Work Text:
You look so unwell.
Mizuki's entire body trembled, his hands balled so tight there was an ache twisting it's way through each finger. No air came into his throat despite his desperate gulps. Stumbling, he gasped as he found the chill of the bathroom sink beneath his white knuckles and he allowed his fingers to stretch across it's comforting coolness. He stared at himself in the stained mirror, trying exhaustingly hard to convince his frightened brain of safety. It was all so loud. The pounding in his head, the drunk whoops and slurred yells from beyond the door. So loud. It was giving him a headache. All he wanted at that moment was to just smash his head into the mirror until there was nothing but red shards scattered on the floor and he didn't have to think any longer. But he had to remain calm. Had to remind himself that he was not the snared animal he so often felt like.
There's people here. There's people here having fun. You're not so weak as to having fun scare you, right?
His grip on the sink tightened.
Those people like you. These people will protect you. That protection is good.
Mizuki's eyes snapped shut.
But they say they're doing good for Kanezaka. And won't they find out who you are? Cursed or not.
His chest was still tight, ribs feeling unbearably heavy. Short, shallow gasps filled his tiled prison as he fought to keep himself from breaking down in tears. There was a ringing in his ears, shrill and painful, enough to make his ears bleed. Warding off evil, surely? Maybe if he kept trying to delude himself it would end up coming true. Pathetic. His own contempt kept anything he could tell himself from being a comfort. The tension in his shoulders ached, radiating down into his still firmly clamped hands.
"I banish the spirits, I banish the spirits, I banish the spirits." Mizuki breathed. That was essentially a daily ritual for him now, anything to keep his nerves at bay. Whether it was a placebo or not, it always seemed to work in the short-term no matter how much he was criticising himself that day. Slowly, he let his death grip on the ceramic relax, rubbing his thumbs along the now sweaty edge. He exhaled heavily, finding himself gradually coming back down into reality. Right now, it was just him, alone, in a dingy bar bathroom looking into the grotty mirror: there was no evil in there with him. Only him and his racing thoughts.
"One day, this panic is going to kill you." He murmured to himself. There'd been stories like that passed around the Hashimoto when he was a child: people being so terrified as they were being extorted or threatened that they'd just dropped dead. He was stronger than that. But wasn't he dealing with a far stronger foe? Something supernatural that had been haunting his family for decades. Well, he'd managed to outrun it so far. Besides, he had friends now that could help keep whatever it was at bay. Friends that would happily pray for him whenever he was dealing with his daily misfortune.
Friends.
Could he really call the Yōkai his friends? Wasn't he supposed to betray them in the end? His chest began to tighten again, nausea starting to claw it's way into his throat at those thoughts. Despairing, he shook his head. Not yet, not for a long time. Maybe not at all. But he had a mission, and he knew what the Hashimoto could do to people.
There was a hard, rapid knocking at the door.
"Mizuki?"
He did his best to keep a steady voice. "Yeah?"
"You, uh, ready to go?"
"Sure.. Okay, I'll be out in a minute." He called back. There was no answer, and the music from outside with it's strong bass was too loud to listen for any footsteps. Sighing deeply, he took another long look at himself in the mirror. Eyes slightly red, brow furrowed - he did not look as nonchalant as he liked to present himself to everyone. Mizuki bit his lip hard as he started massaging his temples to ease his headache. The rickety tap hissed menacingly as he flicked it on, splashing water onto his forehead whilst he let himself fall forward slightly in frustration.
The mission. Of course they decided to move out the moment he needed time to himself. But it'd be fine. It'd always been fine. He'd just always been a pessimist.
~~~
"You were in there a while." Kiriko was leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom door, the slightest of smirks on her face.
"I-"
"I won't ask." Her lips opened into a full grin, but there was something about her raised eyebrows and widened eyes that said she was worried. Mizuki forced himself to assume it was only her worrying about the Yōkai's security, and his role within it. He'd disappeared a lot lately, and others had pointed it out, along with his lack of explanations and quick distractions. There was no room in his mind for the idea that she was starting to hold some level of care for him. That was something he'd been having a lot of flashes in his mind about recently. But every time he had to deny it. Just because there as a worm of affection within him, for all members of the Yōkai - not just her - didn't mean that any of them felt the same way. Especially Kiriko. He was just easily attached to people; it wasn't like he'd had many friends growing up.
"Right... Remind me of the plan again?" He followed her back to their table, nodding in greeting to the rest of the group coming that night. There was a brief moment of curiosity as to whether any of them had discussed his sudden departure. A small flame of embarrassment lit inside him at that. Everyone else's glasses sat empty, with condensation dripping down their sides. His was still full of dark, stormy liquid.
"The Hashimoto are moving a small contraband cache along the outskirts of Kanezaka. Based on what Ryōta has overheard, it's not going to be heavily guarded. Just three guards to keep attention low - they're getting cocky with that route," Kiriko paused, looking around at everyone for their acknowledgement, "Ryōta and Chikasa will lure the guards away, me and Mizuki will get the cache. We meet back at Gozan Ramen like usual." Her voice was low, calculated. It was hard not to admire her leadership capabilities, and how dedicated she was to the Yōkai. A ripple of nods spread across the table. "Cool, let's head out." The Miko stood, fixing her Kitsune headband on properly. Mizuki glanced at her quickly as he put on his kasa. That headband had been given to her by a child, she'd said. A child she'd went on to defend. A spool of guilt spun it's way through his chest, all the way up into his skull. He suddenly found Kiriko looking back at him, a warm smile on her lips. Embarrassed and dying to hide it, he flashed his eyes downward. The addition of his mask was a welcome one as it's cold metal chilled his red cheeks.
Just keep up your persona.
~~~
A frigid wind confronted the group as they stepped out of the ragged bar. It was the cheapest and most low-key one in Kanezaka, and whilst Mizuki had welcomed the money it saved him, that didn't mean he couldn't always wish to go somewhere nicer. But he was used to living in the dirt, anyway.
The four made their way through the darkened streets. It was always eerie at night, and he couldn't help but feel constantly uneasy. Night belonged to the Hashimoto - although that could be said for the whole town itself - but that wasn't what he was scared of, why would he be? Their footsteps were uncomfortably loud as they moved along, and it took every fibre of his being to not repeatedly look behind them. It wasn't long until he could hear the lethargic swishing of the river ahead: their splitting point. He turned to Chikasa and Ryōta. "Meet you later. Good luck." Just that and a nod, keeping it cool; keeping him hidden.
"Go safely." Kiriko murmured with a touch on each of the duo's shoulders as they turned away from them. Mizuki couldn't help but feel somewhat uncomfortable with how there was a very real chance of Hashimoto casualties here. This was his first 'attack' as part of the Yōkai. They'd been clear with him upon joining that they didn't seek death for anyone, but if the situation got sticky then... He just had to hope it wouldn't go wrong. Yet he'd also seen the terror the Hashimoto could inflict on people. He'd seen it all his life. His brow furrowed again, only there wasn't time for hesitation now, he could figure all this out later, this was his job-
"Mizuki?" Kiriko had turned around to look at him, a puzzled look on her face. She spoke softer than in the bar, sounding concerned rather than amused. He realised that he was standing in the middle of the path like a fool.
"Sorry, just... Y'know, caught up in hoping they'll get it done fine. Don't want them to be caught."
"You're really such a softie, aren't you?" She grinned mischievously. Fuck. He really hoped that wouldn't be more stuff for her to tease him about.
"It's a reasonable thing to worry about, Kiriko!," he protested as he joined her in walking again, "you know what they can do to people."
"They'll be fine, Mizu. They've done this loads before. I just think it's funny how you're trying to hide how much you care." There was no malice in her tone, merely laughter. He was trying hard himself to fight the corners of his mouth turning. Gently, she poked his shoulder. "S'nothing to be ashamed of! We do all this out of care for Kanezaka."
"...Yeah, I know."
A kunai began spinning around his companion's finger, and he wondered how she could seem so carefree whilst actively on her way to commit crimes. She's done this loads before. And to her it's not a crime. The Hashimoto were built on crime, why was he pretending to be any better? Crime on crime, one less violent than the other. Hopefully.
"Just stay close, this won't be hard," Kiriko smiled again, "Wait... You're not nervous, are you?" Both surprise and glee entered her tone. Glee at what, he couldn't quite figure out, but he was already dreading the ribbing she'd give him if he even hinted at any of his true feelings.
"No," he denied it quickly, "or, at least, nervous isn't the right word." Not lying, just not telling the whole truth. He forced a grin behind his mask. "Why would I be nervous when I have you? You're blessed by the fox spirit, right?"
"Hah, I don't know, thought maybe you were having second thoughts."
There was a cold pang in his chest. Second thoughts was right, just maybe not about this.
"Nah, I'm happy to ruin their day." Mizuki shrugged.
They were nearly at the ambush point: a small clearing between trees next to a disused road. Shrouded by bushes and foliage, they'd be well-hidden in the dusk. He frowned a little as he failed to see any sign of the other two, but Kiriko didn't seem bothered. That was probably the plan, dumbass. He sighed, settling down against a tree trunk. The undergrowth was thick: long ferns leaning into berry bushes and flowers. An airy fragrance filled his nostrils as he inhaled, and she made a great show of leaning in and smelling the hanging wisteria. "You gonna get distracted?" He asked quizzically.
"No, but can't I enjoy the pretty things?" She batted her eyelashes at him, before crouching down next to him, kunai at the ready.
"Uh, we aren't killing them, right?" A cold snake seemed to slither down the back of his neck at the thought.
"What? No, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared, does it?" Surprised at his question, she tilted her head. He really hoped that didn't make him seem like an idiot to her.
"It doesn't." Was all he answered, moving his focus back to the dusty road in front of them. The stones were worn down and untended, cracks visible along the edges. A lot of Kanezaka seemed to be becoming this now, according to the Yōkai. The Hashimoto had only stepped up efforts in the past year, owing to their constant harassment from the rebellious group. Mizuki was surprised they hadn't seemed to calm down since he'd become their double agent, but he supposed suddenly relaxing their efforts the second he joined would expose him fast. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if they would punish him for being involved in this. He hadn't warned the Hashimoto. Maybe that was a mistake he'd come to regret. His chest tightened again, and he beat at it to calm himself down.
"You alright?" Kiriko was confused again. And clearly concerned.
"Something stuck in my throat." He coughed slightly, trying to keep up the pretence. Kiriko moved behind him, patting his back firmly. And he found himself wanting to relax into her touch. Seriously? You're that touch-starved? "Uhm, thanks, Kiriko." Hurriedly, he moved forward to prevent himself acting on his wants.
"No worries." She nodded, seemingly having no reaction to his quick shifting away from her.
~~~
"Here they come." Mizuki whispered. Around twenty feet ahead of them were the Hashimoto; masked and armed as usual in a typical black pick-up truck. But like Ryōta had heard: only three men. And not far behind were Chikasa and Ryōta. He wouldn't have noticed them if it weren't for Kiriko's light nudge and lowered pointing finger. In their hands were spray paint bottles and knives. "Time to get serious." They both leant forward, preparing to lunge for the cache the second it was safe. A sudden cloud of paint sprung into the air above the vehicle, followed by a loud, echoing 'pop'. The Hashimoto yelled and swerved, maybe in fright, maybe in anger. There were more explosions, and Mizuki could see the bright glints of silver shrapnel spraying upwards. Clever. But dangerous. He watched silently as their accomplices ran circles around the Hashimoto, and then down the road out of Kanezaka, hurling insults and throwing the aerosols as they went.
"Damn Yōkai! Kill them!" One gangster screamed and two charged off after them, leaving one to guard.
Kiriko raised her hand to Mizuki, and he waited patiently. This guard looked young even with a mask on, maybe even younger than him, with how he looked around frantically. Surely it wouldn't take much to scare him off? He could barely keep a hold of his gun. A kunai flew into the ground beside the goon's feet and he yelped, thrusting his weapon up into the air.
"I- I'm armed! Come out! Or... Or..." The young gangster stammered. Mizuki swore there was almost pity on Kiriko's face as she leapt out of the foliage. He didn't have a chance to stop her, one moment she was there and the next she wasn't, leaving only wispy blue petals falling to the ground. He slammed his lips together to stop from yelling after her, lest he reveal himself too. All he could do was inch closer to the edge of the road.
"You've tormented Kanezaka long enough." The Miko chastised, delivering a kick to the man's stomach and sending him thudding onto the cobblestone. He reached desperately for the gun that had flown out of his hand, but she stepped onto it firmly, and delivered a firm blow to the side of his head. He was knocked out cold.
Mizuki stepped out of the trees. "You didn't tell me you were going to do that." He wasn't upset, or annoyed, but... Worried?
"It was a decision made in the heat of the moment," she shrugged, "I knew I'd be fine. You'd really think they'd know better than to chase after only two people given the hits we've pulled on them recently." She was already beginning to climb into the paint-smothered truck bed.
"Did you have a plan for if they didn't?" Following her, he kept his voice skeptical. It was hard not to roll his eyes slightly at her apparent disregard for contingency plans. Realistically, he knew there had to be one, but it surprised him that it hadn't been shared. An uncomfortable possibility slithered it's way into his head: is she suspicious?
"Well, they're hardly going to keep driving when they can't see through their windscreen. And if they're stupid enough to try, Chikasa has smoke bombs." It was hard for Mizuki to argue with that, so he turned his attention back to the cache. The cloth covering it was now wet with paint, and he grimaced slightly at the texture of it as he lifted it off to reveal a green crate.
"Bursting spray paint was a good idea," he admitted, "but could have been dangerous if either of them got too close."
"It was Ryōta's idea, and I did tell him that but... You know what he's like." Kiriko sighed lightly. "There you go again."
"What?"
"Worrying for everyone's safety," she grinned at him as she got to work on busting open the crate, "I don't know why you deny it so much. Just last night you were getting at me to tell him to stop tagging on Hashimoto turf, too." There was laughter in her voice, yet he couldn't help but perceive some form of admiration in there too. It's just your imagination. "It's sweet, really."
"Sweet?" He asked somewhat incredulously with a raised eyebrow. The idea of him being 'sweet' made him somewhat uncomfortable. There wasn't anything sweet about him, he was cursed, after all. There was only bitter, cruel history behind him and his family. "Are you saying I'm sweet?"
She raised her hands in mock defence, still beaming. "Hey! I'm just saying you don't need to hide how much you care!"
Mizuki sighed. Of course she wouldn't know the real reason: protecting his own gang. Although, as much as he tried to keep it from himself, he did care. Quite deeply. But as he'd told himself time and time again, these were the first 'friends' he'd had, and he was bound to be easily attached, right? He shook his head, thanking the beings up above that the crate popped open at that very moment. Money and drugs. Classic.
"I take it we're not using these?" He lifted up a packet of cocaine, hoping the joke would dispel any awkwardness he felt. It worked, somewhat, as Kiriko snickered and he felt the tension in his shoulders fade.
"Absolutely not. It's getting destroyed."
"Aw, man." Giving an exaggerated sigh, he slumped his shoulders and dropped the packet back into the crate. "Lotta money here, though."
"Oh, we're taking that." She confirmed readily. Already, there was a bag in her hands, and she motioned for him to dump the money in. Scooping up fistfuls of Yen, he chucked it all into the bag, watching as it drooped heavier and heavier. "There's got to be at least 200,000 here. And the loss of all this will hit them hard, I bet!" She sounded ecstatic, and it was hard for him to not feel some level of joy, too. She was infectious. Still wary of his own allegiances, he only gave a small chuckle, but felt the flame of excitement still burn within him. "I guess all we need to do now is destroy these."
Mizuki nodded, slinging the bag over his shoulder as she handed it to him. "Throw it in the river?" At least then there's a chance of the Hashimoto getting it back.
"No.. Don't wanna risk them getting their hands on it again. I always burn it." Kiriko took out a lighter. There was a small engraving of a fox on it's side, and he was reminded of her blessing. The Hashimoto also didn't know that..., but would telling them even matter?
"You gonna wreck the car too?" That would have normally been a joke, but now he wasn't so sure.
"Nah, too risky. We don't have the time to mess around with leaking the gas everywhere, or to move that guy," she gestured towards the still unconscious guard, "and that could get out of control fast. I don't want to be responsible for any deaths." Reasonable. He didn't want to be responsible either. But it was good to know they didn't destroy everything.
"Sure. Okay, better get a move on then."
Kiriko reached for the dry sticks and leaves all around them, throwing them into the cache as Mizuki moved it out of the truck bed and down onto the side of the road. It'd burn quickly, there hadn't been any rain for days now. He watched quietly as long orange flames licked their way up the dead branches in the cache, gradually melting the plastic pouches of the cocaine. There was something oddly beautiful and satisfying about it. Like tiny dancers whirling across a stage. Kiriko gazed down at it, too, her brown irises flickering golden. Is this truly what doing good is? Does it always bring friendship? He seemed to look back on every moment of his life leading up to that point: his paranoid, despairing father who'd forced him into this mess, the violent gangsters he'd then grown up with, Toshiro... He pushed that thought downward, there was too many possibilities there. Again, he was getting distracted.
"We should move, the Hashimoto are probably coming back as we speak." They would never abandon cargo, not like that.
"Yeah. Wonder if the other two have made it to Gozan yet." Kiriko mused, pulling her eyes off the burning crate and back towards the road into Kanezaka. "This should keep burning until anything left is unusable. They'll probably try put it out but..."
"This will annoy them a lot, Kiriko." He trailed off and left his actual thoughts unsaid: the Hashimoto would take their anger out on the innocent town citizens. Despite this, she understood perfectly what he was saying. They could both read the Hashimoto like a book. For very different reasons.
"They used to. Not so much anymore. Not since we became more open." She reasoned, turning to look at him directly. Even in the umbra, he could see the unease on her face. For everyone's sake, I hope she's right. Mizuki's shoulders sagged a little; fatigue was dragging it's way across his body. She seemed to notice, and her face relaxed. "Come on, like you said, they're probably already on their way back." Lightly, she hit his shoulder and began treading ahead. With one last glance at the unconscious body, he followed suit.
They won't know anything of your involvement tonight.
~~~
Perhaps because of the adrenaline, Mizuki hadn't realised how cold it'd become. Clenching his fists tightly, he suppressed all shivers, noticing Kiriko do the same. Cold is an omen. They weren't far from Gozan Ramen, yet he found himself feeling that it wasn't near enough. The sky was oddly beautiful tonight. Pinpricked stars lay across it's dark canvas like holes in aida, surrounding the glowing moon crescent. Clouds seeped out of their mouths with every breath, and he wouldn't be surprised if it snowed later on. That excited him. Even now, as an adult, the snow seemed to be a mythical being. Things were okay when it snowed. The world went quiet, and so did his misfortune.
"Did you buy another one of those Lucky Lucky whatever amulets?" Kiriko looked at him suddenly. The question took him off guard slightly: they'd been silent the entire walk so far.
"... Yup. Why and how did you know?" He pulled the amulet out of his pocket, swinging it in the air.
"You seemed a lot more relaxed. And you know those are a scam." She raised an eyebrow. He didn't need her to tell him, she'd already said so everyday he'd bought one. Which was weekly. But he didn't like being that easy to read. "You're always complaining about being broke, so... Y'know."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. They've always worked for me, at least." And that was good enough. Even if it was a placebo, like everything else calming in his life seemed to be. "I mean... I'm not asking you for the money to buy them." He added with a sly grin. "Wouldn't mind it if you were-"
"Hah, no. I'm not made of money." She hit him with her elbow, laughing.
"Aw, that's not very nice!" He elbowed her back. Was he getting too comfortable? No, this was just ingratiating himself further. Wasn't it? The constant second-guessing of every action he took was wearing him down, couldn't he just take a night off doing the Hashimoto's bidding? But they were all he had. All he'd had. Surely he could count himself as having the Yōkai? Yeah, he could count them. For now.
"I feed you enough donuts as it is," she chuckled, "ugh, shame the shop isn't open at 1 in the morning."
"Yeah, that really surprises me. And please, stop eating donuts for dinner." Somewhere beneath the sarcasm, there was a genuine wish for her to eat a proper meal for once.
"I'll stop eating donuts for dinner when you stop buying those amulets. Deal?" Kiriko knew she had him there, and Mizuki didn't reply out of both stubbornness and slight shame. Neon lights buzzed around them, flickering every so often. Gozan was literally just a street away, and he was still hiding his shivering. He really wished she would stop hiding her own - he didn't like the idea of her hiding her discomfort. Maybe you are soft after all. They turned the corner to the ramen restaurant, and Mizuki found himself the most relieved he'd felt in years as he saw Ryōta and Chikasa leaning against it's walls. Behind his mask, he grinned at Kiriko as he held up the Lucky Lucky Good Luck Amulet.
"Told you they work for me."
"Mhm, right." She rolled her eyes jokingly as they walked toward the other two, sweeping them up into a hug. He remained slightly apart, despite Kiriko's raised eyebrows clearly asking him to join in. Physical touch just wasn't his thing. He liked to tell himself that, anyway. The memory of his want to lean into her touch resurfaced, and he cringed at his own ridiculousness.
Despite his chastising of himself, Mizuki still couldn't hide his satisfaction at the group's safety. There was nothing to be scared of, after all. Telling the Hashimoto of a plan could wait until next time, when there would be lower stakes. When there might be an easy way out for all of them.
~~~
They quickly said their goodbyes and split, Ryōta and Chikasa going off to their own apartments and Kiriko and Mizuki... Left standing there.
"You going home or...?" She put her hands on her hips. They lived two streets apart, there was no reason for them to stand there awkwardly.
"Aren't you?"
"Well, since you're so worried about my eating habits, I was going to offer getting food at the convenience store together." An invitation? Hardly a date. Just a hangout.
"Sure, why not?" He couldn't think of a good reason to refuse, if he ignored the now definitely below freezing temperatures. Food would warm him up anyway. "Are you sure you're not just gonna buy more donuts, though? They do sell them." He cocked his head, half-joking, half-serious. Kiriko laughed in shock.
"No! They're always so soggy. And overpriced." Her mock offense was betrayed by the curve of her lips. They began moving again, giving the occasional wary glance down an alleyway or up at a walkway. Just because they were joking and getting along didn't mean that they had to drop their guard entirely.
"Not even if you were desperate? I think they're pretty good."
"You clearly have something wrong with your tastebuds," she smirked, "maybe I need to stuff you with more from the bakery."
"I thought you said you already gave me enough?" And he hoped she truly felt that was true. As sweet as it was of her, he was getting sick of them. One more, and he might throw up. At least that'd be easier than telling her no; he didn't want to 'break her heart' like that.
"Mmm, until you admitted to that sin." The warmth as they stepped into the convenience store was immediate, and Kiriko gave a relaxed sigh. "The cold makes me feel so slow."
Mizuki just nodded in response. The cold made him feel a lot more than slow, but she didn't need to know about all that. It was empty, asides from the shopkeeper, and the intense white fluorescent lights made him wince. As always, there was a good selection of food though. The ambience of places like these always comforted Mizuki, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the simplicity of it. Such an everyday place, that could see hundreds of people a day, yet remained quiet and low-key. Perhaps, if he ever got out, he'd open one. Not in Kanezaka, where the Hashimoto's grip was as strong as ever. Maybe not even in Japan at all. Their influence was everywhere. It was a pretty dream, but not one he could ever see coming to fruition.
"No way! They still have the pumpkin onigiri!" She turned excitedly to him, holding it up next to her beaming face.
"Pumpkin... Onigiri?" It sounded disgusting.
"It's so good, you have to try it." She sounded too enthusiastic for him to turn it down but it really did sound vile. He'd never been the biggest fan of pumpkin, and it inside rice sounded like a texture nightmare. "Just one bite."
"Sure, okay." He turned back to the shelves as Kiriko bought her own food. A brief idea of offering to pay sprung into his mind, but as she'd so often pointed out to him: he was broke. Much to what would surely be her dismay, he picked up a donut along with a sandwich and paid, following her outside. Disturbed was one way to describe her expression when she saw his hands.
"Really?" She sounded somewhat defeated.
"Really." He confirmed. "Hey, if you're going to make me eat that, you can't get upset at my choice of food." It seemed a reasonable exchange to him, but she pouted a little all the same. Clearly she was hungry, though, as she'd already began eating. Holding the onigiri in front of his face, she waved it at him.
"Bite."
He raised his eyebrows. "Am I a dog now?"
She almost smashed the food into his face with the explosive snort she gave. "I don't know why I'd be asking for a dog to bite."
He bit down anyway, moving his face quickly as he fully expected to need to spit it out immediately. Yet it was surprisingly good. "Mmph, that's not half bad." The satisfaction on Kiriko's face at his words suddenly seemed to be worth the world to him. Mizuki shook his head a little, dispelling the thought. She laughed at this, seeming to think it was a shiver. "I think we should both get somewhere warmer." He murmured, taking advantage of her misguided thoughts. It was an unintentionally open invitation, and he cursed silently at himself. Being a bit forward, aren't you? He just prayed she wouldn't notice it.
"Yeah... I didn't expect it to be this cold tonight. Might explain the lack of gangsters about, though." Something they both were thankful for, albeit for different reasons. They began to tread the streets again, and he hesitated to say anything when they reached the crossroads at which their paths diverged. "Tonight was fun," she smiled, genuinely, "you did good."
"You did most of the work, don't kid yourself." But inwardly he was glowing at that praise. Maybe he wasn't such a bad actor after all.
"Eh, you're nice to have around. I don't doubt you'll make more useful moves in future ones. And I kind of stole all the moves from you, anyway." She giggled a little awkwardly. That might be true, too. Either way, she was right. Tonight had been fun. And he wouldn't object to doing it again. Makes getting intel all that bit easier. He didn't expect the offer of a hug, and didn't really think before moving when Kiriko widened her arms and gestured. Sweeping him up, she gave him a tight squeeze. "You didn't seem like much of a hugger." She breathed into his ear. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he didn't respond. This is what physical comfort feels like?
It felt so soft, so tender, despite the firm grip she had around him. It felt like something he'd needed for a while. Warmth flooded through him, lifting him onto the highest possible cloud he could ever hope to reach. Nothing could reach him here. He felt Kiriko start to pull away, and he desperately fought himself against trying to pull her back in. This would just have to be something he'd savour through vivid memories.
"I'll, ehm, see you tomorrow, yeah?" He sounded normal enough, but beneath the mask there was a fluster rivalling a teenage boy when talking to any girl.
She didn't seem to notice. "Yep, usual place, usual time. And, thanks for tonight, Mizu. I mean it when I say it was fun."
He just raised his hand in acknowledgement and tipped his kasa, starting toward the shitty apartment the Hashimoto had put him up in and not looking back. The moon was even brighter now, the outer glowing edge of Horizon Lunar Colony just visible on the crescent. A cool, soothing breeze rustled through the street, picking up dead leaves and swirling them about him. Mizuki breathed, the weight that had seemed to be pinned to his chest only tightening. How free that hug had felt, how solacing. Would he ever feel that again? He could only hope. But his motivations had just become a lot more complicated. He dangled the Lucky Lucky Good Luck Amulet from his hand, watching as it swayed with the wind.
You can choose your own fate.