CHAPTER 27
Teruo
After an entire week of rest, Teruo was ready to get back to work, but it was Sunday, so he had to wait until tomorrow.
He was bored out of his mind and kept changing the channels on the TV while petting Dango at the same time—who scolded him when he stopped.
Shinji had also scolded him that he doesn’t know how to be lazy.
And his mother had come over with food a few days ago and scolded him because he was stretching and not resting.
Everybody was scolding him.
Teruo shook his head and changed the channel again. His mother had been worried when she heard he had to do yet another ritual for his soul. He didn’t tell her the extent of it—as the Onmyōryō forbade it, ironically—but he reassured her several times that he was fine.
And he really was fine even if everybody scolded him that he wasn’t resting.
“Ugh.” Teruo groaned and tilted his head back against the sofa.
The coldness in his chest from Shinji’s power hadn’t faded, but it wasn’t as strong either. Kazuya explained it was his soul adjusting and nothing to be alarmed about. It didn’t bother Teruo. He was already getting used to the sensation after being around Shinji for so long.
Noises and curses came from the kitchen, where Shinji was doing some meal prep for the next week.
He’d taken over cooking and tested various recipes, grading them from “hazardous” to “barely edible," which Teruo disagreed with because Shinji cooked delicious food. He loved Shinji taking care of him so much he was tempted to pretend he didn’t feel well for another week, but that would’ve caused Shinji unnecessary worry.
Shinji came out of the kitchen with a plate of tea and some rice crackers. There were grimy spots of food on his apron from something that exploded in his face.
“What are you doing in there?” Teruo chuckled.
“You don’t wanna know. But I’m taking a break and brought you some snacks.”
Teruo smiled. “Thank you.” He picked up the cup of iced tea and took a refreshing sip.
Now that his soul didn’t heal Shinji anymore, his reiryoku sometimes floated around him lazily, occasionally catching the sunlight and shimmering in little silver particles.
A part of Teruo missed healing Shinji. He felt like it was his special power.
But it was better this way as he wasn’t putting himself in danger anymore, and Shinji no longer had to force himself to hide his spiritual energy.
Teruo could enjoy its beauty to his heart’s content.
For a while, he feared that he wasn’t going to see Shinji’s reiryoku at all, but perhaps having a part of Shinji in his soul helped.
“Something wrong?” Shinji asked. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“On the contrary, I’m feeling great.”
Shinji beamed and placed a kiss on his cheek.
“I will need to leave in about half an hour because Mr. Tamura decided to cross over, so I have to help him. The councilor’s ghost will stick around for longer because they’re still interviewing her.
Jumbled memories,” he explained. “Do you think you can manage?”
“I’m coming with,” Teruo said.
Shinji placed a palm on his knee and rubbed soothingly. “You need to rest.”
“Oh god, no. I have rested enough. Too much, actually. Every part of my body has rested. I am over-rested. I cannot stay in here anymore because I am going crazy with boredom. Besides, I want to see your gate.”
Shinji chuckled. “Okay, you’ll come with since you’re so bored.”
“And tonight, we’ll have some serious sex.”
An amused snort escaped Shinji. “Have we been having unserious sex until now?”
“We haven’t had any sex,” Teruo whined.
“We gave each other a handjob two days ago. I didn’t want to exhaust you.”
“Please, exhaust me,” Teruo begged. “I want some hot sex.”
Shinji’s lips curved in a mischievous grin and he crawled into Teruo’s lap. “How hot?”
“Very hot!” Teruo stroked Shinji’s ass and squeezed. “I want to rail you until you’re breathless and sweaty and screaming in pleasure.”
Shinji’s brows arched in surprise. “You really are horny.”
Teruo’s hands trailed up and down Shinji’s back. “Told you I’m going out of my mind. I’m not used to so little action. At the very least, working out would’ve been good, but besides light running on the treadmill, I haven’t had the courage to do anything else.”
“It’s a good thing that you rested.” Shinji ran his fingers through Teruo’s hair and placed a kiss on his forehead. “You wouldn’t have taken a day off otherwise.”
“That’s also true.”
Shinji cupped his cheeks and looked at him for a long moment.
He did that a lot lately. Teruo even got scared a few times in the middle of the night because Shinji was wide awake, watching him.
He wanted to tell Shinji it was all fine now; there was no reason to be alarmed anymore.
But he knew that if the roles had been reversed and Shinji had nearly died, he’d have done the same.
Suddenly, Shinji gave him a hard kiss on the lips, then hugged Teruo’s head into his chest, squishing him. Teruo let out a muffled chuckle and wrapped his arms around Shinji’s waist.
“It’s a little difficult to breathe,” Teruo said.
Shinji pulled away with a sheepish smile. “Sorry…”
What he was about to say would put a little damper on the mood, but Teruo needed to say it now that things had settled. “I’m sorry I scared you like that. I know it was horrifying to see me collapse.”
Shinji sucked in a sharp breath and didn’t answer. He just nodded and made a choking sound from his throat like he was about to cry, though no tears fell from his eyes.
“I’m not going to do that again,” Teruo said.
Shinji gave him another tight hug, and they stayed like that until it was time to leave.
~ * ~
Half an hour later, they were on their way to Musashino.
Teruo felt Keiko entering the car as they were approaching their destination thanks to the cold ghostly mist. He had the odd sensation he was more aware of her now and wondered if Shinji’s reiryoku within him caused this or if it was because he’d finally seen her in spirit form at the Onmyōryō, so he was more receptive to her presence.
He still couldn’t see her or any other ghost—not that it bothered him.
There was no way he would’ve been able to cope with suddenly seeing ghosts outside the Onmyōryō’s castle.
He passed by Seikei University and reached the abandoned house. After parking, they exited into the bright noon sun. Teruo inhaled deeply, basking in the sunlight, while Shinji squinted and mumbled some noises of complaint.
“I thought you liked hot stuff,” Teruo joked.
“You’re the only hot stuff I like.” Shinji pointed at the sun. “That bastard needs to hide behind the clouds.”
“Well, the forecast says it’s gonna rain a lot next week.”
“Good.”
Teruo laughed and followed Shinji through the narrow alley and into the small clearing where the gate would be opened.
Last time he’d been here, he didn’t have time to properly admire it, as he was held at gunpoint.
He decided not to think about that anymore as they were starting a fresh chapter in their lives.
A white line crossed the grass, glowing faintly under the shaded sunlight.
But Shinji didn’t open the gate yet. He brought out his spiritual energy in a wave of smoky tendrils, shimmering brilliantly.
He guided it upwards, the strands of his hair whipping from its force, and extended it over the trees.
Teruo was familiar with this. It was Shinji’s way to search for the ghosts of his jurisdiction and summon them to him, or to bring here any spirits tethered to him—in this case, Mr. Tamura.
“Are you feeling any discomfort?” Shinji asked.
“None at all. Not even a smidgen.” Teruo trailed his thumb over the fabric of his t-shirt, focusing to see whether the part of Shinji that repaired his soul reacted in any way. It seemed to quietly stay where it belonged.
Shinji exhaled a sigh of relief and continued to summon the spirits. “I’m glad I can safely bring you around here.”
“I like it too.” Teruo smiled. “And I love finally seeing your powers again.” He looked at the winding icy tendrils. “You’re incredible.”
Shinji blushed and looked to the right, where Keiko was likely standing. She probably poked fun at him because Shinji’s blush deepened and an impish grin stretched his lips.
The reiryoku slowly dissipated in the air, and Shinji turned on his heel toward the gate. “I’m gonna open it now. Ready?”
“Absolutely.”