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Nikolai slips through the edges of alleyways in Yokohama, nearly undetected as he uses his Ability, The Overcoat, to transport himself along behind the man he’s following.
His quarry: Jouno Saigiku, age 26. Ability: Priceless Tears. Due to his status as a special government agent, Nikolai hasn’t been able to find any details about what his Ability does, but he knows that Jouno must have some way of compensating for his blindness.
The so-called King of Avidya is walking along almost casually, if it weren't for the sword at his hip and his heels ringing on the sidewalk louder than is strictly necessary. Nikolai appears out of his cloak almost on the other man’s heels, holding his breath and matching his footsteps to the Hunting Dog’s.
Jouno keeps walking. Nikolai lets his breath out slowly, keeping pace and hoping he isn’t noticed.
That’s when Jouno twists around, grabs Nikolai's arm, and slams him into the wall of a building. He’s holding Nikolai’s wrist so tight the fool thinks he can feel his bones being crushed together into the brick. Nikolai wonders if someone could make mortar out of his bones and marrow. His breath, impeded by Jouno’s other arm pressing on his throat, shortens.
Jouno leans in close enough for his exhales to cloud over Nikolai’s face in the October chill. “You thought you could sneak up on me, hm? Not knowing my Ability, most think I’m easy to take by surprise.”
Nikolai nods, and Jouno knees him in the stomach, expelling the air from Nikolai’s lungs. Gasping, Nikolai almost wonders if they're breathing the exact same air, then dismisses it as oxygen deprivation.
“That wasn’t a question, angel,” Jouno practically spits.
Nikolai gets a whole sentence out - “Bit early for pet names when we’ve just met, don’t you think?” before he realizes Jouno was referring to his affiliations, and not himself in particular.
Oh. That means the government knows them now.
Jouno half-opens his eyes - perhaps an instinctual shock reaction - and Nikolai sees that his eyes truly are vacant, the irises a faded grey with almost matching pupils. It reminds him of his right eye, on the rare occasions he takes the patch off and looks in a mirror.
Then the Hunting Dog narrows his eyes and almost growls at him. “You can’t sneak up on me. I won't let you even get close next time. My Ability allows me to hear everything around me. I can hear your breathing, your heartbeat, your pulse when you lie.”
Nikolai tilts his head forward the slightest amount. “Why did you let me so close this time, then?” he breathes in a low voice, reveling in the color spreading across Jouno’s face.
“Bastard,” Jouno mutters. “Shut the hell up.” He leans forward, and Nikolai almost thinks they're about to kiss, before Jouno bites down on his lip, hard.
Nikolai lets out a whine and uses his free hand to shove Jouno's face away and then cradle his bleeding mouth. “Suka* yourself,” he retorts.
Jouno huffs. “I could break your wrist right here. Then you’d have to call an ambulance and turn yourself in, or risk setting it yourself.” He increases the pressure on Nikolai's arm, in case he doubted the threat.
Nikolai laughs. “Aw, you’d hurt someone so pretty? I overestimated your conscience.”
“Damn right you did,” Jouno seethes. “That’s the only reason I haven't turned you in yet. The civilians on the street don’t care. I’m a government agent: I could kill you right here and they wouldn't bat an eye.”
Nikolai flutters his eyelashes. “Oh, really? and would you keep my corpse around for viewing pleasure?”
Jouno leans back with a disgusted face, before Nikolai laughs and assures him it's only a joke. “Although,” the angel says, “I wouldn't mind if you wanted some fun before you kill me-”
He barely gets the full sentence out before Jouno’s fist collides with his face. Nikolai yelps. “Why is it Beat Up Nikolai Day? I thought it was just a normal fall afternoon!”
Jouno laughs shortly. “Then running into me was your mistake. Don’t make it again.”
Nikolai smirks. “Or what, you’ll actually kiss me?”
The Hunting Dogs sword impales the wall next to his throat in the next second, and Jouno glares again. “Absolutely not.” He comes close to grazing Nikolai’s neck when he pulls the sword out, and it’s likely not an accident.
He walks away, and Nikolai is left gazing between Jouno and the hole in the wall with admiration. “That was interesting,” he hums. “I don’t think I’ll tell Dos-kun about it.”