writetomyheart | [TEAM TWO] bluff

i wrote a bit of a free! yakuza AU some years back, and this is another bit set in vaguely the same universe. now with added serizawa nao being scary.

That way, Rin thinks, body twisting in the direction of faint shouts and a rising column of smoke. His shirt is torn and bloody where one of Kinjou's men shoved a knife in his side, but he can't stop to nurse his wounds now. The cops will be on them any minute— he has to find Momo before anything else or the boss'll have his head. Why Momo thought it was a good plan to open negotiations with Kinjou of all people, Rin will never know. The idealistic idiot.

"Rin," someone says from behind him, and he's almost thrown his knife before he recognises Sousuke and curses loudly.

"Where've you been?" He turns and sprints again, and Sousuke follows. Rin has a lot of other things to say about his right hand man disappearing for two months without so much as a by your leave, but now's not the time for a chat. They're running through a civilian street because it's the fastest route, and everyone's looking at them, especially Rin's blood-spattered white shirt. Later, he's probably going to regret the lack of subtlety. Or Ai will make him regret it.

"Making alliances," Sousuke replies, sounding breathless. "I see you haven't stopped throwing first and thinking later."

"My aim's a lot better now."

"You'd still be down a weapon," Sousuke points out reasonably.

Rin can't quite find a logical comeback to that, so he decides to ignore it. His side hurts too much to think properly. "I ran into some of Kinjou's goons earlier looking for Momo. He's not answering his phone, so I thought the Naribusawa building… but I don't know who started the fire." Having said so, he glances at Sousuke, wondering how much he knows about the situation.

"Well," Sousuke says, "I think the fire means Kirishima-san probably came through after all. Although this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Kirishima?" Rin almost shrieks, stumbling from shock. Sousuke grabs his arm and drags him up to support him; the pain in his side doubles.

"Just watch," says Sousuke, flashing a winning smile as he half-carries Rin around the corner to find the Naribusawa building roaring with fire and Serizawa fucking Nao stepping out of a black Honda, waving his men (they're all carrying, how are they so goddamn well armed) back from middle of the street, where a group of men are huddled together.

"Are you serious," Rin hisses, and he shoves Sousuke off before he can bleed all over him. No one seems to be moving, so he hangs back, eyes flickering over the people on the scene. Momo isn't out in the open where he can see, but the group in the middle are all Kinjou and his lackeys, looking quite the worse for wear.

"I believe there's been a misunderstanding," Serizawa says to them. His tone is mild as milk, but Rin doesn't trust it a bit. He knows who really runs the Kirishima group, and it's not their charismatic boss or his brooding younger brother.

There's a movement from inside one of the cars barricading the area, and Rin looks over to see—

"Momo!" he whispers, only remembering to keep his voice down because Sousuke is gripping his arm again. Momo waves from the backseat, winking extravagantly. Rin wishes he knew what the hell was going on. He looks back at the building and accidentally catches Kinjou's eye. The man looks incensed, turning back to glare at Serizawa.

"Are you really going to start something over the extra Mikoshiba?" Kinjou sneers, tilting his chin up. Serizawa crosses his arms and leans against his car, tilting his chin right back.

"There's nothing to start, Kinjou-kun," he says. Rin swallows at the audacity. Serizawa is not officially in an executive position in his group, but Kinjou is. Serizawa denying him the honorific due his rank is like spitting at his feet. Now Kinjou's underlings look like they want to start something, but Serizawa's men only tighten their hold on their guns and the lackeys subside. "I'm sure the fire was just a gas leak somewhere. Momotarou-kun wasn't even anywhere near it, you see?" He gestures to his car. Momo gets out on the side closer to Rin, waves again.

"I can see that you're trying to bluff me into a retreat, and it won't work," says Kinjou, taking a step forward. Rin has to admire his guts, if nothing else; he's surrounded by guns but he doesn't seem scared at all. It's probably because he's new in the area and doesn't know Serizawa like the rest of them. By this time, Momo has slunk over to where Rin and Sousuke are standing. Kinjou hasn't missed this, and he snarls like an animal. "You wouldn't dare touch me."

Serizawa doesn't answer him immediately, instead glancing over and motioning that they should leave. Sousuke bows his head. Rin takes his cue and bows too, and they turn to get the hell out of there. They'll owe the Kirishima group now, but he's pretty sure the boss will find this an excellent outcome regardless. Before he can think better of it, Rin darts a look back to see Serizawa smiling like he's received the most delightful present.

"I assure you, Kinjou-kun," he hears Serizawa say as they round the corner again, followed by the sound of a dozen safeties being clicked off, "I never bluff."

When they get back to the main house, Rin is going to have a million questions about how Sousuke secured this kind of alliance in only two damn months, but that's going to be a long conversation that he can't be bothered to think about. Right now, he just leans his weight on the two others and lets them haul him off to find medical attention. He's probably lost more blood than he thought— his vision is darkening at the edges.

"Momo," he says, before he can pass out properly.

"Yes, senpai?"

"I'm going to let Ai kill you."

over to you,

coyoteclaw!