Work Text:
Love In The Rain
Raindrops drizzled on the window, cutting through the silence. Nothing out of the ordinary here at Kanai Ward. It was always raining. Always cloudy. Always dark. Sunshine, clear blue skies, puffy white clouds, and rainbows didn’t exist in this place.
One would say the weather looked depressing, but not to you. You were sitting in a leather chair, staring at the dark gray skies while lazily doodling on the foggy glass to pass the time. The first drawing you’d made was a sun, big and round with triangles to represent the sunlight. Something you missed seeing every time you woke up in the morning. The golden rays, the warmth, the joy of sunny days seemed so far away.
You sighed heavily and slouched in the chair. Being at the Detective Agency on your own was so dull. You’d been doing whatever you could to distract yourself, since there hadn’t been any jobs recently. Detectives deserved days off, but for you, you had too much free time in your hands that you didn’t know what to do with yourself.
Maybe you should’ve tagged along with one of the other master detectives instead of staying behind. Then you wouldn’t have been bored out of your mind.
Yakou had gone to buy more meat buns, which were very addicting to him, and promised to buy some for you. Personally, you never understood their appeal. You had no idea why.
It didn’t take a genius to know that Desuhiko went to flirt with every girl he set his sights on. You rolled your eyes when you had that thought. He really needed to keep his excitement under the constraints of his pants. At least Yuma joined him (reluctantly) to keep him in line.
Fubuki gleefully decided she wanted to do some shopping, and possibly find some gifts for everyone. You hoped she’d be alright, but then reminded yourself that she’s not helpless. She’s a master detective for a reason, even if she had a habit of forgetting things. A lot. Too much.
And Vivia…? Frankly, you weren’t sure about his whereabouts. Out of all the detectives, he was the one who kept others in the dark. Should you be concerned? Maybe. But talking to him had always resulted in awkward interactions, so you let him be.
After thinking about each of your detective friends, you perked up and blushed at the one person you’d been fantasizing every day and night. A certain someone that you just couldn’t stop gushing over in the background.
Halara Nightmare, combat extraordinaire, master of logic, ultimate cat aficionado, and the love of your life.
Damn, just thinking about them had you snickering like a lovestruck dork the more you thought about them. Consider yourself crazy in love!
To you, Halara was perfection personified. Out of all your fellow master detectives, they’d intrigued you the most. Was it their steel gaze that captivated you during your love-at-first-sight moment? Their calm, cool, and collected character? Or was it that icy glare they gave you chills?
Whatever the reason, they possessed all the admirable qualities you’d wished to emulate. Not necessarily to impress them, but just to feel a little more confident.
Speaking of your stone-cold love interest, you eyed what was tucked in your coat’s pocket. A small black box.
“I really need to stop chickening out. It’s been how long since I bought this?” You grabbed the box, cradling it in your hands, as you debated on what you should do next.
Should you go see them right now? Or wait for the perfect time to make your move? But what counted as the perfect time? What if you waited for them to come to you?
Then you smacked your forehead, bristling over your cowardice. Why were you overthinking? If you didn’t take action now, things between you and Halara were never going to change.
“Forget being confined in the agency,” you said, sliding the box back in your pocket. “Today‘s going to be my day. Be brave and follow your heart like you always do. I’m coming for you, Halara!”
After having that motivational self-talk, you were gone.
You didn’t have to walk for too long to find Halara. Where else would they be other than the café? They did say they’d be there, but never explained their reasoning. All you knew was they wanted to be alone for the day.
That’s just like them, you mused while humming to yourself.
How did you know all of this? They told you. And only you. You felt so special, you could just spin around and sing in the rain!
And you did. All the way to your destination.
It was crowded by the time you went inside. You took your hood off and surveyed the place with the widest grin, searching for a familiar head of pale brown hair accompanied by a pretty pair of bright pink glasses.
In just seconds, you zeroed in on them sitting at a booth near a window that had the perfect outside view of the endlessly rainy weather.
There they were! Oh shit, they looked so adorable while sipping their coffee and nibbling on a blackberry muffin. They were too adorable, you blushed and bolted under an empty table, suddenly unsure about what you should do next.
Should you make an energetic entrance? No, it would be too dramatic. Maybe you could get their attention with a flirty remark? Oh hell no! Why were you even considering it? You blamed Desuhiko for that.
This was Halara fucking Nightmare you were dealing with here! They deserved the best from you, not to mention the utmost love, kindness, loyalty, and respect. One wrong move, and you’d get a kick in the face.
But knowing you, you’d be into it.
Many of your Halara-centric fantasies involved mostly…putting you in your place, so to speak. Using physical methods. In a sexual manner. Let’s just say you had the most erotic dreams where they get you to submit and obey their every command.
Before your degenerate self could fabricate yet another arousing scene, you smacked a hand over your scarlet face.
“Keep it together, _______,” you muttered, fanning your bright red cheeks. “Focus on the mission.”
Lucky for you, nobody was around to see you still hiding. You rose from the table, still blushing.
Be yourself. That’s all you needed to do.
You glanced at the present in your hands. “Alright, self, be as cool as a cucumber. You’ve come this far. You’ve got this…!”
You made your way to them with your head held high, clutching the box in your hand.
Romance was going to blossom, and it would blossom fast.
Just as you were about to reach their booth, Halara’s bright pink gaze stopped you from getting closer. Their eyes were like arctic ice. One look, and you were frozen.
But there was no fear. Only the thrill of excitement.
Your breathing went still. Your legs wouldn’t budge. Your palms were starting to sweat.
Damn, they were hot. And so were you, with the way your cheeks were hot to the touch.
“Hey, Halara!” you squeaked. “What’s up?” The pitch in your voice was grating, even to you.
So much for being cool as a cucumber.
“What are you doing here…?”
You cleared your throat to stabilize your voice before saying, “I hope I’m not bothering you. I got tired of being cooped up inside, and thought I’d walk around. Enjoy the scenery and stuff.”
“I see.” They took another sip of their coffee, scrutinizing you with their attentive gaze.
Your heart was beating wildly. Why did they have to look at you like that? If you were to throw away your last shreds of dignity, you’d kneel before them so they could step on you.
They may be a nightmare to those who were unfortunate enough to get on their bad side. But to you, Halara’s the partner of your dreams.
“Stop staring.” Halara’s deadpan tone pulled you out of the corners of your mind.
“H-Huh? I wasn’t staring.”
They crossed their arms, not believing you for one bit. “What business do you have here? You didn’t come here because you were simply ‘bored’ of being alone.”
“Oh! Uhhhh, well, I-I thought I would drop by to see you—I mean see what new stuff they’re serving here!”
Their sharp eyes still showed little emotion. “Your ability to deceive others is pathetic.”
“I know how to lie,” you countered with a casual laugh.
“I never said you don’t. And yet, you fidget and fumble your words when you’re around me.”
That couldn’t be farther from the truth. As a master detective, you’d been trained to be many things, including being cunning and a quick thinker, in order to not have suspects catch on that you were on to them.
When you were around Halara, however, you were a wide open book.
You plopped on the seat across from them. “So…are you going somewhere else later?”
“Why do you want to know?” they asked warily.
“I’m just curious, that’s all. You’ve been coming here every day so far. Is the café that amazing?”
“…In a sense.” Brief pause aside, they didn’t emote.
Then you saw it. A fuzzy, orange tabby perched on the bar, relaxing next to its owner by the counter. Its innocent eyes were a soft baby blue, watching everything that was happening around it.
“It’s a male,” Halara stated softly.
You smiled. “He’s adorable…”
They didn’t say anything else after that, and simply watched the cat trying to get his owner to play with him. He got his wish as the laid-back woman petted him while tending to her customers.
The irony that Halara was allergic to cats was unfair, tragic, but there wasn’t anything you could do to make them go away. You’d go so far as to say you hated it. If it hadn’t been for their allergies, they could’ve been playing with a cat of their own.
Your fingers wrapped firmly around the gift you hadn’t had the courage to show them yet. “Hey, Halara?”
“Yes?” They glanced at you.
No more wasting time. Today was your day.
You showed them the little box, blushing like crazy and heart racing madly.
Their shoulders went stiff, just like the air between them. Halara’s expression was a rare sight to behold. They were wide-eyed and speechless, and you imagined their brain short-circuiting when they couldn’t comprehend what they were seeing.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Yeah… I’ve been meaning to give it to you for weeks.”
Their brows scrunched up together, eyes like raging pink fire. “We’re barely acquaintances, and this is what you’re offering me?”
Finally it hit you why they were shocked and irritated beyond belief. “Shit! Ohhhh shit! It’s not a wedding ring!”
“It’s a little black box. What else could it be?”
“No, no, really, I’m not proposing to you!”
They sighed heavily, as though remembering to breathe. “Next time, pick a different-colored box.”
“Sorry, it was all they had.” You opened the box for them before things became more strained. “Look…!”
Once you showed them their gift that wasn’t a wedding ring at all — something you’d certainly buy in the far, far distant future — they went silent again.
But in a good way.
Inside was a golden cat pendant, which resembled one of the most elegant breeds you could think of from the top of your head. A Persian cat with the brightest pink spinels for the eyes.
“Is this really for me…?”
You nodded.
“It’s…beautiful.” They were careful with the pendant as they took it out, letting it dangle under the café’s dim lights.
“I know you can’t get close to cats, let alone have one, so I figured this could make up for it. Besides, who said it has to be a real cat?” You shrugged.
They were too busy examining the pendant to reply. Not that they weren’t listening. They were just in awe.
It was the cutest thing you’d ever seen.
“You love it,” you teased, grinning.
Pink dusted their cheeks despite themself. “Stop that.”
“Do you?”
“…Yes. I do.” Halara frowned with eyes closed. “But don’t expect me to return the favor for free.” Their eyes opened. “If you’d like a gift from me, that request will cost you…ten-thousand shien.”
“You got it!” You gave them a thumbs-up.
“Make that fifteen-thousand shien.”
“I’ll still pay you! I’ll even give you extra!”
They gawked at you, questioning your sincerity and sanity. “…You’re more irrational than I’ve anticipated. It’s…”
“Too much?”
“Yes…but in a way that’s not irritating.”
You squealed internally. Not irritating? That’s a small step above what they’d normally say about you.
“Looks like I’ve got my hands full,” you said. “I’ll ask the chief if there are any cases I can tackle to pay for my gift.” You winked at them as you got up.
They huffed softly, averting their gaze this time. But you could see they were blushing.
You were on the verge of exploding with joy while gliding out of the café.
When you were sure they couldn’t see you from their window, you jumped high with fists in the air, cheering at the sky. “Yes! Progress! I did it! Halara likes me! This is the greatest day of my life!”
Other pedestrians noticed your overly lively antics, but you didn’t care. You were in love, and there was absolutely no shame in that.
Just as you were twirling around, you screamed when you saw Halara standing there. Your feet skated on the wet ground until you fell flat on your ass.
“Nnnngh! How long have you—”
The smallest hint of a smile cut you off. They tried to use their hood to conceal it, but it was too late. Their cat pendant was snug against their chest.
“Here.” They swiftly snatched you by the arm with one hand, getting you back on your feet.
“Thanks.” You were smiling like a goofball. “Alright, what was that? Was that a smile?”
“No.”
“Yeah it was, I saw it.”
“You imagined it.”
“I know what I saw, Halara.“
They rolled their eyes, crossing their arms.
“You’re cute when you smile.”
They brought a foot over yours, lightly crushing it. “Never describe me that way ever again.”
Every nerve in your body tingled as you maintained your massive grin. “Make it hurt.”
They had one of their iconic scowls as they replied, “You really are a masochist.”
Though you knew their threat was one-hundred percent true, something in their expression changed in a blink of an eye. They slowly applied pressure on your foot, enough for it to hurt.
Just the way you liked it.
You winced, but your smile didn’t break.
They moved their foot away.
“Ohhhhhh yeah!” you sighed. “Break me in any way you want.”
Halara rolled their eyes. “Shut up.” Their tone was surprisingly lighthearted. Before you could comment on that, they were already walking away. “Don’t fall behind.”
“Right!” You caught up with them in a flash, mindful of your steps this time to not come off as a klutz again.
They gave you a sideways look, only to look ahead when they saw how close enough you were to catch said look.
“I saw that.” And you were unapologetic about your affectionate smile.
They just kept walking. Then you received a rapid-fire surprise: a kiss on the cheek.
It happened so fast, you swayed before making a quick recovery to not fall behind. You brought a hand over your cheek, still amazed by what had just transpired.
Though their face appeared neutral, Halara was blushing. “Who would’ve thought that someone like you would make me feel…like this?”
Your eyes lit up. It’s actually happening. Your dreams were finally coming true!
The need to cheer again was getting to you, but you didn’t break into a dance to admire your official romantic partner for a little longer.
But if they were to ask you to dance, you’d do it in a heartbeat.