Chapter Text
It was almost the weekend.
The evening sky above Berlint had begun shifting into warm shades of orange and pink as Loid Forger walked home through the quiet street.
The mission had ended earlier than expected. Franky’s new listening device had proven surprisingly effective; its extended range had shortened what should have been hours of observation into less than half the time. The operation had concluded cleanly.
Which meant something rare.
Twilight had two full days free.
Anya was staying the night at Becky’s house, which removed the need to maintain his usual schedule of homework supervision and parental routines.
The thought briefly crossed his mind that he might finally catch up on sleep.
Then he dismissed it.
Even when he had the opportunity, he rarely slept more than two hours. The habit had been ingrained too deeply to change now.
His thoughts shifted toward dinner instead.
Something simple. Filling. Efficient.
He mentally reviewed the contents of the refrigerator and cabinets with near perfect recall.
Potatoes.
Onions.
A small head of cabbage.
Some sausage left from earlier in the week.
Enough for a simple skillet dinner.
Enough ingredients for a proper meal already existed at home. Nothing else was strictly necessary.
He had nearly reached his apartment district when a familiar voice called out behind him.
“Loid-san!”
He turned.
Yor Forger was jogging toward him, dark hair swaying slightly as she waved.
Her red eyes brightened when she reached him.
“Ah… Yor-san,” he greeted calmly.
“Good evening.”
He slowed his pace so she could walk beside him.
“Did your work finish early?” Yor asked, a little breathless but smiling. “I thought you might be late today.”
“Yes,” Loid replied smoothly.
“I didn’t have many patients today, and my shift ended without any emergencies. There wasn’t much reason to stay afterward.”
The lie came naturally.
Yor nodded.
“That’s good.”
For a while, they walked in comfortable silence. The evening crowd drifted around them as they made their way home. Yor glanced toward Loid once, then quickly looked away again. She searched for something to say.
Anything.
"...Anya seems to be having a lot of sleepovers lately," she said at last.
"She does," Loid agreed.
"The house feels a little quiet when she's gone."
"That's true."
Another brief silence followed.Then Yor remembered something.
"Ah."
Loid glanced at her.
"Since Anya isn't home tonight..."
Yor hesitated.
"Maybe we could make something spicy for dinner?"
"Spicy?"
"We usually avoid it because of Anya, don't we?"
Her expression brightened slightly.
Inside her head, the thought was far more embarrassing.
It could be like a small dinner date…
The moment the idea formed, Yor mentally panicked and buried it. She kept her face as composed as possible.
Loid considered it for a moment.
A spicier dish would require a few additional ingredients.
He recalculated the meal plan instantly.
“…That could work,” he said.
They changed direction toward a small grocery store nearby.
Shopping without Anya felt strangely quiet. The child normally filled the trip with constant questions and sudden attempts to add peanuts to the basket.
Now the atmosphere felt… calmer. Almost intimate.
Yor felt her heart beating a little faster. Ever since she had realized her feelings for Loid, even simple moments like this had become difficult. Walking beside him, hearing his calm voice, seeing his small polite smiles every little thing made her overly aware of his presence.
She tried very hard to behave normally.
It’s just dinner.
Just dinner.
Loid, meanwhile, was already mentally check listing the meal.
Fresh chilies.
Garlic.
Cooking wine.
For a brief moment, neither of them thought about the hidden professions they carried behind carefully constructed masks. They were simply walking through a store together.
Buying food. Acting, in every visible sense, like a normal married couple.
Once they finished buying the additional ingredients and a modest bottle of wine, they left the store and started toward the apartment again.
After walking a short distance, Yor spoke again.
“Loid-san… we could take the uphill road from here. It’s a shortcut.”
He looked toward where she was pointing.
The narrow road branched off from the livelier main street. It was a familiar residential path used often enough by locals who wanted to get home faster. Most people still preferred the main road.
There were more lights, more shops, more people to watch. It made the walk feel shorter even if it technically wasn’t.
The uphill path, on the other hand, was quieter.
On one side were apartment buildings and older structures lined closely together. On the other side, the land opened into a gentle downward slope filled with greenery, offering a clear view of the lower parts of the city.
It shaved several minutes off the walk.
Loid considered it briefly.
“With the groceries, that might be better,” he said.
Yor smiled.
They turned onto the uphill road together, walking side by side as the evening settled softly around them.
“This way,” she said.
The air felt slightly cooler along the uphill road.
As they walked, the sounds of the city gradually softened behind them. The distant hum of traffic faded beneath the rustling of leaves and the occasional evening breeze. Yor carried one of the grocery bags carefully in both hands.
Loid's gaze moved across the surrounding area automatically.
Most of the buildings lining this stretch of road were older than those closer to the city center. Years of weather and neglect showed plainly in places.
One apartment building in particular caught his attention.
Something about it felt off. His eyes lingered on it for a moment before he continued walking.
The road curved gently around the hillside. Then the city opened beneath them. Berlint stretched into the distance, rooftops and streets layered beneath the fading evening sky. The last light of sunset painted the horizon in warm shades of gold and orange.
Loid slowed.
For a moment, he simply stood there. Yor noticed and stopped as well. The view had always been one of her favorite things about this route, but she said nothing.
The silence felt comfortable.
"It's beautiful at this time of day," she said quietly.
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Loid nodded.
"Yes."
His gaze remained fixed on the skyline.
"I didn't expect this view from here."
The corner of Yor's mouth lifted slightly. The two of them stood beside the railing. Below them, the city lights were beginning to appear one by one. For once, neither seemed in any particular hurry to leave.
Loid's attention drifted from the skyline to Yor. The evening light caught briefly in her dark hair. She seemed unusually relaxed. A faint smile rested on her face as she looked out over the city below.
Loid looked away.
A sudden burst of wings shattered the quiet. Several birds erupted from the trees below and scattered into the sky.
Loid frowned.
Something about it felt wrong.
The pavement lurched beneath his feet.
The entire hillside shuddered.
A deep groan echoed through the evening air.
Loid's head snapped up.
The apartment building he had noticed earlier trembled violently.
A sharp metallic crack split the air.
Something above them moved.
Loid's eyes widened.