Just the sight of Ran and Rindou’s smug smiles was enough to ruin Kakucho’s day.
As if having a hard mission where his target nearly drove a screwdriver into his head wasn’t enough, he had to contend with their snide grins and shifty eyes when he returned back to Bonten HQ, bloodied and slightly weathered.
His irritation had boiled over after the second furtive glance Rindou shot at his brother in a minute. “What?”
Snapping their lilac eyes towards each other unlike those creepy twins from The Shining, they smirked. “So,” Ran started. “Did you do it?”
Kakucho frowned. Was there a brief and he missed it? He went over the meetings they’ve had this past week and came to a drawing blank.
“Y/N,” Ran snickered. “Did you fuck her hard?”
Kakucho froze. He regarded them with a glare. “Stay out of people’s business,” he muttered churlishly. It had been a few weeks since their near altercation at the club and there was little doubt that Ran and Rindou were aching for a rematch.
He cracked his knuckles and Ran’s eyes glittered. “I’ll take it as a no.”
Ever since that night when you had made your desires apparent to him, the both of you had tried your very best to go back to the way things were; but on some simmering level underneath layers of forced normalcy, something had… changed.
You were testier than usual. He had first chalked it up to PMS and bought you your favourite snacks which had made you lighten up for a bit, but then you’d become withdrawn and distant again.
Sex was… uneventful. He was horrified at the bruises you endured from his rough mistreatment and vowed he would never lay a finger on you like that ever again. It was one thing to live in a world of violence, but it was another thing to let it seep into his home life.
The thing was… you weren’t making it any easier.
For every gentle press of his lips on your skin, it would be reciprocated with distance. He could tell you were struggling with some inner demon that had awoken from that night, and Kakucho wished you would just talk to him.
including ⋮ angst / no comfort. character death mentioned.
“ smoking is bad for your body, you know. “ you frown as you attempt to grasp at the cigarette that shinichiro nurses between his lips, making him pull away with a chuckle following while airing out the smoke from his mouth, “ it’s for your own good. “
there was never a day you didn’t try to get him to quit his bad habits, only wanting him in the best shape he can be.
he wasn’t immortal and you can only do so much but that is if he’s willing. you turn back to the view below, admiring the cars and people that pass. “ tell me, do you smoke to make yourself cool for the ladies? “
shinichiro frowns as he meets your eyes, aware of the amusement that swirls in your irises, “ no, i’m not that desperate. “ he replies with a pout.
you hum in acknowledgement, noting the detail that he provided — he wanted to have someone by his side and all you can do is ponder for ways he can see you in that perspective. ever since you were a stranger who wound up in his shop, you’ve come to admire him in ways he wasn’t aware of.
but shinichiro held you close, that was sure and somehow you convinced yourself that it was enough. despite the whining and taunting from him and his friends for not having a woman by his side, you were content that you were one and if not the only woman he wanted around when he wanted to unwind after a long day of work.
“ whatever you say, “ you sigh in defeat, smiling when he wraps his arm around you to persuade a smile out of you — which he was successful in. his scent was a mixture of a woody musk with an obvious hint of smoke, basking in it as you fell into the crease of his neck and shoulder, “ so then why do you smoke? “
shinichiro positions his head to lean against yours, “ it’s calming, the taste is shit though. “ nonetheless, he took another drag and was considerate enough to turn his head when exhaling to avoid it from masking over your face.
your eyes gaze to his features, seeing the gentle smile that sits on the line of his lips. dark strands hanging over his eyes as he stares at the scenery before him. you never knew what he was thinking, but you were sure that in his heart and head — he was content with himself and where he stood and you longed him for it.
“ you’re staring, “ he beckons you back from your thinking with his voice, “ i know i’m handsome but i thought you didn’t like smokers. “ he taunts.
“ i don’t, “ rolling your eyes, you attempt to pull away from the slight hold he has around you but he keeps you from leaving so the most you do is adjust your posture, “ unfortunately though, you are an exception. “
shinichiro beams, “ not even takeomi? “
laughing at his reply, you simply found the warmth in your heart comforting, “ not even takeomi. “ he pressed his lips on your hair, it probably didn’t mean anything but the small gesture made you add as your eyes closed, “ you’re the only one for me, shinichiro. “
.
.
.
your fingers crutch the entirely smoked cigarette that sat in between, inhaling the remaining tobacco that was left into your lungs. you were aware of the footsteps reaching closer but you didn’t pay any mind, continuing to litter the remaining bottom half onto the tray beside you — filled with countless of more.
“ have any more with you? “ the voice behind you, takeomi spoke. you motion your head towards a jacket near, previously owned by shinichiro. an opened pack was found in the same pocket he would store them in, “ do these taste good? “
“ they taste like shit. “ you laugh humorlessly, it was the same brand he would smoke and once he parted you understood what he meant about calmness. however, it didn’t calm the heavy ache you felt in your chest every time you lit another but you didn’t mind — despite the ache, your pulsing heart remained for the same man even a year after he passed.
you can hear him sparking the cigarette as you settle your head onto your arms on the railing, eyes glued to the streets below.
they were so pretty back then, when you found everything in sight so admirable when you were in love and had the man you desired beside you. now it was like a dry setting, it wouldn’t return to the sight you’d seen before but that’s okay — you wouldn’t want to share it with anyone other than him.
when the street lights were so prominent, when you two would see his brother and friend’s riding by and waving at the two of you with the brightest beams. you remember the last bright color you saw flooding the road below so vividly, it was blaring red and blue from the ambulance and police sirens, the night of his death.
it was gut wrenching knowing that you were the last person who he spoke to because it was the same night you vaguely admitted he was the only one you needed. but it was far gone and you were no longer fighting with him on his bad habits — instead, you were the one consuming them for him.
you couldn’t comprehend the stares that rindou kept sparing you, they weren’t anything bad but there was some slight guilt that made you feel uneasy on the stomach. usually it was a gentle gaze that explained his entire heart for you.
now they seem sadder than ever and you were concerned.
“ babe, are you okay . . ? “ you began, turning your body on the couch to face him as he snapped his attention away from his phone to you. his features seem puzzled, unsure what you mean so you add, “ you just seem sad, is there something going on? “
he remains quiet, almost as if he were thinking whether to confide in you but he shuts it down with a shake of head, “ no, not really. “
sighing, you return back to the book in your lap. you knew better than to pry more further, rindou was reserved and quiet normally and you trust that he will have a revelation sooner or later. but as you were reading, there was the burning stare that practically made a hole through your head.
turning your eye to glance at him, he falters with a frown, “ are you ever lonely when i’m gone? “
lonely huh, you thought. you couldn’t exactly say you were accompanied most of the time but lonely wasn’t the word you used. however, he takes your silence as an answer and continues, “ do you want a baby? “
you grimace at the suggestion, “ don’t propose such things if you don’t want it. “
rindou lets out an apology, claiming that he didn’t mean it that way but what other way did he mean? the topic was whether you felt remote, his solution is a baby but a child wouldn’t suffice because either way — he’d be gone.
“ a baby won’t fix my loneliness, we should have a baby because we want to create growth into our relationship. we want to create something together, not for the sake of my company. “ you sighed, meeting eyes with his lilac hues that wanted solutions to this but he didn’t have many options.
“ do you want another boyf — “ you cut him off, “ no, i don’t so don’t even try to recommend that either. “
he grimaces, his arms sitting above his chest with frustration, “ then how can we fix this? “
your eyes fixture from him back to your book, rather not replying because his question was stupid. you never asked for a fix, you were content with your relationship despite the space between the two of you so for him to figure that your case needed fixing, bothered you heavily. you couldn’t even recall when you complained about his lack of company so that’s where you seemed to focus on.
“ where is this coming from? “ you voice, not removing your eyes from the book. he hums, wanting you to repeat so you do, “ where did you gather that my lack of company was an issue? i never once had an issue with it. “
his shoulders shift, “ the guy’s girlfriends hates it, why don’t you? “
you close your book, directing your eyes back to him and frown, “ do you want to know why, i never complain about you being gone most of the time? “ he nods his head, encouraging you to continue, “ because you never let me sleep alone, as long as you come back to me — in our bed, i’m more than content. “
rindou draws his lower lip between his teeth, in thought and you turn back around but your ears catch a small laugh escaping his mouth. “ you’re so cheesy. “
“ the cheesiest. “ you sing, a smile lining your features as he inches closer to wrap his arms around your form from behind. he presses a gentle kiss onto your hair, thanking you for your patience and kindness because if there is one thing he knows is that he will never let you sleep alone.
