Title: Subtlety Isn't Exactly Their Forte
By: Bridget McKennitt
Pairing: Okumura Rin/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1798
Summary: It's Suguro and Rin's first mission together as exorcist partners and it's going as well as expected. Which is to say, not at all.
Contains: No warnings in as far I know that can't be extrapolated from the header itself.
Disclaimer: Blue Exorcist is owned by other companies. They are used here without permission, and for entertainment purposes only. No challenge or infringement upon the copyright is intended, nor should any be inferred. Written for 
imadra_blue for Yuletide.
"Yukio! Yukio!"
The familiar shouts of his brother caught Yukio's attention and he turned around to see Rin stomping towards his direction with his fist clenched around a crumpled piece of paper.
"Yukio! What is the meaning of this?" Rin stopped just short of him and shook the piece of paper in front of his face.
Yukio adjusted his glasses. "I don't know what you're referring to."
"I've been assigned with Suguro as my partner. Why wasn't I assigned with you? You're my brother. We should be doing this together." Rin let out a loud breath of air. "Come with me so we can complain to Mephisto."
"I am not going to complain. Mephisto came up with the idea and I agreed with him. Suguro is an Aria who will need someone to protect him while he chants his prayers. You need to learn how to depend on other people besides me, Rin. This is for your own good."
Rin grunted before pointing a finger at Yukio. "I don't depend on you! I am the elder brother here, not you."
"Then act like one and go find your partner. The two of you already have your first assignment."
Rin perked up. "What is it?"
"Ask your partner." Yukio nodded before turning around to walk away.
Rin's mouth dropped open as his brother left. He raised his fist to shake it as he yelled. "I'm going to be an awesome exorcist, just you wait. I don't need you!"
Rin stared at the paper proclaiming him and Suguro as exorcist partners for the duration of three years. They weren't exactly friends, though they weren't enemies either, but he knew it wasn't going to be easy with just the two of them depending on each other without anyone else to act as a buffer. He sighed before stalking off to find Suguro. He might as well get it over with.
Rin found Suguro leaning against a desk in their old classroom. "We're partners." He pushed himself away from the desk and narrowed his eyes at Rin. "I have our first assignment and it's not a walk in the park. I don't want you messing things off and running off solo like you normally do, got it?"
"You're not the boss of me!" Rin stopped short at the twitching Suguro was doing. He was a few seconds away from getting his neck placed in a chokehold. "I mean, what's the assignment, partner?"
"We are going to the city of Nara. There's a demon wrecking havoc in one of their Buddhist temples. It is possessing all of their deer."
"Sounds easy. Let's go!" Before Rin could make a break for the door, Suguro reached out and yanked him back.
"We need a plan first, not to mention supplies. Let's go to the supply shop before we go to Nara." He held up two keys. "I have the keys ready to go. Does that sound good or were you just planning on rushing off without a clue like you normally do?"
Rin grinned. "Your plan works."
They found a locked door and Suguro used his first key to open it to reveal the walkway to Shiemi's family supply shop. They walked across the walkway until they ended up inside the shop.
Shiemi waved at them as they entered the shop. "Good morning! What can I get for the two of you?"
"We're here to purchase supplies."
She clapped her hands together. "I heard the two of you were exorcist partners. Congratulations. What is your first mission?"
Rin leaned his elbow on the counter and flashed Shiemi a grin. "We're going to exorcise some deer. Do you have anything for that?"
Suguro smacked Rin away and pulled a list from his pocket. "I have all the ingredients we need right here."
Shiemi took the list from Suguro and scanned the list. "This shouldn't take more than twenty minutes to get everything for you if you don't mind waiting."
"We don't mind."
Once Shiemi disappeared into the backroom, Suguro turned to Rin. "Stop flirting. We're on a mission."
Rin rubbed his head. "I wasn't flirting. I was just saying hello. I thought you liked Shiemi."
"She's a sweet girl, but right now only our mission matters." Suguro pointed his finger at Rin. "So don't mess this up by getting distracted."
"You're the only distraction here for me." Rin blew Suguro a kiss.
Shiemi returned with their items and Suguro paid for them. "Thank you, Shiemi."
"You're welcome, and good luck!"
***
Suguro opened the door leading to Nara and Rin ran inside before him. The temple grounds was beautiful with ancient buildings and tall trees. "Look at this place!"
"Watch out!" Suguro yanked Rin back as a deer came out of nowhere and tried to attack him. "You idiot, you nearly got impaled on its antlers." He shut the door and pulled out the key. "It looks like we won't be able to scout around the temple before making our plan. We're going to have to make our plan here."
"So what's the plan? Kill all the possessed deer?"
Suguro shook his head. "Negative. The deer are sacred and we're not to harm them."
"But they're trying to kill us!"
"We'll have to figure out a way to exorcise them without harming their deer hosts." Suguro narrowed his eyes. "Well, come on. Think of something. You're supposed to be my partner."
Rin furrowed his brow. "Can't we trap them somewhere so you can do your Arias?"
"We could do that with some kind of holy circle. We would still need something as bait." There was a glint in his eyes as he stared at Rin. "You would be perfect as bait, partner."
They worked out their plan, mostly Suguro working out the details while Rin flailed at having to be bait, while Suguro readied what he needed to make the circle.
"You're going to need this." Suguro poured some foul smelling cream into his hand and smeared it all over Rin.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
"This will make the deer chase after you. The demons won't be able to resist." Rin grumbled as Suguro continued to smear it on his body. "That should do it. Let's go."
***
"Once I open the door to Nara, I want you to let the deer chase you while I construct the circle. When I give you the signal, lead them towards me. Got it?"
"Got it!" Suguro threw the door open and Rin leaped into Nara, his sword and sheathe in his hand. "Here, demons, demons, demons! Where are you?"
A snarl was all the warning Rin received before a bunch of red eyed deer jumped out of nowhere. Rin saluted Suguro before running away at full speed. The deer chased him just like planned.
Suguro went straight to work. He began setting up the circle. It needed to be large enough to trap all of the demons, but he didn't know how many there were. It was a stampede that chased after Rin and he couldn't get a read on the exact number of deer.
He chanted as he set the circle lines.
"Are you done yet?" Rin shouted from far away. "They're trying to bite my ass!"
"Almost done," he shouted back. Suguro left just enough space for the deer to run into the circle before standing up. "Start running back!"
Rin flipped over the deer pack and dashed towards Suguro. "What do I do?"
"Run into the circle while I close it behind you."
Rin's jaw dropped and he flailed his arms. "Won't I get trapped too? I'm a demon."
Suguro paused. "Oh, I didn't think about that. You'll be fine. Just distract them in the circle while I say my scripture, but remember to not harm them. We're under strict orders to keep the deer safe."
"How in the world can I do that?" Rin ran into the circle with the demons on his tail as Suguro closed the circle.
"You'll figure something out." Suguro got to his feet and began reciting scripture.
Rin tried to step outside of the circle only to bounce back from it as if there was a wall in place. He was stuck in a small area with demons he couldn't attack.
Great.
As Rin dodged their attacks, he wondered if there was something he could do demonically to dissuade the deer demons, like he did with the frog-like demon to protect Suguro. Rin stood firm, held out his arm, and yelled, "Stop!"
The deer closest to him snapped at his fingers just as Rin yanked his arm back. "That doesn't work!"
Suguro continued chanting as he watched Rin dance around in the circle. He was so focused on the exorcism and watching Rin that he didn't notice what was outside the circle.
Rin turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Suguro, watch out! Behind you!"
He glanced over his shoulder and dodged to his right just as a deer tried to attack him. He didn't slow in his chanting as the deer reared on its hind legs. Instead he reached into his pocket and threw a charm at the deer. It froze in that position until Suguro could finish the exorcism.
Once the deer was no longer possessed and could wander out of the circle freely, Suguro wiped his brow of sweat and used his foot to smudge a portion of the circle to break the containment spell.
Rin immediately tackled him, fists clenched in Suguro's shirt, and kissed him repeatedly. "Of all the stupid things!" he said between kisses. "You could have been killed and I wouldn't have been able to help you. Why didn't we just use those charms in the first place?"
Suguro pushed Rin away, but continued to hold onto him. "Because they wouldn't have lasted long and trapping them was the only way to make sure we got them all."
Rin grunted. "I still don't like it."
Suguro muttered under his breath. "How about we take the time to explore Nara? Would that make you feel better?"
"Like a date?" Over Rin's shoulder, Suguro could see Rin's tail moving about excitedly.
"Is that why you kissed me? I thought you didn't want me as your partner?"
Rin let out a nervous chuckle. "I still don't, but it's not my fault you worried me."
"Liar. Come on and get off me so we can take a look around this place."
***
Their next mission together wasn't really a mission at all. Bon sat on the counter of the kitchen watching as Rin battled it out with another demon in order to make the best meal. Win or lose for his boyfriend, Bon was going to eat like a king. He couldn't wait.
