A Silent Human

"Lieutenant Takeshi-san, come drink some more!"

I turned toward the voice from where I sat in the corner of the growing party. One of the younger brothers under my care waved at me enthusiastically. I shook my head, raising my half full glass of whiskey, and held up four fingers to signal that this was my fourth drink. He sighed in mock disappointment before smiling and nodding, then wandered off toward a bizarre sumo match happening nearby.

'If the old boss saw all this happening under his leadership, he'd have us digging holes in the rain just to fill them back up with dirt.'

I snorted at the thought, shaking it off as I glanced toward the stairs leading to the rooftop. 'Might as well head up. If Renji or anyone else needs me, they'll know where to find me.'

Walking along the wall to avoid anyone looking to start a conversation was easier said than done when you towered over most of the crowd. After sidestepping a few eager partygoers and silently gesturing to my glass to indicate I was still drinking, I finally made it to the bar's rooftop.

As I approached the railing, I took in the night sky. A faint line of dark clouds loomed on the horizon, creeping closer. 'Hopefully, no one gets the bright idea to take this party outside.'

I sighed, finishing the last of my whiskey, when I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. Turning, I was met with a familiar unexpected sight.

"Hiya, Takeshi-kun~"

'What is he doing here?'

Juuzou Suzuya leaned back slightly, his chest puffed out and arms swung behind him as he tilted his head, smiling mischievously.

"You seem surprised to see me~" he teased, his voice light and playful.

I glanced around half expecting someone else to appear, but the rooftop was empty aside from us.

He chuckled at my reaction, stepping closer. His movements were casual, yet I couldn't shake the feeling of deliberate intent behind them. Still, I didn't sense anything dangerous, so I relaxed slightly, stepping aside to create more space by the railing.

"Though you might not believe me I'll still say it though, I'm the only one here."

I nodded slightly, leaning against the railing as Juuzou perched himself on top of it, his legs dangling over the edge. From the corner of my eye, I saw him reach for my glass. I instinctively raised it out of his grasp, earning a dramatic pout.

"Hey! I just wanted a sip." he whined.

I shook my head, gesturing silently that he was too young to drink.

He snorted in response, a sound that seemed to surprise even him. Then pulled a worn leather wallet from the satchel slung over his shoulder. Flipping it open, he held up a picture ID.

"See, mister? I'm nineteen~"

I examined the ID skeptically. It looked legitimate enough, though something about his grin made me still suspect otherwise. I sighed before extending the glass toward him.

"Thank you~"

Juuzou took the glass eagerly, taking a sip from the exact spot where I had. A strange shiver ran down my spine as I watched, though I brushed it off as a trick of the cool night air. 'It's not like I have anything that could harm him.'

"Ahhh~ No wonder the older guys drink this stuff after work!" he exclaimed with a contented sigh, setting the now empty glass down.

'My whiskey…'

He snorted again at the look I was making at the glass before pulling a full bottle of whiskey from his satchel. That I only now noticed the bag hanging at his side.

"Don't worry, I brought more~"

'Then why didn't you bring your own glass?'

My unspoken question went unanswered as he cracked open the bottle and poured its contents into my glass. He held it out to me, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Come on, it's not poisoned!"

I stared at the amber liquid for a moment before shrugging. Few poisons could affect me and even if someone tried, they'd need more than a bottle. Taking a cautious sip, I was pleasantly surprised by the whiskey's smoothness.

Before I could take another, a pale hand with red stitched fingers snatched the glass from me. Juuzou grinned taking a sip himself. I raised an eyebrow in silent protest, but he only chuckled and handed the glass back.

'Guess we're sharing.'

With the faint backdrop of black clouds creeping ever closer and the warm glow of the city lights below, we drank in silence until the bottle was empty.

'This… This is what I fight for.'

~Scene Change~

'He should've stopped drinking.'

I glanced at the three empty whiskey bottles in the open satchel in one of my arms, then at Suzuya, who was stumbling next to me with his arm latched tightly onto mine.

"Hehe~"

'By far one of the happiest drunks I've ever seen.' I thought, mildly amused as I watched the young man's carefree smile.

My amusement was short lived as Suzuya abruptly stopped walking and knelt down on the pavement. Above us, the looming clouds broke open and the rain came pouring down.

'Great.'

Looking up at the dark sky, I sighed before hearing a groan and feeling a tug on my shirt. Glancing down, I saw Suzuya getting thoroughly soaked by the downpour. His white shirt was quickly becoming drenched, clinging to his frame. Frowning, I knelt down beside him trying to figure out how to communicate silently with someone who clearly wasn't used to being drunk.

"..." Suzuya mumbled something incoherent.

Leaning closer to hear him over the rain, I put my ear near his face ignoring the water dripping down my neck.

"The rain…"

'What about the rain?'

"Hiccup.. The rain is making my bra wet."

My thoughts stalled for a moment. 'Bra?'

I looked at him more carefully and saw that his soaked white shirt had become slightly transparent, revealing what was unmistakably a black bra underneath.

'He's really committed to his appearance, Takeshi.'

I gave a firm mental nod, pushing aside any indecent thoughts. The alcohol in my system was starting to make itself known, but I focused on the situation at hand. Suzuya tugged at my shirt again, and I leaned down to hear him more clearly.

"I-It's raining!"

I sighed. 'Yes, Suzuzya. It is indeed.'

If I didn't do something, we were both going to sit here and get drenched. Shrugging off my brown coat, I moved to wrap it around him. However Suzuya seemed to misinterpret my actions entirely.

With surprising speed for someone drun, he clumsily climbed onto my back, wrapping his small legs as far as they could reach around my torso and dangling his arms loosely around my neck.

"Hehe~ Let's go!" he shouted, voice filled with childlike glee.

I sighed resigning myself to this turn of events and carefully slipped my coat back on, adjusting it to cover both of us and keep him warm. Standing up, I felt his warm breath on the back of my neck and involuntarily shivered.

'I am not attracted to males.'

With that firm thought cemented in my mind, I adjusted my grip to make sure he wouldn't fall and started walking toward the place he stayed at. The rain continued to pour, the streets quiet save for the steady rhythm of raindrops and Suzuya's occasional giggles.

~Scene Change~

Flicking on the lights, I stumbled slightly as I entered the apartment, the weight of Suzuya still on my back. Closing the door behind me, I shrugged off my coat with one arm, the other supporting Suzuya, who had fallen asleep during the walk.

'That whiskey was definitely stronger than I realized. I'll have to ask where he got it from.'

Sighing, I made my way toward what I assumed was the bedroom. As I walked, I shifted Suzuya into my arms, holding him securely against my chest. The sound of the rain outside had softened to a faint patter.

'Seems like the rain's letting up.' I noted tiredly.

Reaching the bed I gently laid him down, adjusting his position so he'd be comfortable. I was just about to leave when I felt a weak tug on my sleeve.

"D-Don't go…"

The voice was soft, so soft I almost mistook it for sleep talking but the sight of his deep red eyes locked onto mine told me otherwise.

"I-I want to t-talk..." he slurred.

I held back a sigh and nodded, kneeling by the side of the bed.

"W-Why did you l-look at me that way?"

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he meant. Suzuya used my arm for support as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"W-Why didn't you l-look at me like I'm creepy?" he asked, his words stumbling over themselves.

The vulnerability in his voice made me pause. As I processed the question, I softened my expression and reached out to pat his head. 'If he knew I thought of him as a child, he'd probably get upset.'

But what happened next threw me completely off balance.

Suzuya raised his hands, unbuttoned his soaked white shirt, and revealed the black bra underneath.

'He's a male… He's a male…'

Despite my internal mantra, my eyes involuntarily focused on the slight bumps beneath the fabric.

'He's a she?!'

My tipsy mind reeled, struggling to reconcile this new information with everything I thought I knew. The alcohol coursing through my system did little to help.

he no she spoke again, her voice now taking on a distinctly feminine, drunken tone.

"S-So why?" she asked, her words slurred but clear enough to understand.

I met her gaze, those deep red eyes searching mine, and before I could say anything, she placed her hand over her chest.

"A-And why does my heart h-hurt when I d-don't see you?"

'What do I do?!'

Panic coursed through me. I was good at resolving fights, managing my younger brothers and even handling crying children by flashing some cash or telling them cool stories. But drunk women? Not even close to my area of expertise.

'Maybe… maybe a hug will work?'

Acting on instinct, I leaned in and wrapped my arms around her small figure. Her warmth surprised me, and I felt her inhale deeply against my chest.

'Is this working?'

The memory of dealing with the old boss's drunk wife suddenly surfaced in my mind, a terrifying experience that still haunted me. Her bipolar moods and piercing glares were far scarier than any fight I'd ever been in, especially after I accidentally broke one of her favorite pots.

"Hehe~"

Suzuya's soft laugh pulled me from my thoughts. Before I could react, I felt myself falling forward, the weight of her small body pushing me down onto the bed.

As I rolled onto my back Suzuya was now on top of me, she clumsily climbed up toward my face, her knees pinning me in place. My hands hovered awkwardly in the air, ready to catch her if she slipped.

She stopped just below my chin, resting her head against my neck. Her breath was hot against my skin as she whispered, her voice gentle but firm.

"L-Let's stay like this for a while…"

I froze, my mind racing.

'Why did I bring her here? I should've just taken her to my room and locked the door.'

As her breathing slowed signaling that she was settling in, one final thought crossed my mind.

'Renji's not going to be happy about this.'

{Pics}