Chapter Text
— Prologue: Boredom —
Tamsy was a patient man, a calm man even, but every man had his limits. He had been alone in his dimly lit headquarters room for about an hour now, light just peaking through his worn yet clean window giving a faint afternoon glow to his walls. His metal music blared just loud enough to drown any outside noise while still letting him think. There he laid on his bed, navy and blonde strands draped around himself on his firm mattress as he stared at his cracked ceiling, fidgeting with Tokushin's thread, unwinding and rewinding it, bored out of his mind.
Is there anyone in this damn place that can share an intelligent conversation with me? I'm sick of hearing about everyone's nonsense. Delmon is too loud, Enjin's favorite subject is women and most others are too uninteresting, young, or busy! Maybe Semiu, but she'd just indulge me until a risque page of her magazine stole her attention. Ugh, I'm going stir crazy here, I just need something different, a new distraction or escape, but what?
In an instant, he sat up, a cheshire grin spreading across his face.
"I know an intriguing little birdie who'd be perfect for quelling my boredom and time."
Tamsy then frowned and slouched, his elbows dug into his ears as he let out a dramatic sigh. His tongue fiddled with his labret piercing as he got stuck in thought.
But what would we speak of? Corvus would think I'm there for some nefarious purpose, maybe any other day I'd want nothing more than to open him up and see what makes him tick, but today, I'm truly just so BORED. If I could visit the sphere again than that'd fill my time well but I should save it for when my plans call for it most.
He glanced around his room trying to spark an idea on what a man like Corvus would find worthy of discussion. Something that would keep the conversation going, but nothing too serious that would shut Corvus down. If it was about their fellow cleaners, he'd think Tamsy was fishing for information, if it was too light a topic the conversation could end and Corvus could send him out having finished their meaningless talk quickly. No, it had to be something that Tamsy could repeatedly visit Corvus about. Eyes still traveling his room, they soon fell upon it. The perfect thing that could keep Tamsy coming back for months on end if he played his cards right, a small white and blue porcelain tea set, the pot was clean with faint cracks just deep enough to see yet not enough to leak, along side it, four matching dishes and cups in similar condition. Now Tamsy wasn't interested in the teapot itself, he barely remembered where he found it. He likely spotted it in some trash pile while on a mission. No, what interested Tamsy was what it could hold.
"That's it! I may not know much about that man, but everyone knows of his enjoyment for sweets at the very least, I'm sure he'd find interest in a shared cup of sweet tea."
With that decided, Tamsy tied his hair up in it's usual bun and woven style and was on his way to the kitchens, tea set in hand.
~~~~~
Tamsy made his way down the long halls of the cleaners headquarters, gliding through the natural afternoon traffic with a filled wooden tray in his hands leaving an aromatic smell in his wake. The tea itself was a vanilla blend with a hint of spice, if he had given himself more time to prepare this plan he'd go with a more personalized sweeter blend to win over Corvus quicker, but with his boredom consuming him this much he was impressed that he was even able to wait long enough to fix his hair before leaving his room. Besides, if he was successful in starting this new routine between the two of them then there'd be plenty of time to try new flavors.
Tamsy had also attempted to add actual sweets to the tray, but once he saw that Team Child and Team Akuta had just arrived from their missions just minutes before he made it to the main kitchen, he figured it wouldn't look great on him to fight some sweet tooth driven children over some snacks he'd rarely ever touch himself. Caught in his thoughts he barely noticed when he made it to Corvus' door. With a calm breath he reset his expression, a faint smile placed at the edges of his lips as he knocked upon his boss' door.
— Chapter 1: Invitation—
"Come in."
With that verbal instruction, Tamsy opened the door and entered the sunbathed room, a calm smile that didn't meet his eyes still on his face. Corvus was standing at his desk, his tattoo on full display facing him. Corvus' hands were lazily crossed behind his back as he looked out the worn window. Tamsy wondered what the other man could be looking at, in glass so smudged and smog covered, he'd be impressed if Corvus could tell a man from a trash heap out there. The same smoggy glass also acted as a mirror in some grimier parts allowing both men to see one another's expression, Corvus wearing a smile that matched Tamsy's own, though the darker man had a clear question in his eyes. He turned around to properly face the shorter blonde man and voiced the question that clearly plagued his brow.
"Tamsy, what brings you here? You're caught up on reports and just had a day off last week."
This was the moment Tamsy had been debating about while making his sweet concoction. How honest did he want to be with this man about his intentions? In the end, he decided it would be fun to mess with Corvus by doing something he'd never expect.
"Truthfully boss," he started, smile crinkling his eyes. "I'm extremely bored and have no one to talk to."
Corvus' smile faded when the other man started explaining the reason for his intrusion, the confusion in his brow doubling as he listened to the man that was still drabbling on.
"-And I was trying to figure out who to talk to but after I thought of all my fellow cleaner colleagues I realized the only ones that would be worth my time was Semiu, and you. And you and I both know that unless you have a nice chest and minimal coverage, it's rather hard to keep Semiu's attention for long, which in the end, leaves just you."
As Tamsy explained himself in a rush recounting his entire thought process that brought him here, Corvus didn't realize that the blonde man was making his way to Corvus' couch with a steaming tray in hand. Perplexed by the situation at hand, Corvus found himself compelled to quietly follow until he was sat upon the couch opposing Tamsy. Waiting for the other man to finish, Corvus spoke slowly, thinking through his statement as he began it.
"So, boredom, brings you into my office on this afternoon?"
"Yes, and with boredom," he gestures down to the tray he set on the table, "I bring tea."
Now Corvus was truly at a loss, he'd expect Tamsy to come by on the means of trying to procure more time off or to play a game of mental gymnastics in the hopes of trading information they both held dear, but, a shared drink and leisure? Either Tamsy was, for once, being honest or more likely, there was an angle here Corvus wasn't seeing. Either way, Corvus was intrigued and he must of let it show somewhere on his face because in the next moments Tamsy started pouring him a cup, his smile just a little more real than it was moments before.
"So, where did you procure this tea?"
"I brewed it myself, found some stray ingredients in the main kitchen, if I had thought of this sooner I would've made something of richer taste, but alas, this is what I could find on such short notice. No matter, I'll just try something with a more savory flavor next time."
After he finished his sentence he quickly snapped his mouth shut back into that innocent smile. To most, it would just seem like he was done talking, but Corvus was not most, little slipped past him, he wouldn't be the leader of the cleaners if it did. It had seemed that while he was in the thought process of being honest, Tamsy had forgot to hide that little tidbit of his plan, his reaction alone was enough for Corvus to know that Tamsy didn't intend on letting that last bit slip out.
"Next time?" Corvus' eyebrow quirked, how would the other man play out his mistake?
After a small, almost hidden breath, Tamsy recovered, his cool persona ever present, this time with a playful edge.
"Yes, next time, I'm rather loose lipped today aren't I? Must be the boredom, almost putting me to sleep!"
He let out a light, breathy laugh. It made Corvus' skin crawl. It wasn't an unpleasant sight on the scarred man, on the contrary it was rather beautiful, just unpleasant to those who knew how chilling the man himself could be. Before Corvus could get in his own head about Tamsy even more, he found a tea cup and saucer offered to him, still curious, he accepted it.
"As secretive as you may be, you've made no attempt to hide your love of sweet things, and thus I present you my first blend! A vanilla and spice mix with a bit of cinnamon. I'm curious to see what you think of it."
As Tamsy explained his mixture he watched the taller man observe the drink, still clearly listening to Tamsy explain what was in it. With how off Tamsy'd been acting since entering the room he half expected Corvus to sniff it like it was poisonous, yet he didn't, he just smelt it like he was enjoying the aroma wafting from his cup as he raised it, about to take a sip before he spoke with a teasing lilt.
"For you to notice my love of sweets yet bring none, don't you find that odd?"
Tamsy lightly scoffed out loud, surprised that the man across from him was questioning his nice gesture. Before he could speak to defend himself and explain that he didn't want to blatantly steal from two snot nosed brats, Corvus let out a chuckled that he failed to hide.
"Don't be offended, I'm only joking. Before you entered my office Semiu informed me that Team Akuta and Team Child had just returned from a long trip. I'm sure Dear and Rudo wouldn't play nice if they got wind of you trying to take any of their treats, besides-"
As Corvus spoke he reached down to a small drawer in the table that separated the two, and pulled it open to reveal that it had been entirely filled with various candies and treats. Tamsy let the shock cover his face, his moment of anger gone, completely replaced by a new found wonder and confusion.
"-I have some desserts of my own that we can share."
Tamsy chuckled and brought a sleeve to his face, partly covering the grin that consumed his expression.
"Don't tell me, with those little monsters milling about, you had to ensure that your own sweet tooth was accounted for?"
"When it was just Dear, I kept random office junk in this drawer, extra pens, note paper, nail files, nothing too important, just wanted to fill it so I wouldn't have to travel back to my desk if I forgot something."
"But now with Rudo claiming any colored candy he can find…"
"Nothing but sweets in this thing now, you can check your side if you don't believe me."
Sure enough, when Tamsy glanced down at the old chipped coffee table in front of him, he saw a small thin drawer he'd failed to notice before. With a light pull on the knob it opened and revealed a sugary scent that hit his soft round nose. When Corvus said sweets, he expected some loose candies, maybe a small tart, he was not expecting to find the drawer bursting with chocolates, wafers, sour candies, and many other treats he could barely recognize. His lack of verbal reaction was enough to get Corvus laughing, it was deep and warm, full and honest, at the sound of it, Tamsy felt a heat rising on the back of his neck.
"I-I can't say I expected this much."
"When people hear that I like sweet things, they think it's the only fact that others can learn about me, while it's the most commonly known one, that doesn't make it any less true."
"If the boys learned of this stash, they'd be breaking into your office weekly."
"Would you like to know a secret Tamsy?"
Hearing that, Tamsy's eyes fixated on the man in front of him, a new straightness to his spine.
Where did this come from? A secret? How would a conversation about candy get him wanting to reveal a secret? Would he want me to share a secret of my own as fair trade? Should I ask him what type of secret first so I can decide what I'm willing to share or should I just hear him out first- if I want to come across as having a normal discussion I should just hear him out as any other would. But even if it was anyone else in here but me, for anyone to learn a secret about the boss would have them breathless on the edge of their seat, begging to be told more-
Before Tamsy could spiral any further, Corvus cut off his thoughts, a fond look in his eyes as he glanced at the treats now adorning his table, though it was clear his mind was seeing something not in front of him.
"When I was young, I never really had the opportunity to eat whatever I pleased, while I technically ate plenty, nothing I ate was of high enough quality to be filling, and the only thing worst than the quality, was the taste."
Corvus' eyebrows furrowed as a faint frown fell on his lips, it's clear the memories were still very visible in his mind. Tamsy found himself wanting to press his thumb between his brow until the other man's expression was back to being its familiar calm gaze. Yet he stayed still, the unsipped cup still warm in his hands. He was so lost in the face and story of the other man that if it weren't for said cup in his hands keeping him grounded, he would've forgotten himself entirely.
"It's funny, I remember that day more than I remember most of my own birthdays, but I couldn't even tell you what day of the week it was. I remember the weather, the smell, the taste, but not even the year."
"What do you remember?"
"The first time I ever had a sweet."
"…"
"It was an old chocolate bar, part of it was missing, couldn't tell you if someone just didn't like the taste of it and tossed it or if rats and bugs got to the other half first, but either way, it fell into my hands. It was melted, stuck to the wrapper, and had clearly been lying there for at least a day before I found it…and it was the best thing I ever had…"
"…What kind of chocolate was it, the brand I mean."
"It had a red wrapper, purple cursive name, some gold accents here and there, though it's rather useless to explain its appearance."
"Why's that?"
His eyes still far away yet the tension gone from his brow, a small, resigned smirk in its stead, after a pause he answered.
"It's not made down here."
"…"
"I've found plenty close to its taste, some with an almost identical wrapper too, but after looking and asking about it for years…I realized that that specific candy had come from the sphere. It was just a stroke of luck that it fell in good enough condition for me to find…I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never get to experience that exact taste again."
With that, Corvus' eyes came back to focus, he gingerly looked down at the tea in his hand, swirling the cup just to keep his hand busy, his familiar smile finally returning to it's rightful place.
"You know, I've tasted far better things since then, sweets or other, but I'll always remember the taste of that first chocolate more. Nostalgia, I guess."
He said the last sentence quietly, letting his words trail off and fade into the air as he finally took a sip from the tea in his hands.
Tamsy was silent, very rarely could he be brought to a halt like this, for the man to share a story from his past, a story of no importance to anyone besides its importance to the man telling it. Suddenly, knowing that Corvus liked sweets became something brand new, everyone knew his enjoyment, but Tamsy got to understand why. As useless as the information was, Tamsy found himself happy to know it.
He looked down at his own cup before taking a sip to clear his throat, after, he spoke, his eyes flicking up to glance at the other man still enjoying his own cup.
"I suppose you'll be wanting a secret from me now so we're even?"
"No need."
Tamsy paused, mouth centimeters from his cup, the warmth from his glass still heating his soft lips.
"I shared that story because I wanted to, if anything, it was me paying you back for this kind gesture."
As he spoke he lifted his cup referencing the tea that Tamsy brought.
"Does this mean I'll get a new secret every time I visit then~"
"No."
"You're no fun."
"This one was free, next time," he punctuated himself with a sip from his cup, "bring a story of your own."
"Next time?"
"Next time."
With that, they let the now comfortable silence fill the room. Tamsy was surprised that he found himself excited at the prospect of getting to share a small story from his youth with the other man, a memory, a secret of no use, nothing that could be used against him but something that not everyone would know, it sounded nice.
Yes.
This idea had been a fine one indeed.
Pulled from his thoughts by the other man once more, Corvus spoke again.
"I'm surprised."
"By what?"
"You said you wanted to get my opinion on this tea, to see my reaction, yet you seem in your head."
"Sorry, I suppose it's just your story, brings me back to my own youth."
"Care to share?"
"How do you like the tea?"
With his prompting of a story so blatantly avoided, Corvus let out another chuckle, quieter than his boisterous laugh from earlier, but just as real.
"It's nice, the spice is something I've never had in a tea before, and I must admit I am traditionally more of a coffee fan."
"Maybe you've just haven't had a cup of tea that has reached your interest. Yet."
"Maybe I haven't. Yet."
~~~~~
With both their cups and the tea pot now emptied of its contents along with some sweets now notably missing from each drawer, both men felt the comforting silence coming to an end. There was still some light peaking through the window, the only thing that properly got through it unaltered by the grime and dust that littered its surface. With a deep sigh Corvus was readying himself to end their little lounge by reminding them both that he needed to get back to work, when surprisingly, Tamsy took the initiative. Collecting the dishware on the tray he brought he stood up unprompted, the tension in his shoulders he came in with was now gone, the smile on his face truly relaxed and genuine.
"I know the end of the day for me is still a work day for you. I'll be taking my leave so you can return to your riveting tasks."
He turned to leave before Corvus spoke up, stopping him in his tracks.
"Tamsy."
He turned to face his boss.
"When would you like to do this again?"
His smile got wider, this time it even reached his eyes.
"Hows this Friday at four sound?"
"Sounds perfect, surprise me with a new blend and story."
"…I will."
And with that, Tamsy left Corvus' office, that grin stuck on his face all through washing his dishes and returning them to the shelf they lived on in his room. Now, again in his bed, his hair once more draped around him, hands loosely intertwined as he looked out his window at the dark night sky above as he, for the first time in a while, fell asleep with simple, yet nice, thoughts in his mind.