinks of Jinguji out there somewhere, possibly with a bullet in him already.
“OK. We go.” Taiga says and Genki leans in to hug him but he's swiftly knocked out of the way by Shintaro as he dives out of Jesse's grasp.
“Well I'm not staying here with him.” Shintaro says but the way he clings just a little too tightly to Taiga's arm says he just doesn't want to be alone.
They leave Jesse shut in their dressing room, Shintaro had suggested tying him to a chair but as Hokku pointed out it would only leave him defenceless, and the reminder has them all on edge.
Taiga steps out first, Hokku by his side where he can see him, just in case, Yasui hovers just behind them, his teeth chattering with fear as Genki and Shintaro bring up the rear. It's dark in the hallways, even with the emergency lighting and every now and then they flicker off completely.
That's how they know where Reia is, one end of the corridor goes dark before the other and they follow the trail of it until they hear a mix of a howl and yelp behind them.
“Juri.” Shintaro says almost longingly and he turns in the direction of the noise only to be grabbed by Genki.
“Reia first. It's Juri's fault they ran off in the first place, he can wait.” Genki argues.
“Juri sounds like he's in trouble.” Shintaro argues back.
“The lights wouldn't be flickering if Reia weren't.” Genki snaps.
“Well Reia...” Shintaro starts but Hokku cuts him off.
“Both of you shut up.” The words are barely out before Shoki's laughter rings out loud and clear right beside them and they all break into a run on instinct.
Friendship is at the heart of their instincts it seems, and Taiga finds himself running in Juri's direction along with Hokku, Shintaro and Yasui while Genki runs the other way. He starts to call out in Genki's direction, but then there's a flash of light that illuminates a long silver knife in the hand of a killer clown and a scream comes out instead.
“Run faster.” Hokku shouts, and Taiga is about to shout back that he doesn't need to be told that when Hokku stops and runs back the way they came. “Move.” he shouts again as he drags Shintaro's arm around his neck.
“I can't.” Shintaro cries back. “My legs.”
When the light flashes again Taiga can see Shintaro's legs through the holes in his costume, they're raw, the skin cracked and grey and every step seems to be causing Shintaro agony. “Shin...” he says, but he's sure they won't have heard him over the roll of racking laughter still chasing them down the hall.
Shoki isn't running, he's sauntering along, dragging his knife along the wall and laughing at them the whole time, it's scarier than if he'd just attack. Taiga wants to run, Yasui is ahead of him, tears running down his face and his hands held together in silent prayer but Hokku is still struggling to drag Shintaro along behind them.
He makes the decision and dashes back, lifting Shintaro's other arm over his shoulder and together they move forward at a slow pace. It only gets slower when Shintaro's legs refuse to move at all, and Taiga knows that Shoki is gaining on them, he can hear the scrape of the knife now along with that constant harrowing laughter.
“Leave me.” Shintaro tells them, his voice dull and slow.
“No.” Taiga says as firmly as he can manage.
“Shintaro, I swear” Hokku says angrily, his breath puffing out in exertion. “If we survive this you're going on a diet.”
Shintaro doesn't even answer and Taiga can see in the corner of his vision the way his head lolls forwards. “We're not going to make it.” Taiga thinks aloud as Shintaro's whole weight sags down between them, and then he feels something cold and sharp against the back of his neck and he knows they aren't going to make it.
Yasui screams and Taiga freezes, Hokku tries to drag Shintaro forwards but without Taiga's help he can't hold him up and Shintaro flops to the floor. Hokku turns to him and his eyes go wide just as that terrifying laughter whispers right into his ear.
He kicks backwards and it buys him just enough time to dart out of range of the knife. Shoki comes after him, still walking, stepping over Shintaro, who is groaning and trying to drag himself along the floor, as though he's nothing. He needs to move, but Taiga just can't look away from that sinister grin.
“Run.” Yasui calls out to him, half begging and Hokku grabs his arm tugging him forward into a run. He feels it as he turns, a slow deep slice, somewhere high on his left arm but he doesn't have time to care. He can still move so that's what he does, tumbling after Hokku and Yasui down the corridor.
“In here.” Hokku shouts, changing the direction quickly and dragging Taiga into what appears to be an office. Yasui comes in after them and Taiga lets out a sigh of relief as the lock clicks shut behind them.
Yasui is still over by the door, clutching at his chest when the banging starts, metal on wood and that laughter peels it's way through the door before the banging stops and the laughter gradually gets quieter. “I think he's gone.” Yasui says, after what feels like forever.
“You're hurt.” Hokku says calmly and Taiga jumps at how close he is, and then hisses as Hokku's hand closes around his arm. When he pulls his hand away it's covered in blood and Taiga's eyes go wide as Hokku inhales deeply and then pulls it to his lips.
“Hokku...” It's Yasui, backed against the wall now, his voice quiet and trembling.
Hokku catches himself half way through licking his hand clean and stares at it in horror before looking back at Taiga. “I can't help it.” he says, everything about his tone pleading. “I can feel it trying to take over me...it wants your blood.”
“We'll have to tie you up.” Taiga decides, but as he looks around the room they're in he loses hope. The room itself is tiny, there's barely enough space for the desk, the chair, the bookcase and the potted plant that occupy it along with the three of them. His only chance is the desk drawers, but all he finds inside is stationary and paper.
Hokku is peering over his shoulder, his mouth too close to Taiga's wound for him to feel entirely comfortable. He feels Hokku's breath on his skin through the cut in his shirt and then Hokku's hands are gripping his arms, holding him still as he leans in to suck at the cut.
It stings - even more so when Taiga feels Hokku's teeth scraping along it - and he cries out just as Yasui starts hitting Hokku's back. Hokku gasps as he pulls himself away, his lips stained red and glistening as he look at Taiga in shock. “I can't do this...it's too much.”
“There's nothing to tie you up with so you're just going to have to be strong.” Taiga says, but Hokku is shaking his head.
“You have to try...” Yasui pleads, his voice so soft but Hokku just growls and pushes past them both as he heads to the door.
“Lock the door behind me.” he says with finality and both Yasui and Taiga scream 'no'. But he's gone and Yasui is throwing himself at the door after Hokku.
Taiga catches Yasui's arm and tugs him back, locking the door. He can see the fight in Yasui's eyes but he also sees the fear and then the helplessness as moisture fills them and runs over. “It's OK.” Taiga says, pulling Yasui close and wrapping his arms around him.
It's not like Yasui to be this weak, this indecisive and submissive. But then, Taiga reminds himself it's not like Hokku to try and drink his blood or Shoki to try and murder them. It's their costumes. That thought only confuses Taiga more because other than pulling his pistol out earlier, his costume doesn't seem to have had any other effect on him. Though, he supposes, there isn't much about this situation for a pirate to relate to. Pirates pillage and plunder but there's nothing here for him to take. Pirates want treasure and booze and women...he let's go of Yasui quickly. Yasui is no woman, despite what his costume may suggest but it seems he's close enough to have Taiga's body responding in the most base and carnal way.
“It's the costume.” he assures himself out loud. Yasui looks at him and nods sadly, whatever Yasui thinks he's referring to is much preferable to the truth so Taiga doesn't say any more and just carefully puts some distance between them. He sits himself down in the chair behind the desk and for a few minutes it's silent.
“I should look at your wound.” Yasui says gently. Taiga jumps at how close he is, and for a moment he's too shaken to refuse. Yasui pushes the chair back a little and moves between it and the desk to retrieve the box of tissues standing on it. “I never imagined this would come in handy.” Yasui says, his tone still that careful, soft one only there's a hint of amusement in it too as he pulls a tiny vial of 'holy water' from his pocket and places it on the desk. “You'll need to take your shirt off.”
Taiga nods in agreement but he makes no move to do it and so Yasui reaches out with shaky hands to unbutton it for him and then slide it over his shoulders. It's more erotic than it should be, and mentally he blames the costume once again but if Yasui notices the way his costume pants are tenting he doesn't say anything.
When he looks up at Yasui's face it's trained intently on his arm, and then he looks away long enough to wet a tissue with his holy water before using it to clean away what blood Hokku hadn't already cleaned away.
It burns where Yasui's left hand clutches at his right shoulder as the other dabs at his cut and Taiga has to bite into his lip to keep from moaning as Yasui throws the tissue away and strokes across the cut gently with his thumb.
“It's not as bad as it looks...” Yasui starts, turning to face Taiga properly but they're close enough that he can't miss the intensity shining back at him from Taiga's eyes. Yasui's gaze drops to Taiga's lips and back up to his eyes and Taiga can see the curiosity in them, the excitement overthrowing the fear.
His hands clutch hard at Yasui's hips and then Taiga is standing, lifting Yasui with him and laying him down on the desk behind him. He has to swing Yasui's legs around a little and push the tissues and few stacks of papers from the desk but then Yasui is laying flat out for him to climb on top of.
His breathing is already heavy with arousal as he leans down, his shirt getting tangled on his arms until he strips it the rest of the way off and then Yasui's face is just centimetres from him again. Yasui's chest is heaving beneath his, and Taiga doesn't know if that's in arousal too or if Yasui is scared. The pirate part of him wants to ask, just to hear Yasui tell him stop and then to do it anyway but Taiga couldn't do that - there's no way he can stop now, but he'd rather let his actions speak for him, take it slow until he knows that Yasui wants it too.
Yasui lets out a quiet gasp when he leans in the rest of the way, but the sound is soon lost against his lips as Taiga moves them together over and over. Yasui kisses him back, letting out soft whines and mewls as Taiga's mouth moves hard against his, his tongue flicking out against Yasui's lips before pushing between them.
“Wait.” Yasui gasps, turning his head away to break their kiss as his hand darts down to catch Taiga's. He'd been sliding it down Yasui's side, searching for the end of his habit to pull it up and reach beneath but Yasui's hand is firm on his. “I can't...I'm not meant to...”
Taiga growls and drags Yasui's hand up, pinning it to the desk beside his head. “You're not really a nun” he hisses “and I know you're not a fucking virgin either.”
Yasui's eyes flash with interest but his voice is still soft and quiet, trembling. “It feels like I am...It's exciting.”
Taiga groans and moves his hand back down, groping Yasui through his costume and it's obvious just how exciting Yasui finds it. Yasui lets out a surprised gasp and his hand moves down to halt Taiga's again. “Fuck.” Taiga hisses, glaring into Yasui's sheepish eyes. “I can feel how much you want it.”
Yasui leans up enough that he can whisper into Taiga's ear. “The safe-word is Halloween.” he says, his features brave and determined as he lays back down and then his expression grows worried. “I can't...it's a sin.”
Taiga has never played this game before, with his costume fuelling his urges it doesn't even feel like a game at all, but either way he can't stop. He can feel it taking over him, burning inside him, the urge to take, to rape if need be, so it's some comfort at least to know that under it all Yasui is still willing, even if his costume isn't.
Taiga nods and reaches for Yasui's hand, tugging it above his head again and then he grabs the other, holding them together in one of his hands while the other roams down to the end of Yasui's habit again.
Yasui struggles, but Taiga manages to find it and pull it up, exposing Yasui's naked body beneath it before he works a hand free. It darts down to cover himself as Yasui cries out but Taiga grabs it with his free hand and pulls it away again.
Looking down, Taiga can see Yasui's erection twitching in excitement but there are tears running down Yasui's cheeks and even through the costume and the urges, he's still enough himself that it disturbs him. “Look at me.” he commands, and Yasui's eyes find his as Yasui sniffs. “Do you remember the safe-word?”
“I remember it.” Yasui whispers.
“Do you want to use it?” he forces himself to say, not even sure what will happen if Yasui does.
Yasui's head shakes “No.”. But as soon as his hand is released it moves straight back to his groin to cover himself.
Taiga gets up to his knees, pulling his cutlass from his belt and for a second Yasui's eyes widen, before Taiga tosses it to the side and removes his belt. He grabs Yasui's hands again and pulls them above his head, fastening the belt around them tightly and then it's easy for him to hold them there as his hand moves back down to stroke Yasui's length, making him cry out in a mix of protest and pleasure.
He's too aroused to drag it out for long, and soon enough he's on his knees again, tugging his pants down to mid thigh and pushing Yasui's legs apart to shuffle between them. Yasui is still crying, tears sneaking out beneath his closed lids and his head is shaking “Please” and “I can't” tumbling intermittently from his lips.
Taiga spits into his hand and smooths it up and down his cock, repeating the action until he's slick enough and then he shuffles forwards to line himself up. “Yasui.” he says as softly as he can manage. “Do you remember the safe-word?” he's too close, he's here and he couldn't turn back now, but Yasui is sobbing, his whole body trembling.
“I remember it.” Yasui says, his voice all breath and then he cries out as Taiga pushes inside.
He should wait, he knows, but it's too much, he's too desperate and when he moves his hand down, Yasui is still hard and leaking. He takes hold of it, pumping hard and fast and everything gets so much tighter, impossibly so, and he can barely hold himself up on his free hand as he thrusts his hips frantically.
It's over in minutes, the feeling too strong, the urges pushing him forward, faster, racing for climax and too soon he's moaning out loud, his body jerking in orgasm. He keeps his hand moving, flicking his thumb over the head of Yasui's cock, the pre-come making it slip and slide and Yasui cries out as he strokes once more, twice and then it pulses in his hand, squirting white up the chest of his costume.
For a few minutes Taiga can't even breathe, but then it all falls back down him like a ton of bricks and he strokes away the tears on Yasui's cheeks. “Are you OK?”
Yasui's eyes open, they're red and raw but smiling. “I needed that.”
“We should probably get out of these costumes.” Taiga says, and Yasui hisses quietly as he pulls out. “Before they get us into any more trouble.”
“I'm all for getting out of this costume.” Yasui agrees. “I'm roasted. I can't promise it will keep you out of trouble though.”
Taiga just watches, bewildered, as Yasui gets up from the desk and pulls off his habit and lays it out on the floor before curling up on it. “What are you doing?”
“Resting.” Yasui answers, flashing a coy smile in his direction. “You should too, it's going to be a long night.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He wakes up buck naked on the floor of the office, Yasui curled against his chest and only Yasui's habit to cover them. Something inside him tells him that it's all over, but he isn't quite sure, not until he turns to Yasui to find a fiendish grin on his face.
“Aside from the part where our friends tried to murder us, last night was pretty fun.”
It's not that Taiga disagrees, once the murderous friends were off his mind, it had been quite possibly the most pleasurable night of his life, but two rounds of sex later he's spent, and cramped from sleeping on the floor, and now the thoughts of his murderous friends are back.
“We should check on the others.” he says, the words loaded with possibilities and Yasui knows it too, his smile is a little forced as he nods and gets to his feet to find the rest of his ensemble. Taiga pulls his own costume back on and then goes to unlock the door, peering out along the silent corridor.
The lights are on at least, and from the end of the hallway he sees daylight as well, it feels better, but he still takes Yasui's hand as they head back along to their dressing room. They don't meet another soul on the way there and Taiga's heart is pounding as he turns the handle to the dressing room door.
“Taiga! Yasui!” Shintaro calls and Taiga's relief is reflected on the faces of all of his friends as he looks around the room. He's so happy he runs towards Shintaro and hugs him, only to have a few more unidentifiable bodies crush in around him.
“I'm so sorry I tried to kill you.” Shoki says, and it sounds so stupid but his voice is so sad that Taiga can't even be mad about the one injury he sustained.
“It was just the costume.” Taiga replies in what he hopes is a reassuring tone.
“There's a lot of that going around.” Hokku says warmly and Taiga hugs him too, tight enough to show Hokku how glad he is that he's OK.
Only Juri's face looks glum as Taiga looks around at them all again, back to their normal selves. Shintaro and Hokku, Shoki, Jesse, Genki, Reia and even Jinguji whose slutty cat costume looks a little worse for wear. Juri's is in tatters too, bright red scratches littering his skin between the rips and he mutters something about a defective costume as he glances sullenly at Jinguji before looking down at the ground, his cheeks tinged red.
Taiga looks back at the others for an explanation and Hokku offers one up with a grin “It would seem cats rule and dogs drool...over them before getting pounded in the ass by them...”
“I liked the one you gave me better, about fur flying...” Jesse chips in and Shoki opens his mouth to add something himself before Genki steps in.
“OK, enough...I don't want to hear them all again” he snaps, and shuffles a little closer to Jinguji, his hand falling possessively onto Jinguji's shoulder.
“It was just the costume.” Jinguji says, pouting at Genki.
“So what did you two get up to?” Hokku asks, turning everyone’s attention to them instead and Taiga knows that he knows. He can feel his cheeks heating up but it's nothing to how hot they burn when Yasui takes his hand and announces that they since everyone else was turning into their costumes they thought they should take theirs off as soon as possible.
“Why?” Shintaro asks innocently. “What trouble could a pirate and a nun get into in a locked room?”
“You'd be surprised.” Taiga offers.
“Not as much as Yasui and Taiga naked in a locked room. Which was kind of the point.” Yasui answers with a smirk but Shintaro only looks confused. “Right?” he asks Taiga, it's for show, but Taiga can see that there's some depth behind it too, some tiny bit of worry.
“Right.” Taiga agrees, squeezing Yasui's hand. Their costumes may have been the trigger the first time round, but the second there's no question about it. No nun could possibly have known the moves Yasui was pulling on him. It definitely wasn't just the costume.