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Souya sighed as he tightened the mask’s strings on his head while watching Hinata and Mikey dance amongst the other guests in front of him. Missions that involved going to these types of events were his least favorite. They always reminded him that he came from humble beginnings. It’s not like he was ashamed though. It's because of those beginnings he’s in his current line of work making more than he or his brother ever dreamed and now they get to take care of their grandmother like she did for them.
“Can I offer you a drink Sir?” Souya turned his head and bit his lip to hold back the laugh that was forming. He was not doing a great job based on the eye twitch he received... “Souya, if you laugh I will hit you with this white wine bottle.” Nahoya threatened, his grip visibly tightening on the bottle’s neck.
“What was the point of all those etiquette lessons with Emma if you can’t tell the difference between regular wine and champagne?” Souya teased before he held out his glass, letting his brother pour into it slowly. “Can you tell me anything about this wine ?” Nahoya glared before answering.
“Of course Sir . The grapes are farmed by the Hanagaki estate’s workers, they’re close by but the transportation is handled by the D&D corporation. Quality control is also overseen by the infamous Shibas.” Souya nods, taking a sip from his now filled glass. Nahoya gives him a low bow and turns to walk away. Before he gets too far he turns back and points at Souya’s earring. “It looks loose. Might want to secure it.” Souya mumbled a thank you before he reached up and pressed the piece of jewelry. A low hum sounding in his ear before a beep.
“Testing. Angry, if you can hear me, take a drink.” Souya takes a long sip. “Okay good. Mikey, if you can hear me dip Hina and let her know to turn her communicator on.” He watched Mikey dip his wife and once he pulled her back up she smiled before reaching up for her earring. “Perfect. With everyone on we’ll begin the next phase. Takemichi, take it away.”
“Hey everyone!" Takemichi's bubbly voice echoed in his ear "I just want to remind you guys what the plan is for tonight. Smiley, you’re in charge of the main floor. If someone stares at one of the others for too long, alert us immediately. We don’t want to make any moves in case someone is suspicious.”
“Aye aye.” Nahoya whispered into his communicator. “Next time Souya has to go undercover in catering though. I want to party too.” Souya rolled his eyes at his brother’s comment. Though he did agree.
“We’ll discuss that later. Angry, you’ll be in charge of back up for Mikey and Hina. When they slip away, follow them. If we get caught or a fight breaks out then you’ll be good to have on the side.” Souya hummed a positive response.
“We won’t need back up though. You’ve got the two strongest members together for this mission.” Mikey bragged as he leaned over and gave Hinata a kiss. “Though I wish we had our husband here with us. We haven’t danced like this since the wedding.”
“At least we’ll have the vacation after this. Then we’ll have plenty of time with each other for whatever we want.” Hinata cooed. A chorus of groans echoed in everyone’s ears.
“Stop flirting in voice comms before I mute you both.” Draken threatened from his end.
“Please Takemichi, get us back on track.” Hakkai pleaded. Clearing his throat, Takemichi continued and he could hear the blond's smile.
“As Mikey said, him and Hina are indeed some of our strongest members. It’s not likely you’ll need to intervene so just enjoy the party as you keep your cover. Once the jewels are grabbed, Yuzuha will announce the final phase. From there Draken and Inui will be waiting at the rendezvous points we previously discussed to grab everyone. Understood?” Everyone sounded off their understanding. “Okay. We have one hour till the second phase begins. Lay low.” Souya heard the familiar clicks of everyone muting their mics and reached up to do the same with a gentle tap. Realizing he was now alone fully, his dislike for being here grew.
He couldn’t go talk to his brother, who was undercover with catering. He’d be busy pretty much the entire time serving food and drink. There was the option of Mikey and Hinata but then hanging out would cause red flags when they separated. Even if he could, he wouldn't hang out with them alone. Third-wheeling was bad enough but third wheeling a freshly married couple was even more annoying.
He took a sip of his drink and made a face. The champagne had gone flat already in his hands. Looking around he wondered if he could bully his brother for some more. Instead he spotted a table with open bottles and walked over to pour it himself.
“The help will be back soon.” A voice spoke up as he reached the table. Looking over he made eye contact with a pair of lilac colored eyes hiding behind a royal purple mask covering only the right half of his face. “There’s nobody available to pour drinks at this table.” The guy added as he leaned on the table's edge.
“I can pour my own drink.” Souya responded, ignoring the raised brow he was given. Once he finished pouring his own glass he looked over and noticed the other man was still eyeing him. Hesitantly, he lifted the bottle out to him. “Would you like some?” Receiving a nod in response, he filled up the other glass and gently placed the bottle back down. Ignoring the awkward atmosphere, he hurried away to drink in peace. After a moment of wandering he found a seat at an empty table with a view of his friends dancing nearby.
What the fuck am I supposed to do for an hour? I can’t dance on my own and I don’t want to drink too much in case they do end up needing me.
“Hey.” He looked up and saw the same person from the champagne table.
“Hello?”
“You didn’t give me a chance to say thank you.” Souya looked up and couldn't hide the clear confusion in his voice when responding.
“Thank you?” This was not the response the other was looking for based on the eye roll and huff he received.
“No, I didn’t get to say thank you.” The guy took the seat across from him and then lifted his drink in the air. “For the glass.”
“Oh…” The man across from him nodded but made no move to leave. Souya took another drink from his glass and turned his attention back to the dancing. It looked like Hinata was leading this time. He watched peacefully as they twirled and moved to the song currently playing. He watched them for three more songs, intrigued by the way they seemed to dance flawlessly together. When he thought they'd go for a dip, they spun, or when he thought Mikey would take the lead Hinata would lay her hand on his waist and start moving. He glanced at the clock and groaned before muttering softly “The hell am I supposed to do for 40 more minutes?”
“We could-”
”Jesus christ!” Souya nearly shouted while jumping. He placed a hand on his chest to try and calm his heart rate and ignore the looks he had attracted. He had been so focused on his friends that he didn’t realize the guy was still sitting with him. “What are you still doing here?”
“Well considering this is literally my home I think I get to choose where I sit.” He froze and took a closer look at the guy for the first time. Lilac eyes, mid length blond hair with blue strands tied into a bun, and a pair of round gold glasses tucked into the front pocket of his suit. All the things that Yamagishi had told them to look out for so they could avoid contact.
Fuck just my luck I’d end up sitting with Rindou Haitani.
He gulped and lowered his head, embarrassment showing with how red his cheeks were.
“S-sorry. I was so focused on the dancing I forgot you were here…I shouldn’t have shouted.” Silence hung in the air and he couldn’t bring himself to look over at the younger Haitani. After a few minutes he could see the other man get up from his seat and walk around the table towards him. The last thing he needed was getting removed from the gala. He could already hear Draken scolding him.“I am really sorry. Please don’t kick m-”
“Would you like to dance?” His head shot up, almost hitting the outstretched hand in front of him. When he didn’t answer, Rindou cleared his throat and reached for Souya’s arm instead. “You seemed to enjoy watching people dance. Get up.” It was no longer a question, now more of a demand. Souya felt his brain short circuiting, not realizing that he let himself be pulled up and was being led onto the dance floor till it was too late. The music started and Rindou took the lead, placing one hand on his back and intertwining his free hand with Souya's.
The music started off slow, allowing them to move gently with each other. Souya kept a loose grip on Rindou’s shoulder but his other hand was held tightly as they swayed. Thanks to the etiquette lessons Emma had given the twins, he was able to keep up decently with Rindou. He only stepped on the other’s foot a few times and if he got too close to another couple Rindou was quick to pull him close. Then the music picked up and he realized this wasn’t going to be a basic ballroom dance. As if he could sense his panic, Rindou leaned down to whisper a question in his ear.
“Do you know how to waltz?”
“A little…” Emma had taught him the basics of dances typically done at these kinds of parties. Typical slow ballroom dancing, waltz, tango, quickstep. HIs issue was that those were just the basics and in those lessons he had been taught to lead. Glancing up he knew his dance partner was not going to let him lead.
“Just follow my movements.” Souya nodded and let the other determine how the dance would go.
Pull in. Push out. Pull in. Twirl. Sway.
Lucky for him it seemed Rindou was sticking to the basics he had been taught. Another thing that helped is that he was able to get in sync quicker than he anticipated. No longer accidentally stepping on Rindou’s feet or stumbling when he thought they were doing a twirl but the other was planning a dip. They started moving more intricately together, with both of them twirling at the same time then clasping hands and returning to one another.
As the song ended he was dipped by Rindou one more time. There was light clapping around them and Souya realized that the dance floor had cleared to make room for the two of them. So much for laying low. As they walked away from the crowd he caught Hinata and Mikey smiling at him and then a very annoyed Nahoya gripping a pair of tongs like they were a weapon.
“You weren’t bad.” Rindou complimented him, taking his hand and pulling him off the dance floor. Souya mumbled a soft thanks, feeling his face heat up from embarrassment. Before he could get dragged somewhere else, he shook his hand loose and moved to run away.
“Toilet.” Was all he said to the other. Once he found one he locked himself inside and sat on the floor. On cue he heard his communicator hum back to life in his ear.
“Hey, I think there’s an issue with the plan.” Nahoya’s voice spoke softly. Probably whispering as he served food to the guests.
“Huh? What’s going on, did someone notice you guys?” Draken asked while Inui whispered something to him in the background.
“The younger Haitani has taken a liking to Angry.” Nahoya responded. “They danced together and…looks like now he’s waiting for him outside the bathroom. Clingy bastard.” The collective gasps/shouts of those who weren’t able to witness it themselves made him wince and he reached up to hold his ear.
“Stop shouting you’re hurting my ear…” He pleaded softly to his friends.
“We’re sorry but this really is a bump in the road.” Yuzuha apologized on behalf of the group but she whispered something, presumably to Hakkai, before turning her attention back to the comms. “With Rindou Haitani stuck to you you probably won’t be able to help with phase two.” He heard Nahoya and Draken make noises of agreement with her, and he couldn’t help but agree as well. How do you explain to the guy following you that you’re sneaking around in case his guards try to fight your friends while they steal his stuff?
“Well…he could be a distraction maybe?” Hinata spoke gently into her own mic. “Ran Haitani is known to be overprotective of his brother. If Souya can drag the younger brother somewhere then Ran will most likely follow to make sure he’s safe. Less chance of him noticing us.”
“Our incredibly smart wife is right. From here we can see Rindou waiting at the bathroom door and Ran is standing nearby staring at his brother.” Mikey added. “If both Haitani’s are distracted then we would only have to worry about the guards.”
“Listen here assholes, I'm not about to use my brother as bait for both Haitanis!” Nahoya whisper-shouted.
“I don’t want that either. Ran Haitani is smart. If he thinks Angry is up to anything he’ll hurt him.” Inui added. Another shouting match started as people argued about what the right choice would be. Souya sighed and chose to intervene.
“It’s okay. I got myself into this mess. The jewels are in the west wing right? I’ll try and lead them to the east wing then.”
“Sou-!”
”Hey, are you okay in there?” Rindou called out, knocking on the door.
“Fucking hell…I’ll be out in a moment, sorry!” Souya called out, he turned the faucet on to wash his hands and create noise as he whispered into his communicator. “No arguing. I’ll distract them both somehow. I’ll let you guys figure out the rest.”
“Are you okay?” Rindou asked as soon as he opened the door. Souya felt bad about how concerned the other looked and nodded.
“Yeah. Just needed somewhere quiet away from all the noise.” He fiddled with his earring to mute his mic again when he heard the clicks of people unmuting theirs.
“Souya be careful!” Nahoya pressed.
“Angry, shout if you need us to intervene.” Mikey offered.
“If it’s too dangerous, go outside and I’ll pick you up.” Inui offered as well. He huffed angrily and turned the communicator off completely. Knowing Yuzuha and Draken would be on his ass for that once they returned but he needed the quiet.
“Are you okay now?” Rindou asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Mmm…yeah I am. I could use some fresh air though.” This time he took the lead, grabbing Rindou’s hand and pulling him towards one of the empty balconies. Walking over to the ledge, he let go and leaned onto the railings. “This is so much better.” He whispered softly. The cool breeze felt great against his skin and helped clear his mind from the messy plan.
“You’re not really from here are you?” Souya opened his eyes and looked over at the other male.
“What makes you say that?” Rindou smiled at him and leaned against the railing.
“Well first, you poured your own drink. Other guests complained about the poor service when nobody was at the table to wait on them.” Are rich people really that lazy? “Then you hid in the bathroom after being the center of attention.” What, the upper crust doesn’t get overstimulated? “Finally, you pulled me out here.”
“What, rich people hate the cold?” Souya blurted out with sarcasm dripping in his voice.
“They do but casually dragging one of the Haitani's is something they wouldn’t dare do.” Souya sighed and slid onto the ground to sit next to his new acquaintance. “Plus you saying ‘rich people’ definitely seals the deal that you’re not used to this atmosphere.” He could see Rindou look down at him but he chose to fiddle with the ring on his finger instead of making eye contact.
“I’m not used to this.” He admitted. “My brother and I only became wealthy back when we turned 20 but we didn’t start attending things like this till a few years ago.” When Toman recruited us. “Big brother thrives at events like these though. It’s like he was meant to attend them. Except for his temper.”
“You’re the younger brother?” Souya nodded and looked over to see Rindou smiling. “Me too! Oh wait…you probably knew that huh?” Souya nodded again. “That makes sense. Ran and I are pretty infamous. Well, tell me about yourself. Like maybe your name?” His eyes widened as he realized this whole time Rindou was following him around despite not knowing even his name and now he had to decide what name to come up with.
“Uh…” He started fiddling with the ring again. “My friends call me Aoi…” He lied. Rindou made a face that Souya couldn’t decipher but ended up chuckling.
“Alright Aoi. Besides your brother, do you have any other family?”
“Mmhmm. We have a grandmother. Her and grandpa raised us but unfortunately he passed when we were in middle school.” Rindou frowned but before he could say the phrase Souya had grown to hate over the years, the blue haired boy continued. “Me and my brother spoil her as much as we can since we got rich. Now she spends her time tending to her garden and yelling at us to get married.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Tending a garden?” Souya tilted his head at the other, obviously confused.
“Getting married.” Rindou replied with a wink. He felt his cheeks heat up again and turned his head away. Before he could come up with a topic change, the shadow that had been following them finally stepped out. A man in a similar suit and mask combo as Rindou smiled at them. A single braid of semi bleached hair sat over his shoulder and Souya guessed the protruding shape in his suit pocket was most likely his signature baton.
The others were right, Ran Haitani stayed close to them the entire time. That should make the mission easier if he played his cards right.
“Rinrin, I was wondering where you ran off to.” Rindou looked up in surprise while Souya feigned his own shock. He didn’t fake the shudder that shot through his body though when Ran turned his gaze to him. “Who’s your new friend?”
“His name is Aoi.”
“Hm…” Ran approached them, making Souya tense up and ball his hands into fists in his lap. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Aoi . Enjoying the party I hope? You and my brother’s dance from earlier was certainly entertaining.” Souya bit his lip and nodded.
“I’m not great at waltz. I was lucky to have a good partner like Rindou.” Ran raised a brow at the compliment while Rindou looked like a puppy that received praise. “Would you like to sit with us?” Souya asked, gesturing to the spot in front of them. Ran glanced at his brother and shook his head.
“No. I have some guests to attend to. You two enjoy yourselves though. I’ll be close by if you need me Rin.” The eldest Haitani turned and left them to be alone again, keeping his word on staying close as he took a seat at a table they could see.
“Sorry about him. He’s overprotective of me since we don’t have any blood family left.” Souya hummed and relaxed into the railing holding them up.
“That’s just how brother’s are. Mine learned to fight enough for the both of us growing up because he didn’t want bullies to push me to my limit.”
“Well where is he tonight?”
“He’s covering for me so I could enjoy the party. I was supposed to work tonight.” Rindou opened his mouth but was interrupted by a noise coming from Souya’s stomach. He looked away in embarrassment while the other laughed and held a hand out to help him up.
“Let’s grab some food. The company my brother hired is supposed to be good.” They clasped hands and Rindou tugged the other to his feet. As soon as they walked back into the party atmosphere Ran waved them over to his table.
“Welcome back to society. Get enough air Aoi?” Souya nodded as Rindou waved one of the helpers over to take their order.
“We came back in because his stomach yelled at us.” Souya reached over and hit Rindou’s arm lightly.
“It didn’t yell! If you’re going to bully me I’ll find a different table.” Both Haitani’s laughed at him while their waiter cleared his throat behind him.
“What can I get you gentleman?” Souya tensed up when he heard the voice and turned slowly, coming face to face with his brother. Nahoya held his usual smile, showing no signs of being related to one of the members of the table.
“Could I get the miso ramen bowl? Also a glass of champagne.” Rindou requested
“The chef recommends pairing sake with that dish actually sir.”
“Oh, that’s fine. Thank you.” Ran raised his drink to signal he only needed a refill and Nahoya nodded in understanding. He looked down at Souya next.
“Could I please get the chicken curry?”
“Regular or spicy?”
“Spicy please. Also a glass of water.” Nahoya wrote everything down on his notepad and gave a small bow before he left. Souya looked around and found Hinata and Mikey at a nearby table, they were laughing amongst themselves when Hinata caught his eye and gave him a small wave. Mikey turned and grinned, pointing at his ear he mouthed ‘ Mom and dad are mad at you.’
He frowned, knowing immediately what that meant. Yuzuha and Draken were definitely going to kill him when they returned from this mission. Sighing, he reached up to gently tap his earring, the humming returned once more and a beep immediately sounded. He excused himself from the table and locked himself in a bathroom again.
“I’m alone.” He whispered, letting his team know they could speak freely.
“Souya Kawata when you’re back you’re fucking grounded from the next three missions.” Yuzuha threatened in his ear. “You’ll be locked in the office with Koko handling pay stubs and bills.” Souya groaned and he heard Mikey clear his throat before speaking.
“Hey not to interrupt mom scolding you but your new boyfriend’s brother is making his way to you. Looks like Rindou is staying at the table this time. Damn they’re a clingy bunch.”
“You’re the last one who gets to say something like that Mikey.” Souya said, hopping off the sink counter. “I’ll leave it on, I'm sorry Yuzuha.”
“Good. Now before the older Haitani gets you, do you know how you’re going to get both of them to the east wing?” Souya bit his lip and didn’t answer immediately. “Souya?”
“I do…Takemitchy, there’s a flower garden here right?”
“Yes there is.” He pulled out his decoy phone and held it up to his ear, unlocking the door as he replied.
“Alright I’ll try to bring some home to grandma. Thanks again for letting me attend the party- oh!” Souya feigned surprise at seeing Ran waiting in front of the door. “I’ll text when I’m leaving. Don’t wait for me.” He ‘hung up’ the phone and placed it in his suit pocket. “Sorry, go on in.” Ran shook his head and motioned for the younger male to follow him.
“Foods arrived. Rin is guarding it.” Souya nodded and walked alongside him, not missing the glances Ran kept throwing his way. “Who were you talking to in there?”
“My brother.” He answered without hesitation.
“Your brother’s name is Takemitchy?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Where is he tonight?”
“Working. He covered for me tonight so I could attend this party.”
“Oh? That’s nice of him. What do you two do for work?” Souya thought for a moment what profession would be believable. Not like he could tell Ran the truth about being a part of a group of con-artists/thieves.
“It’s not anything fancy. We both work as private chefs.” Ran raised a brow. Whether he believed him or not Souya couldn’t tell. “Our assistant accidentally booked me for an anniversary dinner. I was more excited to attend this party though, so big brother took my place.”
“What exactly made you want to attend tonight’s party? Something in particular you wanted to see?” The older Haitani asked as they arrived at their table, Rin smiled up at Souya from his seat, who gave him a thankful nod for watching their food.
“The gardens. I heard the Haitani estate has one of the most beautiful gardens in the area. I wanted to take photos for Grams.” He answered as he took his seat and grabbed his food. “That’s another reason big brother took my job tonight.” Souya couldn’t tell if this lie was believable enough for Ran but it seemed like Rindou took the bait.
“I could accompany you to the gardens after we eat.”
“That would be wonderful, thank you Rindou.” Satisfied, he turned his attention to the food before them and started digging in. Rindou was right about the company, the curry mixed with his rice perfectly and the spices they used left a nice sting in his mouth. He also enjoyed the silence the food forced onto the trio. Ran sipping his drink, watching the guests but still sneaking looks Souya’s way. Rindou seemed focused on making sure the broth from the noodles didn’t splatter onto his clothing as he ate.
Both brother's had untied their masks and tossed them onto the table. Souya used this opportunity to examine them more closely. Ran had the aura of an older sibling in his opinion, holding his head up high and courteously greeting any guests that spoke to him while he drank. Souya wasn't sure how but just simply being in his presence made him nervous, like when he and his brothers would walk into a dungeon and meet the final boss in their games.
Rindou, surprisingly, seemed shy when forced to interact with guests. He didn't greet them verbally like his brother but gave them nods of acknowledgement unless they asked him a specific question. Knowing his track record though Souya was still nervous about being near him but the difference was one had the aura of a lioness while the other a feral dog.
Something warm pressed against his cheek and he turned to see Rindou holding out a spoon with noodles and broth. Confused, he eyed the spoon and glanced at the younger Haitani who just continued holding it up with a bored expression. Across the table he heard Ran stifling a laugh at the interaction.
“What are you doing?” He asked, gently pushing the spoon away from his face. Rindou huffed and pushed it back towards him.
“Try it.”
“No.”
“Come on, I didn’t poison it.”
“Sounds a lot like something someone who poisoned it would say.”
“He’s right, Rindou. Does sound like something someone who poisoned his food would say.”
“Ran stay out of this!” He sighed and grabbed onto Souya’s wrists easily, holding them down so he would stop blocking.”Open.” Not wanting to upset him further and risk being kicked out, Souya opened his mouth and allowed Rindou to push the spoon in. As he slowly chewed the noodles he realized this dish was made by his brother. The texture was perfect and he always added more spices than people deemed necessary for the broth.
Makes sense they made him cook the noodles. Nahoya’s specialty when he got hired into the catering company for his cover was his noodles.
A smile spread on his lips and he mumbled a muffled ‘thank you’ before returning to his own bowl of curry. As he scooped up another portion he lifted his own spoon up but paused. Carefully, Souya turned and held the spoon out for Rindou who looked surprised that the gesture was being reciprocated. This time the blond eyed the spoon cautiously.
“What?” Souya asked, “ I didn’t poison it.” He said, mimicking the phrase Rindou had said to him just moments ago.
“Technically it is poisoned little blueberry.” Ran jumped in, smiling as he swirled his drink and eyed the two. “Because my precious little brother here can’t handle spices.” Souya heard Rindou whisper shout his brother’s name but he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his mouth.
He did his best to muffle it with his hands but based off of how red Rindou was and how amused Ran looked, it was too late. Rindou pushed his bowl away and tied his mask back on before getting up and dragging Souya with him.
“Enough! You wanted to see the gardens right? Let’s go.” Souya stumbled behind and looked sadly at the rest of the curry he wasn’t able to finish while Ran waved the two off. They weaved through the crowds and eventually stepped through a back door hidden from the rest of the party. “Watch your step.”
“Huh?” The warning was too late. Souya felt his foot hit the edge of concrete and he threw his arms in front of him while closing his eyes to lessen whatever damage was headed his way. To his surprise nothing happened though. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times before realizing he was hovering above the stone path.
“I warned you didn’t I?” Rindou said with a chuckle in his voice. Before Souya could thank him, he got pulled back up and felt Rindou intertwine their hands. “Come on, gardens just a bit further ahead.”
They walked together along the cobblestone, he could tell when they were getting closer thanks to the path switching from plain grass to flowery shrubs lining up their walkway. While he was distracted eyeing a particularly pretty bush, he ran into the back of Rindou with an oof. He looked at rindou with confusion while rubbing the part of his nose that got smashed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Close your eyes.” Souya raised a brow and shook his head. Rindou rolled his eyes and used his hands to cover Souya’s mask. “Just trust me.”
“You have to earn trust y’know.”
“I think you owe me since I haven’t kicked you out of the party despite you nearly shouting at me.” Souya frowned at the memory and sighed in defeat. He let Rindou keep his eyes covered and gently lead him to whatever the surprise was. If this resulted in Souya getting kidnapped or a trap he could already hear Nahoya and Draken’s scoldings. Or worse, Mikey and Hinata’s teasing.
After a few minutes of walking, Souya could smell the familiar scent of fresh flowers around him and what sounded like running water. He sniffed the air and sighed happily. Rindou asked if he was ready and he nodded. The warmth from the Haitani’s hands left his face and he slowly blinked, taking in his surroundings.
“Oh wow…” Souya assumed they were in the middle of the garden based on the landscape. Hedges as tall as him surrounded them and they were in the middle of a gazebo adorned with the prettiest wisteria he’s ever seen. Near the gazebo was a waterfall feature that explained what he had been hearing.
He slowly stepped off the Gazebo and explored the area around them. The atmosphere in the garden was an entirely different energy from the main party inside. Everything felt soft and relaxing. It almost made him forget why exactly he was here, spending his time with someone his friends were currently stealing from. While he kneeled down and let his hand sit in the makeshift stream, he heard a buzzing noise in his ear.
“Mikey and Hina are leaving the party to start the next phase. Angry, are both the Haitani’s still with you?” Glancing over at Rindou who smiled at him from the gazebo, Souya waved and turned his body away.
“Rindou is standing in the gazebo behind me. I don’t know if Ran followed us out.”
“He did.” Nahoya’s voice chimed in with an echo, probably hiding in the bathroom. “He walked down the same route as you a few minutes after you left.” Good. Everything was going smoothly and all he had to do was keep playing his role for another half hour or so then he could run away.
“Aoi! Come join me on the gazebo!” Rindou called out to him, Souya felt bad that he was only out here to play decoy but nodded and made his way over. As soon as he got to the top step Rindou gently grabbed his hand and pulled him to the middle. “Care for another dance?”
He gave him a soft smile and nodded.
“I’d love to.”
They moved slowly together to the music playing from inside the mansion. Rindou kept a firm grip on him and continued leading their dances as more songs played. The longer they moved together the easier it felt to understand what the other wanted. By the time the fifth song started Souya didn't stumble once and Find out let him take the lead on a couple songs. He was even trusted to lead the other man into a dip.
While he was gently pulling Rindou back up he heard a light beep in his ear.
“Angry, Mikey and Hina got the stuff. We’ll send Inui to grab you.” He hummed a positive response and let himself relax into what would be his final dance of the night. The distant music, chilly air, and smell of the flowers surrounding him made him start to feel at ease. As if he wasn’t here on a mission but a genuine party guest. The warmth emitting from the Haitani in front of him didn’t help either. Rindou gave him a lazy smile as a yawn escaped his lips. He was pulled closer to signal the end of the song and dance. They were chest to chest when Rindou smiled fondly at him.
“Feeling tired?” Souya couldn’t help but nod, making him laugh before he leaned down close to his ear. “That’s good. The drug is kicking in.” Souya’s tired eyes flew open and he looked up in a panic. In his ear he could hear his friends unmuting and shouting to each other, to him, but he couldn't respond. Whatever he had been given was starting to take hold and his body collapsed. The only thing keeping him from slamming into the ground was Rindou’s arms still wrapped around him from their dancing.
More frantic yelling sounded off in his ear and all he could muster was a groan before Ran appeared at their side, a smile stretched across his face as he pulled Souya’s communicator off and slowly spoke into it.
“Hey Toman. Trade you my brother’s dance partner in exchange for the jewelry you took.” He dropped the ear piece onto the ground and stomped on it before Rindou scooped Souya into his arms and started carrying him back to the house.
The walk back felt slow, and Souya was focusing on keeping his eyes open since that was the only part of him he could control at the moment. His struggle must’ve been noticeable because the same lilac eyes he had been admiring earlier, glanced down at him and a grin spread across Rindou’s face.
“It’s a shame you’re only here to steal from us. We could’ve had more fun together under normal circumstances.” Souya managed a soft grunt, making Rindou chuckle. “What, don't you agree? Gonna lie to me again and say you didn’t enjoy the dances either? Didn’t he look like he was enjoying himself, Ran?” The older Haitani looked at the pair and nodded.
“Must’ve been if he let his guard down so easily. Do all off Toman dance with their targets as well, or is that your specialty?” Souya felt his cheeks heat up. If he could he would’ve thrown a punch as an answer but unfortunately he was confined to being held bridal style against his enemy’s chest.
The two brother’s continued their banter as they walked back to the house. They took a secret passage and snuck themselves up the stairs without any guests noticing. Once they reached the top of the steps Souya spotted Hinata and Mikey, both wearing matching scowls at the end of the hallway.
“Now now, no need for such venomous looks. Just give us our family jewels and we’ll give you back your precious friend.” Ran said, as if they were just kids trading candy. When neither of his friends moved a muscle he heard the eldest Haitani sigh frustratedly. A quick flick of his wrist and a baton was now held up to Souya's face. “Come on, let’s not make this more difficult than it needs to be.”
Hinata held her glare as she pulled what looked like a necklace and pair of earrings from Mikey’s suit pocket before slowly walking towards them.
“Put him down first.” Ran looked back at them and nodded. Souya appreciated how gently Rindou placed him on the ground when he could've just dropped him like a rock.
“Guess you won’t be needing this anymore, I’ll keep it as a memento of our date.” Rindou said as he removed Souya’s mask. "Look at that, your real self is pretty cute. I also prefer your real name, Souya ." He did the best he could to glare up at his now ex captor while Mikey moved forward to pick him up. As soon as his hands touched him, Rindou placed a foot down on his shoulder. The younger Haitani removed his own mask and attached it to Souya's suit pants with a wink. "Here, have mine as a gift."
Mikey looked four seconds away from just kicking Rindou off.
“Get away from him!” Rindou rolled his eyes and motioned towards Hinata.
“Give my brother back our stuff first, then you can have him.” This time Hinata rolled her eyes and shoved the jewelry set into Ran’s outstretched palm before joining MIkey’s side as he lifted Souya up.
“What did you give him?”
“Nothing serious. Just a bit of a tranquilizer mix one of our own members concocted. Seeing as how he’s still awake he’ll probably be good soon. Now,” Ran clapped his hands together and gave them a cold smile. “We will escort you three out.”
To Souya’s surprise, Mikey and Hinata shared a look and listened to the command instead of fighting. Not like they'd get a decent fight with Souya still useless. They followed the Haitani’s out quietly to a car waiting for them, he could see Inui sitting in the driver's seat.
As Mikey placed him in the passenger seat his head lolled to the side and he made eye contact with Rindou who winked at him and called out “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure our second date is just as fun, Souya.”
"Oh and Mikey, Izana sends his regards!" Ran shouted just before Mikey slammed the door shut and they sped down the long driveway away from the Haitani estate.
The ride was quiet and Souya felt his guilt eating at him for letting his guard down and ruining the mission. Because of him they didn't get the jewels and no jewels meant no pay day. A whole night of work down the drain.
He must’ve passed out at some point during the drive because when he wakes back up he’s back in his room at headquarters. He felt slow and groggy but dragged himself out when he heard people laughing. As soon as he pushed his door open he saw all his friends and coworkers hanging out in the living room and waved weakly when Inui noticed him.
“Hey! Look who’s awake!” His brother called out as he hopped up from his spot and rushed up the stairs to grab him. “You feeling okay enough to join the celebration?” Souya looked around confused while his brother half dragged half carried him down the steps and basically tossed him onto the couch with Hakkai and Chifuyu who both greeted him happily.
“Celebrating? What are we celebrating? I thought we failed the mission since I got drugged and you had to trade the jewels for me.”
“Well, technically we did fail that mission, but Nahoya had a separate one only he, Yuzuha, and Koko knew about.” Inui explained while reaching over and picking up a piece of paper. “You guys were supposed to get the Haitani family jewels but while that was happening Nahoya was in charge of stealing contracts Tenjiku’s team were keeping at the estate.”
Souya looked over the paper and nodded, pretending he understood but apparently it wasn’t convincing enough because Yuzuha continued for Inui.
“These are contracts Tenjiku had with clients to steal specific items for them. Now that we’ve got them we can take the jobs and the rewards.”
“Won’t the clients be confused when we show up for meetings instead of Tenjiku?”
“If they were normal people, yes, but these are black market listings. They’re not going to want Tenjiku to steal for them when they were stolen from so easily. Besides, consider it payback for drugging one of our members.”
“Speaking of drugging, how do you feel? Any noticeable side effects yet?” Hakkai cut in, placing a hand on Souya’s forehead while he shook it.
“Just super tired and groggy. That’s awesome to hear though about the papers. I’m glad we got something out of this.”
The group continued celebrating long into the morning. When Yuzuha and Kokonoi left to file away the new contracts the topic of the group’s vacation came up. They all agreed on going somewhere warm and relaxing once they finished their new jobs.
When everyone finally decided to retire back to their rooms, Souya happily fell into his bed and buried himself under his blankets. Although the drug seemed to have finally worn off now he was tired from drinking and partying. Or as much as you can party when you're confined to laying in the couch and having your friends baby you.
As be turned over in his bed his eyes caught sight of a familiar object beside his bed in the pile of clothes that was once his suit. He leaned down and carefully picked it up.
The royal purple half mask he had been gifted shimmered from the lights in his room and he ran his fingers over the detailing.
'I'll make sure our second date is just as fun'
The thought filled him with both anger and excitement.
Cabos San Lucas, Mexico
Souya laughed as he and Nahoya clinked their drinks together and laid across matching lounge chairs. Their friends were scattered around them enjoying the vacation they earned after months of fulfilling the Tenjiku contracts they’d stolen. Though Souya didn’t get to help much on them since Yuzuha stayed true to her word and he got stuck in the office helping Kokonoi with paperwork. Still, after staring at so many numbers they started invading his dreams, he felt he earned this.
Nahoya said something about grabbing more drinks and Souya waved him off before pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes and enjoying the warmth from the sun’s rays. In front of him Hinata and Mikey were dancing again, this time with Takemichi between the two of them. He was impressed with how in tune they were all with each other still after adding a third but then again, they wouldn’t be this happily married if they weren’t. Emma and Draken joined the dancing and eventually he watched Inui drag Koko who looked embarrassed but still smiled as they danced.
Not wanting to feel jealous during what’s supposed to be a relaxing time, he hopped up and made his way to the bar where his brother was. Pushing past the other customer’s and tourists he finally made his way to the front and joined Nahoya’s side who flashed him his usual smile.
“Why’d ya leave the group? Got sent on a drink run?”
“No, just didn’t feel like 8th wheeling on our vacation. Wish Takemichi’s childhood friends were around at least then I wouldn’t feel so single.”
“Well my drinks should be done soon then we can head back together.” While they leaned on the bar and waited, Souya kept feeling like he was being watched and stopped their conversation to look around. Nobody seemed to be staring him down and Nahoya said something about him still being paranoid after getting drugged.
When the bartender set down the drinks there was an extra one that neither of them ordered. The bartender smiled at them and pushed it towards Souya with a small piece of paper attached to the straw.
“Courtesy of another guest. Enjoy fellas.” Nahoya and him stared down at the cocktail but then it hit him what was being served.
“Is this a fucking sex on the beach?” The bartender laughed and nodded, making Nahoya laugh as well next to him. Souya pulled off the paper and unfurled it to reveal a series of numbers and a message that said ‘Meet me tonight, I think we could have a lot of fun together.’
“Looks like I’m gonna be the single one this vacation.” Nahoya joked before winking at him and picking the drinks up. “Come on prince charming, let's get back to everyone else.” They rejoined their friends with their new drinks and spent the rest of the day laughing while enjoying each other's company.
When nightfall came they decided to participate in a dance party that the resort was hosting. It was especially convenient because the mystery admirer he texted requested to meet him there as well. The girls all helped him get ready and when they arrived he separated from the group and made his way to the bar.
As he watched people dance all around him he felt someone wrap and arm around his waist and pull him against their chest. Before he could turn or react they placed a mask on his face and he felt his heart skip a beat when a familiar voice whispered into his ear.
"Would you like to dance?"