Work Text:
“We should have a sleepover at my house. Yours is too far away,” Miyabi offered, looking over at Harumasa, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
He seemed to be pondering the offer, but his face was turned away from her, so she couldn’t tell. The training of not falling asleep until the mission is done had taken the biggest toll on him of everyone in Section 6.
Around 1 AM that morning, they’d all been sent an alert about an urgent rescue mission. It had finally been taken care of, and now all of Section 6 could go back home safely. Yanagi always drove Soukaku while Harumasa and Miyabi drove separately. However, this time it was different.
Miyabi insisted on driving Harumasa back to his apartment. During the later parts of the mission, he struggled to keep up with the others and even opted to sit in the car with Soukaku while Yanagi and Miyabi sorted out the mission conclusion. Miyabi knew Harumasa would never do that.
Unfortunately, Harumasa wasn’t backing down and stuck to his guns, saying he felt well enough to drive back alone. Fortunately, Yanagi and Soukaku joined Miyabi’s side and finally managed to convince him.
“Ganging up on Harumasa is an effective tactic to make him care more about his health,” Miyabi noted silently.
After a few more moments of silence, Miyabi took another peek at Harumasa once she hit a red light.
She was going to repeat her statement that he didn’t reply to, however, she realized… he was sleeping! Was he sleeping this entire time? She admired how peaceful he looked. He deserved the rest.
“Cute…” she murmured to nobody in particular.
She was abruptly whisked away from her thoughts when the car behind her let out a loud HONK! Surprisingly, the noise didn’t wake Harumasa. It only made him slightly flinch. The light was green.
She immediately resumed driving back to her house. Would this be considered a kidnapping? She mused on the thought for a few seconds.
The training of staying silent so Harumasa could rest began.
-
By the time Miyabi reached home, Harumasa was still asleep. She debated whether or not she should say something.
“Harumasa?”
No reply. She frowned. She waited a few more moments.
She came up with the bright idea to maybe just carry him to her sofa. Promptly, she opened her door and went across to the other side. What she saw there nearly made her laugh.
Harumasa was completely knocked out, even drooling a little on her car window. She could hear his snoring with the door closed.
Miyabi was a bit scared to open the door at first, fearing he’d just… fall out of the car. It would be better to wake him up.
She went back to the driver’s side of the car and reached over to him, tapping his back.
“Harumasa!”
That seemed to do the trick as he began to stir, stretching his arms out and letting out a yawn.
“Chief… you don’t need to shout that loudly…” Harumasa mumbled drowsily, “Are we at my apartment yet?”
“No. This is my house,” Miyabi replied.
Miyabi watched as Harumasa went from looking as if he was about to fall asleep again to wide awake. Maybe she should not have woken him up.
“I thought I made it very clear in our terms that you were going to drive me to my apartment,” Harumasa huffed, crossing his arms.
Miyabi turned to look at him. “Too bad. I’m kidnapping you.”
She held out her hand for him to grab while they walked up to her house.
Harumasa smiled at her reply because of the ridiculousness. She really liked it when he showed his true smile.
A few moments of silence passed between the two. Miyabi didn’t know what to say, so she just stared at him blankly. Was he thinking of a witty retort? Would he refuse to enter her house and just walk back to his apartment? That sounded like him.
“Alright, Chief, I’m only surrendering because I’m too tired to argue with you,” he sighed, raising his arms.
Miyabi smiled. She was glad that he’d let her take care of him this once. She shook her hand, signaling for him to grab it.
“I’m not that weak!” he quipped. Seeing that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer, he hesitantly grabbed her hand. She smiled. No, wasn’t she already smiling? Despite being exhausted from their mission, she felt enraptured through her and Harumasa’s simple exchanges.
“I still have some work to do. We should reheat some leftovers first,” Miyabi told him as they walked up to the front door. Miyabi fidgeted with the keys, eventually finding the correct one.
“It’s alright, Chief,” Harumasa responded, “I just need to sleep.”
“No, we need to refuel our bodies. I can reheat some leftover soup for us,” Miyabi asserted.
Harumasa didn’t say anything back. Miyabi squeezed his hand in reply. She didn’t know exactly what that gesture meant, but she’d read it many times in her novels. Maybe she’d look it up later.
“You can sit here,” she said while guiding him around to the dining room. His usual walking pace slowed down to a sluggish drag. She slowed down her own walking pace to accompany him.
He let go of her hand, propping himself on the chair. She missed the feeling of them holding hands already. It felt familiar and comforting in a strange way.
Within a few minutes, the soup was ready. Miyabi slid the bowl out of the microwave and portioned it into two smaller bowls.
The two had remained in a tentative and peaceful silence. When Miyabi came back to the dining room table, she found Harumasa absentmindedly staring at her.
“Is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?” she inquires, carefully placing down the soup bowls and getting spoons from the nearby cupboard.
Miyabi couldn’t see Harumasa’s exact expression as her back was turned to him, but she heard him move a little. “Ah, Chief, I was just… thinking about stuff.”
Miyabi chooses not to probe him any further. She remembered when Yanagi told her that sometimes questions like that could make people uncomfortable.
It takes a while for Miyabi to find a normal spoon in the cupboard. She usually would’ve just given Harumasa one of the fancy ones, but she fears that the fancy and intricate handles could be a hassle for him, as he’d cut his hand during the mission.
“What’s taking so long, Chief? By the time you get out of that cupboard, the soup will be cold!” Harumasa joked.
Miyabi’s ear twitched in response. “I need to buy normal spoons. It appears I have only antique ones with annoying handles.”
Harumasa takes a moment to realize what she meant. “You’re too considerate, Chief! Just give me one of the spoons, I don’t mind that much,” he suggests.
“Maybe I could feed you instead,” Miyabi stated plainly, as if she were just voicing her inner monologue. Did she even mean to say that aloud?
Harumasa’s ears turned red. “I’m a grown adult!’
“Sometimes you don’t act like one,” Miyabi laughed. It was fun talking like this. Maybe she should do it more often.
“Chief! Stop teasing me…”
They eventually settled on Harumasa’s offer, Miyabi carefully watching over him. Was she being too worrisome? Was a spoon with a rather sharp handle really the end-all-be-all? She put her looming thoughts to rest and focused on the soup instead.
The two had a pleasant conversation, detailing favorite foods, music, and places to visit. It was a nice break from their hectic day being stuck in the Hollows. Before she knew it, she was already finished with the soup.
“I’ll clean the dishes,” Miyabi offered as she picked up their bowls and spoons.
Harumasa nodded. “I’ll go on the couch.”
Once she finishes the dishes, she heads out to the living room. She spotted Harumasa looking around the house. She had many old antiques from her family on display which likely caught his interest.
“I need to finish reading over the mission report,” she says, sitting on the couch next to Harumasa.
Harumasa scooted over closer, peeking at the packet of papers Miyabi was holding. “Could I possibly help?”
Miyabi’s eyes widened. “Are you a Harumasa doppleganger?!” she exclaimed, scooting back away from Harumasa.. Harumasa never did any of his required work… now he’s offering to help her with work?
Harumasa laughed at her question. “Chief, I owe you for letting me crash over at your house,” he replied.
“Ok, if you insist,” Miyabi responded, shifting the documents over so he could see them better. She wouldn’t complain about getting help, even if she doubted Harumasa had much expertise on proofreading mission reports.
While he was somewhat attentive to the first few pages, spotting wording errors and suggesting ways to improve the structuring of some sentences, his weariness was showing quickly. Miyabi wasn’t surprised when he fell completely asleep after several minutes, leaning on her right shoulder.
Around that same moment, she heard a text notification. It was from Yanagi. She grasped her phone, instantly putting it on silent and then opening up their messages.
-
Yanagi: Did you drive Asaba back? I’m assuming you’re back at your own house now
Miyabi: No
Miyabi: Well yes
Miyabi: He fell asleep in my car
Miyabi: I didn’t want to leave him alone so I brought him to my house
Miyabi: Is that weird?
Yanagi: …That’s between you and him
Yanagi: Good to know he’s getting some rest finally
Yanagi: Anyways, have you been working on the mission report?
Miyabi: Yes
Miyabi: There are still a few pages left
Yanagi: We can work on those tomorrow
Yanagi: It’s very late and we should get some rest
Miyabi: Ok
Miyabi: Good night, Yanagi
Yanagi: Good night, Chief
Yanagi: Please remember to bring the full report to the office tomorrow too…
-
Once Miyabi put up her phone, she could feel her own drowsiness catching up as her eyes got heavier and heavier. She cast away the mission report to the right side of the couch, trying not to wake up Harumasa.
Was she really about to fall asleep on the couch? She would never do this under normal circumstances, but with Harumasa…
It felt nice. Blissful. She scoured her brain for other words to describe how she felt. Calming. Sensational.
-
Sensational! Recent News Coverage on Section 6’s Asaba Harumasa
Harumasa shuddered as he saw the post. Its title was equivocal; was it praising him or condemning him?
He decided not to click on it. Wouldn’t want to sour the rather good morning he was having. He put on his yellow headband and fastened the choker around his neck.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door of his apartment and began walking to his car.
“Today’s going to be fun,” he thought, smiling to himself. Section 6 had an off day today, so they were all just going to chat and have fun at the office. They were also likely going out somewhere nice to eat.
Basically, he didn’t need to beg Tsukishiro for time off. What a blessing!
Suddenly, a stranger tapped him on the shoulder. He nearly let out a yelp. Was he this ignorant about his surroundings that he couldn’t feel the presence of somebody coming up to him?
It was a woman wearing a dress covered in red roses, along with a sunhat. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail reaching her waist. He looked up at her eyes. Where were her irises? Why was there no color in her eyes?
In a blink, her eyes were normal now. They were dark blue, which complemented her blonde hair nicely. The bizarre moment a few seconds ago sent a shiver down his spine. Was he seeing things?
“Excuse me, are you Asaba Harumasa?” the woman asked innocently as she adjusted her sunhat.
Harumasa nodded.
The second he replied, her gaze turned from soft and motherly to piercing and fierce. “Haven’t you seen the article posted on Inter-Knot? You’re a disgusting monster!” she screamed, voice rising from a whisper to a yell loud enough to alert everyone within a mile’s radius.
Harumasa’s heart sank. He began to sweat. Panic descended on him like a curtain. What?
“A-ah, ma’am, I apologize if I’ve caused any distress, but-”
Before Harumasa could finish his thought, a passerby stopped and stared him dead in the eyes.
“What have you done? What do you think you’re doing? You’re just ruining the lives of innocent civilians!” the person shouted.
Harumasa opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His hands shook.
More and more people began appearing seemingly from thin air, all pointing and taking pictures at him.
“You deserve a lifetime in prison for what you’ve done!”
“I can’t believe I looked up to you as a hero of New Eridu! Now you’re just a disgusting monster.”
“Such a cruel person! A murderer! You deserve to turn into an Ethereal!”
The words began to overlap as more and more people began yelling louder and louder. The pressure in his chest kept building and building. What did he do wrong? Why are so many people upset? What-
“Asaba Harumasa!”
Harumasa jolted upwards. He felt tears in his eyes and a few were dripping down his cheek. His entire back was covered in sweat. He was breathing heavily. He muttered some words that even he couldn’t understand.
Instinctively, he felt the area to his right. There was… hair? He initially thought it was his cat, but there was no way a cat could’ve called his name.
“It’s me, Miyabi.”
Harumasa recoiled at the sudden noise. It woke him up enough to register his surroundings better.
Miyabi’s hands were gently combing through Harumasa’s hair, lulling him into a calmer state. The only source of light was a small flickering candle placed on the coffee table. She was crouching on the floor while he was lying down on her couch in essentially the fetal position.
“Do you not like me doing this? I can stop,” she asked softly. Her eyes scanned over him. She began using her left arm to tenderly wipe away his tears. “It is okay. You are at my house.”
“Chief… a-aren’t we too close?” Harumasa blushed as he realized their faces were practically touching.
“Oh,” Miyabi breathed, “Sorry.”
She promptly stood up, sitting down on the couch next to him. She still watched over him closely as if she parted her gaze for even just a second, he’d disappear.
He didn’t know what to say or do in this moment of vulnerability. Nobody was ever there for him after his nightmares; he’d always been the one to comfort himself. His gaze was fixed intently on the back of her leather couch. He feared what she would say, so he opted to have some momentary peace.
A few minutes passed, and to his surprise, Miyabi hadn’t said a word. He gathered up his courage, eventually sitting up and facing her.
Miyabi’s gaze towards him was soft and tender, her eyes sparkling like bright jewels even in the dusky lighting of the room. He’d only seen her do this look a handful of times, but never towards him. Her lips curved into a slight smile, seemingly encouraging him.
“Miyabi,” he murmured inadvertently, his mind a jumbled mess. “Chief! I meant-”
“It’s okay. I… don’t mind if you call me Miyabi,” she expressed. She seemed a bit embarrassed with the admission as she immediately cast her gaze to the floor.
Harumasa once again was speechless. He was extremely sleep deprived at about 4 AM in the morning, yet he felt wide awake at the same time. He could hear his heart beat faster as the silence was deafening- he couldn’t tell if it was in a good or a bad way.
“I can leave if you want, I’ll lead you to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms,” Miyabi said. She was already getting up to leave; he didn’t want her to. Her presence alone made him feel much safer and calmer after the nightmare. He’d never felt this way before after one.
“Wait,” he whispered.
“Yes?”
Harumasa hesitated to say what was on his mind.
“Could you stay with me here?” he asked in a voice so quiet he could barely hear himself. There was no point in keeping quiet as he knew Miyabi heard anyway, ears and all.
A moment of silence passed, and Harumasa was about to take his question back as the embarrassment reached its peak. Did he really just ask her that? They were just coworkers… if only there was a way to turn back time and just disappear into nothingness-
“Ok. I’ll bring an extra pillow and blanket.”
Harumasa’s face instantly lit up. “Thank you… Miyabi, genuinely.”
Despite it only being a few hours, the sleep he had following that was probably the best rest he’d ever gotten in his life.