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It was still a weird feeling, being able to just...leave whatever hotel Kiryu was staying at. It was different compared to walking around Tokyo when he was always focused on the next thing he had to do and the next fight he’d get dragged into. He became so used to the adrenaline that ran through him during the day that when he’d finally been able to lie down in a bed, he just felt... off.
The strict schedule he was forced to obey in jail became second nature to him. Always having to ask permission to do even the smallest things, like using the bathroom was something he had gotten used to. Things weren’t like that anymore. Getting used being a free man would take time, and that odd feeling that plagued him when he did pretty much anything would probably always linger. Ten years in prison does that to a guy.
Haruka was asleep in the living room of the hotel room, next to Date who was on his laptop. How they ended up in a hotel room together made sense during one of their conversations, but Kiryu was so tired that he couldn’t remember why. They could only stay at Serena for so long without the feeling of overstaying their welcome, no matter what Reina said.
If things where a little different, he'd have at least an apartment by now. Of course, he wasn't in that sort of situation where that would be wise. He didn't want to be responsible for another burnt down apartment complex.
He ran a hand through his hair with a yawn. He walked through the hotel room as quietly as he could, trying not to wake Haruka. Date looked up from his laptop, glancing at him with a surprised look in his eyes. With the busy days they'd both have had the past week, both of them should be passed out.
“Heading to the convenience store across the street, do you... want anything?” Kiryu asked.
“Coffee.” He said without hesitation. Date looked back at his computer screen. “Try not to attract too much attention while you’re out, by the way.” He muttered with a hint of humor in his voice, to which Kiryu could only chuckle at.
“I’ll try.” He said, picking up one of the hotel keys from the counter and leaving the room, closing the door behind him silently. The hotel itself wasn't the best, but it was a place where he knew that they would have to worry about being attacked at during their stay. The dated red carpet and the peeling wallpaper in the hallways proved that it wasn't particularly popular.
When Kiryu walked out of the hotel, he was hit with a cold gust of wind. He let out a small sigh, realizing only then did he forget his jacket in the hotel. He rationalized that the convenience store was just across the street, it wasn't something that was worth him going back to his room to grab his jacket over. A little cold weather never hurt anyone. Maybe less people would recognize him without the jacket. He smiled to himself, if only it was that easy.
Another cool gust of wind rustled his hair as he crossed the street. He hurried to the bright neon lights from the convenience store. Few people were out, mostly drunks and delinquents loitering around. A common sight for Kamurocho. For a brief moment, an image of Majima crossed his mind.
He shook his head, no way would Majima find him. He was beginning to feel a bit paranoid when it came to him. The possibility of Majima being behind any corner, or joining any fight Kiryu was already in, or even hiding in traffic cones, was starting to take its toll.
It wasn’t that he was ungrateful, even Kiryu would admit that he enjoyed fighting Majima. Fighting random thugs on the street was nothing compared to the thrill that came with fighting him. Kiryu found himself pushing his own limits, and he wouldn’t lie when he said that he felt a bit smug after each time he won.
But sometimes. Sometimes, Kiryu became annoyed at how persistent Majima was.
Just sometimes.
Entering the convenience store hit him with the smell of too many heavy chemical cleaners. They were really trying to get rid of the smell of cigarettes, weren’t they? He tried not to take too many deep breaths, even though he knew that his lungs were probably done for years ago.
He grabbed a coffee for Date and then wandered the few isles of the store while he tried to think of what he was in the mood for. He briefly thought about the days when he was younger and still in school, all those late night runs to the nearest convenience store he had with Nishiki still made him smile from the nostalgia.
He glanced at the checkout counter, glancing at the hot food. Nikuman or oden didn’t sound bad...but it didn’t sound great either. Kiryu wondered when he started getting so picky with food. Heading to check out, he saw that...
Hey, they had croissants.
He raised an eyebrow, that wasn’t a food he thought they’d have. Nevertheless, it did sound good.
He quickly paid for everything, ready just to get back to the hotel. Every second he was out was another possibility of something happening. Carrying Date’s coffee in one hand and his croissant in his other hand, he left the convenience store. He already tore away the plastic wrapping that the pastry came in.
Yeah, he was hungrier than he thought.
He went to take a bite, but he paused. Stopping in his steps. He could have sworn he heard something, but he didn’t dare move to look. It was probably just some drunk, he tried to tell himself. Shaking his head, he went to take a bite. Majima constant harassment was really getting to him.
Walking back to the hotel proved to be easier than he thought. Maybe forgetting his jacket actually did help, or he was just lucky. It was probably the latter.
He went to take another bite, until someone put their hand on his shoulder.
Kiryu quickly whipped around to face who ever managed to get right behind him without Kiryu realizing it. He cursed at himself mentally, he couldn’t believe that he actually let his guard down that much.
Turning around, he was face to face with Majima. Who was, for some reason, so close to Kiryu that their noses where touching. His shit eating grin caught him off guard, making Kiryu take a quick step back, nearly tripping over himself and almost causing him to drop his croissant and Date’s coffee.
Lucky, he caught both before they fell to the pavement. He let out a sigh of relief before looking back at Majima. “--Majima.” He scolded with the furrow of his eyebrows.
“Kiryu-chan! What are ya doing out so late?” He said, smug that he was able to surprise him. “You aren’t---”
“---I could have dropped my croissant.” Kiryu didn’t mean to cut him off, he was mostly just muttering it to himself. Just because he was annoyed didn’t mean he intended to be rude. But he was just so tired. He just wanted to do one thing that didn't end up in a fight.
“Eh? The fuck are you talking about?” Majima said, not bothering with the singsong tone that he usually spoke with. Instead looking slightly annoyed over being cut off.
“My croissant. The whole reason I left the hotel. Majima, don’t do that” He said with a sigh.
“Really? That’s the line?” He said the click of his tongue “I’ve planned so much cool shit to catch ya off guard, and this is what gets you?”
“I was hungry.” He simply said. Majima gave him a look of disbelief, which Kiryu didn’t even bother to see, still looking at the food he almost dropped.
“Well...” Majima started, slowly reverting back into his singsong voice, “That must have really pissed ya off, huh?” A grin was forming back on his face. Kiryu frowned, still looking at the croissant. He looked back at Majima, fully recognizing that look.
A moment of silence passed, and Kiryu turned back around to the convenience store without a word.
“--Oi! What the hell Kiryu-chan!” Majima growled, following behind him.
“I want another croissant.”
“Yer shitting me.”
“I should have bought two originally.” He said. Majima rolled his eye, catching up to walking with Kiryu side by side. “I wasn’t even thinking.” He spoke with every ounce of seriousness he could.
“Tch. You’re so fuckin’ weird.” Majima said.
Kiryu looked at him through the corner of his eyes. “I’m not going to fight you tonight.”
Majima let out a frustrated sigh, “Yeah, I got that.” He said like it was obvious. “I might as well see if the convenience store croissants are even any fucking good.”
Kiryu nodded. In all honesty, Kiryu didn’t know if the croissant was even good, despite already taking a few bites of his first one. His taste buds have been destroyed by his smoking, and for the past ten years he merely gotten used to the tasteless prison food.
“Where the hell is yer jacket anyways?” Majima asked, pulling Kiryu away from his thoughts. “Ya look weird without it”
“I forgot it.”
Majima mumbled something under his breath that Kiryu didn’t catch, but didn’t say anything else. The two ate their croissants outside of the convenience store after buying their food. Neither of them saying anything as another gust off cool wind passed by. It wouldn't surprise Kiryu if it started snowing over how cold it was getting out. He couldn't remember the last time he'd even seen snow.
While Kiryu ate, he knew that Majima was looking at him through the corner of his eye. Kiryu was forced to put his guard back up. After finishing his first croissant, Kiryu went to take of the plastic wrapping of the second one.
As he did, Majima quickly swatted Kiryu's hand with such swiftness that he couldn't catch in time, causing him to actually drop his croissant this time.
Kiryu stood in shock for a moment, seeing the croissant lie on the pavement. He didn’t expect something so childish from him . Majima, on the other hand, shoved the rest of his croissant in his mouth, wiped the crumbs from his hands off on his pants, and turned to start walking away.
“ --Majima!”
Majima looked over his shoulder with that same shit eating grin as always. “Yes, Kiryu-chan?” He asked, like he didn’t do anything.
Kiryu paused. Majima wanted a fight, and Kiryu refused to give him the satisfaction, even if he was acting like a child. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and looked back at Majima as calmly as he could.
He needed to act like an adult and not jump into anything without thinking first. He really needed to get back to the hotel before it became too late. Besides, he could just buy another croissant anyways-- “-- I’m going to make you regret that.” The words left his mouth without even thinking.
Majima laughed loudly and turned to face Kiryu with a wide smile that said “l'm looking forward to it.”