Work Text:
Nozomi noticed it when she was talking to Takumi early into their hundred days.
The conversation didn’t mean anything beyond its subject; Takumi had questions about her Artificial Class Armor. He already knew more than she’d expected him too, so Sirei must have informed him.
Their discussion ended and Takumi left to go do his leaderly duties and check up on the rest of their team.
When Nozomi had turned to leave the cafeteria, Hiruko had somehow crept in. When she’d done so, Nozomi hadn’t the slightest idea. They exchanged greetings and some small talk.
Nozomi left, and it occurred to her that Hiruko always kept a close eye on Takumi.
Tsubasa noticed it when she woke up early to work on the bus.
Takumi and Hiruko were chatting outside of his room. Nothing about their conversation stood out, but Tsubasa found herself rather entranced by their expressions.
Neither of them were what Tsubasa could call normal—not that any of them were. But here, in this moment, the soft smiles as they talked about nothing felt like the most ordinary thing she’d seen so far in these hundred days.
Tsubasa played peeping tom, watching the two leaders talk without burden. Cats were the subject, an animal Hiruko had affection for. Yet Takumi seemed to already know about it.
Tsubasa realized that these two were much closer than she’d previously thought.
Kako noticed it, and Kyoshika didn’t.
Takumi had asked Kyoshika for some tips about sword fighting, given that they shared weapon types. All it had taken to derail the conversation was Takumi to ask how hard she grasped her sword for Kyoshika to turn into the mess that she always was.
Takumi had taken leave after that, leaving Kyoshika to probably take her Holy Jumonji Sword back to her room. Kako had huffed, disappointed to not talk about romance with Takumi again. She had good advice. Excellent advice, she might add.
No sooner had Takumi exited the room had Hiruko appeared behind Kyoshika, looming over the drooling pervert. She rested a hand on Kyoshika’s shoulder, unbreakable in its grip.
“Come with me Kyoshika. I need help inventorying our supplies,” she’d said.
Kyoshika wailed at the impending confrontation with her great weakness of addition, subtraction, and beyond.
Kako recollected that this wasn’t the first time Hiruko had tortured Kyoshika. She’d chalked it up to the woman being a sadist, but now that she dwelled on it, all those times had been when Kyoshika had spoken to Takumi.
Perhaps Takumi had no need for romantic advice, she mused.
Ima noticed, and didn’t care.
Takumi had done something risky in battle and Ima couldn’t care less. The same could not be said of Hiruko.
While the rest of them had left to cool down after battle, Hiruko remained behind to berate Takumi.
Ima knew the look in Takumi’s eyes. Despite the anger directed his way, he seemed pleased to be fussed over by the taller woman. Like Ima, when his sister did so.
Ima stopped thinking about Takumi and Hiruko and whatever the hell they had. Instead, he thought about Kako, someone he did care about.
Moko noticed when Takumi came out of Hiruko’s room rather haggard.
Now, she knew that he’d had some injury outside the wall and that Hiruko had carried him back. She knew he’d been resting in her room to recover.
Yet Moko decided to read into it. But despite knowing deep down that it couldn’t be true, the reality shocked her.
When they didn’t know they weren’t in private, Hiruko and Takumi stood really close to one another. They spent most of their time together. Expeditions or a late night rendezvous, they clung to each other like real high-school students, ready to begin making out at a moment’s—
Okay, now Moko was playing it up. But still.
Hiruko noticed it decades ago. How could she not?
Somehow, this annoying man had stolen his way into her heart. It used to irk her, but with the long years, his steady presence served as a balm. So many timelines had him falling to all manners of ill-fortune or falling for another person, yet this one had Takumi at his best—and he was all hers.
It scared her, obviously. When they failed, she’d lose him again. Her heart could only take so much damage, and it already balanced precariously on an edge.
But when this man told he’d protect her and that they’d get through it, Hiruko allowed herself to daydream about what a future beyond day one hundred might look like. It’d be nice—nice to hold his head like she’d done once before. To cradle him like she had with his parallel leap exposure.
It’d be nice.
Takumi noticed it when he looked to Hiruko on the pod. Around them, their friends celebrated with raucous cheers and joyful leaps. But in the corner of quiet he and Hiruko had, Takumi looked to her.
His heart pounded like it always did with her. This time, Hiruko’s expression was the closest Takumi had ever seen to peaceful. The way a woman would look after decades of work paid off in a single moment. Yet even then, she still held her doubts.
He reached out, unthinking, and grasped her hand. She jolted from the shock of it, but didn’t let go.
A different Takumi probably would have made a joke about obeying her order to kiss her. He wouldn’t now, not as they stood at the top of the mountain, sailing through the stars to peace.
Instead, he looked to her. She returned the gaze. Whether intentionally or instinctively, Hiruko leaned down. Takumi closed the distance and kissed her, saying everything with an action that would have only been cheapened by words.
They rocketed apart when they heard Takemaru shout, “Fucking finally!” Everyone looked their way, most entirely unsurprised.
Takumi realized that he was probably an obtuse idiot, but in that moment, still holding Hiruko’s hand, he didn’t care.