Chapter Text
Stairs I
Ryo stared at the scene before him.
Kaori had fallen asleep the moment she sat down in the car and hadn’t stirred since.
He ran a hand down his face in frustration.
All he wanted was a shower, a beer, and a bed! Was that too much to ask?
Of course it was.
Should he carry her? Wake her?
Which was the better choice?
What would make her happy?
He looked at her peaceful face.
Maybe... maybe he’d let her sleep.
With a small sigh, he crouched in front of her and carefully drew her onto his back.
She settled against him with a sleepy sigh, her arms slipping loosely around his shoulders.
A flicker of amusement crossed Ryo's face. Some things never changed.
The very first time, he’d carried her on his back after she’d collapsed from an adrenaline crash. Then again when she started working with him. She'd huff and yell at him to put her down. He'd grumble about brats playing with criminals.
He straightened and headed for the stairwell.
Six floors to go.
His footsteps echoed through the stairwell, slow and steady. She started shifting against him, and with practiced ease, he adjusted her weight
The handcuff fiasco came to his mind.
Broad daylight. A crowd watching. People mistaking them for some impatient couple.
He allowed himself a self-deprecating smile. But they had made it work in the end, hadn’t they?
A loose strand of her hair brushed the back of his neck...
"Tch..."
He stopped mid-staircase, right before the fourth floor.
The sound vanished.
He shifted her slightly, trying to put a little space between them.
She settled right back against him. Kaibara's ship.
He couldn't stop touching her, his hand drifting over her shoulder and down her arm, willing her to wake up.
The thudding returned as he resumed his climb with a sharp exhale.
Three days.
He'd been alone for three days before she woke up.
Then she left.
At the door, he balanced her with one arm and fished for his key. An old dance they’d perfected over the years.
Once safely inside the apartment, he walked straight to Kaori’s bedroom.
He laid her down gently, removed her shoes, and tucked her beneath the blankets.
He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment. She shifted slightly in her sleep, then stilled again.
He reached out and brushed her hair back with practiced precision.
“Cruel woman,” he murmured softly into the night.
Then, he rose and left the room.
He was more than ready for bed.