Archive of Our Own

Kira found out a little too late. 

A little too deep in.

He found out that once he was through that door, there was no turning around. 

No one thought to warn him about how low he was falling, but then again, he always prided himself on being on his own. 

Kira had always had a quiet life. 

There wouldn’t be a day where he’d lay in bed with too much stress in his mind. If he had an issue, he would solve it. He kept to routine and habits, always .

So, really, it wasn’t that much his fault, since the issues weren’t something he himself seeked. The little demons that perched on his shoulders weren’t caught by him - Fate threw them onto his path, and he was… just too late to move out of the way.

A while before, he had met… 

Well, Him. 

Dark, mysterious, beautiful in an odd way, in a way he had never seen a man be. Or anybody, even. A shadow suddenly making its way across his view, and he was unable to look anywhere but at it. 

Not his fault, still. Kira was just walking home. That man came in out of his own choice, and the fact that Kira had followed him almost immediately - Well, what else was he supposed to do?

In retrospect, it all felt like a blur. A messy, bizarre and strange blur. 

A while before, Kira had met The Boss.

And a while before, they had an agreement. A strange thing of passion and need that neither understood. One that was intense and burning in a way Kira never thought could happen to him, out of all people.

And that same agreement that seemed endless, was the very same that muddied with time. And it rotted, and molded, and burned until there was nothing left. 

And Kira had become so involved with that man, with his business, with his ways, with his everything, that once it all just died and he tried to crawlout-

Well, that was just not how it could go.

They, together, were done. 

He and Kira were not. 

After all, Kira had seen too much. Learned too much. Gathered too much. He walked through the door, so now, he had no right to cry after it had locked behind his back.

Really, he was lucky to still be alive.

And that luck was how Kira was thrust into the second Him. 

This one wasn’t the result of fate. He was not a gorgeous mystery walking down the night streets that Kira felt compelled to follow and keep following - In fact, Kira was surprised by him, put down on the other end as one day, this new individual was simply there. Someone he had heard about, before, suddenly at his doorstep with a smile too nice, an act too kind. 

Especially as Kira threw every object that could count as a weapon at him in response. He was desperate.

...But that was when he officially met the second Boss.

Or just… Doppio. 

The Boss’ secretary, second in command, coffee boy, confidant, and a lot more scout badges that he proudly held. He and Kira were chained together under the bindings of work , but Kira knew well enough to understand that they weren’t just coworkers. They were watched and watcher, simple as. 

And the issues only grew with how Doppio… was.

He was innocent. Naive. Annoyingly so, and no matter how much time passed- It didn’t seem to fade away. 

Which, Kira thought, was why he tried to change his view. If Doppio insisted on his act, then Kira would pretend to believe it. 

So much so that it all seemed true.

The Boss still had a chokehold on him. Kira felt it, in a lot of infuriating ways.

He was just so distracted by the chain trying to keep wrapped around his body, that he didn’t feel the hand innocently climbing up to his neck.

First it was a race.

After, were baby steps.

Before any steps.

Doppio picked him up at his house. Every other day. He accompanied him the whole time, and they worked alone, together, in a rented office room. They ate lunch together, as well, and Kira was waiting for the day Doppio would follow him into the bathroom.

Kira had no way out. So he tried making peace. 

One step.

"Do you want to try it or not."

Doppio looked up from his laptop, but his hands were still moving. It was simultaneously both impressive and a little infuriating to watch- Kira kept checking the screen, waiting for a typo to come up, but Doppio didn’t miss a beat. Even if Kira didn’t speak the language, he scouted, and there were no red lines under the words.

“Hmm?”

“My sandwich. You kept staring at it before you started working.”

“...Eeeeh, I was just…”

“You were staring other times too,” Kira cut in, letting out a sigh. “So do you want to try it? Just so I can eat in peace again, Doppio-kun.” 

Doppio huffed at the honorific. As if he even knew what it meant, or what Kira was implying with it.

And was a meek little offer, anyways. Kira never enjoyed sharing his food, but he made the offer regardless- in an act that he convinced himself was some sort of pity. The same one would do upon seeing a stray kitten eyeing their meal.

And Doppio, with those big, abandoned pet eyes of his, nodded. Opened his mouth.

"Buut, Boss says it's best if I just eat a normal, full lunch instead of a sandwich…"

"Your Boss isn't here right now to annoy you, is he." 

Doppio huffed. He could disapprove all he wanted, but-

“Are you feeling alright, Kira-san?”

And there it was.

The nice attitude, sudden like a slap in the face. Kira kept looking for the seams of that mask, but he never found them. 

So he just ended up frowning, and decided on not saying a word.

"What." He spoke regardless.

“I ask, Kira-san, because you look a little grumpier than usual today. You uuusually try not to call Boss mean words, and now you’re offering me your sandwich… Did something happen?”

It did.

And Doppio was so close to the issue that he was almost at fault.

The Boss, The Boss as he was now just a boss and Kira wasn’t allowed to use any other name for him- 

He’d just coincidentally called the night before, trampling all over Kira’s routine. All to relay praise regarding his work that Kira already knew, praise that had come from Doppio himself. It was such a painfully fake reasoning to start a conversation that Kira ended up buying into it.

It had lasted too long. Way too long. Long enough for the call to spiral into a shouting match so great Kira got a noise complaint. That alone was beyond what he could handle, always with an impeccable record among his neighbors and much less the type to be known for having a lovers’ quarrel, of all things.

But then The Boss surprised him in the morning with a delivery of apology roses. A bouquet so big Kira couldn’t fit it into any of his trash cans, so all he could do was plant them in his garden and sit there to watch them rot. 

So, no, he wasn’t alright.

“Nothing happened,” he said. “But if you’re able to, please inform your Boss that he should pass by all his messages… to you. Not to me, ever. And… that my cat is allergic to flowers, too. Every single type of flower.”

“...I’ll relay that to him…Anything else?”

“Nothing more.”

At least, he had this. Doppio relayed everything work -related to his Boss, but the rest… stayed behind, somehow. Went right against the obvious keep an eye order.

And Kira knew that for a fact , because the words he’d let slip once or twice never came back to haunt him. He never got the Boss honking at his door, wanting to know why he’d been called such foul terms behind his back. Instead, all he had was Doppio looking a little bummed out, and that was that.

“… Boss does all of that because he cares, y’know?” Doppio tried, and Kira only scoffed.

“I don’t really want him to care. I’m just his employee now.”

Doppio pouts, making a face as if it was going to convince Kira to change his mind. Kira simply ignored it.

“I just think… The Boss does a lot more for you than you realize.” 

“Trying to defend him to me is just a waste of your time, Doppio-kun.”

“It’s just what I think, Kira…san. I value the Boss more than anything else. I’ll always put him first. “ he said, before immediately going back to working. And speaking. “...Buuut, do I still have a chance with that sandwich of yours?”

Kira raised a brow. Stared at Doppio.

“...Sure.”

And Doppio stared right back with his big, naive eyes.

And he closed them up, and opened his mouth instead. 

“...What are you doing.”

"Both my hands are busy!" he argued, and they were. They were both rapidly typing, still. Indeed, busy. That did logically make sense.

Doppio could have just stopped working, for ten seconds.

But Kira thought of that fix a little too late.

The first thing he did was rip up a piece, because if Doppio was going to act like a puppy, then well, Kira didn’t want those dog germs on his food. 

The second thing he should have done is mentally ask himself if this was the right path to take, but as he found out, his thoughts were long since scrambled out of order.

He offered it, and Doppio was so eager for it he almost bit Kira’s fingers off. 

But he didn't. But his mouth was clamped shut on Kira.

Doppio knows how I feel about this.

The thought strikes Kira like lightning - a reminder, a warning. Doppio must be aware. He's so close with his Boss, and Kira had unfortunately learned that some things didn't stay as private as he would’ve desired. 

The Boss had let it slip. Oh, Doppio thought the ring you gave me was just so gorgeous. Oh, obviously I told Doppio every detail of your appearance, and he thinks you're very handsome too. Oh, yes, I asked for advice from Doppio, and relayed to him all of our relationship woes, and he agrees that there is something deeply wrong with you. Oh, Yoshikage, of course I told my dearest Doppio that you-

Kira felt himself frown. And Doppio, oh so knowledgeable Doppio, noticed it. He must have, because he got to work.

He didn’t just take the food. He took it, but made sure to practically kiss the tips of Kira's fingers as he did so. Soft lips closed over his nails, wetting them up,

and Kira had to contain himself. 

Doppios' eyes never broke contact with him.

That was not part of the deal. 

“Whoah!” Doppio exclaimed, backing up, mouth still full as he went right back to work. A few crumbs fell onto his keyboard, in-between the keys. They’d never get out of there. “This is shoooo ghood. Whow. I’m defhinetely. Hmm. Shaving up. To ghet this next time too. Whow!!!”

Kira stared at his empty hand, then his full one. One was still wet with saliva at the tips, the other had been holding the rest of his sandwich. Doppio’s cheeks were puffed up as he chewed, until he at last swallowed. Licked his pouty lips clean.

“Thank you so much!!” he said, making a slight bow with his head. "Soo good, Mr. Kira."

"...Kira-san."

Doppio nodded again. Kira’s eyes had been completely locked to his own hands.

"Waah, yes! The honorifics, ahhh I always forget them!! I never know what to call you… Kira-san, or- Kira-chan!! Kira-chan does sound so cute, though!! I mean-” 

"Do you want more of the sandwich?"

Doppio perked up at the suggestion. Puppy eyes wide again. 

And like a little trash can, or maybe a bear trap painted pink, Doppio had opened his mouth up. 

Kira ended up having to buy another sandwich for himself.

Another step. They’re walking.

"Kira chaan…"

"San."

"Ah! Almost!!" Doppio said. "But I'm learning, yes?"

"...It's been months." 

…But yes, he had been learning. 

Kira hadn’t expected him to make that much of an effort- The Boss hadn’t, for a really long time. Their shared language was Italian, and that was that. The Boss had no reason to bother learning anything more, while Kira had taken their encounters as a second-language-training course. 

But Doppio…

The very first time they’d met, Doppio had dropped such a ridiculously butchered konnichiwa! that Kira had considered turning around and locking himself in his house. Forever. Until the Boss sent in a gargle of assassins to drag his corpse out.

But Kira had swallowed all of that down, and Doppio had kept… trying. A little embarrassing to watch, and Kira had not been as flattered as Doppio likely had thought he would be. 

Kira had wanted to be polite about his distaste. He tried. But it didn't take long before-

You're using that word wrong. No, that's not the right honorific. That's not even a japanese word. Please, give up.

He got desperate. And Doppio took all his little snide comments, and tried, too.

And…

"Kiraaa-san, is this correct?"

Doppio spun his laptop around. He had just finished writing an email to some yakuza that The Boss was negotiating with.

It was impeccable. 

Kira could have ran his eyes over it for days, but there wasn’t one mistake in sight. It was more competently done than any of the work his normal-job coworkers would turn in. Kira quickly realized one truth.

Doppio was a monster of a man inside a bubblegum pink suit.

And Kira could see the corner of a second email right behind the one Doppio was writing. Reporting to The Boss, of course. 

"...Don't forget to thank them for their time. They'll appreciate it."

"Woooh, you're super right Mr. Kira, thank you!"

"San, not Mr., Doppio-kun."

"Why am I kun?? I'm san, for your information!"

"I thought you didn't know what san and kun stood for."

"Maybe nooow I do!" Doppio cheered before he spun his laptop right back around and started to type yet again. “Show me your work when you’re done too, yeah?”

Kira stared back at his screen. Doppio had shown him five different emails before lunch hour. Kira’s job had been easier - all he had to do was organize a few charts.

At the time, he had exactly three and a half, out of twenty, done.

But that wasn’t his fault. 

He had been assigned improperly, that’s all.

The Boss wanted Kira involved in a new little mess his gang of clowns had cooked up. Kira had no say in it, but he was also not really interested in studying the finances of mafiosi. Japanese or not. 

So he found his mind wandering. He is, never ‘was’, a focused and dedicated worker who did his job with care. 

But the current task… He couldn’t be bothered with it. Each number he typed in was another relief given to the Boss, which was also not a goal he was particularly interested in achieving.

He had managed to finish one other half of the chart. And he had mixed up a few numbers, meaning he would have had to do it over again. The groan that escaped him was so loud that Doppio perked up at it- and Kira excuses it behind a cough, and it was enough for those eyes to get off him.

He glared at the clock, another groan suppressed. Time stood still. He had nothing to do.

Doppio had been completely focused, either way, so he couldn’t-

And Kira was so immediately annoyed by the simple idea of striking conversation that he opened a new tab. He would do what he had always judged all his coworkers on doing. He got it- except he didn’t, because they were being workplace delinquents, while he was doing it to make a point.

He clicked on the first video he had saved.

And had also forgotten to mute, as it blared out in full volume, with a series of meows and a cutesy background song coursing through the room before he could stop it.

Doppio immediately stopped working, and before Kira could defend himself, a hand landed on his screen and pulled it downwards. Doppio leant over to peek. 

"........Ohhhh, my God, what-!!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide as he reached for the space bar to keep it playing. “Wahhh, so cute! Kira-saaan, didn’t know you were the type to watch kittens in your free time…”

“I- I don’t.”

“Yes you do. this video is literally in a playlist!” Doppio said, and another video played- more cats. “Oh my god...”

And Doppio watched the second video, as well - two sphinxes trying to share a water bowl - to its very end, until he cooed and leaned back, hands on his hips.

"Kira-san, you should definitely focus back on your work!"

And Kira, beyond embarrassed and humiliated, could only nod in agreement.

The day ended, and he was only halfway finished. Doppio cheered for him all the same, assured they were almost done.

The Boss called late at night. To ask why he was taking so damn long. 

Only after they finished their shouting match did the Boss say it was alright if Kira took a little bit more time. 

Kira ended the call right then.

The next day, Kira was at his struggle again. 

When his computer chimed.

An email notification. 

Kira looked up at Doppio. It was beyond him why he emailed instead of just…

He sighed in acceptance, and looked at what he had received.

It's the same type as your cat, right? :OOO

Followed by a video link.

Kira clicked it, and it was another funny sphynx video. Cute, and Kira only saw fit to reply back.

It is. 

Just before he sent it, something clicked.

Wait, how do you know that. I never showed you my cat.

He got an immediate response. 

Boss sent me to buy some clothes for it sometimes and explained its little situation to me… <:P teehee But! I think it’s very cute… Pink little cat çwç 

One more thing the Boss threw out. 

I imagine you're the one who bought that pink, puffy sweater… thing. My cat does like it. When it gets cold, it's the only thing it accepts to wear.

WAH!!!!!! SO CUTE :OOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

My cat was wearing it today. 

"And you didn't show me????" Doppio exclaimed, cutting their exchange short. Kira looked over his screen, and a smile almost grew on his lips.

"Because it was sleeping, Doppio-kun."

"...Still…!!! You could have… I don't know?? Just let me in!! I'd find my way to your little kitty, come on!!"

"You don't even know what the inside of my house looks like."

"Because you never invited me in!!"

"I always assumed that if you got into my house, it'd be to kill me. Boss’ orders."

"What?? No… He'd send the assassins to do that. Noo, I'd like, take up your cat first. Keep it for me. Oh I guess I'd go in then??"

"How considerate of you. To steal from me before taking my life."

"It is considerate! Buuut, since we're on the topic, doooes that mean there's a chance you'll invite me in to see your cat?"

"No." 

Doppio pouted.

“I guess I’ll just keep on sending you cat videos until you change your mind!”

And Kira, strangely amused , only shook his head. Because he had assumed Doppio was just exaggerating, or joking.

Doppio was not joking.

As the day, and following days passed, he sent one hundred and twenty nine videos. All during work hours.

Kira ended up adding over half of them to his playlist of cute cat content.

But he’d kept to his senses. He did not invite Doppio in, even after a couple of days of being sent the videos. 

It, in fact, actually took one week for Kira to invite him in. 

Because it was raining. 

He made Doppio sit on the porch. 

He tried not to, he really tried not to, but he ended up sitting by his side. Hearing Doppio talk out into the rain made him feel… off. Kira was just there to make it less awkward.

Sometime later in the day, Doppio wormed his way in - for food, he’d claimed, he’d been starving. He didn’t eat anything, didn't do anything and instead immediately found the cat and played with it the whole time. Kira only managed to kick him out when it was night.

It was still raining outside.

The Boss had called. Kira found it out much later. He didn't call back. 

The next time he invited Doppio in, it wasn’t raining. 

And another step. Their legs move faster. They’re almost- 

It was so bright. 

Doppio talked to him more. In full japanese. Kira corrected his honorifics, and Doppio stuck his tongue out and kept talking.

There was something wrong. 

Kira could feel it. There was something going off the rails. 

“Doppio-kun, your Boss is still calling me,” he told Doppio as they both clocked out. “Please tell him to stop.”

“...Ahh, I will…” 

Just as Kira was about to turn his laptop off, he got a new notification. An email with a link.

Doppio waved him goodbye, and Kira stayed behind to watch the funny little sphynx video.

The Boss didn't call him that night.

He called him the very next morning. Even worse. 

There was something wrong.

But Kira simply let it happen.

One day Kira offers his lunch again. It’s not a sandwich, but something he cooked himself. 

Doppio loves it. He smiles at him too much. Kira feels awkward, and ends up smiling back.

The Boss calls again. At night. It lasts five minutes. 

Another time, Doppio seems a little quieter than usual. His typing is slower. Kira feels unnerved by it and ends up asking if he’s alright.

Doppio immediately brightens up. Lays out some excuse about not sleeping well, starts talking. Kira doesn’t know why he asked. And he doesn’t know why he keeps listening.

The two end up working late. He misses another call - or, he thinks he does, at least, because he doesn’t check. He stays on his laptop, looking through all the videos Doppio sent.

One time, he sends some of his own. Doppio replies with little faces Kira doesn’t understand the meaning of - lots of in-text-yelling and more links. The meowing and his chuckles over the back and forth they have keeps him from hearing the phone.

The Boss sends him a card. Kira only remembers to read it a few days later.

When he does open it, the heart shaped note tricks him enough that he barely notices that the words spell out a threat. 

There's a chokehold on his neck. 

The oddness Kira felt every time he was greeted by Doppio in the morning, and every time he genuinely forgot that the Boss still loomed over him like a never-moving cloud- It was a constant.

He couldn't place what was happening. 

He looked down at Doppio. In a phone call. He spoke in a friendly but certain tone, all behind the shadow of the Boss.

Kira wondered, momentarily, how Doppio could consider someone so unstable as so safe to fall on. It made no sense to him. 

And his staring got noticed.

And Doppio lit up at him. He smiled, teeth showing, eyes curving, as if he was looking at something with a value Kira just couldn't fathom.

And they stood there, staring at each other, an odd warmth growing within.

And Kira felt himself smile back yet again.

They were running.

Almost reaching something else together.

But they stumbled.

They left together, as usual. It had been a long, productive and, on top of it all, successful day of deals and contracts. One he didn’t share on his own.

Doppio was right there.

Egging him on. Suggesting a thing or two that fit just right. Filling up for what Kira lacked. He didn’t lose focus, kept Kira on the line - but in a gentle, cheerful way. 

And by the end of it, when it was all done, he congratulated him.

But Doppio didn’t yell or curse out or even hug him, as he would once do. 

Instead, he just smiled, excited, and asked if Kira wanted to celebrate.

And Kira didn’t think much before letting out a yes.

He had fully expected Doppio to drag him out to some bar, or some night club. And Kira would’ve had to awkwardly excuse his way out of it to celebrate back home. Alone. 

It was how he always celebrated… everything, anyway.

But that wasn’t where they wound up.

Doppio had led Kira to where they’d usually get their sandwiches. Kira's favorite place, barring his home.

Kira was absolutely sure the place closed early, but Doppio reassured him that it wasn't the case on that particular day. 

The workers stared at the two of them as they walked in, all with a mortified look that made Kira even more confused - a sentiment soon forgotten after he bit into the sandwich he was given. It was much better than anything he’d gotten before, and he immediately offered it to Doppio.

It repeated, their whole little routine. Kira’s face heated up and he excused himself, as Doppio got them some more food and beer. And once Kira was back after pretending to go to the bathroom, Doppio whisked him out of the store so fast he barely realized they hadn’t paid a dime.

And they sat at the park, where Kira would once sit on his own to watch the peaceful day pass by. He’d never looked at his town so late at night, much less with someone else.

But he and Doppio were there - together, alone, but still together. Eating and drinking and talking. Showing each other cute videos they’d been planning on sending, complaining about their fellow coworkers from the jobs they didn't share. Talking about the deals and all the write-downs and charts and whatnot. Doppio heard and commented on all of Kira’s rants about all the insufferable details and people he had to deal with-

And Kira felt… heard.  

The two of them walked back almost side-by-side. Both a little tipsy, but not enough to cause a scene. There was a smile on Kira’s face that he was struggling to shake off. They weren’t even talking anymore, but just holding the knowledge that Doppio was right there, was…

Comforting. In a way.

“...Your company was much appreciated today, Doppio-san.”

“Doppio-san!!! Wow! I feel so important now….. Buut, was little old me appreciated only today?”

Kira could hear the smile in his voice. 

It would simply be impolite if he didn’t return it tenfold.

“...Maybe on some other days, too.”

He could feel his face heat up. And he smiled a bit more, at Doppio, for Doppio.

"...I really appreciate you."

And

Doppio held his hand. 

Doppio was holding his hand. 

It’s a gentleness he’d never heard about.

The Boss and Kira never held hands. At least, not like this - they were never out and about together, in the afterparty of a pleasant day. They never officialized. Much less so publicly. It was an agreement that always remained mutual, they kept appearances low. 

This was not a possibility. 

This…

Doppio was holding his hand…?

It finished clicking.

Kira, at first, was so struck by the inappropriate act that he felt himself startle. 

Then, it clicked even more - it felt so dirty because, well, of his tastes. 

…But it just felt better if he could put that on Doppio, and he could - after all, Doppio was well aware! The Boss must have told him. He knew. 

It was a devilish move hidden underneath the wings of an angel. Innocently fake.

And it was…

Kira wasn't the one who initiated it, for once. Didn’t follow and hunt that hand with his eyes for hours. He didn’t do it on a whim, born of necessity. For once, it was not on him. 

...Doppios hand felt so warm. 

Doppio was holding his hand??????

… And Kira hated it.

Out of all the things that happened, that was the worst one. 

Simply because there was nothing, nothing for Kira to hide behind. 

There was only one justification for this, and it was…

His hand broke away from Doppio’s, as if it was on fire, or… no, worse than that. It was a slimy, awful little feeling that creept up his fingers, his palm, his arm, and then his face, until it turned red from irritation. Doppio’s eyes widened, wild, and Kira could only frown back.

A sensation of disgust grew, made his nose scrunch up, and he knew it pooled right out. He saw it all over Doppio's expression - it deflated and fell back. Surprised, but accepting. Resigned.

“...Oh, sorry,” Doppio said, and he looked away. Kira didn't, gaze focused on the man before him. 

Doppio stopped holding his hand. 

And the slow awkwardness that settled, and the silence that came down upon them, and the slight shuffle of Doppios feet- 

It was annoying.

It was so annoying that Kira didnt say anything. He simply turned, and walked. And Doppio followed, and didn't try it again. 

Not a word was spoken between the two anymore.

It was satisfactory. 

It was exactly what Kira desired. He was not doing that whole thing again. He was not letting whatever that was blossom forth. He was good on his own. 

He didn't need it.

His frown didn't leave his face for even a second.

Doppio stopped right before the entrance of his house, as he’d done every single day. He opened his mouth to say something, his lips curved into a small smile, and the glare Kira felt himself give shut all of it away. 

And Doppio only looked down, nodded, and left.

It was what Kira desired.

Kira woke up in the middle of the night. Not once, not twice.

But three different times.

He fell asleep, at first, on his usual time.

He dreamt of pink, bubblegum pink, strands and locks of it in the breeze.

And woke up. Paced around his room. His legs started to complain, his cat meowed at him, and before he could make a dent in the carpet, he stopped.

Fell back asleep.

He dreamt of eyes, burning yellow, away from him.

He woke up again. His throat felt tight, but not in the way it would were a hand wrapped around it. Tight like something crawling up his insides, trying to get out. Maybe a scream, but it was just way too late - too unreasonable, too nonsensical - to let it out. 

He stared up at the ceiling, held his cat close as it purred.

Until, again, he fell asleep.

And he dreamt of hands. Hands rested against puffed out cheeks covered in freckles, and puckered lips curled up into a smile.

He woke up.

He barely felt himself pick up the phone.

“... Hello?? This is Vinegar… Boss, is that you? Is that another phone number?”

…Was the first thing he heard on the other end of the line. Doppio sounded drowsy, like someone plucked right out of the calmest of nights of sleep. It irritated Kira, but not as much as hearing him think of his Boss first. 

It was his number, not the Boss’. 

“This is Kira. This is the same phone number I have used every time I called you.”

His own voice sounded sleep-ridden, as well. He hid a yawn behind his hand, caught Doppio’s quiet mutter in response.

"Called me… All two times?"

"You should have saved my contact."

"I did… With a little cat emoji, too. Quote, Mr. Kira-san. Cat emoji. Work bag emoji. Devil emoji, because Boss sent me your contact. End quote. Uhh…," Doppio recited. "Good night, Kira-san."

"...Good night."

Neither turned off the phone. Doppio yawned, didn't even try to hide it. 

Kira opened his mouth to say something, and it hung open for so long that Doppio said it for him.

“.........Is Boss with you?”

“............Why on earth would he be with me?"

Once, he would’ve been, but that was past. Complete and absolute past.

But it was a past that felt a single door away from his reach. And Kira wondered, for a second , what that would be like. What would Doppio have done if Kira had said yes to his innocent little inquiry? And the next second, he wondered how it would go if he had put the Boss on the line. If he had made Doppio hear him.

Doppio had been talking, in those seconds.

“....Kira-san, did you… fall asleep? Ahhh, I’ve said a lot, sorry… I’ll t-”

“Why would your Boss be with me.”

Doppio was silent. Kira was silent. 

"I dunno, he's cool enough to be around like that."

“.......It's three in the morning, Doppio. Why would he be with me.”

“..........If it's three in the morning, then why are you calling me…?” Doppio asked right back, his big, innocent eyes burned into Kira. “....Also, hmmmmm, haha, it’s only two, I think your clock is-”

Kira ended the call before Doppio could finish. He placed the phone back on its base. Stared back at the ceiling as his head fell back on the pillow. His cat laid over his chest and fell back asleep.

He didn't have an answer to Doppio’s idiotically dumb question. The actual three in the morning reached him, slow and painful, and the answer had yet to show its ugly little face.

Kira messaged Doppio. 

Tried to, a simple Sorry in his mind and the something else that came out as he actually typed it out.

He fell asleep before he could make sense of it.

And he dreamt of a man with a gentle smile and dusted cheeks, with eyes that were warm and kind, and a hand that held his as they walk down the street.

Another.

Kira's hand was shaking. The words shook along. He couldn't read them. He did once, and no more.

Hiiii good morning :3!!! Kira san…. Sorry I assumed Boss was with you yesterday ´:<  I just didn’t expect you to call! But…… I don’t mind if you call me at two in the morning, if you want…. It made me dream of you <:3 Which is cute, right? Oh and yeah don’t worry I didn’t share with Anybody. Promise!! Ah! Forgot to say! I FOUND OUT ABOUT A NEW COFFEE SHOP!!!! Its super cheap so I can get as much as I want and stay under budget hihihi <3 Do you want a cup of decaff :DD

And what was he to do?

Sure.

And he added a link to a cute cat video he saw.

And something more.

I dreamed of you, too.

We were holding hands.

It was nice. 

Get me a bagel.

He didn't check what Doppio said in return.

Doppio held his hand again. 

Kira had a cup of decaf in one hand. If he made any move too great, he'd spill it. So he didn't. Doppio had wolfed down the bagel, so his other hand was empty.

He must have noticed it. Which was why,

Doppio held his hand.

...

And Kira let it.

It's a tight hold. Tighter than he had expected. Doppio’s hands were smaller than his, but he still made Kira feel… engulfed, overtaken.

Now that he was letting it happen, Doppio was all over him. 

Squeezing his hand so much Kira could feel his own hold become weak, and the pressure was enough for it to hurt-

But Kira was not opposed to it. 

It made an odd feeling grow in his chest. An odd, burning, corrosive sensation that made him look at Doppio, for some sort of wicked approval, or, at least, confirmation.

For once, he was the one who smiled first.

And Doppio smiled right back at him. 

Like he always did. His eyes big and shining. His laugh lines and his teeth showing. His expression…

Knowing.

And proud.

“Hehee…” he hummed, holding Kira’s hand just a little bit tighter as they walked. His eyes on the horizon as his mind wandered, before he let out a small, utterly satisfied chuckle. 

And he turned back to Kira. 

And gave him a smile after a job well done.

“The Boss is going to be so mad at you, Kira-chan…"

And Kira found out about that a little too late. 

A little too deep in.