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Chapter Text

Saturday 12:00am

Mayoi was sneaking behind a nightclub building. His mission was plain and simple. Pick-pocket a few unlucky people and take the cash. Aira had told Mayoi he’d wait outside in case something went wrong. It was a good thing to always have Aira with Mayoi whenever they had to get some money. Nightclubs were good locations in terms of pickpocketing. Because 1. People were drunk and it would be easy, and 2. Because of how many people there were, it would almost be impossible to catch Mayoi. 

Mayoi often grew very anxious before a mission. So, often Aira had to calm down the violet-haired man. And this time was no different. Mayoi was feeling very anxious and doubted himself even though he was very talented at pick-pocketing. And even if he was found out, Mayoi always got away easily.

Breathe in and breathe out , Mayoi let out a shaky breath before entering the nightclub from the back door. Hopefully, this'll be easier than the last time… (as you can probably tell, last time didn’t go so well)

Mayoi walked through the small dark hallway towards the party place where everyone was. Negative thoughts still bothering him as he nervously walked towards the party hall. Hopefully, his social anxieties wouldn’t get in the way during the mission. Worst case scenario would be someone interacting with him. That would be quite bothersome if it were to happen.

As soon as Mayoi entered the party hall, all the flashing lights and loud noises filled the atmosphere. He felt nervous. Extremely nervous. Mayoi tried to convince himself that everything was going to be fine. He had his mask on anyway so no one would see his face. Mayoi walked in trying his best to avoid all the huge crowds. He planned to mainly target people that we’re either half-drunk or busy talking with their buddies.

First victim, a man with green eyes and ginger hair. The man was busy talking with someone else and wasn’t paying any attention to his surroundings. He was sitting on a chair, leaning on a table, and was also drinking something. Ahh, this is my chance! Mayoi thought nervously and was fiddling with his fingers. First, of course, he had to know where the ginger-haired man's wallet was. Luckily, Mayoi saw it in his back pocket. He sighed in relief, an easy victim… The violet-haired thief started sneaking towards the man who was still busy chit-chatting with his buddy. 

Mayoi quickly walked past the man. But little did the ginger-haired male know, Mayoi had quickly snatched the wallet from the back pocket while he was walking past him. Mayoi felt extremely nervous and started walking away faster. He hid the wallet in a pocket in his black jacket. He knew it was wrong to steal. But if it wasn’t for selfish reasons? He was stealing to help people. He was stealing to help the ones that needed the money. These motives were what kept Mayoi and Aira going. They kept doing this because they wanted to use the money to help people.

Just knowing that Mayoi did something bad made him almost cry from guilt. But he held it all inside. The anxious thief decided to sit down on a couch and calm himself down. Breathing exercises were really helpful in situations like these. Mayoi closed his eyes and tried to forget about the tormenting guilt from stealing. It's not for selfish reasons, he reminded himself.

Mayoi opened his eyes, ready to look for his second victim. It wasn’t very easy to look for an unlucky fellow that just happened to be careless with their wallet. There was also another challenge that made Mayoi want to run away and hide. There were too many people. Anyone could spot Mayoi pick-pocketing others. The thought of that happening made Mayoi absolutely terrified. But he had to do it.

After gathering up more courage and calming down, he finally spotted another victim. A red haired-man with sharp blue eyes. The man seemed to be half-drunk and was blabbering whatever nonsense to another man. The red-haired man was leaning on the other man which clearly made the other annoyed. And just like the last victim, fortunately for Mayoi, neither of them were paying any kind of attention to their surroundings. Just then Mayoi noticed the wallet on the table next to the duo. It was perfect! And especially since no one else was near to witness anything. 

The violet-haired man took his chance and took silent but quick steps towards the two from the side. He made sure not to get too close to get noticed but close enough to get the wallet. He was now only a few steps away from the table that the wallet was sitting on. He was constantly making sure that the two males were facing the other way so they wouldn’t see the nervous thief taking the wallet. Mayoi sped up his walking and silently walked past the two. He had quickly snatched the wallet without making any noise. 

That was easy… Mayoi sighed in relief when he was sure that he was far away from the two. Things were going pretty smoothly for now. Just one more person to pick-pocket and he would be done with the place. This was much more nerve-wracking than just going to a random place with no people to steal. That’s why he always liked robbing museums. Mayoi got to admire the art and be alone without flashing lights and loud noises. And the night guards were always asleep! It still amazed him how those night guards weren't fired.

“ Is it that sir right there?”

Mayoi took a glance behind him and saw a security guard with the red-haired man that he had just pickpocketed. The security guard had light blue hair and yellow eyes. The security guard had a scary stern look on his face. By the looks of it, Mayoi had been caught. Now he was the one being careless. Of course, something had to go wrong! Mayoi was panicking. He was sweating and he felt like he was about to faint right there. Mayoi had to think quickly or it would be the end of him.

The security guard took fast and firm steps towards Mayoi when the red-haired man nodded. Hiii! No! No! Noooo! He was close to crying at this point. Mayoi’s breathing had quicked and he was full-on panicking. He was turning around rapidly looking for a way to escape the situation like a scared animal. Quick! Quick! Was all Mayoi could think. The security guard was just getting closer and closer which made Mayoi panic even more.

Then he saw his chance. There was a ladder leading up to a much higher floor. Mayoi, who was still in a panic, didn't think anything else at that point, took his chance, and started running as fast as he could towards the ladder. He stumbled a few steps on the way of course.

“ Stop right there sir!” The security guard yelled out before running after the violet-haired thief. Mayoi could just hear all the people gasping as they just watched Mayoi run away from a security guard. What made the matters worse was that the guard was catching up to him and Mayoi had to do his best to avoid people on his way. The guard was faster than Mayoi had anticipated. It would be troublesome if he were to bump into someone. Hiiii! This is so scaryscaryscary! Mayoi didn't dare to look back.

Mayoi immediately grabbed tightly on the ladder bars and started climbing as fast as he could. He was way too afraid to look down. To his panic, he could hear the security guard also climbing up with a fast rhythm. This made Mayoi even more anxious. He began using all his acrobatics skills to climb up more swiftly and smoothly. 

Fortunately, he got up on the floor quickly and began running away, looking for an exit. But to his terror, there was almost nothing and it all seemed like a dead end. And to make matters even worse, more security guards had appeared. A security guard with light pink hair and lavender eyes was currently blocking Mayoi's way. 

" Stop righ' there!" The security guard in front of Mayoi commanded. The stern voice made Mayoi nervously step a few steps back in fear. But then he realized that it probably wasn't the best idea if Mayoi didn't want to get caught by the blue-haired security guard behind him.

This is bad.

Mayoi was cornered. He had nowhere to run. There was no one else there except for the three. It made him feel like a trapped mouse with nowhere to run. And sooner or later he was going to get caught by one- if not both of the security guards. Mayoi felt a tear roll down his cheek, all this anxiety had made him tear up. 

He had to come up with something. It was a now or never situation. If he didn't come up with something in the next 10 seconds or so, he would be caught. The two thieves already had a bad reputation for often stealing and causing a ruckus at places. And they may or may not have been reported to the police a few times already. So there was no way Mayoi could get away with the pickpocketing anyhow. 

Then out of nowhere, a miracle happened. Mayoi saw a chance. There was an open window high up on the wall. The beautiful moonlight was shining through it. Both he and Aira were very good at climbing up walls, it was all perfect! There was no time to lose at this point. Both of the safety guards were dangerously close, and Mayoi didn't want them to get any closer than they already were. 

He gathered up all the courage he had and charged towards the wall. Mayoi jumped as high as he could and grabbed the window frame to pull himself up. Luckily for Mayoi, the guards weren't fast enough to get him. He let out a relieved sigh as he got up safely and took a quick break to breathe for a while. He then looked down from the window outside. It was normal for the thief to get down from high places without a problem. So getting down to safety would be the easy part.

And with that Mayoi glanced at the two frustrated guards before jumping down and disappearing into the night. The guards looked at each other in disbelief. They let the thief escape! Now all they could do was to report him to the police. And hopefully, they won't get fired. And the so-called phantom thieves win again.

Mayoi did his best to sneak in the dark alleys so he wouldn't be seen. Eventually, the violet-haired thief found his crime partner waiting for him in the distance. Aira was looking down on the ground with his arms crossed. Finally, this nerve-wracking mission would end! Mayoi already knew that he was going to collapse on his bed when they got home.

When Aira heard the quick footsteps he looked up. Mayo-san came back already? Normally it would've taken longer for Mayoi to pickpocket because of how nervous the man always was. But when Aira looked more closely at Mayoi he was clearly terrified. More terrified than usual. And it seemed like he had also been crying. Aira immediately put two and two together and guessed that something had clearly gone wrong. Aira decided that the best course of action would probably be to get back home, in case someone was after them.

" Let's get back home first, 'kay?" Aira didn't wait for a response and started running in the direction of their home. Mayoi didn't seem to have any disagreements with the action since he followed right behind. The clouds covered up the dark sky and the glowing moon was shining brighter than ever. It seemed like it was going to rain soon. At least they didn't live too far away. Both Mayoi and Aira glanced up at the sky when they felt raindrops fall. It had begun to rain a bit, but not too much, fortunately. Now the only light source was the street lights standing on the lonely streets. It was the middle of the night, well past that so of course, there wouldn't be anyone out. Mayoi looked up at the sky once more, thanking God that he survived being caught.

.

.

.

Soon after they got home into their small apartment. The thieves took off their jackets and masks and put them to dry somewhere. They weren't completely drenched since it wasn't raining that much. Aira sighed in relief. Another day yet still they haven't been caught and put in jail. Aira then decided that now it would be a good time to ask what happened.

" Did the mission go well?" Aira asked, still kind of concerned when he saw how terrified Mayoi had been when he came back. Mayoi nervously looked at the floor, still kind of disappointed in himself for not being able to even pickpocket without getting caught so easily. " Well umm… Actually, I did get caught- But I managed to escape just in time! Ahhh I'm so sorryy for messing up this whole thiiing, " Mayoi looked down, not daring to make eye contact. 

" Wait! No, Mayo-san! It's alright, how much money did you get anyway?" Aira tried calming down the older thief. " I-I didn't count yet," He replied and looked up. Mayoi wouldn't have had any time anyway since he was running away from security guards. 

" Hopefully it'll be enough for Nazuna-senpai and his family… Let's go to the living room and count there, 'kay?" Mayoi only nodded before taking the two wallets from his jacket's pocket. The two of them walked into the living room and sat down comfortably on the couch. The place wasn't anything fancy, even though they often stole stuff. Although it shouldn't be surprising since the money they stole was always given to someone who needed it more.

Fortunately, both of the wallets seemed to have a nice amount of cash inside. Mayoi began counting the amount of cash in the other wallet while Aira counted the other wallet's cash. 50$, 70$, 120$? No 110$, and 150$, so 150$, Aira wasn't disappointed with the amount of cash that was in the wallet. It would definitely be somewhat enough for Nazuna-senpai and his family. 

" 150$, what about you?" Aira asked once he was sure about the amount of cash the wallet had. " 200$, so it's 350$ total?" Mayoi quickly recounted the money just to make sure. " Then this will be more than enough for Nazuna-senpai! Rabui~" Aira felt relief knowing that the money would be enough. The thieves were very close to the family. Nazuna was always working hard just so they could get some food on the table.

" Fufu, thankfully it's enough~" Now Mayoi felt relief because he knew that he wouldn't have to go back to pickpocketing. Aira stood up and took out an envelope from a drawer next to the couch. He collected all the money from the table and put the cash inside the envelope. The blonde thief then closed the envelope and put it on the table. 

Mayoi let out a yawn and decided to go to sleep. It was already 2 am anyway so getting some sleep would be nice. " Aira-san, I'll be going to sleep now, i-is that alright?" Mayoi asked as he stood up from the couch. " Yeah, of course~ I'm gonna look through if I can find anything about the officers. There's no way I'm gonna let them catch us!" Aira declared confidently. Mayoi only let out a giggle at the enthusiasm the younger had. 

" Alright, but please don't stay up too late," Although it was very useful for Aira to always hack the police files, it was also important for him to get enough sleep. Thanks to Aira's amazing hacking and investigation skills, they were always a step ahead no matter what.

Mayoi then went to sleep leaving Aira occupied with the hacking. Another calm night for the two thieves. Another night not being caught by the police.

Chapter Text

Saturday 10:00 am

The harsh sunlight woke Aira up. The young blonde slowly fluttered his eyes open, trying to get used to the harsh lighting. The curtains were open and the bright sunlight was shining right on Aira's face. He groaned in frustration and looked up. He then realized that he had fallen asleep while hacking. The blonde turned his laptop back on and saw that he had written something on an empty document. Aira then remembered all the stuff he had found out last night. Something that was going to be very useful for both of them. Again, they were a step ahead and knew the police's plans. 

" Officer Kazehaya and officer Amagi, please come to the office as soon as you can," A mint-haired officer looked up as the announcer announced for him and a red-haired officer to come to the office. Why was he and his student Hiiro called into the office? Hopefully, they weren't called there just to be fired. " Ah, Hiiro-san we should probably get going," Tatsumi stood up from his seat and waited for Hiiro to do the same. " Yes! Let's go," Hiiro stood up as excited as ever. Tatsumi let out a light-hearted laugh at the younger’s energy before he began making his way towards the hallway.

Hiiro was still learning to be a police officer. So he was basically still being trained by Tatsumi. Hiiro was a fast learner so the purple-eyed officer trusted that he would definitely become a good police officer.

It was a quiet day for the two. Not many people were working on Saturdays and Sundays. But Tatsumi couldn't help but still wonder why wasn't someone like Chiaki called into the room. Since Chiaki was a much more experienced officer than him or Hiiro. Tatsumi of course felt kind of nervous. He hoped that they weren't called into the office for something bad.

Eventually, they got to the office. Tatsumi nervously stepped ahead and knocked on the door. " Please come inside," a calm voice called. Tatsumi opened the door and waited for Hiiro to go inside first before following behind. 

" Please take a seat," a blonde officer pointed at the two chairs in front of him. Both Tatsumi and Hiiro took their seats and sat down.

" Is there a particular reason why you have called us here today?" Tatsumi asked, anticipating the worst. " Yes, there indeed is," the blonde replied calmly. He glanced at the two sitting in front of him with his icy blue eyes. 

" Firstly, let me ask. Both of you have heard of the two phantom thieves, correct?" Tatsumi was taken back by the first question. Why ask them about the phantom thieves all of a sudden?

" Yes, we indeed have, why?" Tatsumi replied to the other's question. Hiiro sat there waiting patiently for the blonde officer to tell what was going on. 

" Perfect, now this might be sudden but, I would like for you two to catch those meddling thieves. You see, officers Morisawa and Nagumo were never able to catch them. They did try their best, although the thieves always got away. So I would like for you two to investigate those phantom thieves, " Tatsumi was surprised. He wanted Tatsumi and Hiiro to investigate the situation? How were they going to catch the thieves if the most experienced officers weren't able to?

" Can I ask a question, officer Tenshouin?" Hiiro asked in his usual energetic voice. " Of course, what might be your question?" Eichi looked at Hiiro with curiosity. " So you want us two to catch those… Fantom thieves? And arrest them because the others weren't able to? And will you be giving us more information about this whole thing?" 

" Yes, I want you two to catch and arrest them. Of course, I'll also share some documents with you two about the thieves. Lately, they have been going around nightclubs to pickpocket people. Here, have a look at them," Eichi began typing on his laptop. He then turned it around to show a picture of the two.

" The violet-haired one is quite attractive," Tatsumi confessed. " I think the blonde one is really pretty!" Hiiro pointed at the screen.

" You two, this is not the time to compliment these thieves," Eichi spoke with an annoyed tone. " But let's not get side-tracked now. We are expecting these two thieves to attack a museum near here tomorrow. I want you two to go there and catch them," Eichi explained as he showed pictures and information about the museum. 

" Tomorrow, at 9 pm, go there and arrest them, do you understand?" Eichi asked them to make sure that the two understood. The only people left to investigate "the phantom thief case" were Tatsumi and Hiiro after all. If they managed to accomplish the mission then they would get promoted. But if they didn't then worst case scenario they would get fired.

" Yes, of course, tomorrow at 9 pm," Tatsumi replied with confidence in his voice. " Yes! I do understand as well!" Hiiro replied right after Tatsumi. 

" That's good, now you may leave the office. Thank you for your time," Eichi turned his laptop off and waited for the two to exit his office. Both Tatsumi and Hiiro stood up from their chairs, made their way to the door. Again, Tatsumi opened the door and waited for Hiiro to leave before he exited the office himself.

"Umu! I'm kind of excited about this mission!" Hiiro clenched his fists in excitement. " Fufu, I'm quite interested in this mission as well. But for some reason I have a different feeling about those phantom thieves…" Tatsumi mumbled the last part. He decided to look more into the case at home. It was always a good thing to be extra prepared before missions.

" Mayo-san! Come have a look!" Aira's enthusiastic voice called out. Mayoi walked out from the apartment's kitchen to the living room where Aira was waiting for him. " Fufu, what is it Aira-san?" Mayoi asked when he sat down next to Aira on the couch. Aira opened a file on his laptop and showed it to Mayoi.

" I found out the officers that will be investigating us this time~" Aira proudly showed the information he had gathered to Mayoi. " According to these files they'll be going to this museum in an attempt to arrest us or something," Aira explained while looking through the files. But little did Aira know, a picture of a certain mint-haired officer had caught Mayoi's interest.

" Aira-san, who's that?" Mayoi pointed at the mint-haired officer. " Oh, let's see that's...uhh Kazehaya...Tatsumi? And the person next to him is… I think… Amagi Hiiro?" Aira struggled to read their names. He was never really good at reading from the start anyways. " Fufu… Kazehaya Tatsumi huh…" Mayoi mumbled to himself, deep in thought. 

" Hm? Don't tell me you've fallen in love… Love at first sight is such a cliche trope…" Aira sighed. " Hiiii?!? Me? Fallen in love? A creature like me doesn't deserve loveeee!" Mayoi panicked, covering his face in embarrassment. " Calm down Mayo-san, it's alright~" Aira giggled. He looked back at the screen but ended up starting at a certain red-haired officer. Wow, attractive, Aira thought as he clicked the picture of Hiiro's profile to look closer.

" Fufu, seems like it's Aira-san who has actually fallen in love," Mayoi teased, smiling. " Huh?! No way I'm in love with this Hiro-kun!" Aira quickly clicked off from the image and went back to the document. Now it was Aira's turn to be flustered. Tsk, sure he is attractive but I'm not in love, Aira rolled his eyes. 

" Maybe we could go meet them at the museum...fufu," Mayoi had a hint of playfulness in his voice. This was new for Aira. Normally, Mayoi would avoid being seen by the police. But for him to suggest meeting the two officers totally surprised Aira. Did Mayoi really just fall in love with a random cop?  Aira facepalmed mentally. 

" Are you sure? Well, to be completely honest… I'm not really against the idea… But why?" Aira was indeed also interested in the two officers. Especially in Hiiro. Something about him made Aira curious.

" Hmm… Sure, let's do it! I wanna see what this Hiro-kun is capable of anyway~" Mayoi couldn't help but giggle again at how Aira also seemed to be very interested in one of the officers. Now all they had to do was prepare for the "robbery", and wait till the night falls. Mayoi already felt excitement filling his veins, just knowing he might be able to meet the Kazehaya Tatsumi.

" Hiiro-san, are you ready?" Tatsumi asked to make sure that he was ready for his first-ever mission. It was important to make sure since they had to arrest two thieves. " Umu! Of course, Tatsumi-senpai! I'm feeling very energetic about this mission!" Hiiro declared with his loud and enthusiastic voice. 

" Fufu, then let's get going then, shall we?" Tatsumi started making his way towards the large doors, with Hiiro following behind. Tatsumi was excited but also quite nervous about the mission. If someone like officer Morisawa couldn't even catch them, how could they? Tatsumi quickly shook off the thoughts and decided that doubting himself wouldn't help. The only thing he could do now was to pray and hope for the best.

Saturday 8:44 pm

" Finally here," Aira sighed and sat down on the ground. " Why was this place so far away," Aira took a deeper sigh. " Fufu, well I think we should get inside first," Mayoi spoke up and looked around for a sneaky entrance. They often got inside museums like these quite easily. They always found some ladders leading up to the rooftop. And then from there they just needed to break a glass roof to get in. It honestly surprised Mayoi how carelessly they always locked these places.

" Finee, let's get going then~" Aira got up and went to look for ways to get on top of the roof. To his luck, he found ladders that led to the rooftop nearby. " Here Mayo-san!" Aira called out before he began climbing. Mayoi quickly followed behind after being called out by Aira. 

It had been quite windy that day, and especially now since it was nighttime. But it was also quiet which was relaxing for both Mayoi and Aira. Of course, both of them were still feeling nervous since they would be meeting two police officers. But everything would go well right? They always found a way to escape and flee the scene. And this was no different. Just mess with the officers and then leave the scene as nothing happened.

Eventually, they got up after climbing for a while. Aira had to stretch a bit so his body wouldn't feel as sore. Mayoi stumbled a few steps on his way, obviously from feeling nervous.  The two thieves walked around looking for an entrance into the museum. After mindlessly walking around for a moment, Mayoi spotted a door that probably led down into the museum. The violet-haired thief walked up to the door and tried opening it to see if it was locked. 

Well of course it was locked. What did he expect? But fortunately for Mayoi, he was prepared for these kinds of situations. He took a hairpin from his pocket and began lock picking the lock. At this point, Aira had noticed Mayoi lockpicking the lock and went up to him. The turquoise-eyed thief wasn't an amateur at lock picking. He had done this many times before, so this wasn't that big of a challenge for him.

Click! The door opened and revealed a dark staircase leading downwards. Mayoi and Aira looked at each other before gathering up the courage and making their way down. The dark staircase echoed as they made their way down. Aira absolutely hated this staircase. It seemed like a place that no one had gone to in years. And the whole please just creeped Aira out.

Finally, they got to the end of the staircase, and in front of them was the door that led to the main hall of the museum. But the thieves had to remember to be careful. After all, there were two police officers after them. And getting a surprise attacked by them wouldn't be a good thing for the thieves. 

Aira walked around admiring all the artwork that was stored inside. Mayoi went to look closer at a certain artwork that was a gorgeous painting of a dark forest. He looked at it in awe wishing he could come to museums like these more often. 

" Hey Mayo-san, I'll go check out that place. I'll be right back 'kay?" Aira asked, pointing in a direction where all the statues were kept. Mayoi simply nodded before continuing to admire the artwork in front of him. He only heard Aira's quiet footsteps before drowning in his thoughts. The painting really is beautiful… I wonder what the artist was thinking while painting this? Fufu, maybe I could try painting sometime too, Mayoi had always appreciated the way all the paintings had so much feeling in them. Sure, maybe some people found them boring as hell, but for Mayoi, those paintings were something he admired in awe. 

" Listen here Hiiro-san, here is the plan. Go to the hall where they keep all the statues and I'll go search up the main hall where all the paintings are kept. If you see one of the thieves, do your best to handcuff them, alright?" They were standing in front of the museum and Tatsumi was going over the whole plan again, while showing Hiiro the map of the building. " Yes, I do understand Tatsumi-san! And I'm ready for the mission!" Tatsumi couldn't help but smile at the energy his student always had. 

" Let's fulfill the plan then, shall we?" Tatsumi waited till Hiiro nodded before entering the museum through a hidden entrance. Now Tatsumi and Hiiro had to part ways to go look for the thieves. The mint-haired officer saw the tall painting decorating the walls. But he tried his best not to get distracted by them since he had something more important to do. 

He quietly walked forward trying to look for anything that could help him catch the thief. But so far he was finding absolutely nothing. Maybe the thieves aren't here yet? Tatsumi thought. He wouldn't be surprised if the thieves weren't there yet, since Tatsumi and Hiiro had come early. The lavender-eyed officer sighed deeply. If only finding them would be much easier-

Is that..? Tatsumi blinked twice just in case his eyes were tricking him. But no. That figure standing in front of him was indeed Ayase Mayoi . Tatsumi stopped in his tracks, making sure that he was prepared. To his luck, Mayoi seemed to be so focused on the painting that he didn't even notice Tatsumi behind him.  It can't be this easy? There must be something going on, Tatsumi assumed. He smiled slyly, accepting that this could be a bit more challenging than he had expected. 

" Ayase Mayoi ,"

Chapter Text

Saturday 9:04 pm

Mayoi froze. 

He slowly turned around to look at the person that had called out his name. His cyan eyes stared at the person in front of him in shock. How could he have been so careless? Mayoi knew that the police officers were coming and he let himself be drowned into the beauty of a painting? If this wasn't the end of him then he didn't know what was.

" Hiii! K-kazehaya T-tatsumi?!" Mayoi took a few clumsy steps back. He didn't actually expect to meet the man himself. Mayoi's heart was beating rapidly as he tried to figure out the best way to escape the situation. " A-are you going to hurt me?!? Hiii! This is just so scary?!" Mayoi blabbered out. He often starts blabbering when he’s feeling nervous. 

" Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Fufu, why so nervous? Are you shy? You look quite attractive, no need to hide your face under that mask~" If Eichi found out about Tatsumi flirting with a thief… Well, there is a high chance that he would get fired. Tatsumi didn't know why but it was amusing to see how the phantom thief would react. 

" A-attractive?!? But why are you complimenting me all of a sudden?! You're supposed to arrest me and send me to the depths of hell and darkneeees," Mayoi couldn't believe his ears. The officer he had found attractive was now complimenting him? His heart couldn't take it. Mayoi wouldn't be surprised if Tatsumi was just trying to make him faint. Because if he was, then he was doing a really good job at it.

" Fufu, As long as you're willing to repent and pay for your sins, God will forgive you," Tatsumi stayed calm which amazed Mayoi. So Tatsumi is religious, He thought while still keeping a safe distance between him and Tatsumi. Of course, the phantom thief still had to keep his guard up. Although it was hard for him since he wanted to know more about the officer in front of him. Tatsumi just seemed different. Mayoi couldn't explain the feeling. But as long as he was careful, he'd be fine right?

To Mayoi's horror, Tatsumi suddenly began taking quick steps forward. Although Mayoi had made one fatal mistake. The painting he was starting at had two walls at the sides. To put it simply, he was cornered, with nowhere to run. It really is impressive how Mayoi got cornered again. First by the security guards and now by Tatsumi. The turquoise-eyed thief was now mentally lecturing himself for not being careful. 

" Hiii! Noo, don't come closeer!''Mayoi took a few shaky steps back and looked around for a way to escape. But he couldn't find any way. And Tatsumi was now getting close, too close. Mayoi stumbled a couple more steps before bumping his back into a wall behind him. Mayoi was absolutely terrified, now regretting ever coming to the museum. 

" Mayoi-san, please stay still," Tatsumi spoke in his usual calm voice. No, No! He had to think quickly, unless he wanted to be caught by the man walking towards him. The only plan he could come up with was to run past the officer and hope for the best. Mayoi decided to take the risk. He took a deep breath and tried to run past the man. Well it obviously didn't work. Tatsumi had caught Mayoi by the wrist and was holding it tight. 

Mayoi tried to struggle free but to no avail. His breathing grew more and more anxious. No! Please let go! Mayoi was praying. Tatsumi sternly looked at Mayoi in the eyes. The mint-haired officer used his other hand to look for the handcuffs that were attached to his belt. In the meantime, Mayoi was still trying to think of ways to escape the situation.

Well, he did come up with one. It might not be a 100% success but it was worth a try. While Tatsumi wasn't paying much attention, Mayoi decided to try and free himself from the tight grip. In one quick motion, Mayoi pulled Tatsumi's hand close and bit it. Tatsumi let out a surprised gasp and let go of Mayoi's wrist in reflex.

Mayoi quickly pulled his hand away and began running away. That sure was something Tatsumi didn't expect. The mint-haired officer immediately went after the thief. The thief hadn't bitten too hard, but it was definitely going to leave some kind of a mark. Focus more , Tatsumi reminded himself.

Aira had been admiring the high statues that looked old but gorgeous. He was walking around and just doing anything to kill time. Aira figured he might as well look through all of the museum's artwork, while he was at it. The only sounds that could be heard were Aira's fast footsteps. He felt kind of lonely with the statues but also calm. The statues made the place look like something from a palace in movies. 

The blonde suddenly stopped in his tracks. He thought that he might've heard something. The emerald-eyed thief listened for a while, in case someone else was actually there. And he did hear someone else walking towards him. Aira's first instinct was to immediately go behind a statue, to hide from whoever was approaching him. The young thief peeked from behind the statue to see who the person was. Hold on, Is that the Hiro-kun?, Aira took a closer look, and it indeed was Amagi Hiiro. Aira turned his head back, and continued to hide. Hopefully he won't find me here, Aira wished.

" Hey, what are you doing behind that statue?" The blonde phantom thief felt like his heart stopped for a moment. Did he just get found out? Was it that obvious? " Could you please show yourself!" An energetic voice spoke again. Eventually, Aira gave in and only peeked his head out again. He stared at the boy in front of him. The crimson-haired male was standing in the distance with a confident expression. His bright blue eyes looked at Aira with curiosity. He really is attractive… was all Aira could think when he saw Hiiro in person for the first time. Of course, Hiiro had also looked handsome in the picture but in person, it was different.

Aira stepped out from his hiding spot to face the young police officer. He honestly didn't know what else to do next. It was useless to keep hiding since Hiiro already knew anyway. So… what should Aira do next? I mean, he could run away but would that really be smart? The thief didn't have that much stamina to run. And besides, the officer was most definitely trained to run and catch criminals. So it would be an automatic lose to Aira. He would get caught and arrested. Ahhh, why is this so hard? Aira groaned.

" Hey! You're the pretty phantom thief!" Hiiro smiled like an excited puppy that had just been praised by its owner. What's up with this guy? He doesn't seem serious or mad but excited to find me? And did he just call me pretty?! Aira gave Hiiro a confused look. " Huh, so you know about me? Also, you don't just call some random thief you're about to arrest pretty! You idiot!" How was this guy planning to arrest him? All the other officers never wasted a single second before running after Aira to try and arrest him.

" Hm? Is it wrong for me to call you pretty?" Hiiro's expression quickly went from excited to confused. Wasn't complimenting people polite? Or was it just wrong to complement thieves? But he genuinely did find the blonde thief pretty. Hiiro liked how Aira's silky blonde hair looked with his pure emerald eyes. Wait, but he shouldn't get distracted now! Hiiro was supposed to arrest Aira!

" Well um… it's not wrong… but- ugh nevermind you probably won't get it anyway!" Aira shook his head in frustration. But in truth, he actually didn't dislike being called pretty. Especially by the red-haired officer that he had found attractive. It made him feel something in his chest but Aira decided to shake the feeling off. He was about to possibly get arrested after all. Don't get lost in thought! Stupid feelings go away! Developing feelings for an officer wouldn't be the best thing to happen for Aira.

" Although as pretty as you are, I'm still going to have to arrest you!" Hiiro seemed to suddenly remember that his job was to arrest Aira.  The crimson-haired male took fast steps towards Aira. This obviously made Aira panic and he started running in the opposite direction. Hiiro also began running after him. Unfortunately for Aira, Hiiro was way faster at running and was starting to catch up. Now the blonde was in the same situation Mayoi was. Running away from a police officer that they had found attractive. 

Aira was starting to run out of stamina after running for a while. Constantly turning around corners and trying to get the officer to lose him. His pace started getting drastically slower. Unfortunately, Hiiro didn't notice Aira quickly slowing down. But the police officer still continued running at full speed.

" Kyaaa!?" Aira shut his eyes and screamed when Hiiro bumped into him with force. Both of them fell down face first on the museum's floor. Aira opened his eyes and tried to look up. Only to be met with concerned blue eyes. Hiiro had fallen on top of Aira! The blonde panicked. This was the end of him, there was no way he could escape. Aira still attempted to struggle free, but with no use. At this point, he was very much like a struggling fish on land.

" Ah I'm sorry, are you okay?!" Hiiro asked, still on top of Aira. " Geez, you're heavy! Move a bit!" The young thief was still struggling to move under Hiiro. Why is this guy such a pain? Aira groaned. Hiiro was way more different than the other police officers. How can you bump into and fall on top of the criminal you're trying to catch! 

But meanwhile Hiiro seemed to be focused on something else. Aira was about to ask Hiiro to move away again until he heard quick footsteps coming closer. Suddenly Aira saw a certain violet-haired thief running away from a mint-haired police officer, towards him and Hiiro. When Mayoi quickly stopped in his tracks when he saw the two laying on the floor. Tatsumi seemed to stop as well when he saw what was happening. 

" Aira-san?! W-what happened!?" Mayoi asked in panic. The last thing he was expecting was to see Aira under a police officer. Tatsumi seemed to be stunned as well. " Ugh, just let me get up already! This is sooo embarrassing!" Aira cried out. Hiiro snapped back to his senses and finally got up. Aira let out a deep sigh before also getting up and wiped some dust off of his clothes. 

" Oh yeah Aira! Since you're the thief we're looking for, I should arrest you!" Hiiro started looking for the handcuffs which obviously made Aira panic. " M-mayo-san, lets go!" Both Aira and Mayoi began running away again from the officers. The officers didn't waste a single second before going right after the two thieves. 

" Let's turn around here and go back up to the rooftop," Aira nodded and followed Mayoi's plan. The two thieves quickly turned around the corner, making the officers lose sight of them. But when Hiiro and Tatsumi turned around the corner, they couldn't find the two thieves anymore. Had the two officers really just lost the thieves? Tatsumi could only sigh, knowing that they were so close to catching them.

Meanwhile, Aira and Mayoi were actually hiding behind a statue. After they heard the officers walk away, it was their sign to look for the staircase to go back to the rooftop. It surprised Mayoi how he already missed the officer. The violet-haired thief didn't know why he would miss him. Maybe it was because he was different from all the other officers? Maybe, who knows. Same with Aira, he had so much fun with Hiiro, even though it was only for a while. The two thieves finally got to the staircase and started walking up to the rooftop.

When they got outside it was still somewhat windy. The moon shined brightly through the lonely clouds. Stars twinkled beautifully in the dark night sky. Both Aira and Mayoi were mesmerized by the view in front of them. The museum's rooftop was high enough for them to see most of the city. 

Both of the thieves looked at each other, smiling. Then all of a sudden, they started giggling. " That was so much fun!" Aira clapped his hand together. " Fufu, it indeed was. Maybe we could do it again?" Mayoi suggested. For once the cyan-eyed thief was excited about something. And Aira didn't seem to have anything against the suggestion, so he nodded. 

" Let's go home now, 'kay?"

Hiiro and Tatsumi were walking back to the police station. Tatsumi seemed to be astonished by how well the thieves got away. I hope I meet him again. Not because I want to arrest him but because I want to get to know him more, Tatsumis sighed, knowing that he probably shouldn't get to know someone that he had to arrest. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of laughter.

" Hiiro-san?" Tatsumi looked at his student who was laughing lightly next to him. " That was really fun! I hope I’ll meet Aira again! I think I learned a lot just by meeting him! I want to know more about him too!" Hiiro spoke as his eyes shined. Tatsumi let out a light-hearted laugh at how excited the younger was about the blonde thief. So we're both the same then , was all Tatsumi thought before letting out a happy sigh.

After a long day Tatsumi was finally able to go to sleep. He turned off all the lights and was now walking towards his bed. He laid down comfortably and shut his eyes, waiting to fall asleep. Suddenly, he heard his phone beep. The mint-haired male reached out for his phone to see the notification. To his surprise, it was an email from a person he didn't know.  Tatsumi decided to open the email and check out what it was about.

I had so much fun with you today. I don’t know why… but you just seem more interesting than the other police officers. I hope that I’m not coming off as weird or anything! So I’d like to meet you again, tomorrow 9 pm I’ll return a stolen item back into the same museum. I’ll look forward to seeing you.

-Phantom thief, Ayase Mayoi

Chapter Text

Aira was laying on the bed. He was trying his best to fall asleep, but to no avail. It was frustrating when the only thing he could think about was, "That stupid Hiro-kun!" He tried one more time, forcing his eyes shut, gripping tightly on the bed sheets and turning around to face the wall. Aira was normally tired after missions, but for once he wide awake.

Eventually, Aira gave up and rose up from his bed. He decided to take a small walk around the kitchen and clear up his thoughts. I wonder if he saw the email yet? Both Aira and Mayoi had sent an email to the officers. Both of the thieves giggling and teasing each other as they typed their messages. Aira couldn't help but open his phone to check if Hiiro had already seen the email. For some odd reason he was feeling nervous when tapping through his phone.

-

Hey! I had a lot of fun today! Although you may be an idiot, Hiro-kun, I still think that you're a cool person! Let's meet again… tomorrow at 9 p.m, at the same museum. See you there, 'kay?

 

Phantom thief, Shiratori Aira

Seen by Amagi Hiiro √

-

Aira stared at his phone, feeling his heart pounding , Hiro-kun saw it already? He turned his phone off and put it away. His mind was honestly just a huge mess, at this point. He felt stupid at how warm and fuzzy he felt just by thinking about Hiiro. With nothing much better to do, Aira went to the living room and decided to look through his laptop. Might as well hack through the police's documents while he was at it. 

2 am, Aira stared at the time and blinked.

The blonde groaned in frustration and laid on the couch. He really needed to fix his sleep schedule. Tonight Aira didn't really feel like hacking anything. Which was odd, because he was always very curious, and hacking was like a free time hobby for him. 

The living room felt quiet and empty while the only sounds that could be heard were from his laptop and from the few cars that happened to drive past his apartment.  The only light source was coming through the parted curtains from the street lights making the bright laptop screen feel like way too much for Aira's eyes. 

" Airaa-san? You're still awake?" A voice came from behind him. Aira turned around . So Mayoi was awake after all. He was standing in the hallway with a concerned expression. The violet-haired thief never liked seeing Aira stay awake at such late hours. But what could Aira do? He had already tried falling asleep for the past hour. 

" Yeah… couldn't fall asleep. Today was kinda extreme, so yeah," Aira sighed. It would be kind of embarrassing for the emerald-eyed thief to tell Mayoi that he couldn't fall asleep due to a certain redhead clouding his thoughts.

" Fufu… though to be honest, I can't seem to fall asleep either," Mayoi confessed.

" Hold on, so you were awake the entire time!?" This was new for Aira. Mayoi had always fallen asleep quickly. It was always Aira who stayed up late. But now even Mayoi was having trouble sleeping? 

" Y-yeah, I hate to admit it, but the only thing I could think about was today. And especially about Tatsumi…" Mayoi whispered the last part, not really wanting the other to hear it. " Yeah… same," Aira blanky stared at the ceiling. Both of the thieves knew very well that they shouldn't be falling in love with cops that were trying to arrest them. But it's hard when your heart is playing tricks on you.

" Hey I could check if Tatsumi has seen the message you sent yet," Aira suggested and went into Mayoi's mailbox on his computer. The older thief immediately grew curious of the offer and went to sit next to the other.

Aira was stunned to see a reply from Tatsumi. He was surprised that the officer had taken time to reply to the older thief's message. Aira had expected both of the officers to just ignore or even delete the email they had sent.  So maybe the officers weren't such kill joys after all.

-

See you at 9 pm then, dear Mayoi-san

-

" Hiii?! Tatsumi-san r-replied?" Mayoi exclaimed, staring at the screen in shock, not believing what he was seeing. Although as surprised as he was, it still somehow made him even more excited to see the other, even if it was just a short and a simple message that he had received. Maybe if he was lucky enough, he could get to know the gorgeous officer better the next time they met. Mayoi felt like a high schooler who had just been noticed by their crush. 

However, as exciting as all this was, getting some sleep would definitely be good for both of them. Trying to steal while being half asleep wasn't the best idea. Although it was definitely going to be challenging to fall asleep after all of this. 

" Well, it would probably be a good idea to get some sleep now," Aira stretched his arms from all the sitting and yawned. He turned off his laptop and tried to get his eyes used to not seeing the bright screen again. 

" Fufu, of course, we definitely need some rest after today. So sleep well~" This was one of the times when Mayoi really felt more like a mother to Aira. Always taking care of his sleep and not letting him eat anything unhealthy beforehands. Honestly, Aira didn't hate it. Actually, it was nice to have someone that cared a lot for his health. Although it could be annoying at times when all he wanted to do was to clear his worries away by munching away on sweet chocolate.

" Yup, you too, sleep well~" Aira stood up from the couch after Mayoi and the tired duo walked back into their bedroom through the dark hallway. Aira wondered if Hiiro stayed up late like he did, but he quickly decided that it was impossible since he was a police officer, and had to stay in good shape. But given how both officers  had seen their messages that were sent pretty late made the whole theory possible.

Mayoi picked up the sheets and crawled into his bed snuggling up comfortably. He shut his eyes, surprised at how tired he actually was. Mayoi could fall asleep happily knowing that he would be meeting the mint-haired officer tomorrow. Who knows, he might even dream about him.

While Mayoi was about to peacefully fall asleep, Aira was having trouble calming down his mind. But fortunately, he wasn't as awake as before. Maybe if he just tried one more time, he could fall asleep as well. Aira shut his eyes, adjusting his position to a more comfortable one and let the tiredness take over him.

Soon calm breaths could be heard as Aira too, entered the dream world. He'll finally be able to rest, after struggling to fall asleep for hours. For once, he was able to fall asleep before 3 am. 

Sunday 10 am.

Hiiro was walking to one of the office rooms to meet up with Tatsumi. The hallways were always quiet and calm during the mornings. There wasn't much sunlight in the place since the curtains were never really open, but it's not like Hiiro really minded. Every morning he had to go and get lessons from the older officer and Hiiro always somehow had fun learning new things from Tatsumi. Maybe this was one of the reasons why the older officer saw so much potential in him. But Hiiro was especially excited for the meeting with the thieves at 9 pm. Since he was a student, he rarely got to go on real missions.

He eventually reached the office room. Hiiro knocked on the door a couple times before entering. Peeking inside, he found Tatsumi arranging all the files and documents that had been piling up on a desk in front of him.

" Good morning, Tatsumi-senpai!" Hiiro greeted like he did every morning. 

" Good morning, Hiiro-san," Tatsumi replied, looking up with a friendly expression. It always felt so nice to see his enthusiastic student early in the morning. Although, he quickly sighed when he saw the other huge pile of files and documents that he still hadn't arranged. Whoever left those files must have been a very careless person. Tatsumi absolutely destested , when he had to be the one to clean the mess that the others made.

" Are you perhaps having trouble arranging those papers? If that's the case then I can help!”!" Just like that, Hiiro was willing to help someone once again. 

" Fufu, I appreciate the offer, but we should start the lesson soon, besides, these files won't be that much of a problem." Tatsumi felt happy to see how his student was always willing to lend a hand to others that needed it. It was an important trait for a police officer after all.

" Well, shall we start our practice right away?" Tatsumi placed the last documents on the shelves before turning his attention to Hiiro.

" Yes! I'm excited for today!" And with that, the two officers began their lesson. Although, Hiiro had some trouble focusing since his mind was still occupied by the thought of meeting Aira tonight.

But on the other hand, he was supposed to arrest Aira, right? That was the whole reason they met. Hiiro was supposed to arrest him, but failed the last time as his feelings got the best of him. He looked up through the window praying that nothing bad  would happen today.

Sunday 8.50 pm

The night had fallen and the only things shining were the moon and the stars. Dark colors painting the night sky, as the silver moon illuminates with it. The night sky was truly a gorgeous art piece. The one kind that would always look magical no matter how you stared at it.

Currently, Mayoi and Aira were preparing themselves for another trip to the museum. The important thing was to be ready, in case anything went wrong. Fortunately for them, it was much easier to blend in and escape during nighttime. 

The duo had already planned to use the same method getting into the museum as last time. Since they figured out that the officers would be entering the huge building from the front doors, it would be easier for them to sneak into the museum without being noticed immediately. Welcome back m8

As expected, both of the thieves easily got into the museum with no effort. The museum really needed more security if the place didn't want some thieves to enter it so easily. 

The duo entered the familiar dark staircase. The place echoed from their footsteps as they walked down. Both of their minds occupied by the thoughts of the officers. Neither of them knew what to expect from this meeting. Maybe the officers would try and arrest them? I mean, they were police officers after all. It was their job to arrest criminals.

Eventually, they finally got to the end of the staircase and entered the main hall. It was hard for them to get their eyes used to the now brighter hall. The huge place had a glass rooftop, which the silver moon could be seen through. 

" Should we split up?" Aira asked Mayoi, after some time had passed.

"Sure, let's do that,"

And with that, the two split up and set off to wander around the museum. Of course, continuing to keep  their guards up just in case the officers decided to surprise them somehow. 

Aira felt extremely nervous while exploring the museum. This time he was around the paintings admiring them. Every painting looked old, but all of them had deep emotion conveyed within. The quiet hallway felt haunting, but in a good way. Aira felt like he was in a castle full of paintings. Every step he took, bounced across through the huge museum walls. The air felt chilling as he continued walking forward, not knowing what to expect to happen next. Although there was one particular problem: it was going to be tricky to find a good hiding spot. But that was only going to be a problem for future Aira. 

He walked forward on the museum's mattress, not really knowing where he was planning to go. The only things accompanying him were the tall expensive paintings on the walls. The place was surprisingly clean. Aira had expected that all of the museums had dust everywhere due to poor maintenance.

" Hey Aira!"

The boy in question immediately turned around. Fortunately for Aira, he had many ways to escape as a last resort. The blonde stared at the energetic officer in the distance. Aira did trust him enough to not run away immediately. 

" Hiro-kun?" 

" I'm excited to see you again, my friend!" Hiiro walked a few steady steps towards Aira. Of course this startled the blonde and he took a few steps back.

" Wait wait wait- W-why are you calling me a friend?! And why are you excited to see me? Ugh… you're only here to arrest me anyway," Aira silently added the last part. 

" Hm? Is it wrong for me to call you my friend? Last time you told me it was wrong to even compliment you? But I only would like to learn more from you!" Hiiro clenched his fists in excitement, eyes sparkling. 

" Well… those are things that you don't just- I mean, generally police officers would just arrest us, because we're criminals, you know?" He tried his best to explain the stuff to Hiiro. How did this guy even become a student? He seemed like someone who had no clue about their job!

" Well, you don't seem like a harmful person! Besides, I want to get to know you better, Aira!" There he goes again, treating Aira like a friend.

" Well uhh… I don't know about that. I've never really had many friends, you know?  And I don't know if I can really be friends with someone who is supposed to arrest me!" Seriously!? Why isn't he arresting me? Isn't that his job?! Aira really couldn't understand Hiiro's thought process at the moment.

" Me neither! So please! Agree to be my friend!" 

" Geez, fine fine! But I still don't get it? Aren't you supposed to arrest me or something? I'm preettyy sure that it's the only reason  you've come to meet me in the first place anyways," Why was talking to this guy such a pain? But at the same time Aira actually kind of enjoyed talking with Hiiro and was smiling without much thought. 

" Hm? Ah yes, I was indeed supposed to arrest you! But I have a good feeling about you! And you are my friend now!" Hiiro smiled like he had just won something (and maybe that something was Aira's friendship).

" Good feeling?! Won't you get fired from befriending a criminal, Hiro-kun?!" Aira had many questions and thought about Hiiro’s situation at this point. First, he compliments Aira, and then asks him to be his friend even though he's a bad person?!

" I appreciate your concerns, but no need to worry about me, my friend!" Hiiro let out a lighthearted laugh at Aira's concerns. 

Something about the red-haired officer's laugh made Aira's heart flip in his chest.  Something about his carefree smile really was attractive. And Aira couldn't help but stare at Hiiro, like he was admiring a beautiful painting in the museum.

Tatsumi was wandering around the museum halls, looking for a certain violet-haired thief. But little did he know, he was being watched from afar by that certain thief. Of course, Tatsumi wasn't aware of this at allat first. But when he began hearing quiet footsteps move everytime he moved, it became clear someone was following him. The police officer wanted to just see how long the thief would play this game of hide and seek with him.

The thief decided to take a peek from his hiding spot, admiring how attractive Tatsumi looked. From there, it was far more easier than being face to face with the man. Fufu… Tatsumi-san looks so focused in finding me~ I really wish that we could be friends, Mayoi thought, not noticing how he  was now staring maybe too long. He didn't even notice Tatsumi taking a quick look behind him to check up on Mayoi.

It was adorable to Tatsumi. How he could catch a glimpse of Mayoi peeking his head out from his hiding spots to stare at the officer every now and then. Fortunately for Mayoi, the place had many huge statues, so hiding wasn't going to be a hard task. But it was basically useless, since he had already been found out, without even knowing. 

After a while of just walking around and seeing what the thief would do, Tatsumi decided that maybe it was time to ask for the thief to reveal himself. Hopefully, Mayoi won't run away from him.

" Fufu, Mayoi-san, why have you been hiding from me? There's no need to hide," he could hear Mayoi's startled squeak as he was discovered. The man slowly walked out from his hiding spot in defeat. 

" Hiiii! I'm sorry for staring! I'm sorry for being so perverted and filthyyy!!" Mayoi panicked and was fiddling with his hands. He was being careless again! Hopefully, this won't be the end for him.

" No need to worry Mayoi-san, it's fine. Now, would you like to have a conversation with me? There must have been a reason you sent that email, correct?" Mayoi was speechless. Tatsumi's kind words and his smile were like a cure to a deadly illness. But he wasn't sure what to reply to Tatsumi's question with. He had sent that email because he was curious. He wanted to meet Tatsumi again and wanted to get to know him.

" W-well, umm, you see, I didn't really have that big of a reason- Gah! I'm probably just wasting your time! I'm sorry I'm sorryyy!" Explaining quickly turned into his usual self-deprecation. To think that Tatsumi went all his way just to meet up with some filthy thief.

" Fufu, don't worry, it's alright Mayoi-san," Tatsumi reassured him and smiled which seemed to calm Mayoi down a bit. The cyan-eyed thief genuinely smiled at the officers kindness. His smile is beautiful, Tatsumi admired Mayoi like an artwork in a museum.

" Eeep, you're way too kind Tatsumi-saaan," Mayoi felt extremely flustered. He covered his face with his hands in embarrassment, and didn't dare to look at Tatsumi's beautiful face any longer.

" It's only natural for me to be polite to someone as attractive as you. But would you please come here? I'd like to ask some questions," Tatsumi hoped that Mayoi would trust him enough to come closer, since he didn't have any plans on arresting the man just yet.

Mayoi slowly nodded and took a few careful steps forward. He somewhat trusted the officer, but since last time he had to bite the other in order to get free, he was still a bit skeptical.  Although, Mayoi still kept a safe distance just in case.

" Now, I would like to ask some questions, is that alright?" Tatsumi asked just to make sure that the thief was feeling comfortable enough from where he was standing.

" Y-yes, it's alright," Mayoi only kept staring at the floor. He was feeling extremely nervous, still being cautious around the police officer.

" I'd like to know, why do you steal? Whenever you and Aira-san rob a museum, the items always get returned. The only things that haven’t been returned is all the money you two have stolen. So I'd like to know, is there a reason you're doing all of this?" 

Well, that was a lot of questions. Mayoi hadn't expected any of this. His expression was full of shock and surprise. Tatsumi didn't even talk to him as if he were a bad person! He started fiddling with his hands out of nervousness, as he was still thinking of a way to answer Tatsumi's questions properly.

" Well umm… We steal money because umm… Because we wanted to help our friend who had problems with living and finding a job…" Mayoi went quieter, as he spoke. He felt kind of glad that the officer had considered the motif behind the pick-pocketing. Most of the officers didn't care, and the judge probably wouldn't have either. This made Mayoi especially trust Tatsumi as he wasn't like the other officers he had encountered.

" I see, so you steal to help people? So you do have good intentions after all,” He felt relieved, knowing that the thieves weren’t actually bad people. He was genuinely starting to like Mayoi. Ah, but maybe he was just going crazy?!

" Y-you don't see me as a bad person?" Mayoi finally dared to look up. His heartbeat quickly speeding up as he kept staring at the man in front of him. If Tatsumi was an artwork, Mayoi would spend every hour in his free time just to watch him. It felt like time had just frozen. Like the whole world was quiet, and the only people that existed were them. 

" Hm? What's so interesting about my face now, that you'd rather stare at it than talk to me? This made Mayoi's heart jump. He quickly broke eye-contact and stepped back.

Tatsumi’s expression wasn't a judging one. Rather more like a playful and a childish one. His eyes half-lidded as he smiled at the way Mayoi got flustered so easily. It was like a blessing for Tatsumi to meet someone like Mayoi. The way his cyan-eyes looked at him with curiosity at times, instead of fear and doubtfulness. His beautiful violet strands standing out under the bright yellow light. 

" O-oh yeah! I-I almost forgot, the item I was supposed to return,” Mayoi began looking through his pockets, while Tatusmi could only shoot him a confused look. The thief tried his best to find the item he was looking for as fast as possible. But then he finally realized it was the wrong pocket before quickly starting to look through the other pocket.

“ H-here!” Tatsumi had to squint his eyes at the small item Mayoi was holding. It was shiny, gold and… Wait, was that Tatsumi’s police badge? His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the familiar badge Mayoi was holding in his hand. Tatsumi checked his outfit and mentally lectured himself for not noticing the disappearance of his badge sooner.

“ You’re very good at pickpocketing...Fufu, how amazing,” Mayoi’s cheeks reddened at the compliment which Tatsumi found adorable. He wasn’t very used to people complimenting him, other than Aira. 

Mayoi carefully took steps towards Tatsumi to give him back his badge. Tatsumi could sense how nervous the other was while walking towards him. And the mint-haired officer tried his best to give a friendly smile so approaching him wouldn’t be as scary for Mayoi. This seemed to help a bit, since the other’s hands weren’t shaking as much anymore and his expression started looking a bit more confident.

Mayoi quickly handed over the badge to Tatsumi. Although the contact was brief , Tatsumi could just feel how soft Mayoi’s touch was. It made him think of how amazing it would be to hold his hand. 

Well, maybe one day….

The night had gone well. In fact, it went more than well. Both of the officers had a lot of fun just having a normal conversation with the thieves. There were no awkward moments for neither of them, since they always had something to talk about. It was an amazing night for all of them. They had the whole museum to themselves, and got to stroll around while talking. 

Hiiro and Aira seemed like they were bickering half of the time, but in truth, it was just harmless teasing. And with the way Hiiro always came close to look at Aira's eyes, hair or anything, it made the younger's heart jump. His heart felt as light as a feather. Hiiro's sweet smiles and words always made Aira just want to hug him. He was surprised at how much fun he had with the police officer.

But of course, all fun has to come to an end. When it was time for them to say goodbyes, it was hard. However, both of the thieves and the police officers had things to do tomorrow. 

They didn't expect their hearts to feel lonely once they were separated. 

The two thieves were walking toward their small apartment, like some stray cats in the night. High buildings only looking like dark shadows against the night sky. Only a few light gray clouds loomed overhead,  covering some of the bright twinkling stars. One thing shining brightly through the few clouds was the claw-like silver moon. The street lights shone on the streets with no people. Every now and then a car would break the silence of the lonely night.

There was a long silence between the two thieves. Only walking forward towards their apartment with no interactions whatsoever. Aira slowed down in his tracks and stared at the pitch-black ground. Mayoi quickly realized that Aira had stopped. He turned around to make eye-contact with the blonde. Both of them knew at first glance what they wanted. It was like they could read each other's minds. The duo smiled in the darkness. Both of them could clearly see it even though it was dark.

" Let's do it again!" the two said in unison.

This became a routine for all four of them. Always going into that very same museum just to hang out. Occasionally they would play something like tag and do tickle fights. It was honestly something you would never in a 100 years expect an officer to do with a thief. But there they were every night, having fun.

Some days the four preferred to sit on the edge of the rooftop to stare at the view overhead. Only enjoying the silence, each other’s presence, and the wind that breezed past them. Every now and then they would do something a bit more affectionate like holding hands. 

But they were all doomed. The thieves were in love with the officers, and so were the officers with the thieves. Tatsumi didn't want to arrest Mayoi, because the knew that the court wouldn't take him well. And Hiiro just couldn't bare the thought of handcuffing Aira and handing him to the other officers. 

Eichi was already starting to get impatient. There were days where Eichi would just call the two officers into his room just to tell them how disappointed he was. It really made the two just want to quit the job already. But Mayoi and Aira were always there for them. Everyday the two were always looking forward to spending some time with the thieves. It was the most fun that they've always had in years. 

They would always exchange shy glances at each other. There were no boring moments during their meetings. They always had something to talk about. Aira would always lecture Hiiro about something, before the two would just laugh it off. Meanwhile, Tatsumi always liked to talk with Mayoi about more interesting topics. But every now and then, the violet-eyed officer would tease the other a bit, and watch as the other got flustered so easily.

“ I’m incredibly disappointed. It’s been a month and you two still haven’t arrested those thieves,” there was clear anger in Eichi’s voice as he spoke to the two officers. His eyes showed no mercy as he glanced at the two. Eichi had enough, he was tired of waiting for the two police officers. 

“ We apologize for not being able to arrest them, we promise to try our best next ti-”

“ Stop talking and actually do it. Both of you are just huge disappointments to society,” there was no kindness in his voice, when he interrupted Tatsumi. This took the mint-haired officer by surprise, since Eichi usually remained calm and listened. Tatsumi could only nod and obey. Hiiro looked at Tatsumi with concern and worry in his eyes. His teacher looked unusually sad and angry, and  it concerned him a lot.

“ Now, if you understood what I just said, then leave and don’t come back until you get those filthy thieves arrested,” Eichi’s words were sharp like knives. It took a while for Tatsumi to finally stand up and take his leave. Hiiro quickly stood up with his teacher and looked at Eichi one last time, before leaving with Tatsumi.

“ Tatsumi-senpai..?” Tatsumi couldn’t even hear Hiiro call out his name. It only became white noise, drowned out  by the ocean of emotions he was feeling at the moment.  Blank staring at the concrete floor, he slowly walked towards the doors that led outside of the building.

The sun was beginning to set. The sky was a beautiful gradient of orange and purple. The bright yellow clouds circling around the painted orange sky. It looked warm and welcoming. 

“ Sorry, I’m just... really shocked,” Tatsumi finally spoke up after exiting the building. He stood still, with no expression. The two officers had already grown very fond of the two thieves throughout their meetings together. And arresting the thieves would just drown the officers in eternal guilt.

“ It’s alright Tatsumi-senpai! I’m sure we’ll find a solution to all of this!” 

Even in the darkest times, you still keep being positive and smile, Tatsumi’s lips curved into a smile. He felt blessed to have such a positive student. But really what could they actually come up with? No matter what, Eichi was going to keep nagging about arresting the thieves. And worst case scenario, they could get fired.

Tatsumi sighed, they had to somehow find a solution.

Tuesday, 8 pm

The two officers walked towards the two museum doors. It was extremely nerve wracking, knowing that they would finally have to confront the thieves about the whole situation. Neither of them wanted this to end. The best time of their day would be gone. The people they loved would be gone and they would never be able to make new memories again.

With a heavy sigh, they entered the museum for what seemed like the last time. The whole place echoed as the huge door opened. Now all they had to do was wait for the two thieves to appear. Before, it was common for Hiiro to talk about Aira, but now, he was dead quiet. And so was Tatsumi. The two needed some time to think.

After some time had passed, the two could clearly hear some footsteps in the distance. The officers immediately began looking for the two thieves. They could see the two thieves coming towards them in the distance. Normally the two officers would get excited to see the two, but since they had to do as Eichi said, it was hard to face them.

The two thieves seemed to be able to read the mood and immediately realized that something was wrong. Instead of the warm smiles and greetings, it was replaced with grim eyes and  frowns. This obviously made the two extremely concerned, because something like this never happened.

“ Hiro-kun, Tattsun-senpai, is everything alright?” Aira’s expression quickly turned into a concerned one as he approached the two officers. Mayoi was just as concerned as Aira was. The two cared about the officers and would never want anything bad to happen to them.

There was a long period of silence, before Tatsumi decided to explain the whole situation. “ Our boss was incredibly mad at us for not being able to arrest you two. We might get fired, but I sincerely hope we don’t. It’s quite hard, because neither of us want to arrest you two either,” Tatsumi hadn’t even noticed the tears that had formed in his eyes. 

“ Tatsumi-san…” something pierced through Mayoi’s heart when he saw Tatsumi’s expression. He absolutely despised seeing Tatsui like this. Mayoi wanted to see the officer smile again, he wanted him to be happy.

“ Hey guys, I think there’s someone outside,” Hiiro warned everyone as he looked behind him. Aira and Mayoi were already prepared to run away from the museum,  if there really was someone out there. 

It was completely silent. No one dared to move a muscle. Tatsumi was completely frozen, it couldn’t be?

The doors slammed open, startling everyone inside the building.

“ Arrest those thieves!” It was Eichi. He was standing there with some other police officers, ready to arrest the two phantom thieves.“ Mayo-san, let's go!” And with that, Aira and Mayoi ran away, leaving the two officers alone. The two were in schock, not knowing how to react to the whole situation. 

Two different police officers went right after the two thieves. Eichi stood there with a proud grin on his face. At this point, he didn’t even care about Tatsumi or Hiiro. The cold-eyed officer’s main priority was to get the thieves arrested and finally close the case.

“ Let’s follow them!” Hiiro didn’t wait for Tatsumi, before running after everyone. It took a second for Tatsumi to register what was happening before he followed right after. The whole museum was now echoing with the sounds of people running and shouting, it was a huge mess.

The thieves were also having a hard time trying to get the two police officers to lose them. They were catching up at a terrifying speed and it made the two thieves panic even more. They had to come up with something. Something to out smart the two officers chasing after them.

“ Should we go to the rooftop?” Mayoi suggested. It was the best solution they had for now. Besides, Aira was beginning to lose a lot of stamina and it was slowing him down. The blonde thief nodded, before the two began navigating their way to the staircase that led to the rooftop.

It just took a moment for Hiiro and Tatsumi to figure out where the two were going. The rooftop was a common place for all four of them to hangout at. So it was easy to figure out they were heading there. 

Luckily for the thieves, the two other police officers lost them, giving them enough time to come up with a proper plan once they got up to the rooftop. But it didn't take long for the two police officers to figure out where the two were going. 

Mayoi and Aira reached the staircase in no time. It was easy for them to navigate through the museum, since they had been hanging out there so many times. The two thieves weren't bothered by the darkness in the staircase anymore. They easily ran up the stairs and made it to the rooftop. 

" Aira-san, I think I have a plan… I think this would help everyone, even Tatsumi-san and Hiiro-san," 

" Aira! Mayoi-senpai!" Hiiro was the first one to reach the rooftop. The two thieves were standing on the edge of the rooftop, facing Hiiro. Tatsumi quickly caught up with the other two. " Aira-san, Mayoi-san, ?" Tatsumi was still trying to catch his breath.

" You two are under arrest!" The two officers followed up behind, shouting at the two thieves. They already had the handcuffs ready for the two thieves. 

This was it. The people Tatsumi and Hiiro had cared for the most were about to get arrested. And they couldn't do anything about it. The two officers wished to just wake up from this nightmare. But this was no dream.

The wind howled as it sent chills down their spine. The moonlight shined down onto the rooftop, making everything shine in the darkness. Mayoi and Aira looked like they were about to cry. Eyes clouded with sadness and emotion.

" Sorry," the thieves shut their eyes and…

.

.

.

A tear rolled down Tatsumi's cheek. Hiiro fell to his knees and stared into emptiness. Their hearts felt like it was slowly cracking up, until it shattered into millions of broken pieces.

They...jumped off? No, please don't be true, another tear. Tatsumi was scared of losing the two, but… not because they would die, but because they would get arrested. 

Hiiro wanted to scream. He wanted to scream his lungs out, until the feeling of emptiness and pain would go away. But he couldn't. He was speechless and in shock. All the good memories he had made with them flashing through his eyes. More tears rolled down his face. 

The two other officers were also in shock. It took them by surprise. But the only thing they could do was to inform Eichi about the whole situation. So they decided to leave the other two grieving officers, and began making their way down the staircase.

" A-Aira," Hiiro finally sobbed out. " Why did you go?" he just wanted to let it all out already. He cried even more ugly sobs. He cursed the world for taking Aira away from him. He just wanted Aira back. He wanted to hear the blonde lecture him again. He wanted to laugh with him again. But now it was all gone. 

The worst part is that I never got to tell you how much I loved you, 

" I love you Aira…" he whispered through his sobs. But there was no use in saying that now, was there? And that was a truth that hurt Hiiro the most. The storm of emotions threatened to rip Hiiro's heart apart.

Tatsumi had also sat down and began crying. He covered his face with his hands. Crying as much as he could. It hurt...a lot. Mayoi was gone now and he didn't want to go on  living without the other. " Why did it have to end like this?" Tatsumi cursed at God for taking his dear Mayoi away from him.

" I loved you… a lot Mayoi-san. And now- now you would never hear it from me," he started crying harder. His face was stained in his tears. I loved you a lot, Mayoi-san.

" Was that a good idea?" Aira asked, sounding unsure. He couldn't help but be concerned for the officers. The two were now running through a dark alley towards their home. 

" I am a bit concerned as well, but we should maybe visit them in the morning," Mayoi suggested. Aira nodded, it was the best the two could do for now. 

The reason they decided to fake their death was so the officers wouldn't get in trouble. Because if the two thieves were dead, they wouldn't have to arrest them anymore. And it was the easiest way for the two to not get any more officers trying to come after them

Aira sighed, it was definitely going to be impossible for him to get any sleep tonight. Maybe pulling an all nighter wouldn't be so bad, since he got a good amount of sleep last night. His mind was already spiraling with worry and concern.

Mayoi could already feel guilt and concern thorn his heart apart. It was already hard enough for him to watch Tatsumi's sad gaze. But to pretend to die in front of the other was a whole nother level of concern and anxiety.

Just wait until the morning, and hopefully everything will be fine , he tried to assure himself just like Tatsumi had taught him to. 

6 am

The two officers sat on their beds in their shared apartment. Hiiro was sobbing in his own room, hoping for the pain to go away. While Tatsumi was crying in his own room. Tears just wouldn't stop spilling down their cheeks. Hiiro was hugging a pillow, trying to muffle all the sobs he was making. And Tatsumi was hugging his knees and crying.

Tatsumi looked at the time. It was already morning. The two had spent the entire night crying over the death of their beloved ones. However, he couldn't care less about the time at this point. 

Meanwhile, Mayoi and Aira were rushing to meet the two officers. They knew exactly where they lived and were planning to surprise them. The two couldn't wait to see the officers again. 

Fortunately for the thieves the window was open. And that's all they needed to enter the apartment. Aira carefully stepped inside the apartment, watching out so he wouldn't accidentally step on anything. He then guided Mayoi inside the apartment as well. 

The two could immediately hear the faint sounds of sobbing. It absolutely broke their hearts, knowing how depressed the two officers were for seeing them ‘die’. Tatsumi and Hiiro were clearly crying in two different rooms. Aira went looking for Hiiro while Mayoi went looking for Tatsumi. 

Aira found Hiiro sitting on his bed hugging his pillow. He peeked through a corner and saw the crying messes that the two were. 

Aira walked towards the redhead. " Hiro-kun?" He carefully called. The boy immediately looked up. Aira felt his heart ache at the sight of the love of his life crying. " Don't cry…" The blonde took a few steps closer. 

" Aira? A-Aira?!" Hiiro's mouth was wide open. He couldn't believe his eyes. Was this really Aira? He hoped it was, and his mind wasn’t just making illusions.  " Is that really you?" He stared at the blonde boy in front of him, a tornado of emotions washing over him.

Aira let out a painful sob, before going ahead and hugging Hiiro tightly. " Of course it’s me! I'm sorry for scaring you," Aira couldn't stop the overwhelming tears from falling. He then felt two strong arms wrap around him tightly. The warmth they shared made Hiiro realize Aira was in fact, real and alive. It made his heart flutter in happiness.

" A-Aira, I thought you died," Hiiro let out a shaky breath. All the affection Aira was giving to him was slowly mending his heart now. " Of course, I didn't, you idiot.. It’s going to take more than that to kill me," Aira smiled. Maybe now he would finally get his happy ending with Hiiro. The one where they wouldn't have to worry about anything.

" I love you Aira, I love you," Aira blushed deeply at the confession and hugged the boy even more tightly. " I love you too, Hiro-kun," Both of them were crying, not from sadness or pain, but from happiness. It wa hugged Mayoi back.

Hiiro was the first one to pull away. But only because he hadn't accomplished one thing yet. The redhead lifted the younger boy's chin up and kissed his lips softly. It felt amazing. It was like the last cure for his heart. Hiiro closed his eyes, enjoying every second of the kiss. And so did Aira. His cheeks were as red as Hiiro's hair. The blonde smiled to the kiss, enjoying the way it made his heart flutter with emotion.

The two sat there. Enjoying each other's presence. And it was all they needed.

Mayoi was still nervous about approaching Tatsumi. The mint-haired man’s eyes were puffy and he looked so worn out. He stared blankly at the floor, with no expression in his eyes. Mayoi carefully took a few steps forward. No reaction. He hated seeing Tatsumi like this. It pained his heart a lot.

" Tatsumi-san?" 

The officer finally looked up. But his expression didn't change much. It was as if he didn't believe that Mayoi was there. " Am I seeing hallucinations now?" He laughed, but there was clearly a lot of pain in his voice.

Mayoi couldn't believe his ears. Tears quickly formed in his eyes. It was like a knife had been stabbed into his heart. He hated the feeling. 

" N-no, Tatsumi-san, I swear it's me. Y-you're not seeing hallucinations. Please, Tatsumi-san, believe me. I'm sorry for scaring you. I really-" Mayoi  couldn't continue as tears spilled onto the floor. His mind was feeling like a huge mess right now.

Just when Tatsumi was about to protest, Mayoi went ahead and hugged him tightly. At this point he couldn't control it. The violet-haired man began sobbing loudly. Tatsumi quickly registered what was going on and hugged Mayoi back. Tears dripping down his cheeks. He was glad that Mayoi was safe and alive.

" I'm so glad…" Tatsumi sobbed as he caressed the other's hair and hugged him even more tightly. Mayoi's face quickly reddened at the affection and he couldn't help but giggle through his tears. Tatsumi smiled warmly, finally being able to be with the very person he loved. The two stayed like that, hugging each other tightly.

" Mayoi-san, I love you," Tatsumi quietly confessed. He then went forward and softly pressed his lips against Mayoi's. The violet-haired man was taken back by the kiss, but quickly kissed the other back. His heart felt like it could explode from the affection at any second. Tatsumi's lips were soft and he felt blessed to be able to kiss the man. This was all he needed. Tatsumi's love was all he needed. 

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Tatsumi pulled apart. " Would you like to go to sleep? I unfortunately didn't get any sleep last night, fufu," Mayoi seemed to be extremely sleepy as well. " Yes, but could we first check up on Aira-san and Hiiro-san?" Mayoi asked.

" Of course," And with that, the two stood up and went to check up on the two younger ones while holding eachothers hands. Mayoi was still not quite used to such large amounts of affection, but he didn't hate it. In fact, he quite enjoyed it.

When they peeked into the room, they saw Aira and Hiiro comfortably asleep on the messy bed while hugging each other. The two giggled at the sight before returning to their own bedroom. 

They had finally reached their happy ending.