A/N: Here is your reward for enduring last week lmao. This one is a bit long, but cutting it up just didn’t seem as gratifying so I hope you guys enjoy.
Also, thank you so much for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks on AO3 and FFN– you guys are too kind :’). I’ll try posting more regularly on Tumblr too if ppl wanna read it here. Let me know what y'all think~
There was darkness, then flickers of lights and the occasional overwhelming flow of noises before it ebbed to silence and darkness yet again. First, she felt she was on a hard surface like concrete, then cold metal, then something cushion-like… a bed? Her thoughts were incoherent, presenting more as disjointed words and feelings. Anger, regret, hurt, with a sprinkle of sadness on top. Her body was heavy, every limb feeling as though the blood had been replaced with lead. Her head lolled and she heard someone suddenly shift at her side, the bed dipping under the pressure of said someone leaning on it and over her but was too out of it to open her eyes. Acquiescing, she fell back into unconsciousness.
An indefinite amount of time passed while she was in the darkness before her senses began to return fully. She heard typing, now able to feel a presence nearby. She wanted to open her eyes, but the task seemed too daunting still, simply listening would have to be enough for now.
“I can stand watch for now, if you’d like.” One voice offered, softly.
“What I’d like is to be left alone.” The other replied curtly.
“I see. We’re going to leave in the next few hours, I’ll get everyone ready.”
“You do that.”
Well this guy sounds like a treat… Nanami thought, her sarcasm unsurprisingly returning before the rest of her senses and memories. There were footsteps and then a soft thud, like a door being carefully shut. A couple moments passed before she heard what sounded like a laptop being closed, then footsteps coming towards her, and then silence. She desperately wanted to wake up, but her body refused to cooperate, causing her eyes to flutter behind her eyelids as she struggled in vain to move. She could sense the presence hadn’t left and she felt anxious as to what might happen next before hearing a sigh. She felt a sheet being pulled up to cover her arms, where goosebumps had been forming from the draft in wherever she was.
“I’ll deal with you when I get back.” The voice said with a hint of annoyance, though it was betrayed by its gentle tone. Hearing footsteps growing fainter, a door opened and closed once more. The words themselves were threatening but the way they were spoken, she felt oddly comforted. Falling back into the darkness, she decided to cultivate her energy and try her luck at waking up again later.
Emerging from the darkness again, the pain began immediately. Her head throbbed and she reflexively tried to groan but found her mouth and throat painfully full. Instantly recognizing the feeling, panic set in, the only other thing she could perceive being the desperate need for it to stop. She grabbed the tube, disassembling and reassembling it outside her body. The large obstruction dropped unceremoniously to the floor and she coughed, glad to be rid of it.
“Don’t be so rough with the equipment.”
She rolled her head to the direction of the voice, a bright light hitting her eyes as she struggled to open them for the first time since… Damn. It all came rushing back to her at once, the voice no longer a mystery. Her vision focused and she found herself looking at Overhaul as he sat at her bedside. His mask was on as he stared at her blankly. She stared back for a beat, not knowing how to begin speaking about what brought them to this point. Deciding she should be fully awake and rested for that conversation, she mentally tabled it, opting for their usual banter instead.
“It’s still intact isn’t it?” She cleared her throat, massaging it as she continued, “How long was I out?”
“Three days.”
“THREE DAYS?” Her eyes shot wide, another coughing fit beginning as she raised her voice after not speaking for days.
“Yes, that’s what I said.” He grimaced, moving back a bit at her sudden outburst, “Cough in the other direction.”
“No surprise that your bedside manner could use some work.” She sighed as she adjusted to raise herself up, wincing as her sore muscles tried their best to comply. He promptly rose, putting a pillow behind her as she sat up, his expression blank yet attentive, “Thanks.”
He nodded as he took his seat again and the silence continued, painfully. It felt like their first meeting all over again, neither knowing how to broach the awkward topic. Looking back, Nanami was angry at how insufferably rude he could be but couldn’t ignore her own part in this. A pang of guilt sat heavily in her chest when she remembered how easily she let her emotions get the best of her; she hadn’t told someone off like that in ages. In her mind, it in no way absolved him, but to say it was all his fault would be a lie. In that moment of rage, she… What did I do anyway? She glanced down, now more confused than anything, her brows furrowing before looking at him.
“Let’s chat.”
He readjusted in his chair, leaning back as he crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest, “Let’s.”
His body language oozed condescension as though she was about to be scolded like a child and she hated it, “Why’d you attack me. Again.”
His eyes narrowed, displeased with how she was beginning their talk,” That was going to be my question to you. I thought we had a deal.”
“What are you talking about? We did—we do—I did not attack you.” she defended. Nanami knew they were both wrong for getting so worked up, but she wouldn’t stoop that low over an argument. “I was wrong, we both were for getting so heated, but I wouldn’t just start throwing hands like that. So again, why did you attack me? I thought… I thought we got passed all that.”
His brow furrowed at the implication, his jaw clenching uncomfortably at the hurt in her voice, “We are. We’re far passed all of that.” He intoned with a level of sincerity that seemed foreign to him. Having spent the past three days chastising himself for putting her in this position, wishing the exchange could be taken back, it was difficult to sound detached. He’d been angry, but harming her had been something he’d put out of his mind some time ago, “I didn’t attack you either…”
They both shared a moment of sincere confusion. Overhaul hadn’t come out unscathed either, having to heal his own head injury as well as a cracked vertebra from the impact once he came to. “Then what the hell happened?” Nanami asked, speaking the question they were both wrestling with. She looked around the room for her bag at the same time Overhaul reached for his laptop.
“We should run tests.” They said in unison. He handed her her notebook from the bag and a pen as they began noting exactly what happened leading up to the explosion. As she recalled the events, there were a number of theories that came to mind, as well as ideas on how to safely perform reenactments of what transpired, but she also remembered the argument beforehand. He was somehow even more quiet than usual, and she could tell his gears were turning that morning, but the hostility seemed so out of the blue. Putting down her pen, he glanced up at her, noticing the sound of her writing had stopped and she was staring down thoughtfully.
“Did you think of something?”
“…Yeah. I did. Why’d you pick a fight with me that day?”
He looked back down at his keyboard and continued typing, “I don’t know what you mean. That little tiff was a joint effort.”
“No, no, no. It may have ended up that way, but you blew up at me after an entire week of solid teamwork. I expect the snide comments and the general air of grumpiness, but that was different… What happened?” He made the mistake of making eye contact with her. She didn’t look angry, just hurt.
Taken aback, all he could manage was “… I don’t know.” He wasn’t sure how to respond to that “emotion” nor did he have any plans to discuss feelings. If he was being honest, he wasn’t even sure why he did it himself. Perhaps it was self-sabotage and he was pushing her away, but to accept that would mean acknowledging they had gotten close; that he had, at some point, made the subconscious decision to stop viewing her as a pawn or even just a colleague, and to indulge the need for far more than their formal arrangement. He wasn’t ready to come to terms with the possible loss of his objectivity when it came to whatever went on between them, but he knew he’d have to confront the undercurrents of their relationship at some point. Right now, they had discovered a possible breakthrough in their research and there was no room for delay. With a ghost of a plan in mind for how to move forward with Nanami, he decided it would be more logical to smooth things over in the immediate moment with Dr. Watanabe; separating the two identities giving him the illusion of control. He continued” But I do know it won’t happen again. That was…unprofessional. How is your head?”
She bit her lip and exhaled, seeing the switch flick in his eyes knowing the wall had been put back up. “It’s… it’s fine. Just a little—no, really sore.” She confirmed with herself, rubbing her hand over the source of the pain to find stiches. Why wouldn’t he just overhaul this? “So, you decided to fix this the old-fashioned way, huh? The stitchwork is impeccable, but why go through the trouble? You could have just—”
“I didn’t want to touch you.”
“… Ouch.” She winced, glancing away as the abrupt response hurt a bit more than she expected.
Realizing it hadn’t been received how he planned, he clarified,” I meant I…didn’t want to use it on you. I was under the impression we had somehow attacked each other and assumed you might not find the prospect of me handling you in that way all that appealing.”
“…Oh. Well, thank you… I don’t mind if you touch me now” he rose a brow at this, “—I mean like to heal or—Oh you know what I mean.” She rolled her eyes before crossing her arms and continuing, “Just… just do it, please.” The last word tacked on with a mumble.
Letting out an amused breath, he rose, motioning her to turn so her back faced him as he removed his gloves. She quickly brushed her hair to the side, missing a few strands. She tensed as he was much closer than she was prepared for, feeling the warmth of his hands against the nape of her neck as he gently gathered the stray hairs and handed them to her to gather in front. Smoothing down the part, he leisurely ran his hands through her hair, losing himself for a second before noticing the tops of her ears had reddened and her breath had quickened at his ministrations. Refocusing, he disassembled the stitches before immediately healing the wound knowing even a millisecond of delay would prove very painful. “Done.”
Cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders, she felt normal again and ready to get out of bed as her muscles had been unused for the better part of three days. Checking the time on her phone on the nightstand she saw it was only 6 am, “So, you wanna go for a run?”
“That’s not funny.”
“Fine, fine. But on a serious note, I think we should head to the lab. I know the deal was 2 weeks bu—”
“You don’t have to bargain. Get cleaned up, I’ll start preparations for testing tomorrow.”
She turned to him, brows raised in surprise, “Well okay then. I’ll see you back at the house.”
“See you there.” He said before exiting her room, shutting the door softly.
After a thorough scrubbing and stretching, she felt ready to get back to her remaining paperwork, putting on her favorite chunky turtleneck and sweatpants effectively pulling off the lazy-but-still-fashionable look. Brewing herself a cup of tea and pulling out her workbag, she thought it best to not dwell on all the Feels ™ that had continuously threatened to surface, which was undoubtedly exacerbated by their current living situation.
She was woman enough to admit she stared just a little too long, smiled just a bit too enthusiastically, and was way too excited by even the smallest bits of physical contact with him… But it’s just a crush. She lied to herself as though he hadn’t been the most intellectually stimulating person she’d had the pleasure of talking to. As though she’d ever felt silence more comfortable than their time in the lab or simply sharing meals together. As though— Girl if you don’t concentrate… She chastised herself before attempting to neatly compartmentalize her feelings, refusing to acknowledge just how much more difficult keeping them in check had become. It’s just because you’re all up under each other, it’ll pass.
Refocusing on the task at hand, she opened her laptop and pulled out a well-worn file folder, her gaze turning somber as her fingers traced the bend of it; evidence of the many nights she’d revisited it only to close it when the answers didn’t come. In the past month she’d taken on a patient who seemingly had nowhere to go. Many of her colleagues had turned him away, seemingly too jaded to go through the trouble of dealing with such a case. Nanami herself was puzzled when she reviewed his file, but she knew there was no other option; she had to at least try.
Kenta was a very jovial, large person with a personality to match. Built much like a strongman with tusks not unlike a walrus, he was hard to miss. Before he became her patient, she’d see him making small talk with the other patients, encouraging them though he himself was on the way to chemotherapy, his weight dwindling by the day. The previous doctors told him that he had osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. It was seemingly exacerbated by his quirk that gave him dense bones; they were perfect for diving, but apparently came at this very high price. The treatment had shown mild success, but her predecessors had decided his condition was becoming too advanced and an amputation was in order. After that visit, he attempted to keep his jovial nature, but his physical appearance continued to deteriorate, the medication and tests taking their toll. Full-hardy laughs were interrupted by coughing fits, round cheeks flexed into a habitual smile were replaced with gaunt hollows. Nanami couldn’t help but feel was cruel to be given such great power and still be unable to solve this problem.
She agonized, sincerely perplexed as to why someone as healthy and active as Kenta could have developed such an aggressive and rare form of cancer so quickly. It didn’t helped that after the first doctor’s diagnosis, the subsequent three doctors took little to no efforts to confirm said diagnosis, so she remained thoroughly unconvinced. She was a prodigy in her own right, but that alone couldn’t negate seniority. To go against the other doctors, she would need substantial proof of her theory—and also a theory to begin with.
Nanami was stirred from her thoughts by the sound of the silo being activated, as Overhaul stepped out. It had been hours since she had last gotten up as day turned into late night, too engrossed in her task. She glanced up for a moment, giving an absent-minded “hey” before returning to her work. It was unlike her to brush him off so quickly, and he assumed there were still hard feelings from earlier. Approaching her, he was about to speak before he caught a glimpse of her screen and notes, the file folder and its contents now haphazardly splayed on the coffee table, a few with drops of moisture on them.
“Didn’t I tell you no drinking in the living roo—” he stopped short, hearing a small sniffle escape her, before she attempted to cover it up by clearing her throat.
“Sorry, yeah, no drinking in the living room.” She laughed emptily, gathering the papers that were stained.
Seeing people cry was usually… uninspiring to him, to say the least; he couldn’t understand it, the need for such dramatic displays as an adult. But he found himself making exceptions more and more; she wasn’t one to throw herself on the floor in a tantrum—at least not seriously. Her tears were stifled, indignant, and his curiosity—yes, we’ll call it “curiosity”— got the better of him.
“What are you doing? Crying?”
“No!… Maybe.” She stubbornly corrected, further averting her gaze, hoping to use her hair as a curtain to obscure her face. Pausing for a beat, his attention turned to what he presumed was the source. He read over it as she attempted to fix her face. His brow furrowed, and Nanami turned back to see what he was doing. “Why do you care?”
“Osteosarcoma seems like an odd diagnosis for someone with his age and history.” He noted, choosing not to answer her question.
“That’s what I said!” she instinctually replied before remembering herself, “I mean quit snooping, this is patient-doctor information. It’s illegal to share.”
“Yet you brought it outside your office, to a yakuza base.” He deadpanned, pointing out the hypocrisy, taking a seat next to her on the couch. She pursed her lips, continuing to mull over theories, assuming he’d get bored and leave her be. “If not osteosarcoma, what do you think it could be?”
Knowing discretion was one of his strong suits, she decided to humor him. “I’m not sure. The tumor grew extremely fast and they began chemo almost immediately, so I didn’t get the benefit of a fresh diagnosis. He’d been perfectly healthy otherwise and his line of work kept him pretty active.”
“What’s his occupation?”
“He’s a commercial diver, it’s pretty fitting since his quirk gives him a lot of walrus-like qualities.”
“Sounds hazardous.”
“You’re one to talk. He’s practically made for it so drowning or being crushed under the pressure is near-impossible for him.”
“I was referring to all of the equipment. The fact that he’s kept all of his limbs up to this point is impressive.”
Slowly turning to him, a tired look on her face, she replied “… Your compliments are so very strange.”
Shrugging he continued, “It’s not that odd. The number of divers and sailors I’ve seen at port with mutilated legs is not small.”
Nanami was mid eye-roll when an epiphany struck her. Her eyes went wide, and she began frantically rummaging through the paperwork. “Shit– wait, online!” grabbing her laptop, she began typing in a frenzy as Overhaul watched calmly. Finding Kenta’s online records in the hospital database, she read a file from a month before his diagnosis stating he had been in a diving accident that severely fractured his leg where his tumor now was. She let out a shaky breath of excitement, “MO. It’s fucking Myositis Ossificans! This explains why the ‘tumor’ grew so quickly. It’s because it wasn’t even really a tumor, just his body’s response to a traumatic injury– This is amazing!"
He felt the corner of his mouth tug upward, as she practically wiggled in genuine excitement. “That diagnosis sounds much more appropriate.”
Facing him on the couch, she reflexively grabbed him by his shoulders, lost in excitement, before realizing what she was doing. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to just grab you like that,” she hurriedly removed her hands before he waved it off. “It’s just… I’ve been poring over this since I got this case but hadn’t thought to make that connection since he never mentioned the injury.” Thinking back for a moment, it dawned on her, “… how did you know to ask?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you.”
Smiling, he rose, walking to the kitchen, “Would you like a cup?”
Very aware he was evading her question, she rolled her eyes smiling in kind “Sure. Of what?” She wrote down her final notes before putting away the files, tucking them and her laptop away as she waited for an answer.
Bringing over two cups of sake and the bottle, he sat next her with his own before sliding over her cup. She gave him a look and he sighed, “Consider it your reward for your work today. But don’t get used to it, my living room consumption rule still stands.”
She raised her hands in surrender, chuckling before taking a sip. “Oh! Let’s play a game.”
His brows furrowed as he continued to face forward still enjoying his drink,” Do I seem like a man who plays games?”
“Well, judging by the shogi board, I’d say yes.”
“… Just set the board.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a bit before starting the odd conversation, chatting and playing until they were on their fourth cup. Nanami was admittedly tipsy by this point and decided to ask something that had been on her mind for a while now with the aid of her liquid courage. If ever there was an opportunity, it was now, “Hey, why didn’t you ever become a doctor?” The question caught him off guard as he stopped drinking and peered off into the distance thoughtfully. His lips parting for a moment to speak before closing again to consider his answer.
“It would be difficult to treat people you can’t touch.”
“Hm… sounds like a copout. I wear gloves on the job at least 80% of the time and a lot of the non-surgical work that requires touching could easily be done by a nurse. So, what’s the real reason?”
“Well, you’re awfully bold tonight.”
“Eh, it’s your fault anyway,” she reminded him, toying with the sake glass. “So, are you gonna tell me or not?”
He considered her for a second before answering, “Win this game and I’ll tell you.”
“Easy.” She shot back before considering another outcome, “and what if I lose?”
He smiled easily, her stomach flipping as a glint of mischief was evident in his eyes, “Just try your best to win.”
Nanami was determined, or at least she convinced herself she was, not wanting to confront her curiosity at what he would do if she lost … or what he would do to me… Ok, let me put down this sake before I get a life sentence to horny jail. Recomposing herself a bit, she observed the board, stifling a smirk when she saw her path to victory. It was a moderately long game, but the outcome was in her favor as she took his king. Raising the piece betwixt her fingers, she smirked, “Now spill the beans.”
He stared into the proverbial abyss, slightly peeved at the loss, priding himself as a more-than proficient player before tonight. “Give me a moment.” He said casually raising a finger as he cleared his throat. Taking a measured sip from his cup before locking eyes with her, “I have a duty.” Nanami shot him an unsatisfactory look before he clarified, continuing, “Pops took me in when I had nothing to offer. This,” he began as he leered at his hands, recalling the destruction they regularly wrought, “is what I was meant to become in order to repay him. Bringing the yakuza back to their former glory and carrying on his legacy are my primary objectives. My time is limited since he’s not as young as he used to be. The years of schooling it would take to reap the benefits he deserves would prove much too long. Indulging in a dream like that is not in my nature, even if I did have the time. That is why.”
Her smile dulled as she processed his response. She wasn’t self-righteous enough to impose her own ideals on him, but it seemed like such a waste. His leading questions tonight were just one of many examples of his expertise. Even without the formal schooling he had a level of mastery that could easily earn him a degree, and coupled with his research skills, he could do a world of good. But instead here he was, content with just the opportunity to pay his debts. For someone so arrogant, he thought surprisingly little of his own nature. Maybe someday someone could convince him he didn’t have to carry around this weight all the time. Still very tipsy, she responded,” Well, if it’s a dream of yours to begin with, your nature can’t be all that bad now can it?” At this he knitted his brows, trying to accept the possibility. Seeing his hesitation, she continued, “You can do both, you know. Give yourself some more credit, bird brain.” She slurred the last insult, finishing her sake off with a gulp, not wanting to sound too soft. Feeling the consequences of her actions, she swayed sleepily in her seat before closing her eyes.
The next thing she knew, she felt herself being nudged awake, “Come on, get up. You need to get into bed.”
“But it’s sooo comfy here. Why are you being such a buzzkill, Kai?” she whined as he grasped her forearms, encouraging her to rise from her seat.
Stopping in his tracks, he asked a bit taken aback, “Where did you hear that name?”
“Your Poppy Pops told me” She almost sang, a grin plastered on her face.
“…Do not ever use the phrase ‘Poppy Pops’ again. Also, if couches were meant for sleeping, beds wouldn’t exist.” He responded irritated, though he handled her like porcelain, still remembering how unpleasant the last three days had been. Guiding Nanami to her room, he finally got her to lay down after tuning out a slew of other ridiculous nickname proposals, the drowsiness setting in as soon as her head hit the pillow. Knowing it would be too much work convincing a now drunk Nanami to get under the covers, he begrudgingly put a spare blanket over her. Before leaving, he looked back at her sleepy form. As much as they could grate each other’s nerves, no one had ever thought to encourage him or challenge his own thinking besides his father. He had never been a warm or sentimental person, having to try thrice as hard to grasp emotions that came so naturally to others, but she had planted a seed of doubt. Having always been so confident in his own lacking, he found a part of himself excited to be proven wrong for the first time. Before closing the door softly, he spoke “Thank you, Nanami.”
Her back ached as she hunched over her keyboard, only moving to grab the odd paper and examine it. Straightening up for the first time in hours she glanced at the clock on the wall that read 10:45pm, realizing she’d neglected two out of three meals today. Once Overhaul had left, she decided to catch up on paperwork and hadn’t gotten up since, except to go to the bathroom and grab a glass of water. On her visit to the fridge, she was unsurprised to find nothing but water and condiments. Of all the ways to be a normal bachelor, he chooses this one… she bemoaned, trying to formulate a dinner strategy while on house arrest. After a beat, she made a couple calls,confident she’d found a loophole.
An hour or so later, the smell of lemon and herbs filled the kitchen as she checked between dishes. After going through her mental list of recipes, she decided chicken picatta with a side of rice would be easiest while also sating her growing hunger. Smelling the sauce, she grabbed a spoon to gauge if the seasoning was up to snuff. Closing her eyes, she considered the flavor.
“What are you doing?”
“Aggh!” She clutched her chest, almost choking on the sauce. Catching her breath, she shot him a ghastly look before continuing, “I know this is your house and all, but could you please not use the ~hitman stealth~ walk while I’m here?”
“No. You should just be more alert. Now answer my question: what are you doing?”
“Ah, well I know by your sad fridge you may not be familiar with the concept, but this is called ‘cooking’.” She piped in her best kindergarten teacher voice.
“Do not start with me tonight.” He looked genuinely angry as he took a step forward, “Where did you get the ingredients? I specifically asked you not to leave and yo—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Chill out, Joe Goldberg, I stayed in the box. ”
“What?”
“Ugh, if you watched TV like a normal person that would have been a great joke—anyway, what I’m saying is I didn’t leave.”
“Elaborate.”
“Well it’s this show about a guy who traps a gi—”
“Dammit I mean about how you got the ingredients without leaving.”
“Oh yes, well I texted Kurono to call one of the guys who then called another dude who ordered it on Mostpates who then went back through the chain of communication until it was delivered to the door by one of your subordinates—with whom I had zero contact with—and now here I am. Still very much isolated from the outside world. Happy?”
He paused, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he towered over her. She deadpanned back until he relented, rolling his eyes and sighing; irritated with her consistent sass, but relieved Nanami was safe. Relieved a valuable ally was uncompromised, he sternly corrected as though to convince himself. Try as he may, the frequency of his little “unprofessional slips” when it came to her kept increasing. He reasoned that introducing her to Pop—the Boss, was simply strategic and necessary as she became more involved in their organization. These faux pas where he’d praise her behind her back to the Boss during their weekly dinners or lapse into these fantasies, he wouldn’t dare speak aloud were merely obstacles he’d need to overcome. At some point. She’s just an ally. He lied to himself yet again, before addressing her, “Don’t do that without informing me first next time.”
“Yes s— I mean, you bet.” She said nervously clearing her throat before turning back to the stove. She would’ve continued indulging in her favorite pastime of getting on his nerves, but decided not to after getting a good look at him in the light. He looked tired and her sympathy won out over her need to continue poking the bear. Deciding it would be more sensible to make nice with her new roommate, she took a chance. “You know, I made a lot more than I was expecting if you wan—”
“I don’t need anything from you,” he reflexively shot back.
“Fine. Suit yourself.” she shrugged turning back to the stove. One step forward, fifteen steps back. What do I even expect?
*grooowwwlll*
Her head slowly swiveled to him; her brows raised. She took the sauce off the heat, drizzling the aromatic cream over the steaming rice and herb-crusted chicken. She confidently maintained eye contact for dramatic effect, though she was quite surprised she didn’t spill anything. A staring contest ensued, though they both knew the winner was the one who already possessed the literal chicken dinner. “Care to rethink your answer?”
“… If I get food poisoning it’ll be your end.” He acquiesced.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s just hurry before it gets cold.”
They sat down at the table across from each other, setting their places. Forgetting to get utensils, Nanami got back up and headed to the kitchen to retrieve them. “You can start without me, I forgot something,” she said with her back turned as she found the drawer she was looking for. Looking at the pans, she decided it would be much less of a pain to put them in the sink now instead of after her self-induced food coma. As she reached for the pan, she heard a faint rustling and a hushed “Thanks for the food” coming from the table. She went wide-eyed for a split second at the realization, Well, guess you can’t eat through a mask… gulping at the thought of finally seeing his face, she shooed the feelings away as mere curiosity, to no avail. Suddenly it felt too nerve-wracking to turn around as she continued to overthink, her utensils having been found long ago.
“If you leave your plate out any longer, I’m going to throw it away.”
“What? That makes zero sen—” she turned to reflexively bicker but stopped short. After seeing someone masked for so long it felt strangely intimate to see his face. He was still facing forward, calmly devouring the meal as she studied his profile, his features catching the warm light above the dining table. Nanami hadn’t known what she’d expected to see, but it wasn’t this. It might have been less surprising if he had some maniacal countenance or monstrous face, but he just looked… Normal… Normal…and really fucking cute. Shit. Her conflicted look of disgust with herself and fascination with him was promptly misinterpreted as he turned to see why she’d stopped grimaced back at her as she continued her appraisal, finding his full expressions, instead of just eyes, to still be a jarring sight.
“Do you have something to say?”
“N-No, just getting some eating sticks! I mean utensils. Eating. Utensils.” She cleared her throat, exuding awkwardness.
“…Right.”
Exhaling, she hurriedly made her way back to the table, trying to carry on normally. She began eating, her hunger taking her mind off the previous blunder. Looking up to grab the pitcher of water to refill her glass, she inadvertently caught his gaze. Certain this would be a rare occurrence, she decided if she wanted to gawk, it would have to be now. Today she’d gotten a face and a name, and suddenly he seemed a lot more… human.
“You have a staring problem, and I’m going to fix it in a very unpleasant way if you don’t stop.”
Nevermind. “Says the guy that’s blinked all of 3 times in the past 4 months.” She scoffed,“ I don’t have a 'staring problem,’ I was just… surprised to see your face is all.”
He paused before continuing eating, but she could tell he was still thinking, “… what’s surprising about it?”
Now able to fully evaluate his expressions, Nanami could tell he was a mixture of indignant, but curious. I can work with that. “Hm? Oh nothing, nothing at all… Except…” she leaned forward across the table, her eyes heavy-lidded as they travelled from his eyes to his mouth, committing the pleasant features to memory.
He was focused now. “Except?” the word came out softer than intended, as she was close enough for him to catch the scent of lavender, the t-shirt she wore forming an almost dangerously revealing dip as she leaned forward. His jaw clenched as he fought to maintain eye contact, trying not to blatantly appreciate her suggestive positioning. The walls of the room felt as though they were shifting closer together as he waited with bated breath for her answer, or action.
“Except…You have rice on it,” she tapped on her own face to show him where, grinning at his look of exasperation as she plopped back down to finish her last bite of food, missing how he briefly deflated. “So, how was it?”
“I don’t feel any early signs of food poisoning,” he began “but we’ll see how the rest of the night goes.”
Now feeling the sleepiness beginning to take over, she was too tired to give a quality retort. Sighing, she got up, grabbing her dish as she made her way back to the kitchen to clean up, the day finally catching up to her. She placed her dish in the sink and began searching for the gloves to start washing. Before she could locate them, she heard footsteps behind her.
“Move.”
“Really? I share my food and then you insult it—surprise, surprise—and now I can’t even clean up in peace” She began, but stopped as she turned to see him, his hands already clad in the yellow latex. His face was expressionless as he moved in her place and began tidying up. Taking it as her cue to leave, she dragged herself to her room to get ready for bed before he called back to her.
“Thank you for the food. It wasn’t bad at all.” He said, his back still turned as he continued cleaning.
She stopped, a half-smile appearing on her face as she could see he was trying to make nice, though he was obviously still not used to it, “…You’re welcome. Hey, Overhaul?”
“Yes?”
“You should get some rest.”
“Don’t need it. Per our conversation earlier, I have unlimited stamina.”
“Sure, but you can’t overhaul your mind, now can you?”
“Ok, Dr. Phil.” He mocked and her eyes shot wide. Before she could respond he continued, “And no, I will not answer further questions about that reference or how I know it. Goodnight.”
Stifling a laugh, she turned to walk back to her room, “Goodnight.”
The next week went by without incident and they began to form a routine. At 5:30 they’d get up to get ready for their jog. Nanami could tell she was on schedule by the sound of footsteps and water running next door that mirrored her own. Once finished, they’d convene in the front room, put on their shoes and head outside to stretch. Very few words if any were spoken, but Nanami enjoyed the comfortable silence. At work it was always expected that she’d be overtly personable and chatty, but she knew he had no such expectations. She could zone out and just exist and that was alrigh—
“Ahem”, he cleared his throat as he waited expectantly for her to start their morning run. His hands bare for the first time in ages as one of his subordinates ordered the wrong brand, and he swore he’d break into hives if he used them. Both of them were sure they wouldn’t need to touch any public surfaces on their run so the rarity of the occasion was dismissed.
“Oops, coming.”
Without another word they began, Nanami putting her headphones in. After their third run, he was satisfied that he could handle an ambush as they gathered more intel about the Okamura, and she could indulge in her music while they ran. One of her favorite songs came on and she began stepping to the rhythm as her shoulders started to roll and her head bobbed to the beat, soon after she began mouthing the words.
“Every time I comb my hair
Thoughts of you get in my eyes
You’re a sinner, I don’t care
I just want your creamy thighs”
All the while she didn’t realize her erratic movements and lip-syncing had caught Overhaul’s attention as he watched from the corner of his eye. A few months ago, he wouldn’t have been able to stomach the thought of sharing his home and free time with someone else without breaking out in hives, but now it felt… comfortable. It was comforting to come home to someone, to work with them and not be annoyed to the point of homicide (for him it was more rare than most), it was comforting knowing that someone was her.
She looked so carefree, so happy in the midst of everything while he felt the weight of the world had made permanent indentions on his shoulders. She didn’t fit in this world; she didn’t belong here. Or to anyone. The thought crossing his mind bitterly as his inner monologue took a familiar, pessimistic turn. Just looking at her brought that sickening warmth to his chest he coveted but didn’t recognize as something he was capable of… that is until a couple of months ago. Now he found it showing up more and more, clouding his judgment. It was distracting. He had an objective and she was an important variable in achieving said objective—nothing more. How dare she make him… feel or even question if he was able to. It was disgusting.
Now able to recognize the feeling of being silently judged by him, Nanami looked up to meet his gaze. “Weren’t you just lecturing me the other day about having a 'staring problem’?”
“I’m not staring, I’m just wondering why you’re carrying on like this in public.”
“Pssh, enjoying music—the great music of the illustrious Prince, nonetheless—is totally grounds for 'carrying on in public.’ Being carefree every now and again isn’t a sin, you know.”
“There are enough frivolous people in the world. Why should I have to indulge them?”
“You call it frivolous; I call it taking happy moments when they come. You should just let people enjoy things and stop being such a stick in the mud. You never know, maybe you’ll do something ~*wild*~ like enjoy yourself for once.”
“Not all of us have the luxury of being empty-headed and self-indulgent.”
At this she stopped running, the words sounding more like a personal attack than broad commentary. “What, so I’m a careless idiot just because I don’t brood about my self-induced problems all the time?”
Their similarities began to surface as he took her comment in like fashion, both of them now offended at scenarios they’d created in their own heads. “'Self-induced’? You know nothing about my perceived 'problems’ or how they came about. Nothing.” His irritation quickly morphed into anger the more he thought about the implication that he’d chosen this life.
“And you don’t know anything about my problems either. Just because I choose to be happy every blue moon and my issues usually don’t involve me snuffing people out on the regular doesn’t mean they aren’t also really shitty.”
“Oh, so you accidently blow up one kid and now it’s a trauma you get to use as a crutch?”
Upon saying this, her posture straightened, and she looked at him evenly, a cold rage emanating from her. “So, you think that’s all there is to me? I’m just some spoiled brat who’s always had her way and now that I’m exposed to your big, scary reality, my little traumas don’t compare? My tender little world is being shattered by the brutality and violence of your 'real’ one? If anything is self-indulgent it’s your narcissistic assumption that you’re sob story is somehow worse than everyone else’s” she said, venom dripping from her words.
He hadn’t seen her like this before. They say when telling a person’s age, that wrinkles and proportions are the best tells. In truth, there’s a certain “look” that begins to form over time, one’s experiences flash behind their eyes, an amalgamation of memories; they've seen things, their innocence eroding with every visage adding years to even the most verdant skin. As Nanami spoke, he saw an age in her eyes that didn’t match her face. There was a certainty in her gaze that only came from seeing the grotesque with one’s own eyes and deciding to keep looking. Her words were telling, but her stare was what filled the pages of the novel being written between them. Ever obsessed with purity, he assumed he’d be repulsed by the revelation, but it only made her seem closer. Her presumed naivety that he thought separated them was being chipped away. He wanted to know more, to become closer.
He was entranced as she seemingly riled herself up, “I’ve been through more than you could ev—” She stopped short, shaking her head as she bit her lip, looking off into the distance at something only she could see.
“What do you mean?” He coaxed her to finish her thought, now hopeful.
“No. I think I’ve told you enough. You’ve made your judgment and I’ll have to live with the fact that I made a mistake, as will you.”
“What? This conversation isn’t ov—”
“You don’t get to decide that,” she snapped. “I’m heading back, and I suggest you take the long way around.”
A grave look came across his face at being commanded, “That’s not how this works, and you will not cut me off again, or I’ll-”
“Or you’ll what?” She was back in his face, a familiar defiance in her eyes. If she was poking the bear before, this was an entire stabbing.
“You don’t want this.” He warned.
“You have no idea what I want.”
As things boiled over, they were much too close, a static in the air building between them, fingers pointed as they continued to argue. They were ultimately too close, for no more than a millisecond, but that small error was all it took for the reaction that followed. In that brief moment, they made contact, a blast followed that sent them both flying in opposite directions. Nanami hit one of the walls that lined the streets with a sickening thud. She slumped, unconscious, a stream of red dying her silver hair.
After being a longtime fanfic reader, I’m kinda annoyed (read really annoyed) with myself for dropping the ball after posting regularly, but life happened. I’ll spare y’all the whole post-hiatus spiel, and just say it’s great to be back. A humungous thank you to all the people the commented about continuing this story and that you enjoyed it. This is pretty self-indulgent so to know other people are indulging and getting into the story is like fuel in the tank to me haha.
I’ll be posting every other week now to make sure I don’t fall off the wagon, so thanks for all the favs, follows, and comments—hope y’all enjoy!
Expelling the last of her sniffles, Nanami massaged her throat regretting she’d traded the breakfast in her stomach for the current burn in her throat. Still slightly embarrassed by her outburst, she struggled to look in his direction. His eyes were narrowed, focusing on something far in the distance, his breath steady and air dangerously calm.
“So, what’s this plan you have?” she queried, trying to regain some of her cool as she sipped from the bottle of water they picked up after her date with the drainage ditch.
He casually rolled his head over relaxed shoulders, eyes meeting hers with ease, “We’re going to kill Mephistopheles.”
A cumbersome glob of water slipped into her windpipe as she nearly choked in response, “We’re going to do what now?”
“Exactly as a I said.” He replied, eyes focused back on the road.
“Ok, so the grand plan is to just kill Faust? That easy?”
“Eventually, him as well, but I said Mephistopheles.”
“What do you mean? They’re the same person.”
“Not according to folklore.”
“Yeah, but that’s just what it is, folklore– a legend to make some uppity old bastard feel powerful.”
“And so were superpowers and evil villains, until they weren’t. What do you believe is the point of using these specific names? The theatrics of it all?”
Nanami sat pensively for a second before deciding to entertain this line of questioning,” Hm… Probably to intimidate, I assume.”
“That’s half, the other is to mislead. Think, what would someone with such power need with a legend?”
“… Unless it wasn’t just a legend.” A nagging feeling crept up Nanami’s spine at the implication.” So—and correct me if I’m wrong because this does indeed sound batshit—you’re saying Dr. Faust is really who he says he is and is obvious about it because he wants to hide a whole ass demon?”
“It may sound, as you say ‘batshit’, but it makes perfect sense when you put it into context. After all, what did you do the second you found out the full extent of your powers? “
“… Hid them in plain sight.” She reluctantly replied as the theory, however bizarre, was beginning to make sense.
“Precisely.” Seeing she wasn’t fully convinced, he continued, “This Mephistopheles may not be a literal demon per se, but it’s entirely possible he’s another, much more powerful quirk user playing into this folklore narrative. He may have even created it himself.”
“I suppose if you had the ability to give a power like the one Faust has, it would make the most sense to hide in myth rather than fight off every Joe, Jack, and Harry looking to have their wish for power granted.” Nanami responded, now buying into the idea that there may be a larger force at play. It felt like when she was thrust into the underworld overnight all over again, the fear of the unknown being replaced with the anxiety of the inevitable. If they were going to go with this theory— engage the folklore as reality, they’d have to start somewhere tangible. “We need to do some research on this first. Even if this is all true, our knowledge of the legend itself is surface-level at best.”
“Which is exactly why we’re going on a trip. Be sure to clear your schedule this weekend.”
Nanami took a deep breath, allowing the hot water to relax joints and muscles that had been getting all the wrong action from the past couple weeks of double shifts and being on-call. Her quarantine was necessary, especially given what they’d learned, but it did nothing for her workload which predictably spiked upon her return. Things were beginning to calm down but judging by the dark circles threatening to emerge under her tired eyes, a break was still in order.
Stepping out of the shower her phone lit up and she quickly realized much more time had gone by than she meant to. Fumbling through familiar icons, she opened her messages.
Hitomi: Hey girl I think I’m outside the place, could you come down and let me in?
Nanami: omg I’m so sorry! I just got out the shower, but if you give the doorman my number I can buzz you up.
Hitomi: … Doorman? Your new place is cute but…
Nanami: but what? >:(
Hitomi: The place I’m at is a reg apartment building. Maybe the skystabber next door would have one, but I don’t see one here
Nanami: is the skystabber white and the place you’re in front of brownish grey?
Hitomi: Yeah
Nanami: well I live in the skystabber
Hitomi: ???
Nanami: idk what to tell you
Hitomi:… gimme a minute.
As mixed as her feelings were about her new digs, Nanami couldn’t help but flex ever-so slightly considering there was only a very short list of people who were allowed to know where she lived now. Wrapping herself in a robe, a knock came at the door and she hurriedly shuffled over to unlock the 3 deadbolts after checking the peephole. Seeing one of her favorite faces through the other side, she opened it, “Hey! Sorry for checking my phone so late, I’ll be ready in a minute and then we can go shopping—for real this time, no work interruption or anything.” She began as she quickly shuffled back in the direction of her room, disappearing down a hallway. Now getting dressed, she called from her room to her friend, now noting the uncharacteristic silence, “Do you want some water or someth—”
Nanami peaked her head out to speak, but stopped short upon seeing Hitomi’s face, now fixed in a grimace,” I can’t believe you.”
Brows knitting upward, Nanami quickly racked her brain for all her offenses Hitomi could be referring to, a twinge of guilt creeping in as she thought a bit too hard about all her offenses in general. Before she could overthink further, she continued, “I can’t believe you went and got a sugar daddy and didn’t even bother to hook up your best friend. Unforgiveable.”
“A SUGAR WHOMST?” she asked incredulously, now being fully caught off-guard.
“Oh, don’t play dumb with me, Frugal McDougall. There’s no way a veteran penny pincher like you would ball out like this. Who is he and why haven’t you introduced me to any of his friends?”
Stunned, Nanami stood there before bursting into a fit of laughter. Of course, to the naked, non-underworld entangled eye that’s what it looked like, but she’d never thought of it that way. Her belly laugh persisted as Hitomi carried on with her rant, and Nanami remembered how grateful she was to have ties to the outside world. The world outside the whirlwind of chaos that had consumed her life for the past year. In her teary-eyed, coughing state, she ambled over to her still-animated friend, embracing her in a bear hug, burying her face into her shoulder, remembering what normalcy smelled like.
Hitomi continued her tirade before slowing as she felt the fabric of her blouse dampen, gently clinging to her clavicle where her friend’s head lay. “Wait, are you crying? No, no, no don’t cry! I was just kidding (kind of, because if you have a connect, I would still like to know), but I didn’t mean anything by it. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine you absolute jackaloon. I just missed you and this. A lot.”
“I… I’m not getting what’s happening here—and I am neither a jack nor a’loon, but I missed you too,” She responded sincerely as Nanami reigned in the waterworks enough to raise her head, seeing a smile she realized now she’d give her left kidney for.
“Well good, because there’s a lot to tell, and I’ve got the rest of the afternoon to catch up and talk your ear off.”
“No arguments here. Now hurry up and finish getting dressed while I rassle up some mimosas. We’ve got work to do.~”
The pair shared a leisurely breakfast over mimosas before starting their walk towards the outdoor mall near Nanami’s new place. Though it wasn’t as crowded as ones by the stations, they were pleased to window shop and visit the smaller boutiques. Thanks to her strict training regimen over the past year, Nanami had bulked up, gaining more muscle than some of her clothes could accommodate, and needed to refresh her wardrobe.
“If you’ve got it, flaunt it” Hitomi remarked while Nanami looked herself over in the mirror sporting a dress that was much more revealing than she was used to.
“Ok, but what if I don’t got it?”
“Girl, hush. Your body’s got more cuts in it than a delicatessen. Besides, what’s the point of working out so hard if not to feel and look good?”
Not getting abducted, being able to fight off assailants, etc… “Well, there’re plenty of other reasons but I guess you’re right.”
“Of course, I am! Now let’s get this cute little number and head out. Think we can catch an early dinner before your trip tomorrow?” Hitomi tempted, her eyes bouncing between Nanami and the phone she held up displaying a wine bar nearby, eyebrows wiggling.
“Fine, fine. If you’re gonna twist my arm about it, I guess I have no choice but to have a relaxing dinner with one of my favorite people,” Nanami jested as she took a last look in the mirror.
“So, I’m only ‘one of’ your favorite people now, huh? I wonder who could’ve edged their way into that category,” Hitomi mused half-jokingly, knowing how reserved— and some would say guarded, her friend could be. Looking up after a couple moments of no response, she could see a far-off look in Nanami’s eyes, as though she’d thought of something or someone very specific in that moment. Never one to resist the opportunity to tease, she prodded, more purposefully now,” I wonder if it’s that hot older doctor you work with? Wait no, he’s married—oh, oh maybe that cute barista at the tea shop? Nah, too easy.” She continued to guess as Nanami turned to enter the dressing room again, though Hitomi could hear her friend subtly sigh disapprovingly at her previous guesses though the curtain. However, she couldn’t resist continuing as her best friend had yet to deny the implication that there was someone else living rent free in that head of hers. “Hm… who else could it be… Someone you probably spend a lot of time with, who is almost as devastating as me… Wait a second, aren’t you still doing research with that tall, menacing, and handsome lab partner of yours?” She asked nonchalantly before recognizing the distinct silence now coming from the dressing room. “Oh my gosh, it is him isn’t it?”
The silence continued, though small shuffling could be heard before the dressing room curtain was thrust open, her silver hair conveniently providing a second curtain to hide her now-flushed face. Refusing to make eye contact, she marched toward the register with her items in hand before politely greeting the shop worker who would check her out. She tried to keep her gaze forward, but she could feel the looming presence behind her.
“Let’s see, last time I saw you run into him you were almost as red as you are now, did something change may haps?”
“Yes, thank you I will take a bag” Nanami responded to the shop keeper’s question, ignoring Hitomi’s more-difficult ones.
“Something definitely happened. What was it? Too many longing stares? No, you guys were already doing that when I first saw him…”
“Yes, thank you— we’ll be sure to visit again soon!” She continued with her attempt to tune her friend out.
“Maybe a tender embrace? No, no you wouldn’t be this flustered about that… But maybe you guys took things to the next level and upgraded that partner title to, ya’know, partners” She intoned suggestively, noticing Nanami once again stop in her tracks, now outside the store on the sidewalk. “Wait, he’s your boyfriend?!”
As Nanami was about to turn to respond, she felt a gust of wind and a shoulder slam into hers as someone rushed by, a shout from her friend coming shortly after “Hey! He’s got my purse!” Before she could register her own response, Nanami took off after the thief catching up to him after only a couple yards. Running slightly passed him, in a swift move she turned to face him, crouching down as she lunged forward. Bracing her arm and shoulder, the force of his momentum hitting her knocked all the wind out of him. The thief doubled over after she landed a swift blow to his neck, causing him to pass out. In quick form, Nanami grabbed the purse from his under his crumpled form before walking briskly back to Hitomi. She made sure her head was turned away from the bystanders that caught a glimpse of the skirmish and the others who were beginning to crowd around the indisposed thief. Handing the purse back, Hitomi now stared at her in a mixture of shock and fascination before Nanami responded, hoping to get out of sight as soon as possible, “My boyfriend taught me—and yes, I’ll tell you more about it over dinner. Now can we please get out of here before a hero comes?”
“With moves like that, who could argue with you?” Hitomi laughed incredulously as they escaped the forming crowd.
A warm satisfaction wriggled its way through languid cords of muscle and tendon as Nanami stretched in response to hearing her second-to-last alarm. Her night with Hitomi had proved much more painless than she’d imagined after letting the “yes, I have a boyfriend-and he is definitely normal” cat out of the bag, though dodging the suspicion and guilt around hiding the relationship were considerably more difficult to navigate. Rolling over, fingertips found the offending object, squinting through the bright light of the screen to gauge how much time she’d have to get ready before their trip.
“Our” trip, huh… Nanami intoned internally, remembering that in … exactly 53 minutes. I can make that work, she and Chisaki would be enroute to their weekend getaway, though most would akin it to more of a study date. A study date which naturally required Nanami to consider packing her little black dress, Just in case… She reasoned before promptly remembering why they needed to go in the first place. A small roll of anxiety unfurled itself in her stomach as she remembered just how little they had to go on in the way of tangible evidence, much less an inkling as to the location of the real Mephistopheles. It was one thing to test a theory when there’s documentation and proven science to lean into, but here they were, about to stake their lives on an allegory. Life teaching me a lesson. How original.
She tried her best to stifle the bitter thoughts that ensured her whatever suffering and hardships came her way were deserved. The thoughts that confirmed her worst beliefs about herself and the future. The void of pessimism that disguised itself as logic proven by a hard life. Her life being the butt of a cautionary tale seemed like a cruel joke. Nonetheless, she pulled from a familiar well of strength—too scared to check how much was left and drowned the thoughts in it. Burying them once again. She was tired, but there was work to do.
Now feeling sufficiently overwhelmed, she grabbed a fistful of duvet to bury herself in, deciding to let the last of the alarms do its job in fifteen minutes, savoring the last of her rest. As the apartment was once again silent save for her soft breathing as sleep took hold, she heard the elevator bell for her floor ring. Immediately assuming she’d overslept, she leapt out of bed in a panic, scurrying down the hall to the front door hoping to mitigate the damage by at least showing she was up. Upon entering the kitchen, she saw him setting down a bag and two cups that smelled like breakfast, her eyes fixating on what looked like heaven and eggs. As she was focused on the bag, he’d lifted his gaze to take stock of her, doing a double-take before assessing the familiar visage fully.
Her eyes were heavy-lidded, a wrinkle beginning to form beneath them from working late. Her chestnut skin was smooth and glowing from hard-won rest. The large windows now streaming in natural light to her apartment making the whisps of silver hair that slipped from under her bonnet shimmer as they framed her face. She stepped out of the doorway, her shoulders slowly relaxing, looking every bit the angel he’d fallen in—Wait, what is this… “feeling” the thought crossed his mind before he could capture it. Shaking off the trance, he slowly removed his mask, folding it neatly into his pocket to give her his full attention. He cleared his throat, now reassured that seeing this vision of her was much better in person than in daydreams or memories.
Judging by his stunned silence, Nanami was sure she must have looked like a hot mess. I knew I should’ve gotten up earlier, but no I just had to get in those extra minutes like there wouldn’t be plenty of time to sleep in the car. She chastised herself inwardly knowing he certainly wouldn’t forget the sight now seeing it twice, though she had once again thoroughly misjudged why. Quickly straightening her sleep shirt that insisted on sliding down one of her shoulders and riding up one of her legs, she fidgeted under his gaze, wishing he would say something—anything—and put her out of her misery. She decided to speak first, unable to stand the silence any longer though it had only been seconds. “Hey! I’m so sorry, I thought I was just resting my eyes for 5 minutes and totally overslept,” she spluttered to explain herself, but he remained silent, his eyes were glued to her. “Good news is I packed last night so once I get dressed, we can leave immedia—"
“May I kiss you?”
Stunned for a moment, Nanami registered what he’d said. It wasn’t long after seeing his complete lack of irritation that she was going to make them late, that she noticed his gaze contently bouncing between her eyes and lips as she went to wet them reflexively. It was in even shorter order that she remembered her feelings when she’d been in this position before, though she wasn’t being offered then what she wanted as she was now. Gulping, she attempted to trust her shaky voice to answer, “Ye—” he gingerly ran his hand along her neck feeling her jawline atop his thumb making her limbs weak, “Y-Yes, you may.” Not wanting to wait any longer, he craned downward, brushing his nose with hers as his lips followed soon after. Tenderly massaging her lips between his, it became apparent he was a quick study, deepening it with a broad hand that snaked up her back causing her to shiver. Just as she felt the coil of heat wriggle its way through her core, he broke the kiss, pleased with the blissfully dazed look now on her face.
“Thank you, and good morning,” Chisaki responded softly though it hit her like a palette of bricks.
“You’re very welcome” She couldn’t stifle the chuckle that erupted at his undying formality though her heart continued knocking against her ribcage. I’m definitely gonna pack that dress now.
“Also, you don’t need to apologize. I’m early.”
“Phew thank goodness, I don’t know if I could bear being judged in a car for 3 hours straight.”
“3 hours and 57 minutes, there’s traffic.”
Making a face at him, she grabbed the coffee from his now-waiting hand,” Anyway, where exactly are we going? I was looking through all the major libraries with older texts and they’re not that far.”
“That’s because they don’t have the oldest. At least none of the ones we need. After doing some research of my own— “
“Were any people injured during the making of this research?”
“That is entirely beside the point.”
“So, a hard yes. Continue.”
“As I was saying, there seems to be a small town with a particular library known for possessing more obscure, but valuable texts. I believe there is where we’ll find the first clue to the real Mephistopheles’ location.”
“What’s it called?”
“Hihō.”
“Really…It’s called Hihō? That’s strange.” Nanami’s brow furrowed as the name struck familiar.
“How so?” He questioned, taking a sip of his cup.
“That was the name of my parents’ main research lab. And they’d name all kinds of things that… I just figured they liked the name, never knew it was a place.”
“Hm. Then it is true they say about coincidences…”
“I promise I’ll keep a low profile, just let me come with you.” Nanami entreated as she sat at the kitchen island. Overhaul was cleaning up after dinner, his back turned as she made her case.
“This is not a casual outing, I’m meeting with a contact and he doesn’t appreciate extraneous variables, which, in this case, would be you.”
“And when have you ever cared about what other people do or don’t appreciate?”
He paused, turning to her, setting down a cleaned dish and folded towel, “Flattery is appreciated, but it will not get you out of this house before Sunday.”
She pouted before trying a different angle, “But strategy might, right?” He knitted his brows, folding his arms across his chest, a silent tell that he was just bored enough to entertain her pitch, “Hear me out—though indirectly, you’ve been targeted by the Okamura—a rival org, right? Wouldn’t it be nice to have some back-up just in case they find out you’re meeting this contact and decide to strike before the raid can happen?”
“That’s what the Precepts are for.”
“Sure, but they might send the wrong message. If I was meeting somebody under the pretext of civil conversation and they brought along backup that looked like Rappa or Kurono—I’d feel pretty threatened. But me? You’d hardly even know I was there. Besides, it’s not like I’m the most physically intimidating person to begin with anyway.”
He looked down thoughtfully as he considered her proposal. Nervous he might still reject the idea, she chewed her lip, waiting for his response. Just as the feeling of defeat seemed imminent, he answered, “We’re leaving at noon. Wear your hair differently and dress in muted colors. If you’re not ready by 11:59 exactly, I’m leaving you behind.”
She beamed before quickly reeling her excitement back in, “Understood. I’ll be right here and ready to go at 11:59am, sharp.”
Though the two-week sequestration at his house was nearing its end, Nanami was beginning to get stir-crazy. Overhaul had been working long hours, strategizing the retaliation against the Okamura, knowing that taking them down would be much more complicated than simple massacre. On the other hand, Nanami knew even after the raid, she’d have to limit her time in public and remain especially vigilant for months to come until the dust fully settled. Though it may have only been a trip to the park to exchange information, it would probably be the most amount of time she’d get to be outside for a while.
Nanami awoke from a light sleep, having been too excited about the outing. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe it was without its dangers and that the possibility of her having to spring into action wasn’t real, but given the circumstances, she thought it wise to take what little joy she could when she could.
Rummaging through her luggage she tried to keep in mind his wardrobe mandates as she reluctantly passed over a myriad of cute, but boldly-colored clothing. A look of self-satisfaction crossed her face as she assembled a fitting ensemble and quickly got dressed. Trotting out of her room at 11:55 she carried her shoes to the entrance way, slipping them on as she heard him emerge from his room. Looking up she saw surprise in his eyes as he stopped a distance away from her. Slipping on the other chunky sandal, she stood up straight showing her full outfit, hoping he’d approve. She’d chosen a casual, sage dress with subtle ruffles and her favorite oversized, beige cardigan just in case it got chilly. Her hair was done in a low braid that went over her shoulder and to the front, a few wisps of hair loose on the opposite side making her look softer than her usual professional get-up. He wore his usual black dress shirt, slacks and dust mask to do his version of blending in. Noticing his silence, she panicked momentarily, worried she’d made the wrong choice in clothing and he’d make her stay put, “Do I need to change? Sorry, I’ve obviously never done this before, but I’ve got other outfits if this doesn’t wo—”
“No. Don’t change.” He replied a bit too quickly before clearing his throat and continuing, “You look…” he trailed off as his eyes continued to rake over her,” …This outfit will work. Let’s get going.”
“Oh ok, great— right behind you!”
They made their way to the car, a skip in Nanami’s step as she felt like a kid being taken out for ice cream, though instead of ice cream it’s intel for a hit job and some sunshine, but to-may-toes, to-mah-toes ~. The drive was relatively short, though it was hard for her to tell. Time flew while she gazed out the window, enjoying the overcast weather and seeing people out-and-about.
Parking, they exited the car, as Overhaul surveyed the area and checked his watch. “He should arrive in the next 15 minutes. Follow me.” He walked briskly to a bench overlooking the river that ran through the park. For a Saturday, it was relatively calm and empty, save for a few joggers running by and couples gazing at the holiday decor and the last of the fall foliage without a care in the world. Food trucks lined the other side of the river as people ate small treats.
After he went through his usual ritual to santize the seat, they sat down and waited patiently for the informant to arrive. Five minutes passed, then ten, and then twenty. It was obvious Overhaul was beginning to get irritated at the tardiness, his knee bouncing as he checked his watch for what felt like the umpteenth time. On the other hand, Nanami was beginning to get bored, staring dreamily across the river at one truck in particular. Sighing, she decided to go out on a limb and ask hoping it might lighten the mood,” So… do you wanna—“
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m gonna ask,” She retorted to his stern answer, completely undeterred.
“Yes, I do. You’ve been staring at that crepe truck since we sat down. As I said before, this isn’t some casual outing and patronizing a food truck is the very definition of casual.”
“It’s not like I’m gonna skip over there and play in the leaves while I stuff my face—it’ll just be a quick breakfast/brunch and then we’re back sitting down, waiting patiently and ~incognito~. Besides, I know you’re hungry, probably not the best idea to do something stressful on an empty stomach anyway.”
“And how long have you been formulating that rebuttal?”
“Mm, about as long as you’ve been stealing glances over there, thinking I was too busy staring myself. It’s ok to indulge every now and again, and we’ll have a clear view of this spot in case he comes by while we’re up.” She reasoned, knowing he couldn’t deny logic or his grumbling stomach.
“… Fine. Let’s make this quick.”
Before he could finish, she hopped up and made a b-line towards the bridge nearby as he reluctantly followed after her. They ordered crepes, the decadent, cute concoction providing a comical contrast to her partner’s otherwise intimidating aesthetic. Nanami bit her lip, trying not to laugh as she promised herself she’d describe the visage in great detail to Kurono later. Hers wasn’t very conservative either, smothered with a superfluous amount of strawberries, chocolate syrup, and powdered sugar that kept the all-black clad Overhaul at a safe distance. They made their way back to the bridge, Nanami admiring the scenery as the auburn-tinted leaves made their descent to the water below.
Sitting back down, there was still no informant in sight, though a comfortable silence fell upon them as the sounds of birds chirping and the river flowing gently filled the air. Pulling out a small bottle of hand sanitizer from her bag, she put a dollop into his waiting hand and then her own after he disposed of his used gloves in the plastic bag she’d brought, replacing them without a word. He handed her extra napkins and a wet wipe, fully aware she was a messy eater. They’d gotten into a routine having eaten together so often that now words were no longer needed, neither of them able to fully remember what it had been like before the other. She let her eyes wander as she took another bite, until she settled on watching the leaves fall. The descent of one in particular caught her eye as the golden leaf danced lazily through the air before finding its resting place atop his head. Knowing full well how very unwelcome he’d find the accessory; she decided to do the right thing and alert him.
“Overh—” She stopped short, realizing it probably wasn’t the best idea to use his villain name in public. It wasn’t the most dire of situations but, she was very aware that they’d never referred to each other by name At least not while sober anyway… She agonized for a moment on how to address him, unaware she’d already gotten his attention.
Seeing the conflict in her features, he responded simply, “Chisaki is fine, or Kai if you’d like.”
Her eyes went wide before quickly looking away, flustered at what felt like a very intimate moment. She’d only heard two people refer to him by name and even then, it was seldom—only twice between the two of them to be specific. It felt like she held a grave secret simply by knowing it, much less casually addressing him by it. Well, if he says so…
“Ch-Chisaki…” she swallowed, as he regarded her calmly, though his eyes had a glint in them as soon as she uttered his name.
“Yes?” He coaxed, unconsciously leaning in closer.
“There’s a leaf on your head.” He went to grab it though his hands were full, his fork in one and the crepe in the other, finding the thought of touching a dirty leaf and then his eating utensil repulsive. He considered his options for a moment before she offered her assistance motioning him to lean down so she could reach. He paused for a moment, before acquiescing, lowering his head to be within reach. She grabbed the leafy offender gently, holding it betwixt her fingers, “Got it.”
Looking between him and the leaf, a candid smile formed as she noticed it matched his eyes. He lifted his head back up, admiring the visage. By all accounts, she was physically beautiful to him, but what he savored most in this moment was her smile. He remembered being equally touched by that radiant smile when they met at the tea shop almost a year ago, though he would have never admitted it back then. Their circumstances had seemingly changed for the worst, yet it hadn’t dimmed; it was though it refused to. Chisaki had never been a sentimental, nor particularly emotional man, but her resilience was nothing if not captivating to him. In his weary eyes, Nanami was the picture of strength. She possessed a power—not from brawn, cunning or some misguided self-righteousness, but something else entirely. He found himself drawn to it, to her competence and constant challenge. What others had readily accepted out of fear, she appraised, demanding more. Though her hands shook momentarily, she’d steady herself without fail, demanding him to be more. He felt proud knowing she’d be the one by his side on this path. Until someone else discovers her. And then what? What if that radiance is directed at someone else someday? He didn’t want an answer to that question. He had waited long enough; the decision having been made long before he was fully aware of it. His face was blank, though he imbued his words with as much sincerity as he was capable of, “Go out with me.”
Her smile persisted for a beat as she fully registered what he’d said. Then it promptly dropped, her eyes going wide as the leaf was blown out of her now-limp grasp.
“Ahem. Sorry for the lateness,” a man said from the bench next to them as he continued to face forward. Chisaki kept his gaze fixed on Nanami as hers shifted to what was behind him. Hm guess the movies are actually kind of accurate about this kind of stuff… she commented inwardly as the man was dressed in a baseball cap, glasses and hoodie. “I’ll leave what you asked for here.” He continued, patting an envelope placed on the bench before rising.
“First you come late, and now you rush off? That’s not how this is going to go. Sit down, I have more questions for you.” Overhaul chided, shaking himself from their little moment, still finding time to be peeved that he’d been made to wait.
“Look, I’m sorry but I have to go,” the man began rather nervously as he glanced around,” No amount of money or threats could get me to stay. I don’t know how you got involved, but I don’t want anything to do with this shit. I got you the intel, I’m out.”
Nanami rose hoping to calm the man down. At the angle she sat, her form was hidden from the man by Overhaul’s larger frame, and it was painfully obvious when she came into his line of sight. The man flinched like he’d seen a ghost, turning white as their eyes met. “G-get the fuck away from me,” he sputtered almost tripping over himself. It was truly a sight to behold as a grown man scurried away, terrified of a person half his size. “Here’s a last bit of intel, I’ll give this one on the house: if you’re smart, you’ll stay away from her.” He continued, leering at Nanami, “I haven’t seen a bounty this high in a long time and I’m sure whoever’s paying out knows they’ll get their money’s worth. She’s probably worst than the rest of us; a true monster.”
Though his brow furrowed questioningly for a moment, in the next Overhaul had decided he’d heard enough and was making a move toward the man. His gloves were already discarded, but a tug on his sleeve kept him in place, “Let go.” He seethed through gritted teeth.
“No, it’s not worth it. He’s right.” Came a small but firm voice.
He turned to see a familiar small hand gripping him. Her head was hung low, though guilt was obvious in her countenance. By the time he had taken in her appearance, the man was disappearing through the trees, vanishing from sight. As his rage ebbed momentarily, a nostalgic feeling took its place as he remembered her face when he asked her the question that had been on his mind for months now: rejection. He snatched away his arm in a move that startled her out of her own trance, “Fine.”
Grabbing the envelope, he turned on his heel, making a b-line for the car. He strode to the parking lot, no longer abating his usually wide gait for her to keep up. As he reached out for the handle of the car, the distinct sound of her shoes hurriedly beating the pavement became louder before coming to a stop behind him.
“I… I’m sorry.”
“I don’t need your pity.”
“It’s not pity, I could never pity you. I just… I shouldn’t have let it get this far without being honest with you.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I misread our relationship. It’s over now.”
“But I—wait, what do you mean you ’misread our relationship’?”
“You know what I mean. The least you could do is refrain from dragging it out.” He intoned, a poorly hidden look of hurt in his eyes.
She had expected anger, maybe even disappointment that she’d still kept such a large secret from him but hurt had never crossed her mind as an emotion he’d ever display, much less in this situation. She’d never told a soul about her real past and wanted to be absolutely sure before breaching that barrier. I know it was wrong, but if anyone understood secrecy, I thought it would be him. I mean why does he look like he just got dumpe—“Oh my fucking gosh. This is all a big mix up, this is what I get for being all cryptic and vague,” she chided herself, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration.
“Don’t worry, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear.”
“No, no, you don’t get it, this is one of our trademark Misunderstandings™!”
“There is nothing to misunderstand. I assumed you had feelings and that assumption proved to be… foolish. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“Just let me explain,”
“I don’t want to, nor do I need to hear i—”
Before he could turn away, she closed the distance between them, reaching up to grab his face in her hand. He was startled by the abrupt contact after she’d made it a point to be cognizant of his boundaries, but she noted he made no efforts to move away or resist her. If she weren’t so riled up, she could’ve sworn she could feel the slightest bit of pressure as though he’d decided to rest his chin in her palm. Good, because I plan on touching way more in the future… she confirmed to herself, enjoying the feel of his square jaw in her palm before locking eyes with him to speak.
“You didn’t misread anything,” she corrected as confidently as she could before continuing. “But you need to hear me out. What I meant to say was this: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let it get this far without being honest with you because I want to be closer… I want us to be closer. I didn’t know if you felt the same, so I didn’t know what to say when you asked the first time… but I do now. So, ask me again. Please.”
He looked at her searchingly, taking a centering breath, “Nanami, go out with me.”
“That’s more of a command,” she amended. His eyes narrowed in annoyance, though his glare lost much of its usual edge with his cheeks squished between her fingers, “but I’d love to, Kai.”
Upon hearing her answer and his name, his hardened gaze softened, and she reluctantly let him go, “Let’s go home.”
As they entered the car, his usual slouch was replaced with a more confident posture, though Nanami still felt a heavy weight upon her shoulders, “Hey… about the whole honesty thing… I still do need to tell you something.”
Undeterred, his smug face persisted, “That’s fine, you can tell me over dinner.”
