Work Text:
Chisato wrapped the remains of what little gauze she had on her around a particularly nasty day old bite wound on her arm, pulling harshly to make sure it stayed on to prevent blood loss but without cutting off blood flow.
She had a mind and a half to scold Moca for getting too greedy.
To sum up the events up until now, the two were instructed to head out for a supply run due to food and resource shortages. Bring whatever you could and if you didn't, just bring yourself back. They managed to locate a large house stocked with enough resources to fulfill needs for months to come but they quickly ran into a problem when they realized the infected turned it into their hotspot to gather around in when dawn came.
So, a choice had to be made: either strike during the day against beasts they couldn't match in terms of agility, or try during the night where their grip was strong enough to pierce flesh and break bone. May the best of these two evils win. The initial plan was to raid during the dark and have them picked off one by one, but Chisato got caught up in Moca's cockiness and now she was stuck with a large wound on her arm that stung like hell and refused to go away.
The house became their nomad's abode until they found a way to haul everything back, and until the air outside was pure enough for humans where even with gas masks they were still inhaling a level 4 biohazard. Technically, you could go outside for a few moments if you had your mask fitted with a purifier add-on wherein your only concern would be to switch them every hour or so... but they were such an indispensable tool in the first place, and they were out on scouting duty. The hassle of hauling the supplies back to base would be left to some other party.
Speaking of which... where was Moca? Chisato knew her to be an early riser during expeditions but she usually woke up around the same time she did. Going out right now was a waste of purifiers and time, too. Had she...?
Chisato rose from the chair she was sat on and donned her gas mask, slotting in a purifier and grabbing her action ready spiked baseball bat as a thousand thoughts whirred in her mind. She thought Moca was as dense as they came but not dense enough to get herself killed, but emotions were known for their amazing ability to filter out logic.
Her momentary adrenaline filtered out the purifier's horrible stench for her, which only served to make the stench worse when the front door went flying to the side and she saw Moca with a reasonably surprised face wearing a dirtied suit with spare pants and her trademark jacket hanging off her shoulder.
Chisato just barely hid her relief. "Where were you?"
"Not even a good morning to the prettiest person you've ever laid eyes on?"
"Is that a suit?"
"It was supposed to be a big surprise..." Moca looked down, dejected. "I even woke up extra early... oh well~"
"Have you picked this particular expedition to push a few buttons of mine?" Chisato laid down her bat and hoped Moca sensed her cold smile. "Because this bite won't heal as quick as you think it will."
"I've said I'm sorry," Moca pulled both of them inside and shut the door, only taking her mask off after a few minutes. They then opened their arms in a grand manner. "But do you like my suit? I specially picked it out for the occasion."
Sighing, Chisato found it easier to just cave in than to argue. "Yes. But why the suit?"
"If you're going to kill freaks of nature on the daily you might as well look fancy while doing it."
"Fair point."
"Although I was thinking something more... romantic, than that. Even though it sounds cool." Moca unfurled the map she had brought and pointed to a specific location. "I don't think you've realized which neighborhood were in yet."
Chisato took a look and lo and behold, they were right.
They were in the neighborhood just beside the one Moca (and the rest of Afterglow alongside a few other friends they knew) lived at. Either she hadn't noticed due to only thinking about the mission or she just hadn't cared in lieu of certifying both their well-beings, but she found it ironic how they were so close to the place where once upon a time, she considered her second home.
"So you plan on giving me a tour through a desolate neighborhood?" Chisato quipped, looking at Moca.
"You see through Moca-chan so easily." Moca placed a hand on their forehead and leant back dramatically, releasing their grip on the map. "I was thinking of inviting you to lunch, first."
"You are inviting me to lunch..." Chisato glanced at her wrist watch. "At 10 AM."
Moca simply rifled through her discarded hoodie and pulled out a points card who had better days. "I've been saving these up for you and even picked out a suit, but poor old me can also just go eat lunch by herself if you're that refusing. Just trust me when I say you'll be missing out on a one-time offer~"
The black piece of cloth Moca was wearing looked like it was dusted off in a hurry, her body language radiated confidence and some essence of pleading. Chisato never knew what to expect from them, but she had adapted to the chaos for some time now. They still had a few purifiers they could use... maybe this explained why Moca seemed extra concerned with getting enough of them just before leaving for the house.
Somehow, it all felt preplanned with a little dependency on Lady Luck. If Moca was serious about it, who was Chisato not to play along?
"That'd be a disaster. Where will be eating our lunch?" Chisato stopped herself from going further inside the house to grab more, confident Moca could spare a few.
"Follow the leader~"
***
Walking through the neighborhood itself was when Chisato hoped for Moca's usual humor. Instead, they both seemed to agree on keeping quiet until they got to where Moca was taking her.
Vegetation had yet to really expand and swallow buildings whole but some vines and the smallest roots of grass could be seen breaching through cracks in the concrete. Gardens were unkempt, bushes untrimmed and cars having paint gradually shaved off. Chisato managed to recognize the houses of a few Afterglow members but made no comment.
The trip was short and the usual kill here and there was needed to clear the path. They stopped at a location with a decaying 'Yamabuki Bakery' sign at the top, standing gloriously despite the specks of rust and the vine beginning to wrap itself around it here and there. Every window had been boarded up and ventilation system roughed up, possibly done to provide an extra layer of security for anyone who chose to take shelter inside.
Moca opened the door and what Chisato saw inside was... well, interesting.
A singular table in the center of the bakery, while the rest were cast aside, with served rations ready to be eaten, shaped an awful lot like loafs of bread. Or, as best as they could. Hastily lit candles with not much wax left to them illuminated only the table and were Moca's idea of a romantic ambience when the world had mostly gone to shit. Chisato wouldn't hold it against them, but those candles weren't exactly meant for dates and whatnot. A purifier at the center of the table made sure the food wouldn't get spoiled and that they wouldn't go terminal from removing their masks, too.
The door shut behind her.
"You've really gone out of your way to make it a date, haven't you?" Chisato only took off her mask and deactivated the slotted purifier when she sat down, watching Moca do the same. "Quite fond of it."
"I'm not as good of a baker as Saaya but I know a trick or two." Moca grabbed the 'loaf' and took a big bite of regret she couldn't hide. "...although I've definitely eaten better."
Chisato couldn't mask her amusement. "You're not thinking of having Saaya-chan come with us next time, are you?"
"When I tried asking her she told me she couldn't because she didn't belong in scouting teams."
So much for theorizing this whole thing being planned ahead of time...
"Regardless, eat up!" Moca grinned anyway, like she was scarfing down an ordinary meal instead of an amalgamation of small rations that didn't go well together. "The food won't eat itself."
"Maybe I should leave it to the one who worships bread on a daily basis."
"I made it just for you, so you don't get to choose~"
If the loaf of bread was as appetizing as it looked, Chisato would have to cover her nose before eating to bring herself to go past the first bite. It was like eating multiple things at once and taking a sip of water, then chewing it all. It scored terribly in the taste and presentation department but got an A for effort in romantic gesture.
It got her wondering though: if half of the population wasn't fighting amongst themselves for food and ingredients that were expired to hell and back, and trying to purify it more than once, she'd be willing to see Moca try and cook. One could argue that duty was better left to those who had confidence in their skills rather than complete amateurs since everyone now had to assume the luxury of sustenance could disappear at anytime, but Chisato was willing to waste a few if it meant proving her date's cooking abilities weren't great. She was sure they'd also make it a dramatic story about how they nearly died preparing anything that wasn't instant noodles or canned food.
The conversation reignited after they were both done with their food. "So Moca Aoba, bread connoisseur, was wasting your points on this food worth it?"
"Everything's worth it when it involves you."
Chisato had no response for something so cheesy being said so genuinely all of a sudden.
"Don't tell me... out of everything I've said, that's what gets you?" And it had Moca go on a field day.
"You had me fooled trying to become a child actor."
"Seems like only one of us really threw that role away."
She would think about Moca's comment for the rest of 'lunch,' well after they finished up and left for the next and final destination. It was peak hour for the creatures' agility and generally regarded by the scouts and retrieval teams as arguably the scariest hour of the day. Any idiot too brave to wander the streets would either come back a legend, or wouldn't come back at all. Those who did, however, always came back with hyperbole for campfire fodder talk or some crazy tale with credibility. A common underestimation Chisato heard was how presumably weak the infected were in broad daylight.
She always made sure to remind everyone that just because they were faster, didn't mean they were weaker. They just preferred to swarm in numbers, as opposed to nighttime where all it took was a lone wolf getting caught with no way to defend themselves.
But getting back on topic, Chisato was a scout with critical thinking who hid during peak hour to guarantee that extra bit of safety, while Moca was a well-known risk-taker that enjoyed the thrill of high risk, high reward. She was also known for nearly getting herself killed on multiple occasions hence Chisato's initial worry at their disappearance.
Although they'd done some pretty stupid stuff in the past, it never came quite close than leading her to an open park at peak hour in the name of continuing said date.
To her detriment though, the park was as empty as every avenue they'd crossed. A kid's wildest dream, turned into just another trace of what society was before the government's science fair project went wrong. She could still hear the faint remnants of children's laughter and picture the lucid images of high-schoolers coming to take a break after classes. Like she — they — once had.
Moca tapped her shoulder. "Don't go sleeping on me now. That's my job."
"I... recognize this place." Chisato murmured.
"I'd be more surprised if you didn't," Moca laughed, placing themselves down on a bench. "Not coming here at least once when we're so close would just be a crime."
The swings seemed to be stolen, leaving behind the slides and rusty handlebars. Chisato was sure they had their reasons to bring her to a place that brought back fond memories and with them, longing, otherwise they'd literally avoid it like the plague. They knew better than to desecrate such a meaningful place. Chisato took a seat beside Moca and for a while, all that existed between them was silence.
"I was originally planning on confessing to you here."
Their gazes met. Chisato saw right through Moca in that one split moment, and knew this wouldn't be Moca showing an opening.
"Complete with a love letter and everything to see if it'd earn me a moral victory, just like every manga taught me to." Moca took in a big gulp of air and replaced her mask purifier. "I sort of got what I wanted since what happened that day was probably just a coincidence."
They were doing what they knew best: putting up barriers.
"When it was you who dared me to 'make out with me, you won't?'" Chisato remarked with a pleased smile.
"In my defense, I thought you'd chicken out." Moca put their hands up in mock surrender. "I'm sorry I was so hopeless I forgot for a second what the real Chisato Shirasagi was like."
"You still don't" formed on the tip of Chisato's tongue, but never came out.
"With that," Moca clapped her hands together. "I conclude this date. We may go back home."
That 180 gave Chisato severe whiplash to the point she felt a little perturbed. "Like that? I think they're supposed to last a little more than this."
"Hmmm... you're right. Date's back in session for a minute. I need to tell you where I got the suit from."
"I've been wondering about that, actually. Where from?"
"I might or might have not tracked down where Tomo-chin lived and stole it."
***
Contrary to what Moca said the date didn't really end there and the two still ventured out to visit CiRCLE's remains, mainly to check up on the building and see if time had left its mark. Luckily enough it had yet to, so they took the chance to play a few instruments and try out some new ones — ones that weren't broken or downright unusable, at least — until it came time for them to head out. They managed to haul a guitar or two back to provide entertainment back at base even though it wasn't required to but it would help with any boredom.
It was dark by the time they made it back and the purifiers set in place were immediately replaced to ensure their supply run wasn't for naught. Chisato redressed her wound and Moca switched back to her original clothing but insisted on taking the suit back. Their original objective was to stay a while and clear the area while they were out, but a little break every now and then was fine. It never hurt to be too careful, but they'd also gambled their lives more than once and going out to blow a few heads off would just spoil the mood even if Moca had insisted doing exactly that as some way to cap off the date. Personally, Chisato felt alright with ending it when they left CiRCLE.
The only confusing thing about the date was not how Moca opened themselves up to her, but how they did it.
It was just like the first time they'd met: the first one to open up lost. It was a war of attrition they fought to keep going and they were even. From Chisato's wishes to escape the acting industry's predatory grasp at all costs, to Moca's breakdown over her identity, to Chisato's own due to her paranoia regarding being able to maintain existing relationships, to Moca's fear of letting others down... the layers they found in each other were the same ones that kept them coming back for more. Not because it became their song and dance, but because they understood each other in different ways.
The building blocks for their relationship were them being polar opposites with reputations to maintain. Prime examples for the ideology of your friend knowing you better than yourself, they saw through each other like it was nothing. So they made sure to never give too much away because giving yourself away meant losing. And that was unacceptable when they had people to impress.
But desire could only take so much before bursting at the seams and the day they gave into desire and temptation in the park, on a breezy spring afternoon, was the only one where a stalemate was declared. It was an experience unlike any other that they both didn't know they needed, like symbiosis. The game continued afterward regardless, in a more friendlier manner. Not much was at stake between them now that they knew what they wanted as right in front of them all along.
Someone who understood them.
Somewhere along the lines of today, Chisato got to see it turn into more than just a game for the second time. Like Moca realized this was their way of coping with their issues and pushed it until they couldn't anymore in hopes she wouldn't notice. But that was the thing, Moca had yet to truly understand Chisato.
Moca wasn't crying out for help. They were hiding their fear by using the game as a front to keep her clueless.
***
The day over, two large camping mattresses were laid out and the purifiers changed to ensure they wouldn't die overnight. There was no sleepwear to change into so the two just laid down near each other, bid good night and let the room fall into silence.
Chisato was in no mood to sleep, however. These next few minutes simply dictated who was gonna make the first move. Whether Moca already knew Chisato knew or not was trivial.
...
One minute. Low inhumane growls from the outside, a display of otherworldly strength.
...
Two minutes. A shift in the covers.
...
Three minutes. The satisfied hum of a purifier doing its job.
...
Four minutes. A turn to her left. Her own turn to her left.
...
Five minutes.
Slow, shy arms wrapped around her as a head she was all too familiar with sought for warmth, comfort and reassurance. A small pull that brought them closer.
This was the Moca Aoba she felt so thankful she got the opportunity to meet. The Moca Aoba that pulled down their façade for a second in hopes of being accepted for who they really were. A coward trying their best to inspire others even at their lowest, someone who just wanted to live without having to worry about anything.
Chisato returned the favor with her own arms, causing Moca's entire body to freeze up as her head craned upward.
The blonde adjusted herself so a hand was on top of the other's head. "I won't judge you."
A brief moment of silence.
"I... was afraid of losing you. When I saw that— thing grabbing your arm and take a bite, I couldn't process it. It was foreign. I wasn't afraid of those things until then. I thought they were only people who deserved better." Moca whispered, her words like glass ready to break. "But when I saw one overwhelm you... I finally saw them as a threat. A real threat."
Moca's grip tightened, and Chisato was there to hold them. "I... I'm not ready for a change that big, even if I know it's coming." Her head hung low. "I wouldn't ever forgive myself if I was the reason someone close to me died."
Moca cared in their own way. They wouldn't often show it but they did, they only hoped the other person could understand that.
When Chisato figured out that simple truth years ago, understanding them became so much easier.
"Did you use the date as a way to punish or to prove yourself?" Chisato brushed some hair away from Moca's face.
"What?"
"I was scared, too." Chisato continued. "But I don't think of you any less. I just want you to know that."
For a while, the sounds of a purifier at work were the only thing filling the void brought on by Moca's attempt at digesting Chisato's words of understanding. She let them take their time and process what they had to process. They were still hesitant about opening up to others, and she couldn't blame them in all honesty.
"You won't leave me, right?"
The question was meant to have a straightforward answer.
But fear was an emotion that either brought out the worst in someone or their very best. In that one moment where unknown teeth sunk into her skin, Chisato was swarmed with it. The bandmates she became friends with and supported in dire times, the childhood friend she learnt to cherish all over again all flashed through her eyes, and she burned with the will to live like an eternal flame. She realized that if she wanted to live for others she had to live for herself, first.
Chisato had a lot of people she didn't want to leave behind, just like Moca. She knew that someday she'd have to leave behind the life she built and move on, as death was an unstoppable tragedy.
"I'll be here for you until I must leave. That much I can promise you. But promise you will do the same for me."
Moca must've realized it too. She basked in the sincerest promise possible and moved as close to Chisato as she could, muttering a low "thank you" and letting the other girl comfort her to the best of her ability, no more words needed. They had each other's embraces, and it was enough.
They both soon fell asleep, cuddled together and with a change in priorities. There were things bigger than themselves to protect now that the world was decaying, and there were promises to keep. They had no time to stop and think about life's never-ending struggles when they'd been struggling all their lives, whether that be with their identities, maintaining appearances, handling relationships, and more.
Chisato once fought to stay alive, but now wanted to fight to protect everyone around her no matter what it took, no matter what consequences came her way. She would embrace them like a child would embrace their mother.
Moca always fought for those unsure about the future, despite being afraid of change just being around the corner. Now she had one more thing to fight for: themselves.
They had people who they just wanted to spend one more day with, and now they had to fight for that right.
Chisato only hoped Moca understood what it meant to take everything a bit more seriously when there were no more rehearsals or lunch meetups to be done,
and Moca only hoped Chisato understood she only sought normalcy in a world that no longer had time for the same as always she longed to experience one last time.