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“Yoichi… Yoichi~” Ness tutted, pacing around the sterile room. It was dark, dangerously so, just an empty viewing room devoid of anyone besides the two inhabiting it.
Ness padded around the other, circling like a predator about to catch its prey, yet this prey had already been caught and entangled in a web. Yoichi laid bare, eyes hazy, half-lidded and barely alert to the world bleeding back to him. His body felt tight, burning bruised and trapped under the weight of something restraining him.
Although the room was dark, a small peak of hallway light seeping from under the door was enough to illuminate the scary figure still circling the tile floor. Something was off about him, wrong. Ness looked disfigured in the low light; hunched and gangly, like a monster plaguing a child’s nightmares. Within his hands he held something metallic and shiny, it twinkled under the low light. He patted it against his palm, once, twice.
“Yoichi, Yoichi.” He spoke again, raspy and breathy and wrong. His usual upturned grin was replaced with something dangerous, almost angry in its impatience. He couldn’t have been awaiting an answer, as Yoichi’s own mouth had been taped shut.
Ah, but he was waiting for Yoichi to scream, muffled against his hold, thrash and kick and convulse under the tight restrictions. Surely he knew Ness had tricked him, knocked him out and tied him up after all. Wasn’t he supposed to plead and cry, begging to know why he was here? Ness was disappointed in Yoichi’s blatant disrespect of the script and stage he had set here. How sad.
He pouted, best to skip the opening act and get right into the late-story confrontation, “Yoichi, do you know what an eye for an eye means?”
Yoichi said nothing. Staring at Ness with shaky, fearful eyes. Ness leaned against the table Yoichi was bound too, eye tracing the tightly wrapped tape around his torso and limbs, admiring his handiwork.
“Of course you're too stupid to know these things Yoichi. It’s okay, I'll teach you.” Ness’ words were bitter, harsh on his tongue like he had spat them on the dirty ground. Yet his eyes, maroon and mahogany, were full of twisted obsession. He breathed heavily, anchoring more weight towards Yoichi til he was hovered above his chest.
A gentle hand came to caress the striker’s face, grazing the skin of his cheek. Yoichi flinched, jerking his head enough with the leeway of his restraints, enough to slam his head against Ness’ careful hand. Ness’ smile dropped.
“Retaliation.” His frown deepened, “Meaning whatever you do to me, I do back to you.”
Then a slap.
Hard. Red. Right across that same cheek. Yoichi’s eyes widened, his face unable to move in the restraining tape, he took the full force of Ness’ slap. Watery eyes prepared to spill tears as the pain burned across skin. Then the smile was back.
“Do you get it now?” The threat rolled off his tongue as sweetly as the tears began to roll down Yoichi’s cheeks. Ah, he did. Ness laughed, pitchy and shattered by a staggering loss of sanity, “My perfect Yoichi~ now we can get to the main event.”
Placed upon Yoichi’s chest was the silvery metallic item held to Ness’ palms. His eyes strained downward, and Yoichi’s whole body shook when he noticed what they were.
Shiny pliers.
Ness wasn’t a violent person by nature. In his youth his parents' esteemed coworkers would often describe him as an innocent flower, the perfect quiet and calm child, nothing compared to the rowdy loud-mouthed siblings he shared genes with. He couldn’t hurt a fly, cried when worms shriveled up after a rainstorm, and had a mind incapable of comprehending violence.
Alexis Ness was a docile lamb.
That was, until it came to Michael Kaiser.
Kaiser was Ness’ king, the emperor he chose to devote his life to. A man he would shield the harshness of the world from, someone who could do no wrong– know no wrong! Ness would defend Kaiser until the earth stopped spinning, and then find a way to make it turn again all for Kaiser. This role came with a specific set of responsibilities. And getting a little dirt– or blood– under the fingernails happened to come with the job title.
If a particularly rough player had his sights on Kaiser, Ness would be there to mediate. If an opposing striker wanted to throw down, Ness was there first in the middle. When yellow cards flew, Ness was there to argue with the referee, make their life a hell and serve them their karma with a smile.
That was, until Yoichi Isagi.
Yoichi was a thorny prick in a perfectly trimmed blue rose bush. He acted against the meticulously crafted script of Bastard München– of Michael Kaiser’s kingdom. Like a thief in the night, shrouded in darkness, coming to steal the crown and defile the king.
How dare that nobody act so brazen with Kaiser– his emperor. Threatening to steal his monarchy, threaten to dismantle everything they had worked for. He hated it! He hated how Kaiser just let him. He let Yoichi battle for dominance, opening the doors to the kingdom to let Yoichi waltz right into their territory with sickening promises of taking the crown.
Ness hated Yoichi. And was hopelessly obsessed with him. It was different from his obsession with Kaiser. Kaiser was warm and cold at the same time, like a splinter stuck in your thumb for so long it had become a part of you– something that didn’t hurt anymore. Kaiser’s presence felt like an overwhelming fever, sweltering on your skin like hot waves. Something that felt so good, scorching hot and too much at once. It reminded Ness of burning his fingers on lit candles. He was a pattern of self harm in the form of a person– a familiar ache, itching under the skin, a sign of being alive.
Yoichi was different. Ness hated Yoichi like he hated trash on the road. Revolting, disgusting, a waste of space born from human error. Any mention of Yoichi made Ness’ nose scrunch, surely it would leave wrinkle lines, all Yoichi’s fault too. His existence was that of a discarded child’s goldfish, nothing more than a vessel of improper life lessons flushed down the toilet. He was bothersome like broken asphalt and potholes on the street, worth nothing more than the change in his pocket. Ness wanted to crumble him in his hands, wind around and around his lithe body and scrub the earth from one more pitiful existence–
Ah, but Kaiser didn’t like when Ness thought like that. Kaiser liked Yoichi– albeit just as twisted and obsessive as Ness’ “like”. But Kaiser got off to seeing the despair in the boy, crushing him with powerful football prowess. Kaiser wanted to beat Yoichi fair and square. And it boiled Ness’ blood.
Whatever Yoichi did to Kaiser, Ness would do back to him tenfold. If Yoichi clashed shins with Kaiser to steal a pass, Ness would shatter the boy’s shinbones with a hammer. If Yoichi wanted to play dirty and steal Kaiser’s favorite exercise machine, Ness would make those heavy weights accidentally crush and mangle his feet. An eye for an eye. It was only fair, wasn’t it? If he dared to grab at Kaiser again, forcing him to kneel to Yoichi’s fake prowess, what would stop Ness from plucking that little flower? Defiling Yoichi right back and ruining him beyond repair all for Kaiser! All for–
A muffled sob pulled Ness back to the present. Yoichi had broken into full tears, eyes glossy and wide full of fear and confusion. An absolutely beautiful swirl of emotions against the deep abyssal blue of his irises.
But he was locked on to those pliers on his chest, eyes and nose dripping with wet tears and snot. Disgusting.
“Yoichi, you must understand why you’re here.” Ness asked, but he wasn’t looking for an answer. Yoichi jerked his head side to side, shivering in that fear. Ness’ eyes narrowed. “Wrong answer.”
A second slap.
“You must remember, little Yoichi.” He chuckled, “Why, it only just happened hours ago you know.”
Yoichi’s eyes darted around the room, looking for something, an out maybe? Ness made sure there were none of those. Somehow those wide blues always managed to fall back onto the shiny prize in his hands. Giddiness bubbled in Ness, ah Yoichi was just as excited as him it seemed!
Ness pressed the cold metal to Yoichi’s forehead, messing with the carefully parted hair. “It’s okay, I can remind you.”
Then a rip echoed in the dark room, as Ness took a hold of the tape decorating Yoichi’s mouth. With a singular clean tear the tape left an aching red line across Yoichi’s cheeks and lips, freeing his words.
Before those freed words could mutter even a curse, Ness’ finger had hooked its way into Yoichi’s mouth. Instead, the boy gargled something between a lost syllable and pained groan. He looked up at Ness with those same wide eyes, pleading eyes, confused eyes.
“I wonder, will this spark a memory?” With his finger caressing the bitten insides of Yoichi’s cheek, Ness moved to drag a blunt nail across the uneven ridges of the striker’s bottom molars. He took special care to trace the crowns, feeling where braces used to pull teeth together into a perfect smile, and forgotten retainers had pulled them back apart. A crooked amalgamation of teeth.
Yoichi’s breath began to pick up into short heaves, his tongue danced against the finger, flicking at the tasteless skin in a fruitless attempt to expel the intruder.
Ness removed his finger and frowned.
“Ah…” he sighed, cocking his head to the side, “You still find new ways to shock me with your stupidity Yoichi. Should I go get a hacksaw instead to cleave open that head of yours and see if you really have a brain up there~?”
And as if Yoichi had just remembered in that moment his mouth had the freedom his limbs were missing, “N-Ness what are you– mmfhf–”
“Shut up.” Ness blistered, red hot anger boiled in a second. The calm, neutral expression of disdain quickly bled into an emotionless void teetering on a terrifying unholy hatred. He didn’t want to hear even a single squeak from Yoichi, the grate of his voice felt like a cat's claws down a chalkboard. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. “You’re not in control here Yoichi, I’m taking that from you. I’m taking everything away from you that you took from Kaiser. This is a testament of my devotion and I won’t let you ruin that anymore.”
Ness hooked a leg over the table, a hand still plastered against Yoichi’s mouth, keeping him quiet. Straddling Yoichi’s hips proved easy, the boy was soft and thin, an almost perfect plush pillow for Ness to rest against. With his height Ness leaned in, towering over Yoichi to remain face to face.
“I guess I really do just have to tell you, huh?” Being so close, every subtle change in Yoichi’s expression was easily drinkable. And Ness reveled in that. Every frenzied blink, twitch to his glossy eyes, the quiver of his lips underneath Ness’ suffocating hand, all delicious– all ambrosia to his tastebuds.
The halo-like glow of the doorway backlit Ness’ figure as he straightened himself atop Yoichi. Still his free hand curled around the silver pliers, white-knuckled with hidden rage.
It was as fresh in Ness’ mind as if it were still playing in front of his eyes. That morning's practice. A simple scrimmage between players, and naturally the team’s star strikers lead their respective teams. Kaiser stole the ball, expletives flew, petty arguments broke, it was a normal game.
Until Yoichi threw a punch.
Kaiser staggered to the floor, collapsing into the grass from the sudden force of the boy’s fist. Red bloomed like roses against the striker’s cheek, stinging like thorns. Ness could feel the pain of those wide, empty eyes staring up at their assailant.
It was so fast. A three-second ordeal. But to Ness, the world slowed, he didn’t hear the gasps of teammates, or the messy string of apologies. It was far too late for that. Yoichi had laid a hand against the emperor. An unforgivable sin.
He could remember the weight of tears against his own lashes, swelled with emotion at the sight of his emperor crumbled to the ground. It was enough for a docile lamb to yearn for blood.
But then came a cough. A sputter.
A small trickle of blood ran down Kaiser’s lip. Rusted red against perfect pink.
Then he spat.
And a single white tooth landed in Kaiser's lap.
The memory danced on his tongue, reciting it back to his captured Yoichi felt sour in his mouth, a disgusting recalling. But the twisting face of Yoichi painted a picture of understanding. So he did remember!
“An eye for an eye…” Ness purred, barely above a whisper, but within the dark empty room– Yoichi heard it loud and clear.
Yoichi gulped behind Ness’ hand. Ah, he finally understood! Yoichi was doing a wonderful job of connecting the dots– or piecing together one of those infamous puzzles he liked so much.
Ness pulled the pliers up to his own cheek, resting against it with a dizzying smile. It cracked against his skin, opening from ear to ear, an impossible vision that rattled every bone in Yoichi’s lithe body.
“Seeing Kaiser with that missing tooth… a constant reminder of your transgressions against God. I knew something had to be done. You remember now right?” Ness asked in earnest, pushing his weight back down upon the boy with a hand resting at his shoulders, “I walked around all afternoon like a zombie. The world felt grey, lifeless. I felt worthless, that I couldn’t protect Kaiser from fucking nobody scum like you. You even looked at me when I staggered past the cafeteria– you, surrounded by all your friends, eating and laughing. You pitied me. Stared me down like I was the scum. Unbelievable!” He cackled, broken and loud, like a maniacal crow.
Yoichi thrashed against him again, fruitless. The cracks of Ness’ poorly glued facade were crumbling and landing atop the striker in thick porcelain pieces. He was more than just an obsessive follower, he was fucking crazy. With another raspy laugh Ness continued.
“Do you remember how I snuck into this viewing room and knocked you out with a dumbbell? Oh you made a beautiful sound when you fell unconscious you know~” he sang, so proud of himself, caressing the tender spot on Yoichi’s head– above his left ear, hidden by dark hair but undoubtedly blooming bruised purples, “...And, oh right, that brings us to now.”
Yoichi had begun to sob again. An almost beautiful muffled sound. Ness decided to release his hand from the boy’s mouth. And those sounds– like the cries of a choir’s chorus harmonizing together sending shivers down Ness’ spine. Yoichi was a beautiful crier. His hunger would only grow as he pulled more and more of those perfect sobs from the other. He could not wait.
“An eye for an eye… Or well, a tooth for a tooth.” He smiled, holding up the pliers.
With the revelation upon him, Yoichi’s whole body shuttered. Ness’ words wracked through him, an uncomfortable quivering setting in as his lips stuttered to produce sounds– a resistance, a cry for help? It didn’t really matter.
Instead what came out was pathetic, slow and faint, a whispered plea, “W-Why..?” he attempted between quiet sobs, “Why are you doing this? Do you hate me?”
Ness could only laugh, full and loud and with his entire body rocking into it. Hate? He really thought Ness hated him.
“Oh my dear Yoichi, I don't hate you,” with a hushed tone Ness softly grabbed at the boy’s chin with his fingers, resting it in his palm, tilting Yoichi’s head up to watch swirling pools of blue oceans streaking down ruddy cheeks. Then it cracked again, an ear splintering fracture. Ness leaned in, nose to nose, breaths tickling, “I want to fucking ruin you until there’s nothing left of your mangled body.”
His grip tightened impossibly and yanked Yoichi’s head up as far as it could beneath the confines of his restricted neck and shoulders. He cried in pain, strained by digging fingernails under his chin.
“Ah, but Kaiser wouldn’t approve of his little play toy breaking completely. He’s very particular about his things, you know. But I know he won’t mind if I make some slight modifications~” The pliers entered Yoichi’s vision, silvery and shiny even in the dull light. His eyes widened, following the instrument as it descended closer and closer to his mouth.
“No- Stop-! Please Ness– I’m sorry I swear! I’m sorry s-so please let me go–” Yoichi seemingly had found his voice, something that began to irritate Ness– that was okay too though! Soon Yoichi would be quieted down, mouth too full of his pliers to make a single sound.
Another muddled attempt at pleading fell to deaf ears. Once those words proved fruitless, Yoichi began to jerk his body back and forth against his assailant. Ness’ strong thighs clenched around to hold him steady, the amount of thrashing wasn’t enough to break his expertly tied restraints, but Yoichi’s fish-flopping was proving to be a bit bothersome.
“My dear Yoichi~” he gritted through a fake smile and clenched teeth, “If you don’t settle down, things will only be more difficult for you. And what’s more difficult is more painful.” With his straddled thighs steading Yoichi, his other hand hooked its way back into the boy’s mouth to pry his lips apart, none of it being gentle in any way. It seemed his patience was thinning.
“Open wide~”
A gargled, fearful sound erupted from Yoichi’s throat. He couldn’t move his body, he couldn’t rip his head from Ness’ clutches. He was trapped under the weight of Ness’ obsessive devotion, blooming tendencies that were always dormant in him– now bubbling up as an act of selfless revenge.
And then.
Clink Clink
Pliers dipped between Yoichi’s lips, connecting with the first pearly tooth. A slightly unaligned bottom incisor. How cute. Again flashed that image of a little pubescent Yoichi getting his braces off for the first time, only to ignore the nagging voice of his orthodontist– that a retainer is oh so important, that it would train his teeth to stay in place. So much for that, Ness hummed in his head, happy playing the role of some sick and twisted dentist instead. Instead, painting over Yoichi’s traumatic memories of dental visits with his own sick game of pretend.
The pliers behaved as a sort of gag to prop the boy’s mouth open, enough to dispel the stuttering pleas ringing annoyingly in Ness’ ears. He could only listen to shrill begging apologies for so long. Like finally claiming a prize, careful fingers began fishing in his open mouth, tracing around the judded edges of Yoichi’s imperfect teeth.
A playground of thirty-two perfect pearls, all for Ness.
Each tooth shined like a jewel, the meticulous careful work of polishing each gem sparkled through and created a perfect smile. Yoichi seemed to care for his health, as any good boy did, a routine hammered into him from a young age. What a shame there would soon be a blemish torn from him. It almost broke Ness’ heart. Almost.
First the incisors, like before, thin and sharp and staggered like dominos in the front of his smile. Misaligned like marching pawns on a chess board. They left indented lines along his padded finger. Not his favored choice of pearly tooth, but beautiful well-kept pearls sparkling in the depths of the sea.
Along past a bottom canine came the curved line of molars, flat and bumpy like a gravel road. Those sat more aligned, perhaps the kind of adult teeth that grew in right– replacing themselves at the opportune time, not pushing their way through gums and asserting their dominance against their wiggly baby counterparts, fast and silent before someone could yank them out. That rushing feeling washed over Ness once more. The urge to yank. But not yet. Now was the time to revel in a rare opportunity. And he wasn’t about to waste it.
Yoichi flinched under his touch, almost gagging at the pressure treading into the back of his mouth. Ness wondered how many others had stuck their hands down his throat, forced their way in, carefully tracing his teeth– counting one, two, three. How many lucky individuals had had the pleasure of seeing such disgusting perfection up close? If all went right, Ness would be the last.
Ness' careful fingers glided into the very back of his smile, uncovering the wisdom teeth hidden amongst his gums. Yoichi was still a boy– young, precious, pure– those pesky unnecessary teeth had only budded amongst the sensitive flesh. Not much time was wasted paying attention to them, they would prove harder than necessary to remove, not an optimal seed to pluck from its deep rooting. There were more beautiful flowers to pick.
Yoichi’s upper teeth were a beauty to behold. Unblemished or held back by orthodontic relapse, they stood perfectly perky. Urges grew stronger when fondling those two front teeth– two perfectly placed towers of defence, pristine white and glimmering like snow in the winter sun. Either one would make a worthwhile prize, but Ness felt a sort of buzzing guilt ripping out one of them. Something else would have to do.
And ah, there it was, situated only two teeth over; Yoichi’s beautiful canines. One on either side of his front incisors, pointed like glittering white diamonds. Placing a thumb underneath one left a divot in his skin, round, red, and thrumming with a low ache. Of course he wasn’t beastly enough to rip through his flesh– though Ness almost wished Yoichi’s canines were half as sharp as his Kaiser’s, who could easily tear at the skin of his neck and leave trails of claimed blood. If only Yoichi could leave his own mark against Ness, his own reminder of what was soon to transpire– what Ness was about to take from him. Ness smiled at the hopeless thought. Yoichi held no power.
Then a quiet second passed. Ness did not move. Only Yoichi’s shaky exhale sounded between them as he stared upwards. The expression across Ness’ face had faltered for a moment, a singular crack in his porcelain facade. What Ness was about to do would upset the very existence of himself at Blue Lock. He knew, very much so, that he was doing something unthinkable, something unforgivable. In the eyes of many, this was an act of defiance against the chosen god that was Blue Lock's heart. Not Ness’ god. Not his heart. But this was hardly about Ness.
No matter what, he knew Kaiser would be pleased. He would see how he defiled Yoichi and be impressed by Ness’ adoration and everything he was willing to give up for him. Kaiser would ruffle his hair, tell him he was such a good boy, and laugh alongside him at Yoichi’s despair. It would remind Kaiser that Ness was nothing but a perfect reliable dog. That Ness would always be there, no matter who tried to get in his way. That no one could replace him, not even Yoichi. That Ness would even kill for his master if anyone threatened to take that away from him–
The pliers trembled in Ness’ hold. His grip around Yoichi’s canine had tightened so hard it left struggling white indents along his thumb and pointer. It stung when he pulled them away. Ness’ face ached as that held smile dropped for a moment.
A deep breath. It was time.
Yoichi’s eyes were wide as saucer plates, the whites of his eyes glowing against the stark contrast of the dark room. It was illuminating in Ness' vision, like two pleading angels. It was time to pick every feather off their wings, ground them, forsake them. This was his duty.
The pliers clinked against the boy’s teeth once more, an awkward fit in a small mouth. This time they had dipped below his front teeth, pressing cold, sharp, against his dry tongue. Ness could feel the full body tremble that had taken up residency in his victim. It vibrated against the metal, against Ness, like a purr of a cat. A simple contentment. Somewhere through the fragments of Ness’ disillusioned reality was the thought– Yoichi was enjoying this too?
Teeth of the pliers finally met its target, a slippery grip around that pesky canine. It took a few amateur tries to clamp properly, a frustrating song and dance. Every misaligned attempt sent the metal instrument clinking into another sensitive tooth, a flinch and a scowl. Yoichi screamed, thrashed, and cried fat globs of fresh tears. Ness snarled behind his smile.
“Troublesome Yoichi, hold still-!” he growled, finally clamping down. Yoichi whined, long breathy– and for a second Ness mistook it as something pleasurable.
YANK
Out it came.
And then, a scream.
It echoed in the empty room. Shrill and scratchy, blood curdling as if someone had just ripped out his tooth– oh wait. Ignoring the gurgling cries from Yoichi, Ness gathered the small tooth in his hand. He peered at it through one eye, holding it up to the dark ceiling. It was perfect. White and unblemished, that beautiful curved shape with the sharp point of a canine tooth. Ness played with the tooth like dice in his palm, rolling it around, betting against his own odds. It felt right. He felt lucky. Somewhere, someone was smiling down on him.
Underneath him, Yoichi’s cries had simmered, instead he began violently shaking with fear crowding his face.
Ness’ cooing words of worried mother crackled with the static of a taped over cassette, mirrored, empty words of what he thought a caring figure would sound like, “There’s no need to look so frightened, my Yoichi. Hush, don’t cry. We can just pretend it was a baby tooth." He smiled, sugary sweetness on his lips, “You don’t have to be embarrassed about it, you know, I lost my last baby tooth at fifteen!”
Yoichi only continued to softly moan and groan, not appreciating Ness’ selfless act of sharing something so damning, and all to make the boy feel better! Ungrateful little shit.
At that point, the blooming pain had subsided into a dull throb where a small pocket of blood had seeped into his mouth. Tsk. What a boring amount of blood. Ness wanted the carnage to flow red like a river, not this teensie amount. It didn’t stop him from plugging the hole with his finger, finding the empty socket and caressing the raw gums. This tore another groan from Yoichi, back arching the best it could through his restraints. An odd reaction that Ness felt simmer in his own body.
Ignoring the arousing rush of stimulation, Ness took his finger and pushed down harder, digging into the raw tissue of Yoichi’s evicted tooth. Wanting to see what reaction that tore from Yoichi, he dug harder, letting a blunt nail press firm into the bleeding gum. The boy seized, thrashing under Ness’ hold. He cried again, wobbling out broken pleas through the hand crowding his mouth. Out squeezed another round of fresh blood, decorating Ness’ padded finger in a second layer.
He pulled his finger up to his own mouth, admiring the transparent coat of shimmering red. Then he licked it, tasting the despair, a rich metallic taste. Addicting. Some part, deep inside, yearned for more. No. He needed more. The tooth felt weightless closed around his palm. Not enough. One tooth was all the boy had taken from the king, Ness had seen it with his own eyes. One measly little tooth. But… Was the weight of that singular tooth enough to balance all his Kaiser’s misery?
Surely not.
A tooth for a tooth. But… This was certainly not Yoichi’s first rebellion to the king. Weren’t there many other sins to account for? What about all the other times his disobedience needed reprimanding? All those moments on and off the field– how he refused to bow his head, prostrate himself, give everything to Kaiser– they must count for something. Yes. Ness needed to fulfill those promises of retribution for Kaiser as well.
He cackled, fractured by his delusional reality. Kaiser was practically looking over his shoulder, disdain painting his face. He was unhappy with Ness' performance. He could hear his detached voice, low and bored, chastising Ness for doing such a piss poor job. Was this the best he could do?
Ness’ grip around his pliers tightened.
Yoichi looked distant, eyes in and out of focus, holding onto his own rationality half as well as Ness. But he couldn’t have missed the way Ness buzzed alive, positioning those pliers at his lips yet again.
“...Ness…” he managed to croak, “...let me go… please…”
“Haha… ha… ha..” he laughed again, breathy, slow. Ness’ grip latched around his pliers still, clenched so hard his knuckles were white. The other hand clawed at his face, his eyes, leaving indented red lines from cheek to chin. Slowly, he was falling apart, treading the cliff side precipice, threatening to fall into its deep chasm. Something he wasn’t sure he could claw himself out of– did he even want to? “Y-Yoichi… Oh Yoichi-! We can’t just stop now-? So just shut up and take it like a good boy.”
The rows of untouched teeth spun in Ness’ head, dizzying him, like the dancing horses of a carousel. A fun house, an amusement park of dark desire, twisting into a malicious form of obsession. He felt as feather-light as that singular tooth. Too light. Enough to be swept away by whatever this was.
But… It felt good. It felt right. And the malformed apparition of Kaiser still clung to his body with whispering wisps of encouragement. The fractured cracks along his puppetted body were forming chasms, deep, disgusting, rotting like flesh off his bones. It was like a transformation of the self, an elevation of the creature he already was. And none of it belonged to himself.
Before he had even realized it, his hand had guided itself into Yoichi’s lax mouth again, already positioned around another tooth. This time a bottom incisor, one on the left, crooked and bent behind a front tooth.
YANK
Another clean tear. This one more of a favor. Yoichi jerked again. More screaming, more tears. It flooded his mind, every sharp cry, blood-curdling scream– like a noisy toddler throwing a tantrum. Useless crying. It needed to stop. Ness felt a finger twitch.
Yoichi begged again. Muted, wordless noises falling around Ness, not even reaching his ears. But still, it buzzed like a pesky bee stinging at his skin.
“I said– SHUT UP!” he growled. And yanked another tooth. Number two’s neighbor.
Like call and response, he sobbed again, salty tears like rivers streaming into his open mouth. Irritation bubbled under Ness’ skin. No! No! No! It was all wrong! All wrong! What was Yoichi’s fucking problem. He was helping him. Ness was a devoted servant helping dissolve Yoichi of his sins. This was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. A way to get his Kaiser to love him again, and make Yoichi finally bow to the rightful emperor. Two birds with one stone! And three if you counted the growing hunger simmering in the pit of Ness’ gut, burning dangerously hot, feeding off the waves of suffering he tore from the boy beneath him.
YANK YANK YANK
Three more. Four more. Ness had cleared out Yoichi’s bottom row of incisors and canines. Blood was pooling around Yoichi’s gums like shallow standing water. It shimmered against his blooming red gums, abused and irritated. The boy gargled against it, the only sounds managing to break from his raw throat. Space opened up, and Ness wondered if Yoichi was feeling lighter yet.
Shiny teeth littered Yoichi’s chest, placed for safe keeping. Five. Then six.
Ness huffed with lost breath, exhilarated by his hard work. His lungs burned worse than a full day of practice. But this felt good.
He swallowed thickly. It felt so good. This was his god given right. His purpose.
And he smiled.
Before dipping the pliers past Yoichi’s lips again.
Seven more. Eight. Nine.
YANK YANK
Those two delicious front teeth. Petite little buds, sprouting from his bottom gums. They came out so easily, waving little white flags and begging for mercy. Absolutely delicious. Ness savored it, rolling the sensation around his brain before returning to work.
YANK YANK YANK
YANK.
A pesky molar. Hidden with its wisdom, molded in deep pink. The teeth of the pliers scratched against his gums, trying to find purchase. Blood oozed from its tracks, joining the deepening pool of red. Eventually he grasped it, tearing it out like a pesky carrot clinging to the earth.
The bottom was clear, clean, empty pink peaking above a sea of blood.
Ness smiled. Sparkling pearls decorated Yoichi’s chest. Sixteen teeth. Oh plus the first one still grasped tightly in Ness’ palm. She was special.
Yoichi had stopped screaming. He had stopped thrashing. No longer did he attempt to break free from Ness’ restraints. Finally, Yoichi decided to be a good boy. It brought a splitting smile to his face. A good boy deserved to be rewarded right?
So he kissed him.
Suddenly, Yoichi came back to life, body tightening as Ness pressed against him. His leg produced a single fruitless kick before melting into the gentle touch, the gentlest Ness had been. His eyes fluttered closed as Ness licked into his mouth. With much restraint, Ness held his tongue back from the row of wounded gums, instead fondling the upper teeth rooted to the roof of the boy’s mouth. He wanted to lick, to taste, to devour those too– chew on them like candy bones, crunch then beneath his own teeth.
He growled into Yoichi’s mouth, and the boy moaned back against him. Animalistic and cruel, Ness rutted himself atop Yoichi, one hand hard at his cheek with the other dancing somewhere against his chest. That heat burned at his navel, sending shivers through his body, he wanted to chase after that feeling. Ness grinded again, a full roll of his hips. Another whine, but neither knew who it was from. He wondered if Yoichi felt the same, without the restraints would the boy be meeting each frenzied thrust, grinding his own twisted arousal against the other in some disgusting, clashing tango of corrupted need. Some part of Ness hoped he did.
Ness felt unbelievably dizzy, full of Yoichi, Yoichi, Yoichi. This object of obsession plaguing his mind, making his teeth itch, his fingers twitch, his entire body cry out for more.
Fuck. He wanted to defile Yoichi more. More and more and more til there was nothing left. Until the obsessive crawling worms eating holes in his necrotic skin were sated. Until the crackling coals were fully extinguished, no longer tickling at his hips and thighs. He needed to snuff out swarming thoughts of Yoichi, already teetering on the edge of twisted obsession, already feeling the swell of a mess between his thighs. The visions of Kaiser behind his eyes still danced like floating lights– haunting him, watching, waiting, unsatisfied– but not surprised Ness was somehow getting off to all this.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough.
He broke off the kiss with a gasp for breath. Yoichi trembled beneath him, mouth gaping and drooling like a fish begging for water in the suffocating air. Still open wide. Perfect.
Pliers quickly returned, further sealing Yoichi’s fate. The pitter pattering of metal against teeth rang like a final bell. Fifteen left. Only fifteen in the way of his freedom, till his sins were absolved.
YANK
Fourteen. A matching gaping hole on his right, and another canine in his palm.
YANK YANK
Goodbye to his two front bastions. They felt like two tiny chiclet pieces of gum in his hands, flat and glossy. Again, Ness fought the urge to place them in his own mouth and feel them around his tongue. He wanted to grind against them, wear down the enamel with his own molars, chew them up into a fine powder, swipe the mixture across his teeth and become one with Yoichi. Ah, but his stubborn pride insisted on keeping a full collection as a prize– like a mounted deer head on a hunter’s wall. Instead they littered Yoichi’s chest with the extracted rest.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Pre-moalars removed with a harsh tug, much like their bottom companions, they proved peskier to remove. But it felt all the more rewarding when they came loose– when Yoichi’s head jerked forward with his strength, like being led upwards, ascending into the air.
Heavenly.
YANK
It felt like Ness himself was being praised by god. Kaiser was beside him still. Those watchful eyes and crooked smile of his ghostly hallucination. He whispered to Ness, quiet and static in his ear, words jumbled that he could only understand.
Every tooth was another satisfactory job to the emperor, an act of absolute obedience. The phantom Kaiser patted his head, stroked his chin, cooing in encouragement. His welcomed words flickered like a small flame next to Ness’ impulsives, when the burning fire of his gut was already enough to guide his pliers to each next tooth.
YANK YANK
YANK
Then…
Clack… clack… clack
Pliers skidded across the ground, disappearing from view. He didn't need those anymore. There was a painted masterpiece worthy of a museums’ grandest walls right in front of him. Yoichi, splintered open, gaze fixed to something unseen behind him, face pale as a sheet, mouth agape and sporting the most gorgeous smile.
A completely empty one.
Not a single petal was left to be plucked. All thirty-two decorated the space between them, like a snapped string of pearl necklaces scattered around. He didn’t need those to look pretty. Yoichi really was truly his most beautiful this way– toothless and broken beyond repair. And finally, Ness felt weightless, finally it was enough for his Kaiser to love him again, to forget all about useless Yoichi and praise Ness for his loyalty. With the heaviness freed from his heart, the twisted ghost of Kaiser dissipated into the cold air, smiling cruelly of a job well done.
But Ness’ job was yet to be done. With clean hands, Ness grabbed Yoichi’s face. The boy’s eyes were half lidded, glossy and fogged with a far-off look. Consciousness had long since bled away by the trauma inflected. He was unresponsive, but alive, the staggering rise and fall of his chest was enough to prove otherwise. It was more favorable than the screaming– which had long stopped– but this stubborn disobedience of ignoring Ness was irritating.
“Yoichi~” he sang, hooking his fingers into his bloody mouth. Quickly, they soiled red with velvety blood. Tilting the boy’s chin down sent the sea of liquid cascading down his neck and chest like a rusted waterfall. It was a beautiful splatter of deep reds and tickled pinks, like a watercolor picture of sweeping fields of blooming roses. Surely Yoichi felt better now. “Oh Yoichi, you look so beautiful. So perfect. Doesn’t everything feel… right?”
Yoichi didn’t answer.
Ness soured. Fingers came to trace the emptiness, gently this time, but still a sickly reminder. It was so strange. Like the feeling of walking around your vacant childhood home, right before moving into some new, foreign house. Like a loss of innocence– there was beauty in that too.
The bumps and ridges of hollow gums felt like braille against Ness’ fingertips, a familiar haunting by the teeth that belonged in each plot. He wiped at the edges and sides, like a bristleless toothbrush, taking careful attention to cleaning Yoichi right up. It was the least he could do?
But now that clean mouth was missing something... Yoichi was missing something.
So Ness spit into his open mouth. He spat right on Yoichi’s tongue and closed his lips with his own. Another kiss. Selfishly he kissed Yoichi, all spit and blood between them, tracing the edges of his weakened mouth, dancing over delicate gums. The taste of metal exploded on his tastebuds, heady and decadent and all Yoichi. He breathed life back into him, picking up both their shattered pieces, fixing their souls together with glue and gold. Ness kissed him like there were no repercussions, like tomorrow everything would be normal. As if Yoichi was not still strapped to his table, stripped of his autonomy, defiled and deflowered. Toothless. Ness didn’t waste a thought on what might happen to him. He wasn’t programmed to think selfishly. Except…
Something still stirred in Ness. The urges behind his teeth, in the pit of his stomach, and want between his thighs. Whatever he did next would be a testimony of his selfish free will. He acted completely on his own whims now, Kaiser would forgive him, he’d understand. Everything he did– selfishly or not– belonged to Kaiser.
He’d understand.
And Yoichi would understand that he needed to do this too.
An eye for an eye, after all.