No Rest for the Wicked || Corpsekkuno

Chapter 2

"What's your favourite animal?" Sykkuno asked, studying Corpse closely.

Over the past week, whenever Sykkuno was working, Corpse was there, ordering coffee and sitting at the same table he sat every time, always dressed in black, always covered up by an eyepatch and a mask.

Corpse let out a surprised laugh, higher than the low rumbling one Sykkuno often heard. Sykkuno dared to hope that he saw a bit of his mask, his internal one, not the physical one, slip. A bit of Corpse was revealed to him then, he was more than his low voice and dangerous attire.

"Is that what you want to ask me?"

"You'd be surprised how much it says about a person."

Sykkuno had tried hard to make Corpse crack at least a little. To give him some intel on his life at all but Corpse remained vigilant to keep himself hidden. Every question Sykkuno asked was met by a vague answer, sometimes not an answer at all. So far, he had learned that Corpse was really not a cop, he had a sister who apparently liked the sweet drinks that Corpse despised. Sykkuno didn't truly believe that he hated them, it just didn't fit his aesthetic and apparently this man based all of his life decisions on that.

Sykkuno had once tried to convince him by swapping his usual black coffee for a mocha one that he would have to remake. Sykkuno didn't comment on the fact that the mocha cup was half-full when he placed the usual black coffee next to it.

"A dragon," came the eventual answer and Sykkuno grinned hard, his cheeks nearly hurting from the excitement he felt.

"So you're a nerd!"

Sykkuno wished he could have captured the surprised and slightly embarrassed look on Corpse's face, the small blush that rose unwillingly to his cheeks.

"Dragons are cool and destructive," Corpse shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "A snake then."

Sykkuno frowned a little before leaning forward again, his chin resting on his hand as he regarded Corpse closely. "Name another one."

It was a command rather than a question and Sykkuno expected Corpse to pull back, to stand up and walk out of the shop never to be seen again. Corpse didn't seem like the type to be commanded around but the way he played with his cup a little, his rings glowing in the soft light made it easier. The dark made everything easier, less shameful. Sykkuno always felt more confident with the shadows as a cloak he could wear to surround himself with.

"Cat," Corpse said and swallowed, Sykkuno could see his Adam's apple bob and it suddenly felt illegal to watch, like this sheer display of bodily movement was something he'd have to pay for.

"So the first animal reflects how you see yourself," Sykkuno said wisely and watched with satisfaction as Corpse's eyes widened. "The second is how people see you."

Sykkuno's eyes fell to the snake ring Corpse wore and understood the choice a little better now. Maybe that's how Corpse wanted everyone to perceive him, dangerous and... sexy? Surely, that was it. In any case, Sykkuno understood, though he suspected there was more underneath Corpse than he let on, that maybe he wasn't as dangerous as he claimed to be, not inside anyway.

"And the third?" Corpse asked, his voice curious and lighter, though the air around them hung heavy as he leaned forward, closer to Sykkuno then he had ever been.

Sykkuno had laid one of his hands out in front of him, the one that wasn't supporting his currently very heavy head, the tiredness finally settling in. Corpse's hand had moved until it was inches from his own, the coldness of his skin seeping through Sykkuno's but he didn't pull away, he couldn't even if he tried. Corpse's pinky very briefly grazed Sykkuno's, the touch featherlight, barely there. It was so soft that Sykkuno wasn't even sure that it happened at all but when he looked up at Corpse, his eye told him that he was right. The once soft brown had darkened, staring into his own eyes and when Sykkuno spoke up again, his voice was audibly hoarse, revealing just how affected he was.