Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A rather large explosion of yellow, orange, and red glowed from the big screen attached to the wall. The building had been completely destroyed, along with the group of buildings around it. With countless casualties and a handful of deaths, this mission was considered a failure.

The video replayed itself three more times, and with each click of the replay button, the disappointment and distress rose in the room. The group stood in front of the computers, craning their necks to take in the big screen, their unhappiness about the situation clear on their faces.

Near the back of the group, the cause of the explosion shifted his feet uncomfortably. Yuuichirou Amane bit his lip, shoved his hands into his pockets and fiddled with the pieces of wire and gum wrappers found inside. His heart was heavy with the many deaths he had caused, but at the time of his actions he had honestly believed he was doing the right thing.

Finally, the explosion video was shut off, the big screen going dark. The silence in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

It took another good, long moment before a member of the group turned around, facing Yuu, their hands on their hips. Mitsuba Sangu's glare was as hard as steel, her vivid purple eyes glinting dangerously. Her pigtails were messy and tangled, and there were bags under her eyes. Her cheeks, forehead, and the tip of her nose were slightly red, as she had been a little bit too close to the explosion.

Silence. Then, "I fucking hate you."

Yuu gave a shaky smile. "Heh. That makes two of us."

Mitsuba gritted her teeth. "I'm glad you agree!" She snapped her arm up, gesturing to the screen despite it no longer showing the video. "This is the fourth explosion this month! This time with actual deaths! What the hell were you thinking?"

"He wasn't thinking, obviously," a sing-song voice said from behind Mitsuba. "Like usual." A small girl stepped forward, her hands held behind her back. Even though her tone was light-hearted, Shinoa Hiragi's expression was anything but. "Yuu-san, you were instructed to get in, disable the bomb, and get out, without being seen. Then you were to report back to headquarters immediately." She raised an eyebrow. "Instead, you shoot the bomb, triggering the explosion mechanism, causing-" she paused. "-this?"

"Yeah, I, uh," Yuu mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. His dignity was already through the floor, and it was near impossible to salvage it. "I fucked up. My bad. Sorry."

"Hell yeah you fucked up. You fucked up big time." Crossing his arms, Shiho Kimizuki resembled a harsh mother scolding her child. His hair was slightly messy, and his glasses had smudges on them. "You couldn't follow a few simple orders?"

"I can follow orders!" Yuu protested. "I just didn't think those orders were the right orders!"

Kimizuki stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Guys, please!" a panicked voice broke into the argument. Waving his hands in the air, Yoichi Saotome stepped forward, nervously chewing on his lip. His sweater was a little bit too big on him, and it sported coffee stains. "I'm sure Yuu-kun had a very good reason for going against the mission! I mean, the objective wasn't really clear to begin with, and the correct orders were given when the mission had already started, so things might have gotten confusing!"

"Bullshit," Mitsuba said. "Get in, disable the bomb, get out, all without being seen. He shot the fucking thing."

Yoichi made a small squeak of "language!" while Yuu took a breath to defend himself. He stopped, then let the breath out in a soft whoosh.

"Look, I'm really sorry, okay?" Yuu pointed to the big screen. "I feel like literal shit right now. My actions resulted in people losing their lives. Innocent people. Do you know how horrible that feels?" When the group didn't respond, he continued. "I honestly thought what I was doing would help, but now I know that what I did was a mistake. A huge one." He dropped his arm, shoving his hand back into his pocket. "You guys can stop lecturing me and just tell me the punishment from Guren already. I accept whatever it is as what I deserve."

The group exchanged looks, remaining silent. Yoichi tugged on his sweater sleeves, giving Yuu a nervous glance.

"Well, Yuu-san," Shinoa finally said, "this whole situation is really serious, more so than usual. You almost killed yourself and Mitsuba, and you're both of high rank, which would have been a great loss for the agency-"

"He doesn't deserve that rank," Kimizuki grumbled. Yuu sent him a glare.

"Surprisingly enough, he's the reason most of our missions succeed," Mitsuba huffed.

"Ha!" Yuu said, grinning at Kimizuki. The latter gave him the finger.

An "ahem" drew everyone's attention back to the youngest of the group. Shinoa gave them a disappointed stare. "As I was saying, this is really serious, so-" she looked at Yuu, "Guren has requested you go to his office so he can tell you the punishment himself."

Yuu blinked. "Wait, you mean you don't know?"

Shinoa shook her head, then glanced at the clock. A small smirk flickered onto her face. "Nope! But if you wait any longer, the punishment's gonna be worse!~"

Yuu's eyes widened, and he quickly muttered a "fuck" before racing out the door. Mitsuba grumbled under her breath, watching him go.

"I hope Guren makes him wash the toilets," she said. Everyone wrinkled their nose.

"Aha," Shinoa laughed, "that'll be a little bit too cruel, don't you think?"

"He'll be cleaning shit," Kimizuki said. "Finally reuniting with his people."

Yoichi gave a nervous laugh at the group's antics. "I just hope he comes back alive."

---

Yuu ducked his head as a group of agents walked past him, talking in hushed tones. News of the failed mission has no doubt spread by now, and probably even newbies have a few scraps of information. The fact that Yuu was the reason the mission failed will earn him many glares and whispers.

The walk to Guren's office was a long one, as Guren liked his peace and quiet (and as much distance between himself and the toilets as possible). Smaller hallways branched off the main one, leading to other offices for agents with a lower rank or to training grounds for newbies- or anyone, really. A few vending machines were shoved against the wall, which was made out of brick, and the lights on the ceiling flickered and buzzed.

Yuu was to the point where he figured Guren just wanted to tire out possible attackers when he finally reached the man's office. The door was wooden and a rich brown, and the small window that allowed you to see inside was covered up with duct tape. A gold label below the window said "ICHINOSE GUREN".

Without even knocking, Yuu threw the door open, sending it slamming into the wall. The room was rather small, and it didn't help that books and folders of important documents took up almost every available space. A desk sat in the middle of the room, covered in papers, pens, and coffee stains, and a fan hung from the ceiling, currently turned off. A window on the back wall gave a beautiful view to the city, which was glowing in an early morning light, and Yuu would have appreciated it if a lump of ugly wasn't sitting in his way.

Without looking up, Guren Ichinose opened a folder of documents. "Don't come in without permission."

Yuu pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the desk and sat down. "Whatever," he grumbled, looking down at his hands. After a moment of silence, the only sound being turning pages, Yuu let out a sigh. "Look, I-"

"Oh, save the gushy apologies," Guren said, closing the folder and setting it down. "I don't need more bullshit this early in the morning." Opening a drawer, he pulled out another folder, dropping it in front of Yuu. "There's your punishment."

Yuu sent him a glare before reluctantly opening the folder. Inside were a few pages filled with text, along with small pictures of buildings and certain areas of the city. It took him a moment, but then he realized that these areas were where the agency had failed missions.

Finally arriving on the last page, he stopped, then slowly slid it out of the folder. On the top left was a picture bigger than the others, and it wasn't of a city sighting. It was a picture of a young man, probably early twenties, facing the camera, his face devoid of emotion. The image was grainy, but Yuu was able to make out pale skin, fluffy blond hair nearly to the shoulders, and the brightest pair of blue eyes he's ever seen.

"I... don't understand," he managed to say, looking up at Guren. "What's he got to do with my punishment?"

Guren remained silent. He rested his chin on his hands, staring at the file with a dull expression. Yuu rolled his eyes.

"Are you deaf? What's he-"

"You have to kill him."

Yuu's words died in his throat. He blinked at Guren, who remained still in his seat. "What?"

The older man pointed at the picture. "His name's Mikaela Shindo, and he works for the Sanquinem Agency- our rival agency." Guren raised an eyebrow. "If you don't know that I'll personally kill you. Anyways, he's kinda their main dog and has been fucking up a lot of our missions. The head wants him wiped out." Guren nodded to Yuu. "That's your job."

Yuu found it hard to swallow. "And, uh, why is this my punishment?"

On the desk, the numbers on the clock changed to seven a.m. Guren's eyes flickered to it, then back to Yuu.

"It's because you don't like killing people," he said.

Yuu froze in his seat. He tried to scoff, looking anywhere but at Guren. "What- I- I work on the front- I- I go on missions, I kill lots of people-"

Guren's glare silenced him. He closed his mouth, sinking lower into his seat. Guren watched him for a few moments, then let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"I didn't decide on this, blame the head, cuss at them for all I care," he said. "But you were assigned this, and you have to suck it up and do it." The glare came back. "You've been quite good at explosions lately."

Yuu let out a loud groan.

---

Sitting silently in his car, Yuu hunched further into his jacket, green eyes trained on the house in front of him. The house wasn't all that impressive, just a regular-sized, white painted building with a wooden door and shutters. A bush of tulips grew on either side of the entrance, which just made Yuu's heavy heart even heavier.

Earlier that day, Yuu had planted small bombs around the house, checking again and again to make sure he got the right place. It would really suck if this turned out to be a family of four's house or something. However, after checking a few picture frames, he was certain: this was Mikaela Shindo's house.

The pictures were rather interesting. In one, a man with short purple hair made a face at the camera while another man with black hair sat beside him, watching him with a strange expression. In another, a man with long silver hair pulled back with a ribbon waved into the camera, but someone had drawn on it with red marker, giving him a mustache, Harry Potter glasses, and a bowtie. Another picture had Mikaela himself in it, being hugged by a small woman with long pink hair. He looked in pain while she wore a huge smile.

There were a few other pictures, but one in particular had caught Yuu's eye. The frame was silver, designed to look like a butterfly with blue jewels embedded into the wings. The image in the middle held a girl around the age of twelve, smiling softly into the camera. Her brown hair had been made into a braid, draped over her shoulder, and her brown eyes twinkled happily. She wore a bright yellow sundress, and the lighting from the picture told the viewer she was in the middle of a sunset. A small inscription on the bottom in fancy lettering said, "My Darling Akane".

Yuu shook his head, checking the time on his watch. It was almost one in the morning. Mikaela had yet to come home. In his hand, he held the clicker that would detonate the bombs, completely destroying the house and everything inside.

"I don't like killing people," Yuu murmured. Now that he thought about it, Guren was right- he didn't. He especially didn't if he knew their name. Knowing their name made it all the more real. Like he was killing a friend.

'Cut it out, Yuu!' he thought. 'You don't have a choice this time!'

'My Darling Akane.'

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Mikaela had friends, family. So what if he worked for an agency? He shouldn't be killed just because he was a pain in the ass!

Sudden movement outside caused Yuu to look up. A car was pulling up into Mikaela's driveway, the color a dark gray. It came to a stop, the lights flickering off. The door opened, and the driver stepped out.

Mikaela Shindo.

Yuu let out a shaky breath, watching as the blonde locked the car behind him and made his way to the front door. He moved with a strange grace, as if he was dancing on water. His hair looked softer than it had in the picture, and even from this distance Yuu could see Mikaela's pale skin glow under the moonlight.

He was going to die in less than a minute.

Yuu squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back the guilt. He cracked his eyelids open to watch Mikaela pull out his house keys, unlocking the door and stepping inside. It closed behind him with a faint thud.

"Three," Yuu whispered, starting the car. He turned on the headlights, lighting up the road. "Two." The car started to move, sliding past the house as silent as a bat at night. He lifted his thumb over the clicker, releasing a sigh as the car completely passed the house. "One."

He pressed the button.

A rumble sounded from within the house, quickly becoming louder. The walls blasted outward, the windows shattering, glass shards flying in all directions. Fire engulfed the building, lighting up the neighborhood. Dirt, glass, and pieces of wood and furniture rained down, hitting nearby houses. Screams sounded from up and down the street, the explosion waking everyone up in a panic. The boom echoed through the air, fading into silence. The only sounds were the cries of neighbors and the crackling and snapping of the fire.

Yuu watched it all happen in his rearview mirror. His gut twisted, and he clenched down on the steering wheel. He had murdered Mikaela Shindo.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He swallowed, then stepped on the gas, zooming down the road and into the night.

Hidden by the flames, blue eyes watched him go.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Yuu found himself sitting outside a local coffee shop. The sky was a light blue, the sunlight soft and calming. Chairs and tables were scattered around outside the little shop, and a waiter and waitress stopped by each occupied seat for orders. There weren't much people out, as this was a quiet part of the town, but there were still a few. Cars drove by occasionally, and the only sounds were the clinking of silverware, tires on the road, and the sounds of nature. It was peaceful.

Yuu was not.

He stared into his half-empty cup of coffee, rubbing his temples. He replayed the explosion in his head over and over, the guilt eating him up.

Blue eyes. Blond hair. Pale skin. His name was Mikaela Shindo. Yuu murdered him without him knowing exactly why.

He was probably looking forward to his comfy bed that night. Maybe some milk and cookies and a nice homey movie to finish off the long day. A warm shower to wash away all his stress, a text from a friend or family member telling him goodnight and making him feel loved. Going to sleep with a smile on his lips.

Instead, he got two steps through the front door and a bomb in his face.

Surprise, motherfucker.

Yuu let out a quiet groan. The explosion was all over the news- he couldn't escape it. Everywhere he went, there it was- images of the charred, destroyed home, the home with the brown shutters and tulip bushes by the entrance. Yuu immediately tuned out the television whenever it came on.

Lifting his cup, he downed his coffee, then waved the waitress over.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked. She sounded way too happy this early in the morning. Inhumane.

"Uh, more coffee?" he asked, holding up his cup. She gave him a nod and a smile, then filled up the cup with the drink. Dark, no creamer. He couldn't stomach the sweetness.

After she left, he held the cup up to his face, closing his eyes as the steam warmed his skin. Since the explosion first popped up on the news, he'd been getting endless texts and calls from his friends. They spammed the group chat and his notifications, so much that he had to mute everything. The thought of unlocking the phone to find the countless messages gave him another headache.

He took a huge gulp of coffee, burning his throat and the roof of his mouth. He swallowed it, setting the cup down to cough into his sleeve.

Who were those people in Mikaela's pictures? The purple haired man? The black haired one? The one with the silver haired man with the red marker all over it? The pink haired woman? Akane?

'My Darling Akane'.

Yuu sighed, rubbing his forehead. He closed his eyes, body tired and stiff. He just wanted to sleep, to forget about all this.

"You know, you should really introduce yourself before blowing someone's house up."

Yuu froze. The voice had come from behind him, deadly and cold. The chair beside him was pulled out, and someone sat in it, folding their arms on the table.

"Let's start over," the person said.

Ever so slowly, Yuu dropped his arm from his face and opened his eyes. He turned his head, running his gaze from the person's hands, up their arm, and all the way to their face.

Green eyes met blue. The brightest blue he's ever seen.

Mikaela Shindo.

Blond locks that very much belonged to an angel framed a pale face, his skin soft and smooth. His lashes were thick and full, the bottom row gently skimming his cheek. His lips were a light pink, well taken care of, and would've looked beautiful if they weren't twisted into a frown. The only thing scarring his flawless skin was a small cut on his left cheekbone, not back enough to be hidden by his hair. The skin around it was slightly red, but the cut wasn't deep enough to need stitches. He watched Yuu with a cold glare.

They sat there and stared at each other in silence, taking each other in. Neither moved for a good few minutes. The waiter was busy taking the orders of a mother and her daughter, while the waitress was serving what looked to be a college student. Down the road, someone biking had ran into some walkers, and a heated discussion was taking place.

Everything went ignored by the two men, alone in their own little bubble. Mikaela noted the muscles under Yuu's jacket, which stretched slightly because of his position. Yuu noted the mere existence of the other man.

He was alive. Mikaela Shindo was alive. Yuu hadn't killed him.

Relief flooded through him, and suddenly everything seemed a whole lot brighter.

A smirk stretched itself across Yuu's lips. "Alright," he said, holding out his hand. "My name's Yuuichirou Amane." He knew he probably shouldn't have given his name out so easily, but the relief he felt earlier made his tongue loose. Besides, the members of the JIDA Agency and Sanquinem Agency weren't really a secret, unless they were important officials. The JIDA didn't exactly count him as important. "It's nice to officially meet you, Mikaela Shindo." He tilted his head and grinned. "Sorry for trying to kill you."

"Your apology has gone unaccepted," Mikaela said, reaching out to take Yuu's hand. They shook, and the air crackled. "And likewise, Yuuichirou. It's not every day you're able to have a civil conversation with your attempted killer."

Yuu's grin widened. He dropped Mikaela's hand and gestured to his cheek. "So, I'm guessing I'm the cause of that?"

Mikaela narrowed his eyes, gently touching the cut on his cheekbone. They narrowed more at Yuu's constant grin. "Yes, you are. I'm rather irritated about it."

"Too slow," Yuu said, lifting his coffee cup to take a sip. "You should've gotten out sooner."

He felt Mikaela's glare burn into his skin. "I moved fast enough to save my life. I doubt that counts as 'slow'."

Yuu blew on the coffee, the steam going towards Mikaela's face. The blonde just gave him a more irritated expression.

"Oh yeah," Yuu said, setting down the cup and facing Mikaela, crossing his arms, "how'd you do it?"

Mikaela blinked, then after a moment a small smirk graced his lips. He gave Yuu a half-lidded stare, and it could've been described as lustful if it weren't for the fact his eyes had a different predatory gleam, not meant for the bed. More like the fighting arena. "That's my secret."

Yuu scoffed. "Oh, come on. You just survived a fucking explosion. You have to tell me."

Mikaela was about to respond, but at that moment the waitress stopped by their table. Her eyes were trained on the blonde.

"Anything I can get for you, sir?" she asked. Yuu frowned. Was it just him, or did her voice have a weird, tipsy tone to it?

The cold look in Mikaela's eyes vanished immediately. He flashed the girl a warm smile, even showing some of his pearl white teeth. "Ah, yes," he said, his voice slightly deep, "black coffee, please, darling. Vanilla creamer."

'How are his teeth so white,' Yuu thought with a slight grumble. 'Is that color even possible-'

The girl's cheeks flushed bright pink, and she hastily nodded her head. "A-ah- yes, of course!" She gave a small giggle before turning and scampering off. Mikaela kept his smile as he watched her go.

The second she was out of view, his warm expression slipped from his face, replaced with the cold eyes and harsh frown. He turned to Yuu, eyes like ice.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Mikaela said, continuing their previous conversation. "If anyone is answering any questions, it's-"

"What the hell was that?" Yuu asked, staring at him with furrowed brows. Mikaela stopped, his mouth open to form the next word.

He frowned. "What was what?"

"That!" Yuu made a wild gesture. "With the waitress! Were you seriously flirting? Now?"

Mikaela moved his mouth, but no words came out. "Uh..." He raised an eyebrow, looking at Yuu with disbelief. "Do you honestly believe I was actually interested?"

Yuu gave a helpless shrug. "Well, why else would you do it?"

Mikaela just stared at him as if he had blurted out he liked listening to dog's farting for fun. "You..." He rubbed his right temple. "I'm not actually interested in her, it's just to make people like me." He looked at Yuu. "You have to play life's cards right, Yuuichirou."

Yuu had a snappy retort, but the waitress was coming back. He tugged on his collar and grumbled under his breath as she set Mikaela's coffee down, smiling and batting her eyelashes. Mikaela thanked her, giving her another one of his attracting smiles. Yuu found the whole thing disgusting.

"And what about you, sir?" the waitress asked, turning to Yuu after a few moments of smile wars with Mikaela. "Do you want anything else?"

"Piss off," Yuu muttered under his breath, but louder, said, "No, thanks, I'm good." He gave her one of his own grins.

He was surprised when she had the same reaction as she did to Mikaela's- her blush was even a little bit darker. She fumbled a little before abruptly squeaking "Alright!" and darted back inside the shop.

"See?" Mikaela said, lifting the coffee up to his lips. "You did it."

"All I did was smile at her," Yuu said. Mikaela just shrugged.

"I have a question," he said, setting down the cup. He turned his gaze to Yuu. "What's the reason for you trying to kill me?"

Yuu smirked, lifting a shoulder. "You were getting annoying. The head wanted you gone."

Mikaela pursed his lips. "Why have you do it?"

Yuu's smile dropped. He bent his head, picking at a piece of leftover food stuck to the table. "I fucked up a mission and they dumped this on me as punishment."

"Punishment?"

Yuu didn't respond. Instead, he finished off his coffee and pushed the cup to the middle of the table. "So, who else knows you're still alive?"

Mikaela frowned at the question being avoided. "A few people from my agency. And you. I don't really care if the public knows or not."

"So, if I killed you right now, it wouldn't really make a difference?" Yuu asked, glancing at the blonde. Mikaela stiffened, and his eyes narrowed.

"I would rather you not find out," he growled. Yuu grinned.

"What, you're afraid of dying?" he laughed.

"No, I'm not," Mikaela snapped. "I don't mind death. I would just rather be in control of how I die than a random stranger."

"Aw," Yuu pouted, "I thought we were friends?"

Mikaela wrinkled his nose. "Who in their right mind would be friends with you?"

Yuu shrugged. "A lot of people, actually."

"I'm quite surprised," Mikaela said, raising an eyebrow. "You're slightly unpleasant."

"Slightly?"

"Never mind, everything about you is unpleasant."

Yuu snorted, then released a quiet thread of giggles. After a few moments, Mikaela couldn't help but to smile.

The smile froze on his lips as his eyes darted down, checking the time on his watch. He glanced at Yuu, who was wiping his eyes with his knuckles. They were a very bright green, vivid and dazzling- even more so against his tan skin.

Leaving his coffee unfinished, Mikaela left the money on the table before standing up, tugging on his jacket. Yuu raised an eyebrow and watched him, blinking.

"Where're you going?" he asked. Mikaela tapped his watch.

"Duty calls, Yuuichirou," he said. "And it's not here."

"There's bathroom's in the shop," Yuu said.

Both of them went silent, staring at each other. It took Mikaela a moment before he coughed, trying to hide his laughter.

"It was nice meeting you," Mikaela said, placing a hand on Yuu's shoulder. "It's sad that we're enemies."

Yuu narrowed his eyes. "If you think I'm just gonna let you go-"

"I'm going," Mikaela said simply. "I'm not gonna launch a missile at your agency, I promise. You have nothing to worry about." The corner of his lip twitched upward. "This whole thing has been rather exciting, actually."

Yuu huffed, brushing the blonde's hand off. "Well, you're welcome?" He crossed his arms. "If my agency finds out you're still alive, they'll kill me. Then I'll come and kill you."

"How does a corpse kill someone?" Mikaela asked, blinking innocently. Yuu made a fist and raised it, causing Mikaela to dance away, giggling.

"Later, Yuuichirou!" he called, walking backwards to the road. "May we meet again in another life!"

"Get hit by a car!" Yuu retorted. This earned a few glares, but he didn't care. He watched Mikaela cross the street, give him a small wave, then disappear down a side road.

Yuu huffed, slumping in his seat. He rubbed his forehead, playing back the entire conversation. He was definitely in a better mood than when he had first arrived at the shop, no longer heavy with the guilt of killing someone.

Looking up at the little coffee shop, Yuu smiled. This place was a small, magical wonder.

After a minute, his thoughts traveled to the blonde, blue-eyed beauty. Yuu was still confused on how he escaped with only a small cut, but it just added to the mystery of Mikaela Shindo. He was rather fun to talk to, and he made Yuu forget his responsibilities and stressors, if only temporary.

"Sir?" a voice asked. Yuu looked up, finding the waiter watching him. He pointed to the money on the table. "Is this for the coffee?"

"Uh-" Yuu rummaged around in his pocket, pulling out his own dollars. "That's my, uh, friend's money. He had to go. Here's mine."

The waiter smiled, taking the money. "Thank you, sir! Is there anyth-" he stopped, then frowned. "I apologize for being rude, but... what's on your shoulder?"

Yuu furrowed his brow. "What?" He turned, craning his neck.

A small, button like thing was attached to the beginning of his hood, blinking a faint, red light. It was an electronic of some kind, and the screen displayed a time.

Yuu frowned. A watch? Wait, no...

0:05...

0:04...

0:03...

Green eyes widened. "GET DOWN!" Jumping to his feet, he ripped off his jacket, bundling it up and throwing it towards the road, which was luckily devoid of any moving vehicle. He turned on his heel, noting how everyone at the tables had scrambled to their feet and were backing away. He crashed into the waiter, knocking him down.

BOOM!

The sound echoed through the air, and the people at the shop screamed. Pieces of road and burnt fake leather rained down around him, and Yuu scooted under the table, yanking the shaking waiter after him. A wave of heat seared his back, and he gritted his teeth. The scenery glowed orange.

Somewhere, a baby was wailing, and the sound bounced around in Yuu's brain. Everything was strangely muted. The waiter had started to cry, sniffling into his shirt, but Yuu didn't mind much. Civilians were a lot more sensitive to these kinds of things. Plus the shirt was old and had holes, it had to go at some point. He patted the waiter's back before sticking his head out from under the table.

"Is everyone alright?" he called. The college student gave a shaky thumbs up, pressed up against the shop wall. People hesitantly got to their feet, their eyes trained to the huge hole at the edge of the road. The waitress ran over to Yuu, reaching down to grab the waiter's arm. She pulled him into a hug, cooing into his ear to calm him.

Yuu got to his feet, running a hand through his hair. His heart felt like it had just ran a marathon, and he panted heavily. He stared at the hole in the road, looking mournfully at the remaining pieces of his jacket.

A smirk stretched itself across his face. "Oh, you're on, Mikaela."

---

The woman slammed her hands down on the desk, glaring at him for all she was worth. Her pink hair was loose, not in its usual style, and stray hairs floated around her face. Her white business suit shirt was stained under her armpits, which was a little disgusting.

"You," she growled, jabbing a finger into his chest, "gave me a fucking heart attack!"

"Sorry, Krul," Mikaela mumbled, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I won't do it again."

"Oh, you always say that," Krul hissed. "You never do it!"

Mikaela batted her jabbing finger away. "I'm alive, aren't I? I handled it."

"You almost died!"

"Almost. But I didn't."

"Well, I think it was awesome!" a new voice said from the office doorway. They both turned to find a man entering, some of his purple hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Nice one, Mika!"

"Lacus, shut up," Krul snapped. Lacus raised his hands in surrender before disappearing into the side kitchen. Krul gave a heavy sigh, rubbing her small hands down her face. She fell back into her office chair, the piece of furniture bigger than her.

"I told you to stay away from the JIDA," she grumbled. Mikaela lifted his shoulders helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Krul," he said. And he meant it. They weren't biologically related, but she had adopted him when he was only twelve years old after her brother disappeared without a trace, and they loved each other like a real mother and son would. Mikaela helped her up in the years after her family left, and even though she has more support now from friends these days, without Mikaela, she was groundless. He couldn't afford to die.

"I admit, I had been reckless," he said. "I apologize. I'll be more careful in the future. I promise."

Krul watched him, pursing her lips. Then she got up and made her way around the desk, which wasn't that much shorter than her. When she reached him, she rested her chin on top of his head, and he held her hands as she whispered random prayers.

"You scared me almost to death," she said, pulling away to look at him sternly. "First, you get caught in an explosion, which the rest of the world believes you died in, then you go and approach the person who tried to kill you? And so casually?" She whacked him on the side of the head. "Idiot!"

Mika rubbed his head, giving her a small smile. "I had to know why. And he actually seemed relieved to see me, believe it or not."

Krul scoffed. "Still, it was one the most idiotic things you've ever done- and you've done a lot."

Mika shifted in his seat, then glanced at Krul. "Um, the explosion I caused... Were there any deaths?"

She sighed and shook her head. "No, nobody died. Not him, either." She crossed her arms. "But Mikaela... don't just brush this off. You almost died."

"But he didn't!" Lacus called from the kitchen.

Krul whipped around, shouting out cusses and curses. Lacus made his own retorts, but Mikaela didn't hear either of them. Their voices blurred together, forming a meaningless mush.

Yuuichirou Amane was alive.

Mikaela's expression was completely blank. He stared at the desk, which was a rich brown, covered in papers and assignments. He remained still in his seat.

After a few moments, he smiled.

Chapter Text

"Get me the megaphone."

Mitsuba stopped and slowly turned to Shinoa, the words processing in her brain. "The... what?"

Shinoa wiggled her fingers, her hand held out, palm up. "The megaphone, Miichan. You know what a megaphone is, don't you?"

"Yeah, but-" Mitsuba paused, then furrowed her brow. "Wait, you're gonna use a megaphone to-"

"We are not using a megaphone!" Yoichi squeaked, waving his arms. "No!"

"If it makes him freak, do it," Kimizuki said.

The Shinoa Squad found themselves on the fourth floor of the apartment building, in the very last room on the left. It was rather small, the door opening up to the kitchen with a small island counter. On the right was the door to Yuu's bedroom, and on the opposite side, the kitchen melted into the living room. Because it was on the end, nearly the whole left wall was a window, covered with white, lace-like curtains. Another window was in the kitchen, above the sink, and it gave a clear view to the busy street.

Yoichi glared at Kimizuki, opening his mouth to scold him. He stopped when he saw Shinoa shrug and bend down, searching through her bag. His eyes widened.

"He's gonna be mad!" he warned when she pulled out a firetruck red megaphone. She sent him a smirk.

"If the cherry boy isn't gonna get up himself, we just have to help him!" she said. "He can't stay in bed for forever. He owes us the juicy details." She spun on her heel, making her way towards the bedroom. "Hey, if this doesn't work, can we hire a clown?"

"A clow-" Mitsuba rubbed her temples, letting out a sigh through gritted teeth. "No."

"Miichan, you're no fun."

Yuu's bedroom looked as if a tornado had gone through it, pulling out every article of clothing from the drawers and throwing them around the room. T-shirts and jeans covered the floor, a pair of boxers rested on the bedside lamp, and dirty socks blocked the top of the dresser from view. You couldn't walk anywhere without stepping on something.

The room surprisingly smelled rather clean.

The Shinoa Squad crept inside, focusing on the lump under the covers. Yuu slept on his stomach, his left arm and leg flung over the edge of the bed, drool at the corner of his mouth. He wore only a pair of navy blue boxers with yellow and orange smiley faces printed on it. The bags under his eyes had worsened, and his hair looked like a bird's nest.

Shinoa strode up to the end of the bed, turned on the megaphone, and yelled, "RISE AND SHINE, BITCH."

The sound sliced through the air, and the others clamped their hands over their ears. Mitsuba yelled out a "Shit!".

Yuu jumped about a mile, almost leaping out of the bed and landing on the ground with a loud thud. He gave a startled shout, almost disappearing into a pile of old gym shorts and jackets.

"THE FUCK-" Yuu tried to scramble to his feet, banging his head against the bedside table. "OW!" He got to his knees, clutching his head, letting loose a string of curses. The sound of Shinoa laughing brought him around, and he sent her the darkest glare he could muster.

Yoichi hovered over him, unsure if he should help or not. "Uh, Yuu-kun?" he asked. "Are you okay? Do you need some ice?"

Yuu waved a hand, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up enough to take a seat on the bed. His head pounded, but he ignored it in favor of throwing an old shoe box at the lavender-haired girl currently dying from laughter.

"Oh my god, shut up already," Mitsuba growled, slapping a hand over Shinoa's mouth. The girl giggled, then waved the megaphone in front of Yuu. It resulted in him getting more ticked off.

"What's your problem?" he snapped. "I haven't slept in almost twenty-four hours, can you not?"

"We were worried about you," Yoichi said, perching on the bed next to him. He tugged on his sweater sleeves, fiddling with a loose string. "You haven't talked to us since the failed mission, and you didn't tell us anything about you punishment. When are you going to do it?"

Yuu couldn't stay mad about the rude awakening with Yoichi looking at him like that. "I, uh, already did it," he said, shuffling his feet.

His friends exchanged glances. It was quiet for a few moments, the news slightly surprising. Shinoa interrupted the silence by dramatically looking away, holding a hand to her chest.

"Oh, Yuu-san!" she cried. "The betrayal! To keep such juicy details out of our reach! I'm fatally wounded!"

"Oh, you're fine!" Kimizuki snapped, and Mitsuba rubbed her temples, looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"You already did it?" Yoichi asked. "What was it? Are you okay?"

"Kind of," Yuu answered. "And I can't tell. And yes, I'm fine." He lifted his arms to show no visible damage.

"What do you mean, 'kind of'?" Kimizuki asked, narrowing his eyes. Yuu shifted awkwardly, then gave a sheepish smile. Kimizuki's eyes narrowed more. "Right. You can't tell."

Shinoa hopped up suddenly, jumping in front of Yuu and putting her face close to his, wearing a wide grin. "But we're your best friends! You've gotta tell us! You're gonna tell us, right? Right?"

Yuu rolled his eyes, leaning back. After the explosion at the coffee shop, he had skipped reporting the incident to headquarters and instead had jumped right to his apartment. He wasn't lying when he said he hadn't slept in almost twenty-four hours, and every bone in his body ached. The first thing he did when he got to his apartment was strip and dive under the covers. Even though sleep had been his greatest desire at that moment, it was the farthest thing from reach.

His mind was filled with Mikaela Shindo. It took him hours to lose consciousness.

With the eyes of his friends staring at him, Yuu decided he'll keep that fact to himself.

"I had to kill someone," he eventually said. "He kept fucking up the agency's missions, so they sent me to wipe him out." He gestured to the file on the dresser next to a dirty pair of boxers. "Everything about him is there."

Mitsuba, who was the closest to the dresser, swiped the file and flicked it open. Shinoa darted to her side, leaning over to see. They scanned the files, eyes widening.

"You... killed him?" Yoichi asked. Even though he worked for the agency and knew most of what it did, he wasn't quite fond of the idea of murder. He preferred being in the radio room, talking into the microphone that connected to the agents' earpieces whenever they were on missions. Both he and Shinoa stayed behind while the rest of the squad went out on the field, Yoichi giving advice to Yuu and Kimizuki while Shinoa helped Mitsuba.

"I like saving my friends' lives," he had said. "I try not to think about the consequences for that."

"Actually," Yuu said, leaning forward, but was interrupted by a wild whistle.

All eyes turned to Shinoa, who held a hand up to her mouth daintily as she stared at Mikaela's file. "Dang," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "If I dug dudes, I'd totally go for Mr. Blonde." She looked up and winked. "He hot. Very hot."

There was a moment of silence, and Shinoa went back to ogling Mikaela's picture.

Suddenly, Mitsuba stood up and smacked her upside the head. "You don't-" smack! "-say stuff-" smack! "-like that!"

"Wha- Ow! Miichan! That hur- OW!" Shinoa leaped over another pile of clothes, dodging Mitsuba's flailing arms. The two ran around the room, Shinoa laughing while Mitsuba yelled at her about proper manners in society.

'Like she's ever followed them,' Yuu thought, watching her spit out every curse word imaginable. The blonde's face was bright red, and Shinoa's comment of "Aw, sweetheart, are you jealous?" just made her even more enraged.

Kimizuki ignored them completely. He picked up the file, flicking through it. He paused on Mikaela's picture before scanning the rest of the document. After a few more searches, he raised his gaze to Yuu's.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" he said slowly. Yoichi glanced at Yuu, and even the girls quieted down, despite the occasional pinch on the arm or leg. Once again, everyone's gaze was on him.

Yuu pursed his lips, looking down at the floor. "Um... not exactly, no. I didn't."

"Failure," Mitsuba said.

"Did you tell headquarters?" Yoichi asked. Yuu shook his head.

"Double failure," Mitsuba said.

"Miichan, this is about Yuu-san, not you," Shinoa teased. This earned her a smack to the head.

They were watching him again. Yuu bit his lip, looking down at his hands.

"Well, um..." he said.

"What did you do, idiot?" Kimizuki snapped. "You dodged your punishment and apparently headquarters doesn't know about it. This is big, Yuu, even for you."

"I know," Yuu snapped back. "Jeez, shut up for once, telephone pole, I'm getting to it." He cleared his throat, flexing his fingers. "Well, after Guren gave me the files, I..."

He proceeded to tell them everything, from the destruction of Mikaela's house, the talk at the coffee shop, and the small explosion that took place there. He stuttered over their conversation, leaving out a few parts, but he gave them the general idea: Mikaela had survived, and he obviously wanted some kind of revenge.

It was silent after he finished. Yoichi had moved after Yuu had started using his hands while he talked, and was now sitting in the armchair with Kimizuki. It was rather small, and Yoichi was more perched on the other boy's lap than the armchair. Kimizuki was concentrating on Yuu's story, but his face was pinker than usual.

"Well," Shinoa said, clapping her hands together, "wow. Um."

Mitsuba was staring at Yuu, eyebrows furrowed. "So," she began, voice deathly quiet, "you fucked up the mission, and you also fucked up your punishment for said mission?"

Yuu rubbed the back of his neck, giving her a sheepish smile. "Uh. I guess so."

"You already told headquarters you killed him, right?" Yoichi asked, leaning forward. Kimizuki's eyes flickered down before he looked away. "Shouldn't you tell them he got away?"

Yuu frowned, picking at the bedsheets. Something held him back from telling headquarters Mikaela was still alive, but he didn't know what. "Um..."

"You should've checked to make sure he was really dead," Kimizuki said, shifting awkwardly in his seat. Yoichi turned to look at him, which made Kimizuki cough and stop his shifting.

"I think it's good that Mikaela's alive!" Yoichi said. "I mean, Yuu-kun-" he looked at Yuu, "you said you regretted doing it, right? So now you feel better, right? All we have to do is find Mikaela and maybe put all this to rest, and just pretend he's dead... or... something..." Yoichi turned back to Kimizuki, leaning forward slightly. "Don't you think that'll be good, Kimizuki-kun?"

Kimizuki's face went pink, and he stared at Yoichi. Yuu hid a smirk. Yoichi had Kimizuki wrapped around his finger, and he knew it.

"Find him, hm...?" Shinoa murmured. Mitsuba eyed her warily as she stood up, smirk in place.

"I know just the person to go to!" she said.

---

The party was held in a huge mansion, with rich wooden staircases and extravagant chandeliers. Guests in fancy suits and dresses littered the dance floor, but most sat at the tables with expensive wine glasses or talked about important business behind pillars. Two staircases on opposite sides of the room met in the middle, creating a landing that allowed guests to look over the banister to the ground below. The landing was covered with snack tables of everything imaginable, and it branched off into three hallways, one leading to the right, the other to the left, and the last in the middle, leading deeper into the mansion.

Mikaela stood to the side of the third hallway, in the middle of the landing. Next to him was a snack table filled with desserts, the nearest a plate of lemon squares. He leaned against the bannister on his elbows, scanning the crowds for his target. He was dressed in a black suit, the buttons undone so the jacket hung loose, revealing the white dress shirt. His tie was a light gray, as he made sure he blended in well with the other guests.

The thing is, he wasn't invited.

A woman laughed on the staircase, being led by a man in a pristine white suit. Mika wrinkled his nose as the man stared at her hungrily, and he quickly looked away in disgust. His blue eyes narrowed at the groups of people dancing, but he discarded them. His target was a businessman, not a party-goer. He would be behind the pillars, or at the tables discussing money.

A beep sounded from his jacket pocket, and Mika slipped out his phone. He swiped at the screen after he saw Krul's picture, holding the phone up to his ear. "Yes?"

"Have you found him yet?" she asked, tone business-like. Mika sighed, scanning the crowd again.

"No, I haven't," he said, stepping away from the railing. He leaned against the opposite wall, in between the snack table and the hallway. A group of women in frilly ballgowns passed him, a few giving him flirtatious looks. He ignored them, instead focusing on the sparkling chandeliers. "I told you I'll call when I'm done. Why are you contacting me?"

Krul was silent for a few moments. "I was just... I was worried, Mikaela. That attack on your life got me rattled, and I realized you can be killed any second."

Mika held back a sigh. Krul was letting her motherly instincts take over again. "I appreciate it, Krul, but you can't be calling me while I'm on a mission. I'll be fine, I've done this thousands of times. Alright?"

She huffed, and the microphone crackled. "Alright. But be careful."

"I will," Mika said, a tiny smile slipping through. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Krul sounded as if she wanted to say something else, but resorted to a "Good luck" before hanging up. Mika shut off his phone before putting it back into his jacket pocket.

He can picture her twirling around in her big office chair, staring at the ceiling while René and Horn went through papers and files. She always got like that whenever he was away for a mission.

"With a face like yours, you should be down there with the ladies," a voice said from his left. Mika tensed, gaze snapping to the side. Trotting towards him was a rather large man, his belly round and jiggling. He was short, barely came to Mika's shoulder, and his bald head glistened. He had a fluffy gray mustache, and there were little pieces of food stuck in it. He wore a black fancy vest and a white dress shirt with black pants, which had a stain on the knee. He wedged himself between Mika and the snack table, his back smacking against the wall.

Mika shifted to give him more room. His face remained neutral, making sure not to give anything away.

Mika didn't have to find his target. His target found him.

The man plucked a lemon square off the silver dish, popping it into his mouth. He chewed noisily, and Mika wrinkled his nose slightly.

"Well?" the man said. Mika shifted, then glanced at him.

"Hm?" he said. The man stared at him, then threw his head back and laughed loudly. Mika could see bits of lemon square and other pieces of food in his mouth.

After a few moments, the man grinned and gestured to the dance floor. "Why aren't you out there dancing? I've seen plenty of women eye you up. You can get lucky easily."

Mika's stomach churned, but he pushed the feeling down. He hated people like this. "I'm not interested in that," he said. The man snickered, then picked up another lemon square.

"Ah, so you swing that way," he said, biting into the treat. Mika's eyelid twitched, but he didn't respond. His fingers itched to grab the special case from the inside jacket pocket, but he stayed still. Perhaps this man was a party-goer after all.

The man picked up yet another lemon square, but he stopped and set it down on the table. He turned and studied Mika's face, eyes narrowing. "Who are you, anyway? I don't recall seeing you at these gatherings before."

Someone brushed past them, and Mika stepped back to give them room, buying time for the answer. They stopped by the snack table before moving on. "I'm in training," he said, acting uninterested. "This is my first time at one of these, so you wouldn't have seen me before."

A shriek of delight sounded from the ground floor, followed by strings of laughter. The sounds distracted the man slightly, and he shook his head. He was probably filled with alcohol.

"Ah!" he said. "Ah, I see. You're a youngster." He grinned and picked up his lemon square, shoving it into his mouth. Mika was glad he didn't have anything to eat recently, or it would've come right back up. This man was disgusting, with his sloppy eating, bad smell, and messy appearance. It was hard to believe he was a professional businessman, guilty of stealing, sexual harassment, and murder.

"What's your name, again?" he asked. Mika opened his mouth, an alias on the tip of his tongue, when he stopped. The man had gone beet red, his skin turning puffy. Sweat dripped off his nose, and he rubbed a hand over his face.

"Sir?" Mika said, leaning forward. The man coughed, grabbing at his throat. His eyes were bugging.

"It... it burns," he choked out, doubling over. His hand shot out to take hold of the edge of the snack table, but he missed and ended up falling to the floor with a thud. He gasped, voice ragged, and flopped around like a dead fish. Mika jerked back, eyes wide, watching the spectacle in surprise.

"Sir?" he said again. The man took a long, shuddering breath, before he went still. Blood trickled out of his mouth, trailing down his pudgy cheek.

Mika stared. The rest of the party went on, but he knew it wouldn't last once the body was found. The man was most certainly dead, and his level of power would cause much distress and anger.

Quickly, Mika turned on his heel and disappeared down the hallway, leaving the lights of the party behind him. The hallway wasn't lit, and he passed a few dark doors, eyeing them warily. He listened carefully to the sounds of the party, reaching for his phone.

A scream sliced through the air, followed by a few shouts of surprise. Mika didn't turn around, knowing he wouldn't be seen with the darkness surrounding him. More screams followed the first, and a man started to angrily shout.

"Who did this?" he yelled, and the music stopped. "Show yourself, you son of a bitch!"

Who did this, indeed? Certainly not Mika. He frowned, dropping his phone back into his pocket. It was obviously some kind of poison, probably applied to a food or drink. The question was, when? Was it before the man had approached Mika? Had someone else targeted him, and put poison in his beverage or meal when he wasn't looking? The only thing he had eaten with Mika were the lemon squares, and nobody-

A dagger impaled the wall, only a mere inch from Mika's face. He jerked to a halt, stiffening as he went cross-eyed, staring at the weapon, heart pounding. The tension in the hallway rose, and Mika then knew he wasn't alone. He swallowed, letting out a silent, shaky breath. He had felt the air from the dagger. If he was one step closer, the thing would have gotten him right in the side of the face.

Someone stepped away from the opposite wall, shedding the shadows. Mika's gaze snapped to them, his eyes narrowing. They wore a black suit, same as him, except their tie was a dusty red. They tugged on the cuffs on their sleeves, and even from the small distance between the two of them, Mika could see them smirking.

He knew that smirk.

"You know, you should really give a slight warning before trying to blow someone up."

Yuuichirou Amane stepped out of the shadows, looking at Mika in victory. His emerald green eyes flashed, and his teeth gleamed in the little light they had. Unlike Mika, he had buttoned up his jacket, and the way the shoulders strained gave away his muscles. He showed no visible damage from Mika's explosion, except the need for a comeback in his eyes.

Mika's breath caught, and he swallowed again. After a few moments, his own smirk stretched across his face. "Well, Yuuichirou. You've found me. How flattering."

Yuuichirou grinned, dropping his hand from his sleeve. He stepped forward, plucking the dagger from the wall, and he twirled it between his fingers. The blade flashed silver, and Mika had to hold himself back from flinching when the tip brushed against his chin.

Yuuichirou held the dagger still, pressing it against the underside of Mika's chin. Mika's smirk dropped, and he narrowed his eyes at the other man.

Yuuichirou hummed, lightly dragging the edge across Mika's skin. "I so want to plunge this into you right now," he murmured, voice low and dark. Mika's lips twitched.

"I need preparation first," he said. Yuuichirou stopped his movements, and he stared at the blonde. They were both quiet.

"Did you just..." Yuuichirou started, blinking.

Mika took the chance to grab Yuuichirou's wrist, slamming it against the wall. He ripped the dagger from his hand, lurching back to the opposite side of the hallway. He held the weapon out in front of him, and he rummaged around in his pocket for his gun.

Yuuichirou stepped away from the wall, rubbing his wrist. He glared at Mika from under his bangs, smirk gone. "That really hurt, you know," he growled.

"Good," Mika said, stopping his search for his gun. If he fired it, the sound would attract the guests at the party, so it was rather useless in helping him. He had the dagger, anyway. Yuuichirou appeared unarmed. He shifted his weight, eyeing the raven-haired man. "Was it you who killed my target?"

"Oh, you mean ol' fatty?" Yuuichirou smirked, glancing back down the hallway towards the party. "Yeah. He was rather easy. Wouldn't stop eating." He looked at Mika, crossing his arms. "I'm surprised you didn't see me, I was right in front of you."

Mika frowned, thinking back. He spent nearly the whole party up next to the snack tables, as it had the best view point. After the man had approached him, nobody else had...

Yuuichirou's smirk widened at the realization in Mika's eyes. "You brushed past us... you stopped by the snack table... You poisoned his lemon square?"

"Yup!" Yuuichirou said, bouncing on his heels. "You should thank me."

Mika gripped the dagger tighter. "Oh? And why should I do that?"

"Well," Yuuichirou drawled, and he took a casual step forward. Mika tensed, watching him approach. "He was just plain gross, and I overheard him talking about people in not the best way. He undressed people with his eyes," he pointed at Mika, "which he did to you, he touched people inappropriately, and-"

"He what?" Mika asked, eyes widening in disgust. The thought of that man's eyes on him... He shuddered.

Yuuichirou hummed, coming closer. Mika felt himself backing up, the dagger still held between them. His back hit the wall, and he grit his teeth, glaring at Yuuichirou, who hadn't stopped his advance until the point pressed against his chest.

"He didn't stroll up to you because you looked lonely," Yuuichirou murmured. "He was eyeing you for a while."

Mika's eyes narrowed. "And you know this because...?"

"So was I," Yuuichirou said. He quickly held up his hands. "But not in that way, I promise!"

Mika huffed. "Good. I was just about to stab you out of disgust."

Yuuichirou raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he said. "I thought I was the one doing the stabbing in this relationship."

The dagger in Mika's held flew upward, pressing against Yuuichirou's throat. The man stiffened, narrowing his green eyes at the blonde.

"So only you can make the sex jokes?" Yuuichirou grumbled. Mika shifted his weight, leaning forward slightly. He pressed against the blade harder until a small drop of blood appeared on Yuuichirou's tan skin.

The dark-haired man gave a shaky laugh. "Watch it, Shindo."

"How'd you find me?" Mika asked, voice soft. "The world believes me to be dead. Nobody but me has my schedule. How'd you know I'd be here?"

Yuuichirou smirked, slowly taking hold of Mika's wrist. He pushed the dagger away from his neck, and Mika let him, watching as he rubbed at his throat. His hand came away with a smear of red.

"A runaway agent of yours," he said. "He has every file imaginable. Kinda weird, too, but he's helpful." He wiped the blood on his tie, the colors matching slightly. "And you're lying about only you having your schedule. Someone arranges it for you."

Mika's eyelid twitched. "Who is this runaway agent?"

Yuuichirou gave a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "You honestly think I'd tell you?"

Mika raised the dagger, but Yuuichirou's hand snatched his wrist before the blade could meet his skin again. They glared at each other, eyes glowing in the dim light. Mika could feel Yuuichirou's warm breath against his skin, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Just give me a name," he growled. Yuuichirou smirked. If the JIDA Agency had someone like that on their side...

"To outsiders, people like you, he goes by the name Black Demon," Yuuichirou said. "That's all I'm telling you."

Mika frowned. "Black Demon?"

Yuuichirou moved suddenly, snatching the dagger from Mika's hand. The blonde muffled a yelp as he was slammed up against the wall, gritting his teeth. His heart pounded, but he went still when he felt the blade trace his chin, going up to his cheekbone. Yuuichirou lightly brushed over Mika's small cut from the explosion, smirk gone.

"You should be more careful, Mikaela," he murmured. "If I were anyone else, I would've killed you already."

"Then why haven't you?" Mika asked, spitting out his words. "Why haven't you killed me?"

Yuuichirou's eyes darkened. His lips twitched into another smirk, and he stepped away, twirling the dagger around his fingers.

"You interest me," he said. With that, he turned on his heel, vanishing down the hallway. "See you later, Mikaela Shindo."

Mika stared at the spot he had last seen him, clenching and unclenching his fists. He took a few deep breaths, going over their conversation in his head.

"'See you later'?" he murmured, stepping away from the wall. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

Chapter Text

The hallway seemed even more terrifying than it had been originally. The walk to Guren's office was longer than usual, and Yuu even stopped by the vending machines to grab a bottle of water. The cool liquid calmed him down. He would've gotten a soda, but Guren would've thrown a stapler at him.

"Chill out, Yuu," he muttered, holding the cold bottle to his forehead. "It's just a report. He's not gonna kill you."

Maybe.

He hooked the bottle under his arm as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He ducked his head as a group of agents passed, but he heard their whispers.

"That's Amane, right?"

"Yeah, it is!"

"He killed all those innocent people, right?"

"It's because he caused that explosion..."

Yuu gritted his teeth. He turned on his heel, surprising the nearest agent. The water bottle fell from the crook of his elbow, thudding against the ground, but Yuu didn't care.

"I heard you, you know!" he yelled. "Watch what you say around people!"

There was a stunned silence, then the lead agent snickered. "Or what? You'll set a bomb on us?"

Laughter rippled throughout the group, and Yuu felt tears prick at the backs of his eyelids. They were joking about the lives of innocent people, lives that he had completely trashed. Don't they feel anything?

"You're joking about people dying," he growled. "That's not something that can be forgiven easily."

Their laughter faltered as he turned back around, heading towards Guren's office with anger. Those bastards. Should they even be considered agents? Have they even been on a mission? They just strut around in their shiny suits that their mothers probably ironed for them that morning.

Yuu looked down at his own attire. He wore an oversized hoodie and baggy jeans, his sneakers dirty and well-used. He had practically grown up in this building, but he despised having a suit as casual wear.

A small smile crept onto his face when a memory of when he was seven popped into his head. He had liked to run up and down the hallways with his toy airplane, making "vroom vroom" noises as he darted between legs and around doors. A new agent had stopped him and asked him to tell him who he was. Yuu had spit on his clean suit before running around him and back to Guren's office.

The sight of the door jerked Yuu out of the past. The duct tape still covered the window, and the gold label gleamed. Yuu took a deep breathe before pushing the door open.

Guren sat at his desk, flicking through some files. He didn't move as Yuu shut the door and plopped down into the opposite chair. Shades covered the window halfway, and Yuu could just see the top of the next building. A mug held down some papers so they wouldn't go flying from the ceiling fan, and the room smelled like an air freshener spray.

Yuu coughed into his sleeve when Guren didn't acknowledge him. The man glanced up, then gave a heavy sigh before setting the files down. He rested his chin on a loose fist, a bored yet slightly tense expression on his face.

Yuu shifted in his seat, gaze flicking to the floor. "Um, so, I completed the punishment." He picked at a loose thread in the chair. "I killed Mikaela Shindo three days ago at 1:05 a.m. I managed to break into his house and set up bombs to be detonated by a clicker." The sight of the flames flickered in his mind. He swallowed, his next words scraping at his dry throat. "The mission was a success."

It was quiet. The only sounds were the whooshes from the ceiling fan and the fluttering of papers. The air freshener smell burned Yuu's nose.

"Congratulations," Guren finally said, his voice sounding as if he was reading from a script- which he was. "The Agency applauds you on your success, and-" he gave a heavy sigh, then continued in a slight sarcastic manor, "and we hope you continue to accomplish future missions."

"That looked painful," Yuu said.

"It was." Guren leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples. "I can't believe they had us memorize that. Unnecessary shit."

"Hey," Yuu said, "like yourself."

"I'd shut up if I were you," Guren warned. He sat up, placing an elbow on the desk while he flicked through more files with his free hand. "So, you blew up the blonde."

Yuu shifted in his seat. "Yeah."

"I'd pretend I was interested but that's too much effort," Guren said. "Hopefully that'll teach you to listen to orders next time. Maybe a few flying guts will scare you into submission."

"Guts don't scare me!" Yuu retorted. "Besides, the house erupted into flames, I didn't see his insides fall out."

Guren wrinkled his nose. "Well, that's boring." He glanced at Yuu, at the boy's face, and his expression softened a little. "It wasn't too hard, was it?"

Yuu went quiet. If Mikaela had died in that explosion, Yuu would probably be a lot more downhearted during this report. He wouldn't have even taken a seat; he would have stayed standing, report his accomplishment, then leave. Then he would've stayed in his apartment until he was called for another mission.

Mikaela hadn't died, however. Their past interactions proved that.

"It was..." Yuu searched for a word that was convincing enough, "okay, I guess." He kept his eyes on his lap. "He had pictures of people he obviously cared about. One was in a butterfly frame."

Akane. Did she know Mikaela was still alive? Did he tell her? Or did she still believe he was dead? Yuu wanted to know, but he wasn't sure if it was in his place to ask.

The thought made him pause. Since when did he respect Mikaela Shindo?

The cut on his neck throbbed just then. It was the reason he wore his hood bunched up around his shoulders, to cover it.

Yuu had to hide a smirk. They both gave each other their own personal scars.

"You did what you had to do," Guren said. "He would've died either way. If you hadn't deserved a punishment, the agency would've sent someone else to do the dirty work. Mikaela Shindo was supposed to die." At Yuu's unresponsiveness, Guren let out a heavy sigh. "Look, kid, life happens. People die. It's no big deal."

"We're talking about people's lives," Yuu grumbled. "Whole stories built up over multiple years."

The man gave him a look. "Are you regretting joining the agency?"

"No."

"Then quit yapping."

Yuu huffed. Guren watched him for a moment longer before checking his watch.

"How about this," he said. "You haven't visited the house in a while. You need a break."

"You mean visit Shinya?" Yuu asked. "But-"

"Are you going to be doing anything remotely important today?" Guren asked. Yuu's mouth moved wordlessly. "I thought so. You're visiting Shinya. Shinoa's been doing it, and we're all a little disappointed in you."

"But-" Yuu began, but Guren's glare silenced him.

Shinya and Guren were married. They have been for almost five years, and they were dating since Yuu was a child. Yuu grew up with Shinya doting on him, wiping his chin whenever he ate too messily, scolding him whenever he stuck his tongue out at Shinoa or had a nasty attitude. Shinya was more of a mother than a father, but he was technically Yuu's family. It was his wish for a child that had Guren scuttling to the orphanage, and it was Yuu's bold personality that singled him out from the rest of the kids. It was hard for Yuu to settle in, suspicious of the people who had adopted him, but after a few months he came to love them as if they were his real parents. The first time he had accidentally called Shinya "mom", the man had teared up within seconds. He had hugged Yuu and refused to let him go for a solid fifteen minutes.

The only thing bad about this situation was that Shinoa was Shinya's little sister. Which technically made her Yuu's aunt.

Yuu sighed, then pushed back his chair as he stood up. "Okay, fine," he said. "I'll go visit Shinya." He pursed his lips. "I miss him, anyways."

He left the room without another word, slouching in his hoodie. Guren watched him go, waiting for the click of the door shutting before letting out a breath.

"Stupid brat," he mumbled, leaning back in his chair. He lifted his amethyst eyes to the ceiling, where the fan sliced it's blades through the air, creating a low, monotone hum.

---

Yuu unlocked his car as he stepped out of the building. It was lined up alongside the sidewalk, which wasn't the best place to park. Vehicles zipped by on the road, and people darted across the street whenever they saw an opening. The sky was a clear blue, barely any clouds marking the surface, and the sun was bright and warm. Yuu regretted the hoodie.

Climbing inside the car, he let out a heavy sigh as it slammed shut. His head throbbed, and he rubbed his temples in hope of relieving the pain. The inside of the vehicle was stuffy, but Yuu didn't have any wish of opening the windows and letting in the outside world.

'So,' a voice from memory flickered through his head, 'they sent you on a mission- well, punishment- to kill my sister's adopted son? That's messed up.'

"Agh," Yuu groaned, dropping his hands. He tried to relax against the seat, closing his eyes, but he still had a restless feeling. Tossing his hopes of any type of bliss, he started the car, flicking on the air conditioner. Music pierced the still air, the song familiar. Yuu could feel the tension in his muscles start to dissipate, and he released a breath before pulling away from the sidewalk, entering the rows of cars.

The drive to Shinya's house was quiet despite the music, and it was taking a lot longer than Yuu had hoped. The roads were filled with honks and angry shouts, and Yuu was tempted to join them. He gritted his teeth, clenching the steering wheel.

"Move it, goddamn it," Yuu grumbled. The day was half over, and he wanted to be able to make it back to his apartment before dark. To distract himself, he turned up the music.

The song washed over him, the lyrics taking his mind away. He leaned back in the seat, loosening his grip on the steering wheel. He was still in the city, which was a pain since Shinya lived more farther out. At least he was having a moment of calm.

"Can you change the station? This song's annoying."

Yuu leaped up from his seat, banging his head against the roof of the car. The whole vehicle jerked, and he yelped in both surprise and pain. The voice had come from the back seat, and Yuu knew who it was before he whipped his head around, eyes wide and heart pounding.

Legs crossed and wearing a victorious smirk, Mikaela Shindo stretched out in the backseat, looking as comfortable as can be. He wore a collared black shirt, the ends tucked into a pair of dress pants. A book hung loosely from his fingers, a bookmark between its pages. What looked like to be earrings glittered through his hair. He watched Yuu with a calculated look in his eyes, his smirk widening at the other man's surprised expression.

A gun rested on the seat next to him, the sun from the window reflecting off its shiny surface.

Yuu swallowed, then hid his panic behind a chuckle. "Coming back for more, huh?"

"Actually, I just wanted to enjoy my book," Mikaela said, lifting the object up. "I've gotten to a rather entertaining part and you interrupted it."

"Oh, I'm so, so sorry," Yuu said dramatically. "Whatever can I do to make up for it?"

Mikaela's lip twitched, his gaze flickering over Yuu. "A few things."

Yuu raised an eyebrow. He was about to respond when he noticed that traffic had started to move again. He didn't like the idea of turning around, knowing Mikaela had a gun which was most likely loaded, but he didn't really have a choice.

Facing the front of the car, Yuu turned down the music, trying to look nonchalant. "Okay, what do you want? I'm a little busy."

There was some shifting, and a glance to the rearview mirror gave Yuu a clear look of the gun now in Mikaela's hand. He narrowed his eyes when the blonde leaned forward, the book forgotten on the seat.

"I want you to tell me who the Black Demon is," Mikaela murmured, mouth close to Yuu's ear. A shiver traveled down Yuu's spine, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

"Sorry, Shindo," he forced a laugh, "no can do."

Something cold pressed against Yuu's throat. He grunted, clenching his teeth. Mikaela had a knife, too?

"Wow, you've come prepared," he grumbled, flashing a glare towards the mirror. He could see the smile playing across Mikaela's pale lips.

"Just tell me who he is," the blonde said softly. "You can walk away from this unharmed. Or-" he pressed down on the knife, and Yuu swallowed, "I'll slice your throat open."

"The makeup sex better be good," Yuu said. He choked out a laugh when the blade jerked slightly.

The street that would take him to Shinya's house was quickly approaching. Yuu kept his eyes straight ahead as he passed it.

Shinya was probably cooking dinner, maybe some kind of stew or meat dish. It was with his insistence that everyone had a side of salad with the main meal, and no sugary drinks were allowed. Shinoa would either be reading one of her many cook books or watching Shinya develop his masterpiece. The TV would be on, either with sports or one of Shinoa's drama shows. The windows were always open unless it was raining or night, and the sounds of the birds and the swish of the leaves on the trees would filter inside. If the neighbors had family over, then the smell of barbecue would mix with the scent of Shinya's cooking.

'I'll see you soon,' Yuu thought, heart skipping a beat. 'I hope.'

"Yuuichirou," Mikaela said, his voice tense. He seemed to be hesitating. "I really don't want to kill you. Remember what you said, at the party? That I interest you?" The blade pulled back a little bit, allowing Yuu to breathe properly. "Well, you interest me, too. So just tell me the Black Demon's name and we'll go our separate ways. You won't have to get hurt."

Yuu was quiet, his eyes remaining on the road. Mikaela's words rang with truth, which was something the raven-haired man didn't expect.

"You're just trying to throw me off guard," Yuu said, lifting up his chin in defiance. "As soon as I tell you his name, you'll kill me."

"I won't," Mikaela interjected, lowering the knife. It rested against Yuu's collarbone. "If I kill you, your agency will immediately suspect Sanquinem. You dying right after you kill me? We'll become the main target. You think that's something I want?"

"How would I know what you want?" Yuu grumbled. "Maybe your agency pissed you off, you have a bone to pick, I don't know." He turned on the turn signal, taking a right onto a dark road between two towering buildings. The sun got blocked out, and the shadows stretched out across the front of the car. "I'm not telling you his name." He snorted. "Besides, if I do, you probably wouldn't want to go after him anyway."

"What?" Mikaela asked. "What do you mean?"

"You're planning on killing him, right?"

Mikaela was silent. The knife disappeared from Yuu's neck, and he relaxed into his seat. "Also, telling me you weren't gonna kill me gets rid of that fear, so the consequences of not telling you doesn't scare me that much. I can chillax."

"Stop the car," Mikaela ordered. Yuu heard a click behind him, and his blood went cold. "Now."

"Alright, princess..." Yuu slammed on the brakes, and the car skidded to a halt. The door to the backseat flew open, and Mikaela shot out. In the next second, the barrel of the gun was level with Yuu's head through the now open window.

"Get out," Mikaela snapped. His voice was stone cold.

"That's what she said," Yuu snickered, but did as he was told. He held his hands above his head as he stood up, stepping away from the vehicle. Mikaela aimed the gun at his chest, eyes narrowed. Yuu flashed him a grin.

"Thought you said you weren't gonna kill me?"

"That was before," Mikaela growled. "My patience is running thin." He stepped closer, his expression softening a little bit. "Yuuichirou, please. It's just a name. Just tell me."

Yuu stared at the blonde, keeping his cocky expression. They were deep in a wide alleyway, with trash cans tipping over and pieces of garbage rolling from the wind. A stray cat yowled from somewhere in the shadows. "Someone's getting desperate."

Mikaela's eyes narrowed, his lips twisting into a frown. "Stop joking for one second."

"Nah." Yuu tilted his head, studying the blonde. The darkness of the alleyway cast his face into shadow, but Yuu was still able to see his bright blue eyes. He couldn't help but to think of the man as pretty.

Judging his reaction, Yuu sent him a smirk. "So, how's Krul?"

It went quiet. The widening of Mikaela's eyes was almost in slow motion, his entire body going stiff. His blue orbs reflected absolute terror and surprise.

"How'd you-" Mikaela started.

Yuu ducked down when the sound of the gun going off blasted in his ears. The bullet whizzed past his head, thudding into the brick wall. Dust and pieces of the material rained down, and the sound echoed throughout the alleyway. He leaped forward, grabbing Mikaela's wrist.

"Missed me missed me now you've gotta kiss me," Yuu sang, attempting to wrench the gun out of Mikaela's hand. The other man grunted, then jerked his knee up, slamming it into Yuu's gut. Yuu gasped, bending over.

"How do you know about Krul?" Mikaela yelled, grabbing the front of Yuu's hoodie. He yanked him close, their faces inches apart. Mikaela was seething. "You got it from the Black Demon, didn't you? Didn't you?"

Yuu winced. The fast movements had cracked the scab on the cut on his neck, and fresh blood appeared before trickling down his skin. He let out a breath, grabbing Mikaela's forearms.

"Listen, I'm not gonna go after your mom, so chill," he said. "I was just testing your reaction, which-" he chuckled, "was pretty entertaining."

A flash of fear danced across Mikaela's face. "What else do you know?"

Yuu gave him a dopey smile. "Not tellin'."

He suddenly found himself being slammed up against the building. He gritted his teeth, about to yell a complaint, but went still when the gun pressed against the underside of his chin.

"You having this type of information isn't good at all," Mikaela growled. He waited a few moments before stepping away, his eyes burning holes into Yuu's brain. "But trying to get it out of you this way isn't working."

"Gee, you finally realized," Yuu said, rolling his eyes. He adjusted his hoodie, acting as if the whole situation was just a natural occurrence. "Maybe next time, sweetheart."

Mikaela's cheeks tinted. "Don't call me that."

"Sorry, babe."

"Or that."

"Honey?"

"No."

"My love?"

"Stop."

Yuu snickered. He flashed finger guns towards Mikaela before opening his car door, plopping down on the seat. He turned, leaning out the open window, sending the blonde a grin.

"May we meet again, my darling!" he called. "Hopefully I'll forgive you for this little stunt!"

"You don't know when to shut up, do you?" Mikaela sighed, shaking his head, but Yuu was able to see a smile forming. "If you tell anyone about this-"

"You'll murder me in my sleep, blah blah blah, I know, chill." Yuu made a shooing gesture, and Mikaela stepped out of the way of the car. Yuu drove backwards until Mikaela was standing next to the window. "Hey, how'd you get in my car anyway? You picked the lock or something?"

Mikaela mimicked Yuu's dopey smile from earlier. "Not tellin'." With that, he turned on his heel, walking the opposite way they had come in. "See you later, alligator."

"After a while, crocodile," Yuu responded. He watched Mikaela leave, stepping over pieces of trash and litter. His blond hair was almost illuminated in the dark, and it disappeared once he turned the corner. Yuu sighed, then glanced behind him as he pulled back into the road.

'Well, that was exciting,' he thought with a chuckle. He willed his heartbeat to slow to its regular pace. 'I thought I was a goner for a second.'

As the hype calmed down, Yuu relaxed back into his seat, feeling oddly completed.

'Time for Shinya's.'

Chapter Text

- Two days ago, almost three -

Yuu checked his phone again, frowning at the address. The numbers on the screen matched the apartment number perfectly. Yuu didn't know what to think about that.

After Shinoa had proclaimed knowing who to go to to find Mikaela, she had punched this address into Yuu's phone, instructing him to go there and tell "the tiny, purple-haired dude" everything, and ask for help. The building was in a more shady part of the city, with trash heaps along the road and purses being swiped at every turn. The building was a faded gray color, with words in every language spray painted along the walls. Multiple windows were cracked, and cigarette smoke drifted out of the few that were open.

Inside wasn't much better. The red carpet was roughed up and faded, with mouse droppings and bugs hidden among the yarn strands. The wallpaper was shredding, and mice ran up and down the halls. Yuu had almost jumped out of his skin the first time he saw one, and an old lady had laughed hard enough at his reaction to spit out her teeth.

The door Yuu now stood in front of was a dark brown, like all the other doors in this apartment building. He swallowed, pocketing his phone, then lifted his hand to knock.

He stopped. Was this all worth it? Coming here? For what? Mikaela? He sighed, closing his eyes. Yes, it was. His life was at risk, as well as the JIDA. Not to mention that Mikaela knows his name, so he can link him to his friends and go after them, too. Yuu had fucked up bad. It was better to come here, to a blackmailed Sanquinem agent, to get the upper hand on Mikaela.

Shinoa had filled him in. The Sanquinem agent was Asura Tepes, sometimes known as Asuramaru. To outsiders, he was the Black Demon. Eleven years ago, the JIDA had managed to capture him, disguising it as him running away from Sanquinem, and trapped him here with the knowledge that if he tried anything, his sister, Krul Tepes, would be killed. Because he was of high rank, he was able to get into the plans of Sanquinem, extracting any type of information that the JIDA wanted. He was skilled in his craft, erasing any trace that he had been in the database and set up a system that prevented his account from getting shut down. He had files on every Sanquinem agent, and handed them over to anyone in the JIDA who came to him for them- if he didn't, Krul would die, then he would still be forced to work for the agency.

Yuu knocked, and a few rooms over a woman let out a shrill scream. He flinched, staring wide eyed down the hall, and hoped Asura wasn't as whacko as the other residents in the building.

It was silent behind the door. Yuu knocked again, a flicker of shame creeping in. This guy was like the JIDA's slave, and here Yuu was, about to use him.

'It'll be more dangerous if you don't,' he thought, trying to reassure himself. 'Mikaela could strike at any time. It's safer to have him be the one in doubt.'

Suddenly, the doorknob creaked, and Yuu went still, staring into the peephole. He couldn't see anything. The doorknob creaked again, then the door opened an inch. From what Yuu could see, the room was completely dark.

"Who are you?" a voice asked. It was deep, but had a rather feminine tone to it. Yuu frowned, unsure.

"Is this Asura Tepes's room?" he asked. Perhaps he got the number wrong?

There was a moment of silence. "Yes," the person said. "It is. Who are you?"

"Oh." Maybe Asura had a female helper? "I'm sorry, I normally wouldn't have come here, but, um-" Yuu pulled out his JIDA badge, holding it up, "it's an emergency. I'm sorry. I need Asura's help."

The door opened a little bit more. A brown, blood-shot eye appeared, narrowing at the badge. A dark purple curl framed a pale face. "The JIDA, huh?"

"Yeah." Yuu shifted his feet. "Sorry. Um, is Asura there?"

"You're looking at him," the person said. Yuu blinked, and the door opened even wider. Standing in front of him was a rather small figure, their dark purple hair wild and untamed. Their skin was almost white, and only one eye could be seen, as the other was covered by a flop of hair. They wore dark skinny jeans and a baggy T-shirt with red stripes, the clothing hanging loosely off their skinny frame.

This was Asura Tepes?

Asura leaned forward, studying the badge. "How do you pronounce your name?"

"Uh- Yuuichirou," Yuu said. "Yuuichirou Amane. Call me Yuu, though."

"Alright, Yuu." Asura kicked the door open all the way, revealing the darkened room. The shades were drawn, the outside light only small flickers on the wooden floor. Yuu's stomach squirmed, but he stepped inside after Asura gestured him in. The door closed behind him, and his pupils widened.

"Sorry about the mess," Asura said, and Yuu heard him scrambling across what sounded like paper. "I work better in the dark. Another one of you agents came by earlier, so I've been working on his request."

The shades were suddenly snapped open, and Yuu winced at the burst of light. Because of the overcast sky, it wasn't all that bright, but it was a big difference from the completely dark room. A small fridge was shoved into the corner, along with a stove, sink, and washing machine. A wooden table with two rickety chairs sat in the middle of the room, and along the right wall was a small bed, the sheets all tangled and on the floor. A long crack traveled up the wall, the light green paint of the room peeling along the edges. Papers and files covered the floor, and wires from the laptop on the table connected into the wall under the window. A huge printer took up a space on the floor. The place was even messier than Guren's office, which Yuu didn't think was possible.

Asura pulled out a chair and sat in it, sliding the laptop closer to him. He let out a heavy sigh before turning to Yuu. "So, what do you guys want now?"

Yuu stood, unsure, until Asura gave a tired gesture to the second chair. Yuu sat in it, pursing his lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to-"

Asura waved at him dismissively. "It's what I'm here for, right? I've gotten used to it. Now who're you looking for?"

"But-" this whole thing didn't sit right with Yuu. He grumbled under his breath, tugging on his sleeves. "His name's Mikaela Shindo."

Asura hummed, ducking his head to type away at the laptop. The technology buzzed, and Yuu wondered how many times the man's had to use it to search up his old fellow agents, some of them possibly his friends. The thought made him sad.

The tip of Asura's tongue stuck out of his mouth as he worked, his eyes glazed over from the screen. After a few moments of the silence being only interrupted by keyboard taps, he spoke. "Why you looking for Shindo?"

Yuu's eyes snapped back to him after roaming around the room. "I messed up a mission and my punishment was to kill him." When Asura glanced up at him, Yuu continued. "Um- I kinda, uh- he got away, then came back for revenge. I want to get the upper hand on him before he can hurt anyone."

"Sucks to be you," Asura said. He paused. "You. Yuu. Ha. Get it? Never mind." He went back to working.

Yuu held in a snort, then relaxed into the chair. Asura wasn't what he thought he would be- he pictured a miserable, dirty rat, spitting out curse words and blaming every agent who walked in for his misery. Asura was actually pretty chill, a tiny bit creepy, and actually kind of nice. Yuu wasn't sure he would be the same in his place.

After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, Asura frowned, then grumbled under his breath. His eyes sharpened, and the clicks of his mouse became more frantic. Yuu watched him in confusion as he scrambled across the laptop, his breath coming out in pants.

"Are you okay?" Yuu asked, leaning forward. "What's wrong? Asura?" He reached out, touching the man's arm, and Asura jumped, his breathing hitching. "What is it?"

"Um-" Asura brushed him off, shaking his head. "The guy's name is Mikaela Shindo, right? Blonde, blue-eyed? In his early twenties?"

"Yes."

Asura let out a sigh, closing his eyes. "Wow..."

Yuu tilted his head. "What?"

Opening his eyes again, Asura gestured to the screen. "So," he said, voice taking on a rather sarcastic tone, "they sent you on a mission- well, punishment- to kill my sister's adopted son? That's messed up."

There was a moment of silence as the words sunk in. "Wait- what?" Yuu sputtered.

"Apparently, from what his file says," Asura said, leaning forward to look at the screen again, "he was adopted by Krul Tepes when he was twelve years old, and he joined Sanquinem when he was sixteen." He scoffed, crossing his arms. "You think they would've told me. Now not only do I have Krul to worry about, but this kid-" he stopped, then let out a sigh. "So are you going to kill him or what?"

Yuu frowned at the laptop, sinking back into his seat. Mikaela was adopted? And by Asura's sister? What are the chances?

The word 'adopt' had summoned Yuu's parents to mind- his real parents. He could still hear their screaming, still see the true terror in their eyes when they looked at him. He remembered countless times when he had to run and lock himself in a random room to avoid flying objects directed at him. They would scream at him, and at each other, and his ears had become sore from all the times he's plugged them with his fingers. The meaning of family had been ruined because of them.

If it weren't for Guren and Shinya...

"No," Yuu said, his voice decisive. "I'm not going to kill him. I want to form a truce, but also know his plans so I can avoid any trouble with him." He smirked a little. "Maybe scare him a little bit, too."

Asura studied him with narrowed eyes, but eventually believed him. He clicked a few times on the laptop, then leaned back. The printer started to beep, then shook slightly as papers appeared at the top. When it was done, Asura stood up and picked up the papers, dropping them into a folder before handing it to Yuu.

"There," Asura said. "That's everything he's been assigned to for the next two weeks. Come back if you need any more."

"Thank you," Yuu said, and Asura sat back down, hunching over the laptop. Yuu watched him, shifting his feet, before making his way to the door.

Has Asura been doing this all these years? Has he even stepped outside since getting captured? The thoughts wouldn't leave Yuu alone. Asura obviously wasn't happy, and it irked Yuu that he couldn't do anything about it. Asura just seemed to be on autopilot, processing information but not exactly feeling anything. Like a hollow shell.

Yuu stopped, his hand on the door handle. If he left without saying anything, without doing anything, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep that night.

He turned. Asura still tapped away at his computer, probably blurring out the rest of the world. Yuu hesitated, then swallowed and opened his mouth.

"Can I... can I get you anything?" he asked.

The tapping stopped. A bloodshot eye slowly looked at him, unblinking. Asura was completely still, staring at him, and it sent a small shiver down Yuu's spine.

The moment was broken when Asura blinked, his mouth opening slightly in surprise. "Uh-" he tried, but couldn't form a complete sentence. He ducked his head, hiding his face behind his hair. "I'm- I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?" Yuu asked.

Asura quickly nodded. "Yes. I'm- fine. Thank you."

Yuu thought for a moment. "Well," he said, stepping forward. He ripped off a small piece of paper from Mikaela's file and jotted down a phone number. "If you ever need anything, give me a call." He waved the paper so Asura could see before setting it down on the table. "Halloween-themed candy is gonna be coming out soon, and everyone loves Halloween-themed candy. If you want any."

He turned back towards the door before he was able to see the redness of Asura's cheeks. "Bye! And thanks again!" he called, then left the apartment.

Asura stared after him, eyes wide and face warm. He glanced at the paper, then timidly picked it up and looked at the number written there. Yuu's handwriting was big and slightly on the messy side, but legible.

The laptop buzzed. It was the only sound in the now deafening silence.

Chapter Text

-Present time-

After the encounter with Mikaela, Yuu didn't put it past the blonde to follow him, so he took multiple routes full of twists and turns to throw him off, just in case. He even went back towards the agency before taking a sharp U-turn and earning some angry honks. The trip took an hour longer than it should've been.

When he finally pulled up into Shinya's driveway, Yuu cut the ignition and slumped in his seat, letting out a heavy sigh. The house sported a cute little porch, vines with flowers growing up the handrail and curling at the edges of the steps. The grass was lush and green, the yard going on for some ways before ending at the neighbor's house. Yuu got out of the car, walking towards the front door. A tree grew to the side, a tire swing hanging from one of the thicker branches. Yuu smiled as he passed it, remembering all the fun he and Shinoa had had on that swing.

After jogging up the front steps, he knocked on the wooden door, the sound of a little bell jingling on the inside making him smile. Music floated from the open window, and Yuu could imagine Shinya dancing around the kitchen as he cooked, humming along. Yuu had bought him that little bell because Shinya often didn't hear people knocking while the music was playing.

"I'm coming!" a voice called, and Yuu could hear the sound of hurried footsteps to the door.

"Take your time!" Yuu answered, hiding a smile. The footsteps stopped, then sped up again a little more quickly than before. The door was thrown open, and Yuu found himself facing his adopted parent.

Shinya was wearing a waist apron, smears of food all over it. Printed on his shirt was "Mommin' ain't easy". His silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail, minus the long side-bang that curled around his chin. At the sight of Yuu, Shinya's eyes widened, his mouth forming an 'O'.

Shuffling his feet, Yuu gave a sheepish grin. "Hey, Shiny-"

"YUU!" Arms were suddenly thrown around the dark-haired man, Shinya squeezing him to his chest. Yuu squeaked in surprise as his face was squished into Shinya's shoulder, his arms floundering for something to hold onto. "Oh, Yuu! I haven't seen you in ages! I've missed you!"

"Shinya- can't- breath-" Yuu gasped. Shinya loosened his grip, but Yuu was still stuck in his bear hug. The silver-haired man was shivering in happiness and excitement, and Yuu couldn't help but to chuckle as he patted his back. "I'm home."

"Well, look who finally showed up!" a voice chortled. Yuu was still being squished, so he had to peak over Shinya's shoulder to see. Standing at the end of the hall, hands on her hips, was Shinoa, her lips twisted into a smirk. She wore a Harry Potter shirt, the front saying "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good". Yuu had gotten her that shirt a few years ago, when their little family had packed up and took a vacation to Universal Studios in Florida. It's how he knew the back said "Mischief managed".

"Hey, Sh-Shinoa," Yuu croaked, his voice cracking after a sudden squeeze from Shinya. He lifted a hand helplessly towards her. "Help... me..."

"Nope!" she smirked. "You're on your own!" He groaned.

Shinya eventually set Yuu down, the biggest smile imaginable on his face. Yuu was glad he listened to Guren and drove out here. Making Shinya this happy was something he would do over and over again and never grow tired of it.

He could do without the broken ribs, though.

"Well, come in!" the man cried. He ushered Yuu inside, his body shaking with excitement. "We're making spaghetti with my famous meatballs!"

"Please tell me Shinoa isn't helping you," Yuu said, earning a pinch on his side from the lavender-haired girl. "I don't want to die young."

"If you keep talking like that, Yuu-san," Shinoa sang, "my cooking isn't what's going to kill you!"

"Yeah, your face is."

Before Shinoa could retort, a hand clamped down on both of their shoulders, painfully tight. Shinya brought the three of them close together, leaning down so his head was between theirs. A bright smile was painted on his face, though it only sent shivers down the other twos' spines.

"Now, now, let's not fight, okay?" Shinya sang. "I don't want to get mad."

Yuu swallowed. "Y-yeah, okay, sorry." Shinoa giggled nervously, nodding to his statement.

Shinya smiled wider. "Okay!" Not removing his hands, he pushed them towards the kitchen. "Now, let's work together like the cute little family we are and make us some dinner!"

As they were ushered into the kitchen, Yuu felt a bucketload of stress lift off his shoulders. A warm feeling swept throughout his chest, and it was like he was a little kid again, when he raced Shinoa around the adults' legs and got read bedtime stories and was taught how to drive a car despite being way too young (his feet couldn't even reach the pedals). He was back where he belonged, not out in the world with the harsh reality that people died and that sometimes he was the cause of it. He wanted to fight Shinoa for the spaghetti sauce tasting and get tucked in at night by Shinya and to stick his head out of the car window while Guren drove. He wanted to go back in time, to forget all the blood on his hands and to turn it into Shinoa's pink nail polish.

But, for now, he could only make spaghetti and try not to let Shinoa fuck it up too badly.

~

The clock read 2:23 am. Soft snoring could be heard down the hall, obvious Krul had fallen asleep at her desk. Mika made a mental note to carry her to her bedroom later. He was busy at the moment.

After his home had been blown into oblivion, he had shown up at Krul's doorstep, nervously explaining what had happened. She had gone ballistic, shouting every curse word imaginable towards the JIDA. It took a while for her to calm down, but eventually she only occasionally muttered rainbow language and fretted over her adopted son. He was now staying in his old bedroom, the posters of his favorite musicians as a child still tacked to the wall. He was in the process of finding a new place to stay, since even though he loved Krul, he didn't exactly want to live with her again. She was obsessed with cleanliness, which he was also, but not to her extent. Apparently, his idea of "clean" didn't match hers, and he was forced to waste precious time picking up again that instead could be used researching targets. Sometimes, she forgot he had moved back in, and Mika didn't fancy the idea of getting another milk jug thrown at his face the next time he walked into the kitchen in the morning, her thinking he was an intruder.

"Sorry" doesn't make up for an almost broken nose, Krul.

The laptop hummed as it booted up, and Mika rubbed his hand down his face, his eyes dark and heavy. He spent most of the day sorting through paperwork, occasionally thinking up a new identity for the public. Being "dead" could actually be useful, since he didn't have to worry as much that someone could be sent after him. He's been checked off the list, which means he can work more. Perhaps he owed Yuuichirou a thank you.

Yuuichirou. Yuuichirou Amane. Mika rubbed his face again, letting out a sigh. Why did they have to be enemies? What was so different from their two agencies? They went out and killed people who deserved to be killed, and protected people who needed to be protected. Didn't the JIDA do the same?

Mika had asked Krul this a few months back. She had looked at him, and was quiet for a few moments before answering.

"That's not the only thing the JIDA does."

She provided no explanation.

Down the hall, her snoring continued.

Back onto the topic of Yuuichirou. Once the laptop fully started, a password box flashed across the screen, and Mika typed in what it was asking, gaining him access. He opened the search engine, clicking the box to type, his fingers hovering over the keys.

Yuuichirou was still a mystery to him. He knew next to nothing about the man except that he worked for the JIDA and had a confidence streak. Mika didn't like going into things when he only had a minuscule flashlight that barely worked. Yuuichirou knew about Krul- what else did he know? How much did he snoop? How much leverage did he have? It was frightening. Mika had to find out who and where the Black Demon was, and fast. This type of information being dropped into enemy hands was a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

Mika's fingers flew across the keys. 'Yuuichirou Amane'. He didn't have much hope that a casual search will give him anything useful, but at least it will give him a vague background. The JIDA and Sanquinem were disguised as regular business companies to civilians, so perhaps some normal information might pop up. He was keeping his hopes at reality level.

The search provided him multiple links. Mika took a swig from his beer bottle before leaning forward, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He stopped his actions when he scanned the first few teaser sentences the links gave him. "Abused since the estimated age of..." "A fire that wiped out everyone except..." "Multiple wounds and scars covered Y..."

Blue eyes widened. He hurriedly clicked the first link, impatiently waiting for it to load. When it did, an article popped up, looking like any small town gossip website. There was a rectangle of text that went on for some ways, and Mika hungrily ate it up. As he was reading, his heart grew more and more heavier. Words and phrases burned into his mind, words and phrases that described Yuuichirou's past. "Physical and mental abuse", "endless bruises and scars", "both fresh and fading wounds", "theories of rape".

Mika covered his mouth, his teeth digging into his lip. Did Yuuichirou really go through all these things? The thought caused a physical reaction in him, and he quickly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. After he had calmed down, he scrolled to the end of the article.

Mika's breath caught. Emerald green eyes glared back at him from the screen, face dirtied and covered in tear streaks. It was a small child, around the age of eight, clutching a blanket around his shoulders as he stared into the camera. Behind him was the burning embers of his house, partly blocked by the back of a fireman. The picture was taken at night, and the sky was clogged with smoke. The arm's of the child could be seen, and they were absolutely bony, a long scar going up the side. His eyes weren't one of innocence.

Even though greatly aged down, Mika knew immediately that it was Yuuichirou.

He leaned back, unable to tear his gaze away. There were a few other pictures, but most of them showed the house on fire, the house where Yuuichirou suffered. Both of his parents had been killed, though there were rumors the mother had committed suicide before going up in flames. There was another picture of Yuuichirou, this time he was sitting in the back of an ambulance, looking at his feet. He was just a tiny figure broken by the world.

Mika closed his eyes. So Yuuichirou was an orphan. At least they had one thing in common. Did he find a home? Did he find a family to call his? Was he living his life haunted by memories of the past? What horrors did he experience behind those walls?

Mika opened his eyes to find the screen of his laptop had went dark. Amongst the shadows of his room, the image of a cocky grin flashed in his mind.

Chapter Text

The sun was setting, casting an orange glow throughout the office. It reflected hard off the glass of the lamp and the coffee mug on the desk, hurting his eyes. Grumpily, Guren stood up and crossed the room, yanking on the cord that connected to the blinds. They dropped down, only slivers of light piercing through.

He was angry. It's been a few weeks now since the failed mission, along with the death of that Shindo agent. Plenty of time to recover from causing a handful of deaths, along with a planned assassination. However, for Yuu, this wasn't the case. He was more quiet than usual, cut off from everyone, barely picking up his phone or answering texts. Whenever he did, he sounded so lifeless, the usual excitable energy ripped right out of him. When he was pushed to get help, he would snap and refuse to answer anything, not even knocks at his door. Killing all those people had hit him hard.

Killing all those people should have hit him hard.

Guren sank back into his chair, glaring at the phone on his desk. Everything that Yuu should have done, he didn't. He should have gotten more quiet. He should have shut everyone out. He should have avoided calls and texts. He should have gotten angry over his friends pushing for help. He should have become isolated, then angry, then should've slipped into a sad acceptance.

Except, he didn't.

Yuu was happy. Upbeat. Always bouncing through the front doors every morning, a bright smile on his face and his clothes actually cleaned for once. Just two days ago, he had gone to the movies with his group of stray friends, and from what Guren was told, he had to have his mouth covered on multiple occasions from laughing too hard. He had even managed to take home a chick after celebrating a recent mission at the local bar. He goofed off, played jokes, and would light up at the tiniest things.

Yuu was like himself.

And it was eerie.

Guren picked up the phone, holding back the growl in his throat. Dialing the correct number, he held the device to his ear, tapping his fingers against the hard wood of his desk. He glanced at a picture standing upright in a golden frame, hidden from the doorway by a stack of books. In it was a younger version of himself, holding onto the ankles of an eight-year-old Yuu as he sat on his shoulders, pointing off at something in the distance with his face broken up into laughter. It was the first time Guren had carried him around like that, and Shinya had immediately snapped a picture. It was a happy memory, and it warmed up something in the man's heart.

"Yes?" a gruff voice answered, the ringing coming to an end. Guren narrowed his eyes, his jaw moving angrily.

"You did something to him, didn't you?" he stated. It wasn't exactly a question.

"Guren," the voice said. There was a pause, the amount of unpleasantness about the whole situation rising. "How kind of you to call."

"Answer the damn question, Kureto."

On the other end of the line, Guren could hear papers shuffling. He gave a dry chuckle. "Ah, I see you have your dog with you."

Kureto ignored the sentence. "I, personally, didn't do anything to him," he said. "All I asked for was a simple rise in dosage."

Guren gritted his teeth. "He was doing fine with the regular dose. Meeting all your dirty standards."

"But not quite. Despite this, he was responding better than any of our other subjects." Guren dug his nails into the wooden desk at Kureto's tone. "I couldn't just have a perfect opportunity walk away."

"Over fifty people, Kureto," Guren growled, his anger bubbling. "He's killed over fifty people with that last bomb. No clear explanation to why except his frantic 'he thought he was doing the right thing' bullshit. He doesn't know why he fucking did it and that's the only thing he can slap on it."

"A better killer," Kureto said, his voice increasing an octave. "If he's better at killing, he's a better agent. The lives of those innocents were... unfortunate, but my scientists are perfecting the experiment as we speak. The JIDA will be known as the greatest business company, but to the secret life, we will be at the very top, the greatest agency. We will be feared and adored, Guren."

"Is fame all you want?" Guren spit out angrily. "You're putting my son through a hell he doesn't even know about, just because you want some fame?"

"Adopted son," Kureto corrected, voice cold. "He's your adopted son." Guren seethed in his chair. "And no, fame is not the only thing I want. If Yuuichirou responds well, perhaps better than expected from what we've seen so far, we can become powerful. Strong. We'll have a weapon on our side, a cold blooded killer that nothing will be able to get past. He won't rest until his mission has succeeded. We'd be unstoppable." His voice lowered. "We won't crumble because of a few mistakes again, Guren."

The sharpness of his name was like a slap to the face. The memory resurfaced, but Guren quickly threw it away. He won't allow Kureto to affect him.

Before he could open his mouth, a woman's voice spoke up in the background.

"Mr. Hiragi, you have an appointment in a half hour," the crisp voice said. "I suggest getting ready."

Kureto's voice became distant as he held the phone away from his ear. "Thank you, Aoi." His voice became louder again as he turned back to the speaker. "This has been a pleasant chat, Guren, but I'm afraid I must go. Say hello to your husband for me."

"Kure-" the click cut him off, leaving him with a faint buzz. The room had grown darker, the sun a little bit lower in the sky. The picture frame glinted in the orange light.

Guren lowered the phone, silent. With the push of a button, he ended the call.

~

"You have a meeting with the two tiny dicks tomorrow," Krul said from behind a file. "Tiny Dick One is sending you on a trip with Tiny Dick Two for the money donation thing next week. Pack pepper spray."

Mika gave her an unamused glance. She was talking about Lest Karr and Ferid Bathory. "I know, Krul."

"Remember the pepper spray."

"I'll remember the pepper spray."

She set down the file. "Hey, can you-"

"No," Mika interrupted, looking back down at his phone, "I'm not gonna snip off Ferid's ponytail and give it to you to set in a display. We've talked about this."

Krul frowned. "Then-"

"I'm not snipping off Lest's braid, either."

As Krul pouted, Mika couldn't help but let out a sigh. Who was the parent again?

They were in Krul's office, the wall behind her chair made out of crystal clear glass. Papers covered her desk, permission forms for agents to fly across the country on self-appointed missions and errands. The sounds of Lacus in the side kitchen making himself a sandwich flitted through the air, and the occasional agent could be seen passing by through the door window. The sun was setting, making everything a glowing orange, and soft music played from the corner speaker.

Mika checked the date on his phone. The second of October. It's been about three weeks since he's had any contact with Yuuichirou, and it was putting him on edge. He had expected some kind of payback for his last stunt, where he had actually pulled a gun on the man. However, there was nothing. It was completely silent. Peaceful.

Mika hated it.

After finding out about Yuuichirou's past, he had laid back, putting his mind to other things, preparing for a surprise encounter with the agent. Nothing. It was strange, and the complete opposite of what Mika had expected. Now, whenever he turned a corner, he fought the strong urge to whip out his gun in case a pair of green eyes would be waiting on the other side.

Was this his plan? Get Mika nervous and jittery, unable to sleep or focus, before pouncing? If it was, then it was working splendidly.

"So, I was wondering," Lacus's voice echoed from the kitchen. A moment later he emerged with a plate, his stuffed sandwich in the middle. "Tomorrow is my two year anniversary with René, I was thinking, maybe..." he gave Krul his best pair of puppy eyes. "We can take the day off?"

Krul growled into her coffee mug, making Lacus's smile twitch. Mika had to hide his face with his phone to cover his grin.

"Do you know how many agents of mine had already requested breaks?" Krul demanded, turning a glare onto the purple-haired man. Lacus shifted, settling for a shrug. She narrowed her eyes. "Too many. What makes you think I'll let you off?"

"It's their anniversary, Krul," Mika spoke up. He usually wouldn't have defended Lacus, counting all the times he's had a prank pulled on him, but he knew for a fact that tomorrow was indeed their anniversary. When Mika had first joined Sanquinem, he remembered asking to leave on multiple occasions because the endless advances from Lacus for an oblivious René was physically painful to watch. Since he had read a few romance novels in his youth, he coached Lacus on how to properly express his feelings, even going so far as to stage a "coincidence" meeting at the local bookstore. It had surprisingly went rather well.

As it turned out, René had returned Lacus's feelings the whole time- he just figured his advances were more of his jokes. After Mika heard, he had been ready to slam his head into the wall.

Despite all this... Lacus and René were the two agents he knew that were the closest to his age. They were the only people he could call friends, and even that was stretching it a little bit. They were the only ones who didn't have a family connection to him, which meant Krul and Akane were crossed out on the friends list.

Akane... He should call her, shouldn't he?

What pulled him out of his thoughts was Krul saying "I guess so..." and a pair of arms throwing themselves around him.

"Thank you, Mika!" Lacus cried, acting completely over dramatic. "God bless your soul!"

"Get off me!" Mika yelled, then let out a disgusted shriek when Lacus pressed a wet kiss to his cheek. "LACUS!"

Krul rubbed her temples. "It's too early for loud noises."

"It's six hours past noon!"

"Too early."

After a few minutes, Mika had finally managed to push Lacus off of him with the threat "I'll throw your sandwich out the window". Mika had honestly never seen the man look so terrified.

Krul went back to her paperwork, and Lacus perched on the end of her desk, happily eating his sandwich. Mika sighed, rubbing his face. He only managed to sleep for three hours last night, and had gotten up before five. He couldn't remember the last time he had had a good night's sleep. The bags under his eyes were worsening, and his movements were slow. Most of the time he was functioning on only cheap coffee.

Krul mentioned seeing a doctor. Mika shut her down immediately.

The buzzing of his phone caught his attention. An unknown number was calling him, and he was faced with the options to accept or reject it. Sometimes, agents were put into a situation where they couldn't use their phones in fear that it will track their location, so they had to use a random civilian's phone or something of the sort. Mika frowned, confused on why they hadn't just called Krul or someone else of higher status. Mika was a top agent, but he didn't exactly have that much authority. To some, he's still looked at as a newbie, despite having been here for a few years now.

He decided to accept it, holding it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Knock knock," a voice said from the other end.

Mika went completely still. It felt as if his heart had jumped into his throat, blocking his windpipe. Slowly, he stood up, walking away from the other two in the room. They looked at him quizzically before going back to what they were doing.

Despite his slight panic, he felt his lips lift up into a grin. The wait was finally over. "Who's there?"

He could hear the smile in the other man's voice. "Boo."

"Boo who?"

"Oh, don't cry because I got your number."

Mika bit his lip, unsure why he wanted to laugh. "That's horrible."

"No, it isn't," Yuuichirou protested. "It's amazing. So am I. Praise me."

"I will if you tell me where you are," Mika said. "You can be praised in person."

"Hmm, tempting, but no thanks." There was a shuffling sound, and Mika could tell he was pacing. "I prefer life."

"I wasn't planning on killing you."

"A newborn baby could tell you were planning on killing me."

"Oh, wow, you're that bad, huh?" Mika joked. "Even a newborn baby could tell?"

He could practically hear Yuuichirou's grin. "I'm the baddest, baby."

"Mikaela," Krul suddenly spoke up. "Who're you talking to?"

"Ah," Mika winced, "just, um-"

"Is that Krul?" Yuuichirou gasped. "HI, KRUL!"

"Shut up," Mika hissed.

Lacus put down his sandwich, a childish smirk on his face. "Does Mika have a giiiirlfrieeend?"

"LACUS!"

Krul tilted her head at the man beside her. "You forgot he came out as gay already?"

"KRU- I'm leaving." Mika turned on his heel, throwing the door open, letting it slam shut behind him as he left. Luckily, the hallway was empty, only a few agents at the very end of it, though they weren't in hearing distance. He walked a few steps before leaning against the wall, letting out a huff.

Yuuichirou was oddly silent, and Mika shifted uncomfortably. "How'd you get my number?"

"... You're gay?"

Mika blinked. The question threw him off guard, and he opened his mouth a few times, like a gaping fish. An irritating blush crept up to his cheeks. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Yuuichirou murmured. He coughed, and the phone call went into an awkward silence.

"Why?" Mika snapped. "Are you homophobic?"

"What? No!" Yuuichirou said, sounding offended. "I have gay parents! I'm not homophobic!"

This conversation wasn't going at all how they expected it to.

Mika was suddenly reminded of the fact that Yuuichirou was adopted. The gossip site hadn't told who'd adopted him, just that he was abused for most of his childhood. It gave Mika memories of his own parents, memories that he didn't want resurfaced.

For a second, Mika struggled to breathe. He still had the scars on his back, the physical evidence burned into him painfully. He avoided looking in mirrors whenever he changed, as there was one scar that stretched across his chest.

It was the one time he stood up to his father. He made sure never to do it again, especially not while he was drunk, angry, and had a rough belt in his hands. He remembered falling back in surprise, the pain of falling on his back causing him to scream. His father didn't stop, even when he lifted his tiny arms in surrender.

A voice pulled him out of it. "...aela? Mikaela! What's wrong?"

It was then Mika realized he had been stuttering over his breathing violently, which had been easy for Yuuichirou to hear as his mouth was right by the phone speaker. He swallowed, taking a deep breath, his hands becoming sticky with sweat. "I- I'm fine."

"Did I say something?"

"No, I..." He shook his head. "I'm fine. Why do you care?"

There was a moment of silence. "Are you sure?"

Mika stared at the opposite wall, trying to get his heartbeat back to normal. He was certain Yuuichirou could hear it. Was he fine? No, he wasn't. Was he going to tell Yuuichirou that? No, he wasn't.

"I'm sure."

From the silence on the other end, Mika could tell the man didn't believe him. Though, since when was it in his place to ask? Since when was it in his place to worry? Mika wanted him to stop.

"How'd you get my number?" he asked. He thought he heard a frustrated sigh, but when Yuuichirou spoke, he sounded normal.

"It's a secret," he said, then whispered, "Can you keep it?"

"Don't start quoting song lyrics," Mika smirked. "I'll take a wild guess- the Black Demon?"

"Aw, damn!" The sound of Yuuichirou snapping his fingers could be heard. "You got me."

Mika snorted. "Do you mind telling me his name, darling? I'd really appreciate it."

"Hm, sorry, sugar, no can do," Yuuichirou chuckled. "You know, you're really bad at this."

"I'll find it out someday," Mika said. "I have a talent for prying out information from targets."

"By seducing them?"

"If they're stubborn, yes. Nine out of ten times it works." He smirked. "Don't fall into my trap, Yuuichirou."

"Thanks for the heads up, babe," Yuuichirou replied, his voice grinning. "I'll watch out for it."

"Oh," Mika murmured, lidding his eyes even though the man couldn't see, "I've already started."

With that, he swiftly clicked the end call button.

~

The little grocery store was located at the corner, close to Sanquinem but not too close. It had ugly orange tiles for the floor, covered in dirty footprints and screech marks from the shopping cart wheels, and the walls were painted an ugly beige. Despite its horrific appearance, it had almost most of the food people craved and came searching for, and the cashiers and helpers were rather nice, even when a customer deserved a slap across the face. Mika will always respect the workers here. He didn't know how they did it without punching a hole through the wall.

Krul and him had went home not too long after Yuuichirou's call, only for her to realize they had nothing to make dinner with. Neither were in the mood for take out, so she sent Mika to this little shack of a store with a list in his hands.

He was thankful she hasn't questioned him about the phone call, leaving him be. She probably would eventually, but for now he'll enjoy the peace and quiet.

On the list in his hands, Krul had written the following: tomato sauce, meatballs (with the spinach), Parmesan cheese (we're running out), spaghetti noodles (THE STRINGY LONG ONES THIS TIME, MIKAELA, NOT THE FAT ONES), butter, and sweetened iced tea (Arizona please).

Mika stopped in front of the pasta aisle, scrunching up his nose. A basket hung from the crook of his elbow, most of the ingredients already inside. The stringy long ones? Why didn't she like the fat ones? They didn't fly off your fork when you tried to eat them. Where were they, anyway?

His phone started to buzz in his pocket, and he sighed before pulling it out. He expected it to be Krul, or even Lacus. The man was still thanking him about letting him off tomorrow, and it was getting rather annoying.

Instead, a familiar unknown number flashed across the screen. Mika raised an eyebrow, pursing his lips before eventually accepting the call.

"What now?" he asked, not even settling for a greeting. "I'm a little busy."

"I'm bored," Yuuichirou whined. There were voices in the background, but Mika couldn't tell what they were saying. "Entertain me."

"I'd rather not," Mika grumbled. He scanned the shelves, furrowing his brow. "Don't you have friends to bother with this?"

"Your reactions are better," the other man said. "Plus they're all busy."

"Or you just don't have any friends."

"Rude!" Yuuichirou gasped. "I do have friends! Four of them, to be exact! Almost five!"

"What, is one of them cut in half or something?"

Yuuichirou harrumphed, and Mika couldn't help but to smile. With his free hand, he moved a few boxes to the side, trying to find the type of pasta Krul wanted.

"Whatcha doing?" Yuuichirou asked. Mika frowned as his search went in vain.

"Trying to find this type of pasta," he mumbled.

"What kind?"

"I don't know, the stringy long ones. Krul wants these specifically. The last time I got her the wrong kind, she threw her phone." He let out a small, exasperated sigh. "We had to get her a new phone."

Yuuichirou burst into laughter, and after a few moments his giggles became contagious. Mika covered his mouth, not wanting to give him the triumph.

"Man, your mom's a hoot," Yuuichirou chuckled. Mika hummed, moving to the top shelf to look.

A few seconds went by before Yuuichirou spoke again. "They're on the bottom shelf."

"Oh," Mika said, dropping back down from his tip toes. Sure enough, they were on the bottom shelf. He picked a box up, dropping it into the basket. "Thank-"

He stopped. Slowly, his mind connected the two together, and his body went numb. He turned, scanning the rest of the store. An old lady hobbled around the table with the Halloween themed cookies. A teenager and her mom picked through bags of bread. A small child ran through the candy section, an older man that seemed to be his grandfather following him.

Then Mika spotted him. He leaned against the wall, standing next to a crate of apples and plums. His phone was to his ear, left arm crossing his chest, an aggravating smirk stretched across his face. He opened his mouth, eyebrow raised.

"You're welcome," Yuuichirou's voice sounded from the phone.

Mika turned red, though he wasn't sure why. Yuuichirou had caught him completely off guard, and it flustered and angered him in equal amounts. He gritted his teeth, turning on his heel and making his way across the store. He ended the call, and Yuuichirou made a dramatic about-to-cry face. As Mika neared him, Yuuichirou pushed himself off the wall, grin wide.

"What," Mika hissed when he reached him, "are you doing here?"

Yuuichirou spread his arms, gesturing to the store. "I'm shopping! Duh!"

"You are not shopping," Mika growled. "You don't even have a shopping cart."

Yuuichirou lifted his chin. "I'm shopping in spirit."

Mika scrunched up his nose. "That's not even possible."

"You just don't have enough spirit."

Making a small sound of disgust, Mika turned, heading towards the drinks area of the store. The last thing he needed to get on his list was the Arizona iced tea, and no way in hell was he going to let Yuuichirou's surprise visit stop him. He was hungry, and he was getting his damned food. "I'm not going to ask how you knew I'd be here, since you're obviously not going to tell me. Just leave me alone."

"Dang, somebody's cranky," Yuuichirou said, walking alongside him. He shoved his hands into his pockets, giving Mika a grin. He glanced at the items in his basket. "Ooh, you're having spaghetti? I love spaghetti!"

Mika didn't bother holding back his sigh. "Krul wanted it." Because of the fact they were in public, he didn't have to carefully watch Yuuichirou, making sure he wasn't about to harm him. The civilians put him at ease, allowing him to relax. "You're not getting any."

"Aw, but-" Yuuichirou started, but Mika turned away when they entered the drinks aisle. He scanned the jugs before finding the Arizona tea Krul wanted, and went up on his tip toes to grab it.

After putting the jug in his basket, Mika turned to Yuuichirou. "That's everything on my list. I'm leaving now." Yuuichirou raised an eyebrow. "So if you came here to tell me something, now's your chance."

The dark-haired man's smile dropped. Mika was slightly startled at how fast a serious expression took over his face. He stepped forward, and Mika refused to budge as he got closer. He held his breath as Yuuichirou bent down, his lips by his ear. Mika could feel his breath on his neck. He waited, digging his nails into his palm.

Yuuichirou finally spoke. "Your ass is grass and I'm gonna mow it."

Mika's eyes widened, and he let out a squeak before shoving him away. Yuuichirou stumbled back, breaking up into fits of laughter. Cheeks burning, Mika glared at him for all he was worth, unable to believe the words that had popped out of his mouth. Yuuichirou's laugher was attracting some attention, so he quickly turned on his heel to the self check-out.

"W-wait! Mikaela!" Yuuichirou called, chasing after him. He was still laughing, and Mika was tempted to dump Arizona tea on him. He reached him at the self check-out, the blond still silently fuming. "I'm sorry, I had to, I couldn't resist."

"Fuck you," Mika muttered.

Yuuichirou smirked. "We're in public, maybe later." He let out a squeak when Mika elbowed him in the gut, hard.

"What's with you?" Mika grumbled, starting to scan his items before dropping them in the plastic bag. His cheeks were still burning. "Is it because you know my sexuality? Are you mocking me?"

Yuuichirou quieted. "I'm not mocking you."

"Yeah," Mika laughed dryly, "right."

He jumped in surprise when Yuuichirou slammed his hand down on the scanner, stopping him from checking out more items. His green eyes were drilling holes into his brain, but Mika refused to look away, hoping to gather what was left of his dignity. He pursed his lips, crossing his arms as he waited for the other man to speak.

Yuuichirou lowered his voice. "I know you don't have a very high view of me, and you probably want to kill me, but just know that I will never make fun of someone for that. That's the lowest of the low." He removed his hand, but Mika didn't move. "I will never mock you for that reason, Mikaela. I swear."

Mika ducked his head, finishing up with his items. Yuuichirou shoved his hands into his pockets, silently watching him, and it made Mika uncomfortable, especially with what he just said.

Who even was this guy?

"So why'd you come here?" Mika eventually asked. "Don't joke around this time."

Yuuichirou shrugged, stepping around Mika to pick up the filled plastic bag. He slipped it over his shoulder before walking towards the exit, Mika confusedly running after him.

The sight of a scar on Yuuichirou's forearm jerked Mika to a stop. He wasn't sure whether the wound was recent or not, but it reminded him of the fact that Yuuichirou had been abused when he was little. Just like Mika. He'd probably hidden behind locked doors or under the kitchen table, small hands covering his mouth to hold back the sounds of him sobbing. Feeling the heavy thunk of his heart when a rough hand closed down around his ankle or wrist, knowing that he had been found.

"Wait!" Mika cried, picking up his pace. Yuuichirou chuckled, stopping to look at him.

"What, you think I was gonna walk out with your food?" he asked. Mika ignored him, instead stopping in front of him and taking back the bag. Despite how inferior the man sometimes made him feel, it boosted Mika's confidence a little to see that he was just a tiny bit taller than him. What Yuuichirou lacked in height, however, he gained back with the broadness of his shoulders.

Mika took a breath. "Yuuichirou, I..." He paused. "I... your parents..."

Yuuichirou laughed. "Yeah, they're homo-rockin'."

"No, I mean..." Mika pursed his lips. "Your real parents..."

Yuuichirou's smile froze on his lips. The warmth in his eyes slowly melted away, leaving Mika staring at a hollow shell. His face became dark, and when he stepped up close to Mika, the man was too startled to move.

"Don't," Yuuichirou growled, "don't ever mention those people to me. Ever. Understand?"

Mika pressed his lips together, staring back at him. Their noses were almost touching, and he could feel Yuuichirou's heavy breathing against his skin. He swallowed, then gave a silent, tense nod.

They stayed like that for a few moments longer. When they started to get a few looks, Yuuichirou stepped back, eyes never leaving Mika's.

"It was nice to see you again, Mikaela," he said. "I prefer these meetings without the guns."

The next second, he was gone, exiting out the doors.

~

"I'm home, Krul," Mika called, closing the front door behind him. Krul darted out of the kitchen, snatching the grocery bag before disappearing again. Mika stood in the entrance, a dumbfounded look on his face. "Can I at least get a thank you?"

"Welcome back!" Krul shouted. Mika sighed, slipping off his shoes before padding into the kitchen. There was a pot on the stove, water already starting to boil in it. Everything was set up, and Krul bounced impatiently in front of the pot, waiting until she could put in the pasta. She waved the box in his face. "I'm glad you got the right kind this time!"

Mika rolled his eyes, taking a seat at the kitchen table. He always made sure Krul was under a careful eye while cooking. He didn't want the kitchen burnt down again. "We spent over a hundred dollars to get you a new phone because of last time. I'm not making that mistake again."

Krul harrumphed, turning back to the pot. "Oh yeah," she said, pointing to a file by Mika's elbow, "that's a new mission for you."

Mika raised an eyebrow, picking up the file. "What is it?"

"It's this guy called Lucal Wesker. He was a Sanquinem agent that turned traitor. He spills important information to the JIDA in exchange for round the clock protection, along with a fancy new mansion with butlers." She gestured to the file. "You have to kill him, but try to make it look like an accident. We don't want the JIDA targeting us again." She opened the pasta box and carefully dumped the contents into the now boiling water. "Oh, and if the guy protecting him at the time sees you, kill him, too. You're supposed to be dead, we don't want one of their minions running back to them to tattle."

Mika studied the file. Lucal Wesker's picture stared back at him. "Alright. I'll go after him tomorrow."

~

It was almost midnight, and Yuu couldn't sleep. He tried every position he could think of, but nothing worked. He even tried to sleep with his head hanging off the edge of the bed, but that only resulted in a headache. He tossed and turned, slamming his face into the pillow.

Mikaela mentioning his parents had startled him. It was the last thing he had expected the blond to say, and now the memories were keeping him up.

He sat up suddenly, panting heavily. The ringing of his phone had pulled him out of his flurry, and he stared at the device in mild shock. When it clicked that someone was calling him, he hastily grabbed for it, staring at the name on the screen. He half expected it to be Mikaela, and was a little disappointed when he realized it was not.

Yuu had saved Mikaela into his contacts. In case someone saw his name, he had been entered as "M&M".

He accepted the call, willing his heartbeat to go back to normal. "Guren? Why are you calling me so late?"

"Why are you up so late?" Guren retorted.

Yuu scrunched his nose. "I couldn't sleep. Anyways, what do you want?"

"You were given a last minute mission," Guren said. There was the sound of papers shuffling in the background. "You have to protect this guy."

Yuu crossed his legs, perched in the center of the bed. "Okay? Who?"

"His name's Lucal Wesker. He was a Sanquinem agent, but I guess he decided to go rogue. He gives us information about Sanquinem's agents and missions, stuff like that. However, since this has happened, there's been multiple tries on his life. His information is pretty heavy stuff, and the head doesn't want him to get wiped out." Guren sighed. "You've been assigned to it tomorrow."

Yuu perked up. "Oh! Cool! Sweet!"

"Don't sound so excited. I'll be sending the file to your computer in the morning." There was a pause. "Hey... Yuu?"

Yuu dropped back onto his pillow. "Yeah?"

Guren seemed to hesitant before speaking again. "Did you take your pills?"

"Oh," Yuu blinked. When he had first joined the JIDA, these pills had been prescribed to him by the agency's own personal doctor. He had to take one in the morning and one at night, but a few weeks ago he had been told to up the dosage, now taking two in the morning and two at night. When he asked why he had to take them, he was told it was mandatory, and everyone was doing it. Although, the few times he mentioned it, people had looked at him quizzically. He hadn't thought anything of it. "Yeah, I did."

Guren was quiet for a few moments. "Alright. Good night, Yuu. Go to bed."

Yuu huffed. "I am in bed! I just can't sleep!"

"Then go to sleep." The click sound signaled the call ending. Yuu stuck out his tongue, even though Guren couldn't see, before hanging up.

He stared up at the ceiling, body still. After a few moments, he finally drifted away into the folds of sleep.

Chapter Text

"Mikaela, be careful."

Mika glanced up from his phone, exiting out of his messages and slipping the device into his pocket. Krul stood by the table, still dressed in her cutesy nightgown he had gotten her when he was, like, fourteen. Her hair was tangled and sticking up in odd places, and in that moment, she looked so tiny and fragile, biting her lips nervously and her eyes downcast. If she could, she would've shrunk to the size of a mouse and hidden among the folds of her gown.

She glanced at him before shuffling her feet, wringing her hands. "Don't... don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Mika watched her before letting out a soft sigh, stepping forward and wrapping her up in his arms. His mother buried her face into his chest, as high as she could reach, digging her nails into his back. Mika rocked her, chin resting against the top of her head.

"I'll be okay," he promised, squeezing her. "I'll come home safe. I swear it."

Krul was quiet for a moment. "I don't want to get a phone call from Lacus about finding your body on the goddamned news again." She reached up, tugging on his ear painfully. "You hear?"

Mika gave a choked laugh from both the pun and the pain. "Yes, yes, I hear, now let go of my ear-" He batted her hand away, stepping out of the hug. He smiled at her, at his tiny mom, at this tiny, short, badass woman that had taken him in as her own. His heart swelled. "I won't die."

"Promise?" Krul asked. Mika smiled.

"Promise."

~

Yuu's alarm went off at 5:30. He muttered a few curse words, covering his head with his pillow. The sound drilled into his brain, so he angrily slammed the snooze button. The next five minutes were pure bliss, until the sound of the loudest bell in existence pierced the air. He slammed the snooze button again.

This went on for half an hour, until it was almost six. Eventually, it was the ding of a text message that lifted his bed head from under the covers, and the contact name "M&M" on the screen had him falling to the floor in his hassle to get to it.

From: M&M
Good morning, Yuuichirou~

Yuu was wide awake now, and he perched on the end of his bed, fingers hovering over the keyboard. He hadn't expected Mikaela to text him. He hadn't expected anything, actually.

From: Yuu
oh, were at good mornings? are kisses next?

From: M&M
We're*

From: Yuu
i didn't know u were grammar's bitch

From: M&M
I'll be your bitch~

Yuu choked, cheeks flushing. He stared at Mikaela's message until another one caught his attention.

From: M&M
In exchange for the Black Demon's name, of course~

From: Yuu
nice try babe, but no

He waited for another message, plopping back down onto the pillow. Two minutes went by, and Yuu found himself getting distracted by Instagram. Just a few minutes ago, Shinoa had tagged him in a picture of a cherry pie, the caption saying, "Look, Cherry Boy! It's you!"

She refused to acknowledge he was no longer a virgin. The nickname was a part of him now.

"Fuck you, Shinoa," Yuu muttered at the post, commenting on it the same sentence.

His 6:20 alarm went off, and that urged him to finally get out of bed. He had to report at the agency by seven, then report to Lucal Wesker's mansion. After looking at the files Guren sent to his computer, Lucal wanted to go shopping, then dine at a fancy restaurant for lunch. After that he wanted to stroll around in the park before going home for a night swim.

Yuu was already mentally tired.

After throwing on a sweatshirt and jeans, he slipped his ID into his pocket and hid his gun on his belt. He checked his phone again, but Mikaela hadn't responded. The message hadn't even been read.

The drive to Lucal's mansion was mostly uneventful, minus when he had to stick his head out the window and bellow curses at a driver holding up traffic. Lucal lived in a more fancy part of the town, where people had pet poodles and water fountains out on the front lawn. He drove around bright red convertibles and passed houses as tall as his apartment building. Most of these people lived alone, most likely, but they owned, like, five cars. The car Yuu drove was the one he got at age seventeen, yet these people were getting new vehicles yearly.

He grumbled, sinking lower into his sweatshirt. Maybe he should've put more thought into his appearance. When was the last time he washed this, anyway? He could've sworn he saw a ketchup stain.

"You've arrived at your destination," Siri said in her robotic voice. Yuu leaned over the steering wheel, peering up at Lucal's place. It was painted a clean white, the door a rich brown and the roof a dark gray. Flower bushes grew around the entrance, and white curtains covered the windows. Two thick pillars sat on either side of the entrance platform, holding up a part of the house that hung over, a rather fancy window overlooking the road at the front. It was giving off a vibe that said, "fuck you, peasants".

The colors of the house couldn't help but remind Yuu of Mikaela's old home. Even the flower bushes were similar. He pursed his lips, hesitating before climbing out of the car. He didn't want to think about that right now.

He checked the screen of his phone as he walked up the pathway. Still no response from the blond.

When Yuu reached the landing, he glanced up, locating a security camera aimed right at his face. He was tempted to stick his tongue out at it, but since he was representing the JIDA for today, he pushed the urge down. He had to come off as a professional. A professional in a "say hey if you're gay" hoodie with a ketchup stain on it.

A+ professionalism.

"Alright, let's get this over with," he grumbled before ringing the doorbell. The twinkling sound was muffled, and it was followed by a faint yipping. Yuu wrinkled his nose, stepping away from the door. Oh god, did Lucal Wesker have a poodle?

He only had to wait for a few moments before the door was thrown open, and he found himself facing a bespectacled man with a graying mustache. He wore a white button up and dress pants, the fabric stretching over his muscles, everything perfect and pristine. He towered over Yuu, making the younger man feel like a dwarf. His shoulders were rather large, and he took up almost the whole doorway. They stared at each other, the yipping sounds louder now- yep, there was definitely a poodle.

There was a slight awkward silence, for the man didn't say anything at all. A small dog barreled towards him from behind, just a flash of a tiny brown blob, yipping as if its life depended on it. The man simply lifted his leg, cutting off the dog's progress, and the animal slammed into his ankle with a startled shriek.

Yuu swallowed, then pulled his ID from his hoodie pocket. "Uhm, I'm Yuuichirou Amane, from the JIDA. I'm here for Lucal Wesker." He paused, staring at the dog as it failed to climb over the limb blocking its path. "Sir," he added.

The man glanced over the ID, then raised an eyebrow at the saying on Yuu's hoodie. Yuu bit his lip, feeling his cheeks flood with embarrassment. He thanked the lords he had actually remembered his pants this time. A dirty hoodie with a sentence some people might not agree with wasn't gonna be his worst experience.

Suddenly, an extravagant voice filled the air. "Oh, boy! Is that the JIDA fellow? Can I finally go out shopping?" The man in the doorway stepped aside, revealing a shorter, skinnier man with long, white hair. Yuu almost choked at the sight of the new man's eyes. He had obviously gone heavy with the eyeliner, along with the lipstick. It wasn't attractive in the slightest. He wore a fancy black vest, the sleeves white with gold trim, along with a long fur coat that was faintly purple. The top of his head was covered by a top hat, casting some of his face into shadow. He was rich gone overboard.

The man, who Yuu knew to be Lucal Wesker, looked Yuu over, the brightness of his expression quickly diminishing. It was like the air whooshing out of a popped balloon. His eyes narrowed, and he pursed his lips distastefully. After almost thirty seconds of absolute silence, he opened his mouth, only to utter a simple, "Oh."

Well, fuck you, too, Lucille Weber.

Lucal turned to his butler, who was still preoccupied with holding back the tiny ball of yipping fury. "I'll be off for the day! I advise you to not contact me unless it is an absolute emergency. I don't wish to be bothered with petty matters."

The butler clamped his legs down around the poodle's neck, just enough to hold it still. "What would be an emergency, sir?"

"Oh, things like, the house burnt down, there's a gunman- again- stuff like that." Lucal waved his hand dismissively, stepping out of the door and pushing past Yuu, who shuffled to the side while uttering profanities under his breath. "I don't want another phone call about you dropping a plate. I really don't care."

The butler lowered his head in shame. He didn't look all that scary now- actually, he seemed like a big puppy. "Of course, sir."

Yuu followed Lucal to a limo that was parked along the curb, feeling very out of place. The poodle howled from behind the door as it closed. The fur on Lucal's coat fluttered in the breeze, like grass on a hillside, and a gold ribbon around his top hat hung over the side. Yuu glanced up and down the street as the vehicle door was opened by the driver. The pair looked like a successful business man and his rebellious grandson, about to go on a tour to do a teaching of the proper ways to live. Yuu's gotten that lecture more than once.

"Well?" a voice cut into his thoughts. Yuu jumped, turning to Lucal Wesker. He was already inside the limo, waiting impatiently for Yuu to follow. "Are you coming or are you just going to stand there all day?"

I'll stand on your face with the shoe's heel spiked. Yuu ducked inside, hands never leaving his hoodie pocket. Lucal scooted further away from him, wrinkling his nose as if Yuu reeked of something nasty. Yuu paused, then tried to subtly sniff his armpit. From Lucal's expression, he had seen the action.

If a Sanquinem agent comes to kill Lucal, Yuu just might let them.

The ride into town was uneventful, just filled with glares from Mr. Rich and the clinking of wine glasses hanging from the rack. Yuu pulled out his phone, going to the group chat that had been sending notifications to his pocket since he had approached the mansion. He scrolled up with a few swipes to read what he'd miss, ignoring the judgement in Lucal's eyes as he stared at him.

Shinoa: Mitsu drools when she sleeps

Shinoa: [Sent an image]

Yoichi: Shinoa-san don't send that!!

Shinoa: I couldn't resist this is new information to me

Shinoa: shE SNORES TOO

Kimizuki: is she naked

Kimizuki: is that your bed

Shinoa: ...

Kimizuki: why is she naked and in your bed

Shinoa: ... She's nude modeling!

Yuu: i smell bullshit. Do u smell bullshit?

Kimizuki: The bullshit is strong with this one

Yoichi: Lol guys it's not like we didn't suspect

Shinoa: you what

Yoichi: Aha... :3

Yuu: now I think someone owes me $5

Kimizuki: Fuck you

Yuu: ill pass thanks

Shinoa: How dare you bet over royalty

Yuu: we were betting on how long it would take for it to be proven so

Yuu: thanks shinoa! <3

Shinoa: SHES WAKING UP

Yoichi: :o

Kimizuki: RIP

Mitsuba: SHINO A WHERE TH FCU K ARE YOU

Shinoa: Hiding

Yuu: HA

"Ah, finally!" Lucal's voice broke the silence. Yuu glanced up from his phone, his small grin disappearing. They had reached the center of town, the shops open and people bustling about, carrying bags of clothes or food or anything else these stores sold. The limo pulled to a stop, and Lucal clambered over him to get out. Yuu grumbled, preparing himself for the long day ahead of him.

Yuu: now we just need to figure out how long you two have been fucking

Mitsuba: ILL KILL YOU

~

The day was half over. Lucal had decided to skip the fancy restaurant lunch and moved it to dinner, which meant more time out in the town. He skipped from shop to shop, coming out with one or two bags and having Yuu carry every single one of them. The limo was getting filled with shopping bags. When Lucal asked him how a shirt looked on him, Yuu was convinced he was a babysitter instead of a guard.

Lucal had started to drag him off to another store when Yuu almost pleaded with the heavens for a Sanquinem agent to pop up. Anything to take him away from this torture. Honestly, Lucal was worse than Shinoa on a shopping spree- she didn't nearly get as much stuff as him, but the only reason for that was because of the amount of money in her wallet. Lucal was a fucking waterfall when it came to cash.

"Ah-" Lucal said, twirling around as they made their way to yet another store. "Yuucherio-"

"Yuuichirou."

"- can you get me a coffee from there?" The man waved a hand in the direction of a little coffee shop. "An Oreo, if you will."

Yuu held in a groan. "Sir, with all due respect, I have to be by your side at all times-"

Again with the hand wave, now aimed at him. "Oh, it's fine! If nobody's come at me so far, I doubt they're gonna come at all! Our shopping trip is almost over!"

Yuu didn't like it, but he grudgingly crossed the street, digging his hands into his pockets as he glanced over his shoulder at Lucal every once in a while. The man was happily making his way towards the store, chattering on the phone. He seemed safe enough- it wasn't like he was that far away in case anything did seem to happen.

In the cafe, Yuu ordered Lucal's drink, not taking anything for himself. As he waited, he checked the time on his phone. It was a little past one in the afternoon, and Lucal wanted to have dinner at six before going home with his new items. Yuu sighed, going to his messages. He was surprised to find he had gotten a new message from Mikaela. He hadn't noticed the vibration in his pocket.

From: M&M
Shall I try again in person?

They were talking about the Black Demon's name. Yuu was about to respond when his name got called, and he put the phone away to get Lucal's coffee. They've been apart for longer than Yuu had wanted, and his nerves were getting to him. Mikaela's text message hadn't really helped- though it did excite him a little bit.

Even if it was just teasing, Mikaela sounded like he would see Yuu again. Yuu couldn't help but to look forward to whenever that may be.

Crossing the street, Yuu entered the store Lucal had seemed to be heading towards before. As soon as he stepped inside, though, his heart froze. The store was small, he could see all four walls from just the entrance, and there wasn't many people inside. None wore an extravagant purple fur coat.

Lucal wasn't there.

Immediately, Yuu bolted from the store, almost crashing into a woman on the sidewalk. He swung his head around, searching frantically for any spot of a black top hat or fluffy purple fur. Nobody wore such things, and Yuu's grip on the plastic cup containing the coffee tightened.

"Damnit, Wesker," Yuu growled. If the man was off in la la land in some other store down the street, Yuu was going to kill him. "Where the fuck are you?"

At that moment, when Yuu turned his head to scan the crowd again, something caught his eye. It was black, resting on the ground in front of the tiny alley between the two stores. He cautiously approached it, and as he got closer, it confirmed what he had already feared.

It was Lucal's top hat.

~

Lucal Wesker was terrified.

After he had sent his guard to get him a coffee, which was his first mistake, he got distracted with a phone call as he walked towards the store, not paying attention to the people around him. His second mistake. He also didn't immediately enter the store, instead standing in front of it as he talked. His third mistake.

That gave his attacker an opportunity. A hand grabbed his arm, ripping his phone away from his ear. Lucal gave a surprised yelp, his hat flying from his head as he got yanked down the tiny alley. He didn't even have any time to scream before he was thrown against the wall, a hand clamping down on his mouth. The coolness of a blade pressed against his throat.

Lucal hadn't been out on the field in some time, so his abilities were rather rusty. When he was still a part of Sanquinem, he had retired to desk work, unable to keep up with the thrills the field gave him. In his fit of panic, he couldn't remember what he was supposed to do in a situation like this. And what's worse, he realized as he stared frightfully into glowing blue eyes, his attacker was a Sanquinem agent. This attacker would know what he would try to do immediately.

The blond in front of him tilted his head, pursing his lips sadly. He wore a black leather jacket along with a black V-neck tee under it. "I'm sorry," he said, ignoring Lucal's attempts to escape. "I have to do this, you know that, right?" The blade pressed harder against his skin, and Lucal whined pitifully. Why, oh why did he send his guard away? What was he thinking? For a stupid coffee? He should have listened to the brat!

The older man made a chorus of cries and whines, weakly pulling at the younger man's arms. The attacker sighed, shaking his head as he tsked. Lucal couldn't help but feel like a trapped animal on its deathbed. He was going to die. This blond, blue-eyed creature was going to slit his throat, leaving his body in the alley. His guard was going to find him, the cold corpse of a sorry excuse for a retired agent. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die.

His attacker let out another sigh. "Again, I'm sorry. I'm doing this for your own good." Lucal felt tears slip out of the corner of his eyes.

Suddenly, a gun appeared at the attacker's head, a tan hand holding it. "Not so fast," a voice said. Lucal's eyes widened.

It was his guard.

The attacker stiffened, his eyes narrowing. Then a smirk lifted his lips, slowly appearing on his face. His blue eyes glanced to the side, his smirk widening. "Ah," he breathed. "Yuuichirou. How nice to see you again, so soon."

Yuu mimicked Mika's expression, giving the blond a grin. "Nice to see you, too, Mikaela. Step away."

Mika did as he was told, pulling his hands away from Lucal. He held them up, the knife between his fingers, and he took slow steps away from the pair. His eyes never left Yuu's until he reached the middle of the alley, and he glanced down to the saying on Yuu's hoodie. His smirk twisted playfully. "Hey."

Without thinking, Yuu looked down to his "say hey if you're gay" hoodie. When he lifted his head again, he was met with a fist to the face, knocking him backward into the wall.

"Run!" he choked out through his surprise. Lucal didn't need any encouragement, and took off down the alley. Except, he ran deeper between the buildings instead of towards the public, which was almost a safe zone. If the back of his head wasn't throbbing and his vision wasn't swimming, Yuu would have face palmed violently.

He struggled to his feet, ducking as there was another swing towards his head- this time with the knife. He grabbed Mika's wrist, but the blond wrestled out of his grip, darting away from him. Yuu quickly moved to the middle of the alley, blocking Mika's path to Lucal. He gripped his gun tightly, though he really didn't want to use it. He wanted to get out of this situation with zero deaths.

Yuu didn't want to kill Mikaela.

Mika twirled his knife around in his fingers, staring Yuu down. He blew a strand of blond hair out of his face. "What a shame it had to be you, Yuuichirou! I was instructed to kill the guard if he happened to see me!"

Yuu snorted, taking a step forward. He watched Mikaela carefully, preparing to act on defense. "You have no need. You know I won't tell."

The light caught the blade, making it shine. Mika shrugged. "Yes, of course, but you can always go back on your word. The worst that can happen to you is a beating and a demotion, right?" He stepped forward as well, lessening the distance between them. "I'll get more of your agents on my ass, waving their shiny guns in my face, planning to blow my brains out." He spread his arms. "It's a risky life, living as Mikaela Shindo."

"Don't be so full of yourself," Yuu said, scoffing slightly. "You think you're this big hotshot that's on everyone's radar, well, let me tell you-" he sent the blond a smirk. "When I was assigned to kill you, that was the first time I've ever heard of you."

Luckily, he saw it coming.

The knife flew through the air, aiming straight for his face. Yuu jerked to the side, his hand shooting up, wrapping his fingers around the hilt as it passed him. It was a move Guren taught him, how to catch a knife sailing right for your noggin. It always resulted in cut fingers and bloody bandages, but in the end, he was thankful for all the time and effort Guren put into teaching him.

Yuu spun the knife around in his fingers, flashing Mika a smug grin. "Missed me, missed me," he sang, stepping close, "now you've gotta kiss me."

Mika stared at him, no more visible weapons on his body. He lowered his throwing arm, eyes dark, the zippers on his leather jacket glinting in the low light from the alley entry. He was silent, watching Yuu in a way that made the other man pause.

Suddenly, he stepped forward, grabbing the front of Yuu's hoodie. Yuu's eyes widened in surprise, about to push him back, when soft lips collided with his own.

It was the last thing Yuu had expected. No, scratch that- it was far from the last thing, it wasn't even on the list of things to be the last one. He lowered the knife as Mika deepened the kiss, pushing him against the alley wall. Without meaning to, his eyelids fluttered shut, and he exhaled against Mika's skin, letting the blond press his body against him. A cool hand cupped his cheek, and he could feel Mika quiver as his lips responded.

Yuu didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know why he was doing it. All he knew was that he was being kissed, and he actually enjoyed it. Mika tugged at the hairs on the back of his neck, and he parted his lips, feeling the blond slip his tongue inside. It sent a shiver down his spine, and he let Mika explore his mouth, tracing his teeth with his tongue and breathing heavily against him. Mika tasted sweet, like wintergreen mints. His lips molded against Yuu's own, pressing his head back against the brick wall, breathing each other's air. Yuu's consciousness was getting filled with fog. Mika trailed his hands down Yuu's chest, pressing against the fabric of his hoodie. Yuu found himself wishing he had worn a lighter material. He wanted to feel his hands on him.

Mikaela pulled away for a breath, his cheeks flushed a bright pink and blue eyes glassy. He glanced at Yuu, who's eyelids were fluttering open, face similar to the blond's. Mika smiled, their lips just barely brushing.

"Thanks for the knife," he breathed. Yuu's eyebrows furrowed. "And gun."

Yuu's mind was too slow to react, put under the spell Mika had cast. Mika pulled away from him, his lips twisted into a smirk, both weapons in hand. He blew Yuu a kiss before taking off down the alley, heading after Lucal. Yuu blinked a few times before realizing.

The blond bitch had fucking mugged him.

"You little- SHIT!" Yuu bolted after him, mentally hitting himself in the face. His breathing was heavy, and his pants were unusually tight. He struggled to escape the foggy lens put over his eyes, focusing on the corner of the alley, where Mika had disappeared behind the store. His whole mouth tasted like Mikaela Shindo.

Stupid stupid stupid. He knew better than to let someone catch him off guard like that. Why didn't he immediately stop it? Why didn't his alarm bells start to ring? Why had he let Mikaela kiss him, and why did he kiss back?

Yuu skidded to a stop, swinging his head around. He licked his lips, which didn't help the fact he was trying to push the feeling of Mika's mouth on his out of his head. His lips had been soft, sweet, not a single scab marking them.

"Ugh, no, shut up!" Yuu growled, digging his nails into the soft skin of his wrist. "Find Lucal!"

The sound of a gunshot and a pained scream grabbed his attention. There was a frightful shout from the direction of the public, but Yuu followed the first to the source. Darting around a few corners, he found himself facing the back of Mikaela as he cornered Lucal, raising the gun to take another shot. Lucal cowered, trapped in a dead end, gripping his left arm. Blood dripped from the wound, trickling out of the sleeve of his coat.

Yuu strode forward. "Hey!"

Mika turned, met with Yuu's punch jerking him to the side. While he was off balance, Yuu grabbed for the gun, aiming it towards the sky. He tried to put Mika in a headlock, but the blond released the gun, jumping away from Yuu's grasp. His dainty fingers crept towards his cheek, which was starting to swell, and he sent Yuu a pout.

"Aw," he whined childishly, "that hurt."

"So does this!" Lucal squeaked.

Yuu glared at Mika, the gun aimed at his head. The little fox had played with him. He willed his heart to stop pounding over their previous interaction. There had been nothing behind it. Just a strategy to get what he wanted, something he probably did to everyone he came across in a similar situation. Yuu wasn't special in the slightest.

It surprised him that he felt hurt.

Mika sent him a suggestive grin, a finger tapping his bottom lip. "Did you like my gift, Yuuichirou?"

"Stop goofing around," Yuu demanded. Mika puffed out his cheeks.

"Now, I don't think that's fair," he said. "You can make all the advances you want, and it's fine. Oh, but when I do one tiny thing-" Mika snapped his fingers. "I'm goofing off and I need to stop. Where's the equality in that?"

Yuu was about to say, 'I didn't kiss you!,' but the presence of Lucal stopped him. Instead, he adjusted his grip on the gun, taking a step forward and holding his hand out. "Give me the knife."

Mika lifted an eyebrow, pulling the blade out and holding it up. "Oh, you mean this ol' thing?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuu saw Lucal struggle to his feet, making his way towards him. Droplets of blood hit the floor in his wake. Mika's eyes snapped to the side, following him, and his arm holding the knife tensed.

Yuu moved before he could. Lunging forward, he smacked the knife out of Mika's hand, sending it clattering to the ground. Before the blond could react, Yuu had him pinned to his chest, an arm around his throat and the gun's barrel pressed against his temple. Mika muttered a curse word, scratching at his arms, but Yuu's grip didn't waver.

"Lucal!" Yuu said. The man stiffened. "Head back to town, and once you get there, call for an ambulance. You need to treat that bullet wound." He resisted against Mika's struggles. "Don't come back, understand? Get out of here. Get to safety."

Lucal was pale, sweat dripping down his skin. He swallowed, then nodded shakily. "I- yes. Okay."

"Go!"

Lucal went, his steps shaky and staggering. His coat was slipping off his shoulders, his silver hair all flyaway around his head. A few moments later, he was gone.

Mika's elbows dug into Yuu's stomach. "Let me go, and I'll give you another kiss," he sang. Yuu tightened his hold on his throat, and the man coughed.

"That was a real slutty move, you know that?" Yuu growled. Mika smirked, then pressed his ass up against Yuu's crotch. Yuu swallowed, glaring at him. "Quit it." He didn't like how out of breath he sounded.

A hand reached up, tracing his lips. Yuu didn't move, knowing if he leaned back, his grip would loosen, giving Mika an opportunity. The blond smiled, pushing his head back. "You're a really good kisser."

"I..." Yuu breathed heavily into golden curls. "I said quit it."

"You need to take better care of your lips, though," Mika continued, brushing Yuu's bottom lip with his index finger. "There's a few scabs."

"I bite them, so what," Yuu snapped, "I said quit it. Quit. It."

"Why?" Mika breathed. "Do you get all hot and bothered when I do this?" He moved his hips, and Yuu's cheeks flamed. He practically threw Mika away from him, quickly bending down to snatch the knife from the ground. The blond laughed, straightening up as he turned to look at him.

"And here I was thinking you were straight!" Mika called. Yuu took a deep breath, still aiming the gun.

"I'm going to leave now," he said, going backwards a step. Mika's smirk faded into a soft smile, putting his hands in his pockets as he watched Yuu retreat. As far as Yuu knew, he was without a weapon. "You're going to stay here. Don't make me hurt you."

Mika raised an eyebrow. "Kinky."

"Mikaela." Yuu lowered the gun, about to turn the corner. "Please."

Mika was quiet. He pursed his lips, studying Yuuichirou's face. The taste of him was still on his tongue, and he still felt his hard chest through the thick material of his hoodie. Mika's fingers curled. He really enjoyed that kiss.

There were sirens in the distance. Mika shifted his feet, glancing around the dead end. Krul would be upset with him for not completing his mission, but he can always tell her a vague form of the truth- the agent who tried to kill him before had been guarding his target. Her disappointment would turn right around.

Mika lifted his head. "I'll see you soon, Yuuichirou."

There was a flash of relief across Yuu's face, and a small smile formed on his lips. He turned, ready to leave, before glancing over his shoulder. "You're a good kisser, too," he said, wearing a small smirk. Mika's cheeks warmed, but before he could respond, Yuu was gone, leaving him standing alone in the dead end of the alley.

Chapter Text

"Hey-"

"Yuu-san, are you alright?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why're you calling?"

"Since you came back from your mission, you've been acting strange. You haven't replied to my text messages."

"I'm busy."

"Yuu-s-"

"I'm fine, Shinoa. Really."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"If you don't tell me, I'll post that picture of you sleeping with that duck stuffed animal."

"You wouldn't."

"Watch me."

"... Why are you like this."

"I'm your guardian angel! Worship me."

"By throwing you off a bridge, sure."

"Stop resisting and admit you love me!"

"I really don-"

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Silence.

"... Remember Mikaela Shindo?"

"How can I forget the hot blond you sorta-but-not-really killed?"

"I... He was there. He came to kill Wesker, and I was the guard. He..."

"... He?"

"He kissed me. Because I had his weapon, he kissed me to distract me while getting it back."

"You got game."

"Shinoa."

"Sorry. Is that why you've been upset?"

"Not... not upset, I just... feel strange."

"... Yuu-san, how many times have you interacted with him?"

"Um... I've been kinda... going after him lately..."

"I thought you said you were going to form a truce."

"I know, but-"

"Yuu-san, you know he can kill you, right?"

"I know, Shinoa, I know, I'm being careful. I just... I don't know, I feel like, at this point, I can't just... back out, you know?"

"No, actually, I don't."

"Well... I'll be fine. I'm fine, I promise. I just needed some time to think about things."

"If you get killed, I'll kill you."

"... Scary."

"Yes, very. Okay, how about this- I'm busy tomorrow, but the day after, we'll go out and have some special bonding time, just the two of us. 'Kay?"

"I prefer your first threat."

"Rude."

"... Fine. But if you take embarrassing pictures of me again, I'll break your phone."

"You can't break it if you can't find it!"

"Then I'll just have to throw you in the river. I doubt your phone's waterproof."

"Then you'll have to catch me."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Pig nose."

"I do not have a pig nose."

"Oink oink!"

"Alright, good NIGHT Yuu-san! When you wake up to the smell of bacon you will regret your words deeply!"

"I'll frolic in paradise, actually."

"I am sleeping now!"

"Good night, Shinoa."

"Night!"

"... Piglet."

"YU-"

*click*

~

"Yuuichirou."

Yuu blinked open his eyes, his hands gripping at the sheets. Bolts of pleasure were shooting up his spine, his skin tingling and toes curling. His legs were spread, the area between them aching horribly. He was on fire, all the way from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. His panting filled the room.

"Look at me."

Lowering his gaze, Yuu took in the sight of a bed of disheveled blond hair, a bright pink mouth, and glowing blue eyes that stared into his soul. Said lips twisted into a smirk once Yuu's eyes were on him, and Yuu's breath caught. The man's bare shoulders looked almost white in the darkness, his neck and chest covered in marks and bruises. Yuu bit his lip, digging his heels into the mattress.

"Good," Mikaela cooed. His dainty fingers wrapped around Yuu's shaft, who in turn ground down on his teeth and tensed his legs, refusing to give the other man the satisfaction of a moan. "Oh, don't be like that," Mikaela breathed, leaning forward. His lips traced Yuu's jaw, nipping at the skin as he went down his neck. Yuu grunted, surprised his nails hadn't ripped holes in the sheets. Mikaela started to pump, squeezing his cock as his other hand cupped his ball sack. Yuu was shaking, muffled whimpers and groans bubbling from his lips, and Mikaela smiled before pressing their mouths together, their sweat tasting of salt. Yuu grabbed the back of Mikaela's head, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss, opening himself to this man who did the same in return. Fingers got tangled in strands of hair, and their lips danced to a song only they heard.

Mikaela spread precum over his dick, pressing his finger into the tip. Yuu gasped, breaking the kiss, his hips thrusting forward for more friction. Mikaela went back to kissing his neck, the movements of his hand creating a rhythm. Yuu was seeing stars. He was nearing his close, but just as he was about to release, Mikaela pulled his hand away, giving the dark-haired man a giggle at his pained whine. Mikaela brushed his fingers along the sides of his cock, eyes twinkling.

"Where is it?" he asked, voice rough. Yuu couldn't think of hearing anything sexier. He swallowed, staring up at him, mind blank.

"Where's what?" he croaked. Mikaela's laugh filled his ears, and suddenly he felt his fingers being guided up between the blond's legs.

"You know," Mikaela whispered against his temple. Yuu shuddered, loving the way he was crouched over him, blond hair hanging in his face. Yuu spread open the man's thighs, probing at his opening, relishing in Mikaela's sharp inhale. A hand gripped his shoulder, nails digging into the skin.

Pulling his hand away, Yuu stuck his fingers into his mouth, sucking on them, not breaking eye contact with Mikaela. The man stared at him, mouth slightly parted in small pants. Yuu pulled his hand away with a pop, then wiggled his fingers in front of Mikaela's lips. Mikaela didn't hesitate, slipping the digits into his mouth, eyes sliding closed as he sucked on them. Yuu's erection burned at the sight.

"I'm gonna fuck you," he murmured, and Mikaela hummed in response. "I'm gonna fuck you good."

Mikaela pulled his fingers out of his mouth, licking his lips to catch any saliva strands. His cheeks were flushed beautifully. "Then get on with it."

Without warning, Yuu flipped their positions, Mikaela letting out a squeak of surprise. His back hit the mattress, golden curls spreading out on the pillow. Yuu climbed over him, dragging his hands down his chest, his sides, and under his legs, lifting them up. Mikaela grinned at him, spreading his legs wide, his cock springing up. Yuu licked his lips, then bent over him, sliding his hand under the pillow. He pulled out a small bottle, having been kept warm.

"So you did know where it was," Mikaela laughed, his fingers inching their way down. Yuu smacked them away before pouring the lube onto his own fingers.

"Wider," he commanded, and Mikaela raised an eyebrow before spreading his legs more, hooking his ankles behind Yuu's back.

"I love when you take control like that," he murmured seductively, breath hitching when fingers brushed up against his opening. Yuu circled the hole, once in a while dipping the tip past the pink ring, listening to the soft whimpers Mikaela produced. He leaned over, kissing and sucking on the blond's neck, feeling a hand grip the back of his head.

He pushed a finger inside at the same time he bit down on sensitive skin, and Mikaela's groan bubbled up past his lips. He wiggled his finger, watching as Mikaela squirmed, his pants and moans filling the room. Yuu slipped a second finger inside, then after the same treatment, he slipped in a third. He searched around, staring at Mikaela's face, waiting for it to break when he found his prostate.

The blond's eyes popped. "AH-" he cried, back arching, his nails scratching Yuu's skin. His whole body trembled, and he moaned the other man's name, cheeks aflame.

"Found it," Yuu said triumphantly. Mikaela let out a hollow laugh, squeezing Yuu's digits slightly. He reached up, dragging a finger over the man's lips, tracing down his jawline. Yuu turned his head, kissing the tips.

A smirk appeared on Mikaela's face. "Let me ride you."

Well, fuck.

Pulling his fingers out of Mikaela, Yuu turned, flopping onto his back. The blond sat up, swinging a leg over Yuu's lower half, their cocks pressing together. Yuu grit his teeth, reaching down to stroke himself as he waited for Mikaela to squirt some lube onto his fingers. The blond batted his hands away, coating his shaft in the liquid until it was slick.

Yuu gripped Mikaela's hips as he leaned forward, sticking his ass in the air, guiding Yuu's cock towards his opening. The bud pressed against the hole, and as he sank down on it, his mouth formed an 'o' and his eyes lidded. His lower half trembled, and he sank down lower until he was filled completely. Yuu's teeth dug into his lip, but a groan slipped out anyway. He had to hold himself back from switching their positions and fucking Mikaela senseless.

"Fuck, you're big," Mikaela said breathily, sweat coating his skin. Yuu grinned crookedly.

"Too much?" he asked. Blue eyes glared icily at him from beneath blond bangs. In response, Mikaela started to move, grinding down on Yuu's cock and making galaxies explode across his vision. Both let out wet moans, their heads getting thrown back. Mikaela pulled up, Yuu's dick almost out, before slamming back down, thighs shaking. Yuu moved to meet him, thrusting up inside and causing the blond to release a high pitched whine. They created a rhythm, Yuu pushing up whenever Mikaela pressed down. Wet, slapping noises echoed around the room, and the bedpost slammed into the wall, surely making a mark.

Mikaela bent over him, hair tickling his face, eyes squeezed shut in pleasure. "I'm almost...!" With that, Yuu grabbed the blond's neglected cock, pumping it in time with his thrusts. Mikaela's mouth popped open, but no sound came out, and after a few more seconds, white ropes shot out from his dick, covering Yuu's chest. He gasped, his arms giving away, and he collapsed onto the other man. Yuu gave a few more thrusts, fingers gripping Mikaela's hips. He was almost...

A crash from the kitchen had Yuu bolting up in bed, panting heavily and boxers wet. There was a faint buzzing in his ears, and his heart pounded against his ribcage. His mouth was dry, and his cheeks were a bright red. His boxers were definitely not as dry as they had been when he first went to sleep.

"What the fuck," he whispered, eyes widening. "What... what the fuck."

It was a dream. He had a wet dream. About Mikaela Shindo. He fucked Mikaela Shindo. What the fuck.

Yuu didn't have much time to dwell on that, though, when he realized what had woken him from his erotic imaginings. He stared at his closed bedroom door, both panic and embarrassment making his heart skip a beat. He strained his ears, his hand creeping under his pillow, where he kept his gun.

Suddenly, there was a soft whirring sound, and Yuu blinked when he realized it was the microwave. Someone was using the microwave. Someone had broken into his room and was now using his microwave.

"The hell...?" he whispered, dumbfounded. His bet was on Shinoa, since this wouldn't be the first time she did this, but usually she would burst into his room, waking him in the process, and exclaim that she was currently scavenging his place for food. He would then follow her around the kitchen, making sure she didn't steal anything, listening to her mock him on how little food he had in the fridge.

There was a beep from the microwave, then the sound of someone taking their plate out of the machine. There was the scratching of a chair being pulled back, and Yuu realized this person was sitting at his kitchen table. He blinked, confusion radiating off of him in waves.

Well, this was bizarre.

Standing up, gun in hand, Yuu creeped towards the door, ignoring how uncomfortable the lower half of him felt. He stepped around the creaky floorboards, taking off the safety and putting his finger over the trigger. Wrapping a hand around the doorknob, he prepared to throw the door open.

He listened. He didn't hear anything else.

Fuck it. He burst into the kitchen, aiming the gun at the kitchen table. The first thing he saw was a plate on the floor- or what was left of it. The second thing he saw was a figure sitting in his chair, a bowl of leftover soup Yuu had for dinner last night in front of him. He twirled a spoon around in his fingers nonchalantly, his chin resting on a loose fist.

They were both frozen. Mikaela was the first to move, gesturing to the broken plate on the floor. "Oh, was that yours? My apologies, I didn't see it."

Before Yuu could freak over how Mikaela had found his apartment, his cheeks burned in embarrassment at the memory of his dream. He had fucked Mikaela... and now the real Mikaela was right in front of him. He didn't know how to react.

Mika raised an eyebrow, looking Yuu up and down. He gave a low whistle, a smirk appearing on his face. "You going shirtless just for me? Aw, thanks, I appreciate it."

Yuu slowly lowered the gun, staring at the blond. He tried to push any thoughts about his dream out of his head. "I suppose it's your welcome. Would you like a flex?"

A small dusting of pink appeared on Mika's cheeks, but he tried to brush it off by grinning. "Well, now that I've seen what you've been hiding, it's kind of hard to say no."

"Thirsty, much?" Yuu said, cautiously pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the table before sitting down. He flexed his bicep, raising an eyebrow at the other man. "Imagine the damage to your face if I use full force with this sucker."

Mika's eyes lingered just a second too long before snapping back up to meet Yuu's gaze. He tapped his cheek, which was still purple from their meeting in the alley. "You mean that wasn't full force?"

Shaking his head, Yuu gave a sharp chuckle. "Nah. You weren't worthy."

"I wasn't worthy of your legendary punch?" Mika gave an offended gasp. "Whatever can I do to prove myself to you?"

"Well," Yuu drawled, resting his chin in his palm. He studied Mikaela, studied the bruise on his cheek that had been put there by his own fist. "You can tell me how you found me."

"True love always finds its way," Mika said, hiding a smile. Yuu felt his face warm slightly, but he ignored it.

"Hm, yeah, no, that's not it." He fiddled with the gun on the table nonchalantly, grabbing Mika's attention. "How'd you come in?"

"The window!" Mika said cheerfully, looking away from the gun. Yuuichirou wouldn't shoot him. Mika somehow knew that, deep down. Yuuichirou wouldn't hurt him. "Your apartment is very cute, by the way. Loving the wooden birds hanging from the cupboard handle."

Yuu gave a sigh, glancing at the mentioned birds. "Shinoa gave me them," he said. Two birds had been carved out of a block of wood, small enough for both to fit in his palm, hanging off the handle by a red ribbon. It was a gift she had gotten him after he had been hospitalized, having broken his leg while chasing after a target. He had been stupid enough to leap over the stairs railing and onto the ground below.

'The bigger one is you and the little one is me!'

'Is that why the little one looks fucked up?'

'Damnit Yuu-san, appreciate me a little.'

Pulling himself out of the memory, Yuu turned back to Mika, only to find him staring at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Yuu furrowed his brow, confused, before his eyes widened in horror.

"No-" he started, jerking back. "Forget you heard that name. Forget it right now." Stupid stupid stupid.

"Shinoa..." Mika murmured, testing the name out on his tongue. "Who's this 'Shinoa'?"

"Mikaela," Yuu growled, his fingers digging into the wood of the table. "You can go after me all you want, you can ambush me, corner me, break into my fucking apartment- but you leave her alone. Understand?"

Mika stared at him, and unidentifiable emotion rising in his gut. Yuuichirou had a female friend he obviously cared a lot about. Mika wasn't sure what he felt on that. "You know about Krul, and I'm sure that's worse than a simple girlfriend."

"I- what? No, she's not my girlfriend!" Yuu looked actually disgusted. Shinoa? Girlfriend? No thanks. "She's more like a sister." He paused. "Why am I telling you this? Don't ask about her!"

Mika raised an eyebrow. "You got God knows how much information on me from your Black Demon, and I can't know about a single girl?" He leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Is she pretty?"

Yuu sputtered. "What kind of question is that? I don't know! I guess?"

A sly smile was sent his way. "You're very entertaining, Yuuichirou."

Harrumphing, Yuu sunk lower into his seat. He fiddled with a wood shard that stuck out from the table, pursing his lips. "You don't have to call me Yuuichirou."

Mika blinked. "Then what do I call you?"

Yuu tried not to let his cheeks get too red. "Yuu is fine."

"Yuu?" Mika tilted his head. He didn't like this fuzzy feeling. "So we're in nickname territory now?" He gave a small grin. "Then I'll call you Yuu-chan!"

"What?" Yuu stammered. "No, don't use-!"

"What's the matter, Yuu-chan?"

"Mikaela!"

Mika paused. "While we're on the topic of nicknames..." He hesitated. Was this a little too intimate, taking in account that they were basically enemies? He pushed the thought away. "You can call me Mika."

Yuu was quiet for a few moments before smiling. "Guess I'm not the only one in nickname territory, huh?"

"I just thought it would be fair."

"Sure, Mika."

"Suck it, Yuu-chan."

Yuu gave a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. "Don't mind if I do."

Mika turned a bright red, any witty comment flying from his head. He quickly stood up, pushing back the chair and abandoning the soup in front of him, which he had only taken a few sips of before Yuu burst in. "This has been a wonderful chat, but I must go."

"Aw," Yuu whined, "leaving so soon?"

"Sorry, Yuu-chan," Mika smirked, "duty calls."

"I have a bathroom," Yuu said.

They stared at each other. Mika remembered the last time this joke was exchanged between them, all that time ago in front of that tiny café, only minutes before the bomb Mika had attached to Yuu's jacket went off. It was their first meeting, full of tension and suspicion. Mika couldn't help but feel a small spark of emotion.

"Goodbye, Yuu-chan," he said, not holding back the fond smile. "Would you like a farewell kiss?"

"Okay, get out," Yuu ordered, pointing at the door. Mika giggled, turning on his heel and making his way towards his destination. With his hand on the doorknob, he glanced over his shoulder, wearing a grin.

"That's what she said."

Yuu chucked a slipper at him, the shoe smacking into the door after Mika had slammed it closed, slipping out into the hall. His laugh echoed in Yuu's head.

The apartment was silent. Yuu sighed, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. His boxers were still very uncomfortable, the insides sticky and gross. The soup bowl sat in front of him, still filled nearly to the brim.

Yuu was startled to realize that he wasn't all that freaked out over Mika's appearance. He also wasn't that freaked out over the fact that the blond knew where he lived, and how to get in without breaking a sweat. He knew he should be rather alarmed, but for some reason, it didn't bother him as much as he wanted it to.

"This stupid-" he grumbled, dragging his fingers through his coarse hair, "goddamned- blond-"

He had to take a shower.

~

Asura stared at his phone, digging his sharp teeth into his lower lip. It was hard enough that he was sure he drew blood. In his left hand, his fingers clenching tightly down on it, was a crumpled piece of paper, a phone number written on it in messy handwriting. He's stared at it for weeks, trying to gather his courage to punch it in and give a ring.

Every since that JIDA agent left, Asura couldn't get him out of his head. The thoughts became stronger whenever another agent gave him a visit, their voice cold and demanding, throwing their target's file onto the table in front of him. They glared at him the whole time he was researching for them, then would leave without even a thank you. He was treated like a dog, expected to follow orders and be a good boy.

Yuuichirou Amane didn't do that.

He treated Asura like a human. Like an equal. Hell, he even offered to get him something! It made Asura's toes curl. He hasn't been treated like that in eleven years. It was surreal.

"Coward," Asura muttered, gripping the paper tighter. He feared he would rip it. "Get it together. It's just a simple phone call."

A phone call to a fucking JIDA agent.

Wait. Oh god, what if Yuuichirou was just being nice? What if he secretly thought Asura was a disgusting rat that deserved to live in the sewers? What if he didn't really want him to call him? What if it was a fake number? What if-

"Shut up!" Asura snapped, his bony knees hitting the table. "He wouldn't have written it down if he didn't want you to call!"

Fake number?

To spite his thoughts, Asura punched in the numbers he now knew by heart, courtesy of the multiple times he's read them over. He chewed on his lip, peeling off a piece of skin and making it sting. No orange juice for a while, then.

When the line started to ring, Asura felt his blood go cold. Why was he calling him? What was he calling him for? He just wanted to get a taste of what it was like to be treated humanely again, but how would he tell Yuu that? Wouldn't it be weird if he said he just wanted to see him? What does he tell him?

What if the JIDA was tracing his calls? He was surprised they allowed him a phone, but wasn't it monitored by the agency? Oh god, what does he do?

Before Asura could end the call in a panic, a voice spoke on the other end. "Uh, hello?"

Asura clamped his hand over his mouth. He knew that voice. It was Yuu. He had picked up. He can't very well hang up now, could he?

"Hello?" Yuu said again. His voice was slightly crackly. "I hear you breathing. Who is this?"

Removing his hand, Asura inhaled as quietly as possible. Just say something. Ask him for something! "Um... Yuu- Yuuichirou?"

There was a moment of silence. "Asura?"

Asura's heart skipped a beat. Great, now Yuu knows it's him making a total fool of himself. "I- yes..."

"Oh, hey!" Yuu cried cheerfully. Asura blinked in surprise. "I thought you'd never call! What's up?"

"I- nothing, really," Asura murmured. Calm down. "Nothing exciting really happens around here."

Yuu gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, well. I wish they could let you out a little bit. That place is nasty."

Calming down, Asura couldn't. "You have no idea. The walls are paper thin, too, I can hear everyone on this floor. Pretty sure someone's fucking."

"Oh god," Yuu snorted, "I'm so sorry you have to hear that." He sighed. "So, do you want anything?"

Shit. Asura's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. How does he answer that? How does he say he just wanted to talk to him, to maybe see him? How does he- "Um, I'm in the mood for, uh, chocolate chip cookies...?"

Yuu laughed. "Coming right up!" He paused. "It's okay if I visit you, right? Can't really get the cookies to you if I don't."

Asura soared. "Yes! I mean, yeah, sure." Chill.

"'Kay! Later!"

They hung up, and Asura dropped his phone into his lap, staring at the table. His mind was completely blank for a few moments, then he slowly bent his head, grabbing the front of his shirt, by his heart.

He couldn't get the smile off his face.

~

Yuu was bouncing.

He bounced out the door, into the store, out the store, into the car, into the apartment building, up the stairs, and down the hall. He bounced until he was in front of Asura's door, and even then he went up and down a little bit. In his hand he held the plastic container of store-bought chocolate chip cookies, and with the other, he knocked briskly and excitedly.

Asura had called him. He had called him! Finally, after all these weeks of nothing. It was an exhilarating feeling.

Yuu waited. Sounds from down the hall reached his ears, despite the doors to the rooms being closed. Asura wasn't kidding, huh.

After a few more seconds, the door creaked open, revealing a bloodshot eye, staring at him. Yuu grinned, and the door opened all the way, Asura hiding behind it.

"Come in!" he squeaked.

The room wasn't pitch black this time, Yuu noted as he entered. The shades had been pulled up, faded morning light flickering inside. The floor had been cleaned up, all the papers that had previously covered it in large piles by the wall. The laptop was open and buzzing, and resting next to it was a crumpled up piece of paper. Yuu couldn't help but to smile when he saw it.

"I've been trying to clean," Asura mumbled from behind him. He turned, and blinked in surprise. Asura was still wearing the clothes from last time, but now he had tied his hair back into a high ponytail, it reaching halfway down his back. A clip held back his bangs, revealing both of his eyes. His shirt looked like it had been washed, too.

"It looks nice," Yuu said. "I can actually walk around this time." He cracked a grin to show he was joking before holding out the cookies. "Behold!"

Asura's eyes lit up, and he excitedly grabbed the plastic container, running to the table. He popped it open before shoving a cookie into his mouth, groaning as he bit into it.

Yuu watched him, an eyebrow raised. "When was the last time you had a cookie?"

"Too long," Asura said, mouth full. "Thank you." He held up a cookie. "Want one?"

"I can't say no to cookies."

They sat around the table, munching on their treats, listening to the sounds from down the hall. Asura had closed his laptop, and he sat with his knees to his chest, using his pant leg to wipe off any crumbs. He told Yuu stories about other JIDA agents coming to visit him, making light of how they treated him despite Yuu seeing right through it.

"So," Asura said, swallowing a bite of cookie. "How's it with Mikaela?"

Yuu had been about to bite into another cookie, but he stopped and slowly set it down. That's right. He figured Asura would ask about that. He awkwardly looked away, fiddling with a zipper on his jacket. "Um, well..."

"Did you form a truce?"

Yuu forgot that Asura was technically Mika's uncle, which was a little weird, taking in the fact that Asura didn't seem all that old. He looked Yuu's age, actually. Even younger.

"Kind of, I guess," Yuu eventually said. Asura tilted his head, so he continued. "I mean, we didn't really... get to that, but... I don't feel all that threatened by him anymore. I don't think he'll try to kill me or the people I care about, so..."

"You don't think?" Asura prompted.

Yuu waved his hands uselessly. "I dunno! He's more like... like that dangerous acquaintance that you have to keep an eye on, but you're not afraid to reveal your back to him, if that makes sense. Does that make sense?"

Asura was quiet. He picked out a chocolate chip, taking it to his mouth to nibble on it. After a few moments, he spoke. "Do you think of him as a friend?"

That made Yuu pause. Did he? He was definitely attracted to him physically, enough to have a fucking dream about it, but... Was he a friend? He was definitely something. Has he really gotten that close?

"I don't know," Yuu eventually said. He looked at Asura, defeated. "Do you think I do?"

"Yes," the man said immediately. Yuu blinked. "The way you talk about him, you have this fond look on your face when you do, and when you're confused like this, I think it's because he's close to you and you don't know how it happened." He broke off a piece of cookie, chewing on it. "You tell yourself you don't, since in your head, he's still an enemy, and you ignore what your heart's telling you."

Yuu stared at him. He hated how his words rang with truth. "Oh," he croaked, throat dry. "Okay."

Asura shrugged, popping the whole cookie into his mouth. "Or maybe it's just me, I mean, I've been locked up in here for eleven years, my people skills are a little rusty." He looked at Yuu, a gleam in his eye. "Or am I right?"

Yuu grumbled. He watched Asura smugly eat his cookies, puffing out his cheeks.

A thought came to his head. "Hey, Asura..."

"Hm?"

"Mika- er, Mikaela- found out about you, well, the Black Demon, and, well, I'm sure he wants to kill you, but..." He pursed his lips. "He doesn't know who you are, and I guess I was thinking... Do you want him to know?"

Asura didn't respond. Yuu looked up, finding him staring at the table, his face emotionless. Yuu hoped he hadn't offended him.

He waved his hands quickly. "I won't tell him if you don't want me to! I was just- you're like, his uncle, so..."

"That makes me feel old," Asura mumbled.

"Ah- sorry..."

Someone was shouting from down the hall, screaming something about the babies. Asura rubbed his temples, his cookie forgotten in front of him. "I want him to know, but... I'm afraid he'll tell Krul. That I never actually ran away, that I was captured and I've been held here against my will. Once she'll know, she'll probably come after me... I don't want her to get hurt. I don't want either of them to get hurt." His eyes were watery, and Yuu was tempted to give him a hug. "But I miss her so much..."

Without thinking, Yuu grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. Asura stared at it. "I won't tell him until you're ready, if you ever are. I have no idea what you must be feeling right now- or how you've felt these past eleven years. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything's that happened to you." He smiled at him. "But you'll get through this. I promise. You'll be free again."

Asura was speechless. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. His face flushed, and he ducked his head, hunching his shoulders. "You're too kind..."

Yuu beamed. "So you'll think about it?"

"... Yes." Asura sighed, slipping his hand out of Yuu's grasp. "Thank you."

They smiled at each other, Yuu giving an excited bounce. He'll wait. He'll wait however long it takes for Asura to make his decision. The man'll be happy again.

In his back pocket, his phone buzzed, snapping them out of their daze. Yuu pulled it out, giving Asura an apologetic look, before reading the contact name. It was Shinoa.

"Hey!" he greeted. "What's-"

"Yuu-san!" Shinoa cried, her voice fuzzy through the phone. "There's been an accident!"

Yuu frowned, feeling a small flash of panic. Asura looked at him in confusion. "An accident? What happened? Is everything okay?"

"No!" she said. Yuu could hear soft murmuring in the background, along with a panicked ranting. "You need to come to the hospital! Now!"

"What?" He stood up, heart pounding. "What's happened?"

Her next words chilled him to the bone.

"Yoichi's been shot!"

Chapter Text

"Was your mission successful?"

Yoichi opened his eyes, staring at the white ceiling. Someone should paint that ceiling. The beeping of machines filled his ears, along with the harsh smell of hospital chemicals. His side had been bandaged, making it hard to move, and an IV drip had been inserted into his arm. He remembered doctors rushing around him, voices loud and booming in his head. There was a burning pain in his side. He remembered that.

The voice had come from beside him, deep and emotionless. Turning his head, he was faced with a thick belt and dark pants, ironed to perfection. Raising his gaze, past the dark jacket and light purple button down, he found himself looking into the eyes of Kureto Hiragi. The man watched him expectantly.

Yoichi swallowed, throat dry. He needed a glass of water. Where's the nurse? "Yes," he croaked.

Kureto showed no physical reaction. "Where is it?"

With a trembling hand, Yoichi reached under the covers and pulled out a small box, which he had asked a nurse to fetch from his clothes. He held it out, and Kureto took it from his pale fingers, unlatching it and opening the lid. His face remained impassive as he observed the contents before he closed it again and slid the box into his jacket pocket.

"Good job, Saotome," Kureto said. His voice was sharp and clipped. "Your sacrifice is for a good cause."

With that he turned, making his way to the door. He was reaching for the handle when a soft voice stopped him.

"You won't hurt him, right?"

Kureto turned. Yoichi was looking at him, eyes glassy, arm hanging limply off the side of the bed. He looked awfully small under the white sheets, hospital gown bunched up around his chest and skin pale from the hospital lights.

Kureto watched him for a few moments, lips pressed tightly together. Without a word, he turned again, exiting the room and closing the door behind him. A light flickered. The silence was loud.

Yoichi faced the ceiling again. Tears welled up beneath his eyelids, slipping out and creating tracks down his skin. He took a shuddering breath, the bandages squeezing his chest. He couldn't help but to feel like he made a huge mistake.

Though, they hadn't given him much of a choice. It was either this, or...

He didn't want to think about it.

Despite the room being warm, he shivered. "I'm sorry... Yuu-kun..."

~

Yuu slammed the car door shut, storming towards the hospital entrance. His heart ran a marathon in his chest, the sound of it pounding reaching his ears. His vision tunneled until he could only see the double doors. It was hard to breathe.

After the call from Shinoa, Yuu had bolted, promising Asura he'd call later and that he was sorry the visit was cut short. The man looked worried and a little bit sad, watching Yuu leave while wearing a heavy expression. The last Yuu saw of him, he was sitting in that rickety chair, slumped over, staring at the half-empty container of chocolate chip cookies.

Yoichi.

Bursting through the hospital doors, Yuu passed through the lobby and to the elevator. Shinoa had told him which floor and room Yoichi was in. He had been shot earlier in the day, in the side, and after an operation he was now allowed a minimal amount of visitors. Yuu was irked that he hadn't been contacted sooner. The whole Shinoa Squad hadn't been contacted until recently. Kimizuki was beyond furious.

Yuu brushed past nurses, not stopping until the door to Yoichi's room came into view. He knew it was his because Guren was sitting next to it, a book opened in his lap, though he was staring at a spot on the wall instead of reading it. A strange look was on his face, though Yuu thought nothing of it as he quickly threw open the door.

The rest of Shinoa Squad was already there. Shinoa and Mitsuba looked at him as he entered, but Kimizuki didn't turn around, clasping Yoichi's hand as he sat in a chair beside the bed. Yuu ignored all of them, focusing on his wounded friend. Yoichi's skin was pale, his freckles in great contrast, and the area beneath his eyes was dark and heavy. His hair stuck up wildly, full of tangles, and his lips were extremely chapped. He looked sick. As if something got sucked out of him. Eyes that seemed darker than normal looked up at Yuu before quickly looking away.

"Yoichi!" Yuu rushed forward, squeezing in beside Kimizuki and grabbing Yoichi's arm. "Yoichi, what happened? What were you doing? How the hell did you get shot? Why-"

"Shut up!" Kimizuki snapped, elbowing Yuu in the gut. "Don't swamp him with questions! Give him space, idiot!"

"I'm just worried!" Yuu snapped back, but he toned it down a little bit. In a more calmer tone, he asked, "What happened, Yoichi?"

"He won't tell us," Mitsuba said. She sent a worried look Yoichi's way. "Said it was to be kept secret."

"Yoichi," Shinoa murmured, sitting down on the other side of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Yoichi was quiet. He stared past Shinoa, focusing on the tree branches outside the window. His eyes were glazed over, the whites crisscrossed with squiggly lines of red. Pale fingers dug into the white hospital sheets.

"I'm fine," he responded quietly. Everyone leaned in to hear him. "I don't feel it. It's probably because of the medication, though."

"Yoichi," Yuu shuffled closer to the bed, eyebrows furrowed, "why won't you tell us what happened?"

Yoichi looked at him, and he seemed to hesitate for a moment. His lips quivered, and he licked them before swallowing. "I... I'm sorry, Yuu-kun, but I was ordered not to tell anyone." He winced. "It- it wasn't all that serious. Just a small thing. But I slipped up and wasn't able to defend myself in time."

"You got shot!" Yuu argued. "How the hell is that not serious?"

"Would you shut up?" Kimizuki snapped, glaring at Yuu from behind his glasses. "What part of 'give him space' don't you understand?"

"Sorry I'm trying to be a friend here!"

"You-"

"Boys!" They both turned to Shinoa, who had suddenly stood up. She crossed her arms, brows furrowed. "We're all worried right now, but the last thing you should be doing is arguing right over Yoichi, who, if you haven't noticed, is in a hospital bed. Yuu-san, Kimizuki's right, you need to lay off a little bit, Yoichi will answer you when he's feeling better. And Kimizuki, don't make such a big deal out of it. Calm down." She gave a glare. "Are we good? Good."

Mitsuba's eyebrows were raised as Shinoa sat back down. Yuu grumbled, crossing his arms, and Kimizuki huffed before turning away. There were a few moments of silence in the small room, only interrupted by the soft buzzing of the machines. Unsaid thoughts flickered over everyone's heads in invisible speech bubbles.

"I'm sorry, Yuu-kun," Yoichi whispered.

Yuu blinked. "What? What are you sorry for? That you got shot?" He leaned forward. "Yoichi, I'm not mad at you. I'm just-- worried, is all." He gently took hold of Yoichi's pale hand, the skin cold against his. "When Shinoa told me you got shot, I... I thought my heart had stopped."

"I dropped my coffee," Mitsuba added. "Scared the shit out of some kid."

"The shit was scared out of me," Kimizuki said.

Shinoa gave a wry smile. "When Guren called me and told me, I panicked and tripped over my cat."

Yuu sputtered. "When the fuck did you get a cat?"

"Last week."

"What? And you didn't tell us?"

"I actually did in the group chat, but you were too busy scrolling through gay porn blogs."

"No the fuck I wasn't!"

"Just admit it, Yuu," Mitsuba said, "you're in need of a kinky top."

"Who gave you the right to assume I bottomed?"

"You're giving me a headache," Kimizuki groaned.

A giggle caught the group's attention, dragging it to the hospital bed. Yoichi's cheeks were flushed, a hand to his lips, which were twisted into a smile. When he realized the others were quiet, he opened his eyes, blinking at them. He quickly looked away.

"I named her Nya Miichan," Shinoa said, disrupting the sudden silence. Mitsuba choked.

"You did what?" she shrieked.

"Don't be so loud!" Kimizuki hissed. Mitsuba made a wild gesture towards Shinoa.

"She named her fucking cat after me!" she snapped. Kimizuki shrugged.

"Well, not exactly..." he said. Mitsuba sputtered.

"Why are you on her side?"

"I'm not."

"... My side?"

"No."

"Then whose are you on?"

"Mine."

Yuu hid a grin. "Well that's a losing battle." Kimizuki glared at him.

"At least I'm not called 'Cherry Boy,'" he said.

"Hey!"

Shinoa smirked. "You are forever known as Cherry Boy, Yuu-san, no matter how many times you've fucked."

Yuu opened his mouth to retort, cheeks pink, about to protest the unfairness of it all, when a sudden thought stopped him. More like a memory that led to a thought.

The last time he got intimate was in a dream. That dream included Mika. Mikaela Shindo. A Sanquinem agent. Sanquinem, JIDA's biggest rival. Sanquinem.

It near slapped him across the face.

Yuu glanced at Yoichi, who was watching the others continue their bickering with a soft smile. Yoichi had been on a mission for whatever reason, and on that mission he had gotten shot. He refused to tell them what the mission was for or who had shot him. Perhaps he didn't know the answer to the last one, but surely he would've known what group they were apart of?

Was it Sanquinem?

Yuu swallowed.

Did Mika know?

Yoichi blinked, catching him watching him. His face twisted worriedly. "Yuu-kun, is something wrong?"

"No," Yuu murmured. He stepped away from the bed, backing up towards the door. "Sorry. I have to make a call. Be right back." He ignored everyone's eyes on him as he retreated from the room, closing the door behind him. Guren was no longer in the chair. His book was face down on the seat.

It hadn't been all that long since Yuu last saw Mika. It was just this morning, and it was now a little past noon. He stepped into an empty hallway, or as empty as it could get, and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he came across Mika's. He took a deep breath, finger hovering over the call button. Mika's profile picture-less contact stared back at him.

Yoichi got shot.

He clicked it, bringing his phone up to his ear. He scanned the hallway again, making sure nobody new had popped in before leaning against the wall, chewing on his lip. The ringing buzzed, once, twice, three times.

"Yuu?"

Yuu swallowed. Why were his hands shaking? "Hey, Mika. I have to ask you something."

There was a soft murmur in the background, then the sound of footsteps and a door closing. The murmuring stopped. "Shoot."

Yuu closed his eyes. Why was this so hard? It was just a simple question. A simple question he was afraid of the answer to. "Was Sanquinem on any big missions recently? Like, last night recently?"

Mika was quiet. Yuu couldn't even hear his breathing. Finally, he spoke after a few moments of silence. "Not that I can recall. Why? Did something happen?"

A nurse left a patient's room down the hall, disappearing around a corner. Yuu shifted against the wall as he watched her leave, slipping his free hand into his pocket. He couldn't help but to think Mika had waited a bit too long to respond. "Any small missions? Anything?"

"I don't know. I'm not in a high enough position to get the freaking schedule." The line crackled. "What's wrong?"

Yuu's grip tightened around the phone. Mika had to be hiding something. He had to know something. He was the son of Krul Tepes after all, who was one of the few with the third highest rank. It was impossible for him to be completely oblivious. "Mika, please. It's important. Has Krul mentioned anything? Something that stood out? Something related to JIDA?"

He wasn't one hundred percent certain, but Yuu could've sworn Mika was hesitating. "Even if I did know anything, why would I tell you?"

A painting of an angel hung opposite him on the wall. Yuu didn't think that was very appropriate for a hospital. "Because... I spared your life."

"I've spared yours plenty of times," Mika responded haughtily. "I think we're even."

Yuu's teeth clenched. "Please."

"Give me one good reason why."

Fine. "I want to know why the fuck my friend got shot," Yuu snapped, "and what kind of mission he'd been on for him to refuse to tell anyone what it was about." He paused, waiting for the other to say something. When there was nothing, he continued. "I want to know why he randomly apologized to me without any explanation. I want to know what his mission was about, and if Sanquinem had anything to do with it."

It was quiet. No response. Yuu closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The lights above him flickered, the shadow across his face faltering. Voices sounded from the main hall, nurses and patients and visitors. Faintly, he heard someone ask if anyone had seen which direction he had gone. Someone was looking for him. He didn't have much time.

Turning, he rested his shoulder against the wall, facing away from the voices. "So?"

"I'm sorry, Yuu-chan," Mika replied softly, Yuu almost unable to hear him. Yuu frowned.

"So you're not gonna tell me?" he asked. He could hear footsteps behind him, getting louder.

"I'm sorry," Mika repeated. Yuu wasn't sure why, but he believed Mika wasn't just saying it. "I... I can't tell you. I'm-" he stopped. "I have to go. I'll- I'll call you later. Um. Bye. Bye, Yuu-chan."

Yuu pursed his lips. "Bye, Mika," he said quietly, then pulled his phone away from his ear and ended the call. His arm dropped lifelessly to his side.

The footsteps had stopped. Yuu glanced over his shoulder, bright purple being the first thing he saw. Shinoa raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. He felt like a student about to be scolded for cheating on the test.

"'Bye, Mika'?" she echoed.

Shit. Yuu faced her, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, uh..."

She held up a finger. "This 'Mika' is either, one, a hopefully hot girl that you've managed to surprisingly befriend, or two," she held up another finger, "Mikaela Shindo, the agent you failed on killing and for some reason is now calling him and resorting to nicknames." She gave him a shameful look. "Hm, why is it I severely doubt it's the first one?"

"Because your lack of faith in me is very strong?" Yuu tried, giving a cheeky grin.

"It's jumped from a 110% to a 120%," she said. "Careful, Yuu-san, you're approaching 130%, and that's the land of no return."

"Why isn't 150% the land of no return?"

"It's 130%. Sorry, I don't make the rules." She tilted her head. "So, you're calling him Mika now?"

"I also call him Shithead," Yuu said.

"You call Kimizuki Shithead. Actually, you call everyone Shithead." Shinoa paused. "No, you call all your friends Shithead."

Yuu shifted, looking away. "I don't call Yoichi Shithead."

"Because Yoichi does not have a head that's full of shit," she said. She stepped closer. "Yuu-san, do you think of Mikaela as a fr-"

"I also call Mitsuba Shithead," Yuu interrupted. "The same Mitsuba you've been fucking in secret."

"Eh?" Shinoa blinked, her cheeks turning red. She stepped back, waving her hands. "That has nothing to do with this conversation!"

"How long?" Yuu teased, flashing her a grin. They both knew he was trying to distract her from the question she was about to ask, and Yuu was happy to know he was winning. "Who's more dominant, I wonder?"

"You wonder?" Shinoa said. She daintily covered her mouth, cheeks still pink. "Oh my, Yuu-san's a creepy pervert! He fantasizes about two girls in bed!"

"What? No, I don't!"

"You just said you did!"

"That wasn't what I was saying!"

Shinoa turned on her heel. "Oh, yes it was!" she sang over her shoulder as she made her way back to Yoichi's room. "Yuu-san, my nephew, a creepy pervert."

"Shinoa!"

~

Mika stared up at the ceiling, his hair spread out in golden ringlets on the pillow. His ankles were crossed, his hands folded neatly on his abdomen. His mind was reeling.

After Yuu had hung up, Mika had remained in this position for a long time afterwards. He couldn't get what Yuu had said out of his head. He didn't like that he felt worried. He hated feeling worried. Why was he so worried?

Yuu had said his friend had gone on a mission last night, and refused to tell what it was about. He had gotten shot, yet didn't tell what he was doing for that to have happened.

He had told Yuu "sorry".

Mika closed his eyes, trying to form a puzzle with half of the pieces missing. His thoughts traveled back to late last night...

The sound of Krul yelling was what prompted Mika to leave his room, pausing his efforts on trying to get back into playing the guitar. Her voice came from her room, the door opened a crack, and Mika sleepily ruffled his hair before reaching for the doorknob, planning on asking her what she was doing up so late and why was she yelling and creating a ruckus. Just as his fingers came into contact with the cool metal, her words pulled him to a halt.

"You won't let JIDA get those bloody vials," she hissed. "If they get their hands on another dose, they might start killing people."

Mika strained his ears for a response, but heard none. She was on the phone. He wished she would put whoever she was talking to on speaker so he could listen to the whole conversation.

What does JIDA want? Why is Sanquinem protecting it? What vials? He didn't like the uneasy feeling in his gut.

"Transport it then!" she snapped. Mika could picture her now: hunched over on the bed, clutching the phone in both hands, eyes ablaze. "They're using that stuff on their agents! Without them knowing! They're going psycho!" She was quiet, the other person probably speaking. "It has everything to do with Sanquinem! Once they get their monstrosities under control, who do you think will be the first they release them on?"

Mika's eyes widened. He dropped his hand from the doorknob, instead shuffling as close as he dared to hear better.

JIDA was giving their agents some kind of drug? Without them knowing it was happening?

He swallowed. Was Yuu okay?

"Oh, you don't think it's that big of a deal?" Krul growled. Her voice had gone deadly. "In just the past year, there's been countless reports of mistakes from JIDA, reports of their little tests to see how their experiments can work out. One agent went berserk and started firing on her own team and civilians. Another slaughtered families in their homes until he was stopped. One even randomly shot at a powerful bomb, killing hundreds. You still don't think it's a big deal?"

There was another stretch of silence. Mika hovered next to the door, thoughts flying through his head. There were so many he couldn't sort through them all.

JIDA was giving something to its agents, something that made them go crazy. Why were they doing that? What did they hope to accomplish?

'Once they get their monstrosities under control...'

Mika's eyes widened even more. They were experiments. JIDA's agents were its experiments.

"No," Krul murmured, and Mika had to lean closer to the door to hear. "No, he doesn't know. And I am not planning on telling him." A pause. "Very few of our agents know, actually. Mikaela is not included in that group, and you will not change that."

Well, he is now.

"Treat this seriously," she continued. Telling from her voice, it was obvious she had calmed down. "Whatever you do, do not let them get their hands on it again."

There was a click, and Krul let out a sigh.

Mika quietly crept back to his room.

Now, Mika rolled over, facing the wall. He stared at a poster of his childhood hero, gracefully creating gorgeous melodies on his violin, melodies that Mika used to listen to every waking moment. Using his fingers, he subconsciously played with the edge of the blanket. He hasn't mentioned anything about what he heard to Krul. It was obvious that that had been a conversation not meant for his ears.

His thoughts were filled with green.

~

From: Purple Midget

Wakey wakey lemon cakey! You better be up and dressed bc I'm coming over in ten!

From: Yuu

"lemon cakey"?

From: Purple Midget

It's a form of expression used only by intellectuals

From: Purple Midget

Which does not include yuu

From: Purple Midget

See what I did there

From: Yuu

that was the worst

From: Purple Midget

It was awesome and yuu know it

From: Yuu

can you not

From: Purple Midget

Can yuu* not

From: Yuu

shinoa

From: Purple Midget

Yuu better be up

From: Yuu

im tryinG

~

"Hey, Yuu-san."

Yuu turned from scanning the shelves of plastic turkeys and Christmas elves, leaning around a rack of boxed candy. They were in a cheap store in the mall, looking for a small gift or two to give Yoichi as a "get well soon". The store wasn't as busy as the actual mall, as more people preferred to shop for clothes and jewelry than a five cent water gun that probably didn't work. It smelled weird, and its items were cruddy, but Shinoa had insisted on checking it out.

The aforementioned girl faced him, a suspicious glint in her eye. In her hands was a brightly colored rainbow flag, the wooden stick it was attached to covered in sparkles. Shinoa grinned. "It's you!"

The look Yuu sent her was not one of amusement. "Really."

Next to him, a woman with a young child on her hip had been watching, but now she sent Yuu a glare before quickly darting into the next aisle. Yuu made a face at her back as she left.

"Ah," Shinoa said. She waved the flag. "Run, run, fair lady! Or the forces of homo will ambush you!"

"You're terrorizing the public," Yuu said, snatching the flag and putting it back where it belonged. "We just got here, I don't want us to get kicked out. That'll be your new world record."

Shinoa grabbed the flag again, ignoring his protests. "The fastest I've been kicked out was half an hour after I entered. It's barely been twenty minutes." She gave a wicked grin, scanning the other customers. "Shall we try?"

"We shall not," Yuu said, strolling into the next aisle. Shinoa followed him, waving her rainbow flag in the air.

"Yuu-san's boring!" she groaned, poking him in the back with the sparkle stick. "Boring, boring, boring Yuu-san."

"I'm boring because I'm hungry," Yuu said. He picked up a water noodle and bopped Shinoa on the head. She let out a squeak, lifting the flag to defend herself.

"Someone help me!" she cried. "I'm being attacked!"

"It's a water noodle."

"I'm being attacked!"

"By a water noodle."

The same woman from before shushed them, sending them a sharp glare. Yuu hadn't noticed her standing there. Her drooling parasite was still latched to her side.

As a response to the woman, Shinoa wildly waved her flag. "Us rainbow people will not be shushed! Let us shower the land in all our rainbow-ness!"

"I'm surprised you didn't say homo-ness," Yuu said.

"We mustn't terrorize the child," Shinoa stage-whispered. She turned to the woman with wide eyes. "We might turn it gay." She threw her hands up. "The forbidden word! Gasps all around! Oh my, the conductor has fainted! What will the band do now? The audience is pure chaos!"

By then, the woman had left, glaring over her shoulder.

Shinoa continued, waving her flag after the woman. "People are screaming! Cannons are going off! Protect the children! Protect the children!"

She was stopped when Yuu grabbed the back of her sweater. "Okay, people are starting to stare, let's buy your stupid rainbow flag and get out of here."

Shinoa whacked him in the face with said rainbow flag. "We have yet to be kicked out! I won't give up!"

"Well, you're being kicked out by me, so let's go."

"Aww."

They eventually left the store, Shinoa holding her one dollar worth rainbow flag up in the air proudly. They headed towards the food court, both of their stomachs grumbling, but every time they passed someone Shinoa stopped and waved her flag in their face. Yuu also had to drag her away from the lingerie store after she loudly exclaimed the pictures alone could quench her thirst.

It was like handling an overgrown child.

After what felt like forever, they finally reached the food court, and Shinoa excitedly dragged Yuu to each and every shop. "Which one? Which one? Which one could satisfy a queen and her gay king?"

"The fried chicken place?" Yuu suggested. He started to head over but Shinoa grabbed his arm and tugged him in the opposite direction.

"The gay king may be satisfied with burned bird corpses, but the queen is not!" She pointed a finger through the crowd. "Onward to a more delicious meal!"

Yuu let out a low whine as they passed the fried chicken. "Please don't lead me to a salad bar."

"Oh!" Shinoa's eyes lit up. "Great idea!"

Yuu groaned. "Since when were you ecstatic about salad? What happened to cheeseburgers being your top favorite?"

"Another great idea! Let's find us some cheeseburgers!"

Long story short, it took awhile. Shinoa kept going up to random sellers, asking them, "Is your food suited for a queen and her gay king?" which had Yuu wordlessly yanking her away as they struggled for a response.

Finally, they managed to settle down with their food, finding an empty table amongst the crowd. Shinoa had, well, a cheeseburger, and Yuu had managed to sneakily buy a container of fried chicken, which had earned him a very disapproving stare. He ignored it.

As they ate, they played a game of I Spy. "I spy with my little eye," Shinoa drawled once it was her turn, lazily twirling the ice cubes around in her soda, "a jalapeño pepper."

"A real pepper or a picture of one?" Yuu questioned.

Shinoa smirked at him. "It's not that easy, Yuu-san." He grumbled, starting his search. After about a minute, Shinoa sat up and stretched. "Now if you'll excuse me for a few moments, my dear nephew, I have to use the lady's room. My bladder is bursting and I fear I will stain my beautiful new underwear."

Yuu wrinkled his nose. "I did not need to know that."

"You walk around in your boxers as if they're shorts, I can say underwear." Shinoa flicked her soda at him before standing up, smoothing out her skirt. "Don't eat my cheeseburger or I will gut you."

"Charming."

"'Tis your warning." With that, she turned, making her way through the crowd. Yuu watched her go for a few seconds before turning back to his chicken, picking at the crust that was way too greasy. It wasn't exactly sitting comfortably in his stomach. Perhaps he should go to the bathroom, too.

Instead, he leaned back, letting out a sigh. He watched the people around him, looked at the stores, the designs on the walls, kids standing in awe in front of the display windows. He normally didn't like shopping, but this trip's whole purpose was to find a gift for Yoichi. Not only as a get well soon, but because his birthday was coming up, and it would stink if he was still in the hospital when that happened. Yuu didn't want him depressed on his birthday.

... Fine. Kimizuki's birthday was coming up, too, only a few days after Yoichi's. With some pushing from Shinoa, they were also looking for a gift for him. Even though Yuu promised he would cooperate and get a gift, she never said anything about it not being a prank gift. Last year, Kimizuki had been opening Yuu's gift and a plastic plate of whipped cream had been launched into his face from within the box. Yuu nearly pissed himself laughing. He actually did piss himself when Kimizuki came flying at him with a knife.

A soft smile appeared on his face. Kimizuki had been called 'cream face' for the longest time. It was Yuu's duty to give him a new name this year.

"Mind if I sit?"

Yuu blinked, being jerked out of the memories. The question had thrown him off guard, coming out of nowhere. Turning his head, he faced the person standing next to him, craning his neck so he could see.

If he thought about it, he wasn't all that surprised in the slightest. He was able to immediately recognize the voice, and he didn't know what he thought about that. Friends recognize each other's voices. Family recognizes each other's voices. Lovers do, too. Also enemies, but was this man an enemy? Yuu didn't exactly think so. No, he didn't think so at all. But what other option would he fit him in? Family? No way. Friend? ... Classified.

Lover?

Yuu almost snorted

Yeah, right.

"I don't know," Yuu said, slinging his arm over the back of his chair casually, "will it increase your level of stalkerism?"

"Actually, this may surprise you, but I wasn't stalking you." Mika crossed his arms, giving Yuu a small smirk. "I just happened to be out and about when I found you sitting here, all alone, staring at people. Quite creepy, I must say."

"I was people watching," Yuu huffed. "It's normal. I'm just waiting for-" he stopped. He's already slipped and mentioned Shinoa in front of Mika. He definitely didn't want him putting a face to her name. "Fine. You can sit. Don't be too annoying or I'll stab you with this knife."

Mika raised an eyebrow, thankfully not commenting on Yuu's near mess up. He pulled out a chair and sat, crossing his arms over the table. "That's a plastic knife."

"If it shatters while in your gut, it's deadly." Yuu poked at the air with it in front of Mika's face. "Wanna test it?"

"Sure, on you," Mika said, grabbing Yuu's wrist and pulling on the knife for ownership of the utensil. Yuu refused to let go, and resorted to tossing pieces of fried chicken at the blond.

Mika sent him a judgmental look, though he didn't release Yuu's wrist. "Chicken? That's your weapon? Chicken?"

"It's actually the plastic knife, but you are currently being rude and trying to take it from me," Yuu said, picking off another piece of chicken to throw. "And, it's fried chicken."

"One word difference."

"It's a big difference!"

Mika released the knife, and Yuu childishly slashed at the air, making "whoosh, whoosh" noises. Mika watched him in amusement.

"Are you sure you're not five?" he asked.

"Pretty sure," Yuu responded. "I don't pay attention anymore."

The blond laughed, and Yuu couldn't help but to think that he liked his laugh. "Pretty sure?"

"I mean, I might be six."

Mika looked like he was about to laugh again, but he seemed to hold it back. "How old are you, really?"

Yuu smirked. "I told you, I might be six."

Mika gave him the look. Yuu pouted, sticking the knife into his fried chicken.

"I recently turned twenty-three," he said, crossing his arms. "Why? How old are you?"

"Twenty-three." Mika rested his chin in his hand. "Since May."

"Wow, you're elderly."

"If I'm elderly, then you're elderly, too."

"What? Nuh uh!"

"Yuu-chan is denying his aging bones!" Mika sang. Yuu threw another piece of chicken at him.

Their light bantering continued like this for a little bit, not devoid of airborne fried poultry. The plastic knife was also included, which earned them a few hard stares from the people around them. It was an odd feeling, seemingly goofing off with their supposed enemy. Both felt the word was too strong for the other, and Yuu wasn't alone in his struggle on the pondering of what label to slap on him.

Yuu couldn't help but to notice how Mika was looking at him. His expression was slightly wary, as if Yuu was a ticking bomb about to go off. He covered the look well with his teasing, but the fact that his eyes didn't twinkle as much as his smile did bothered Yuu. Of course, there was always a slight wariness about Mika-- you kind of had to be on guard at all times with the jobs they had-- but this amount totally directed at Yuu was unusual. It hadn't been like this since the first few times they encountered each other.

Yuu didn't like it.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" he asked randomly. Mika blinked, his mouth open to retort to something Yuu had said earlier.

He frowned. "Like what?"

Yuu made a small gesture with his hands, trying to find the right words. "Like, like I'm a tiger and you're afraid I'm gonna leap over the table and slash your throat."

Mika stared at him, completely still. Yuu shifted awkwardly. "Well, maybe not a tiger, but I mean-"

"Yuu-chan," Mika said, cutting him off. He wasn't looking at him anymore. Instead, his hands were in his lap, fiddling with the bottom of his sweater. "What did you do to receive that punishment?"

Yuu blinked. "Uh- what punishment?"

The blond took a breath, then faced him again. He looked... worried. "At that café, remember? When we first interacted? You said killing me was your punishment. You never told me what you did."

That was the last thing Yuu had expected.

He swallowed. "Um..." Why was Mika asking this? And now? How did he remember Yuu telling him that? It's been a long time since that meeting at the café. Had Mika been thinking about it this whole time, coming up with countless gruesome things Yuu could have done?

Yuu didn't know if he wanted to tell him or not. What if he didn't want to talk to him anymore?

Yuu paused. Why did he care?

But he did care. He cared a lot.

"Um," he said again, then coughed awkwardly. Mika watched him, waiting. "Well... do you remember the news talking about that bomb going off, killing hundreds of people?"

After a moment, Mika nodded wordlessly. Yuu took a breath before smiling cheekily, the act not reaching his eyes. "Well, ta-da! That was me."

The response from Mika was slightly delayed. He frowned, puzzled. "What?"

Yuu swallowed again, wiping his hands on his pants. He glanced around him before leaning forward slightly, lowering his voice. "Well, there was this terrorist group, and they had planted this bomb in this public office building. They said they would disarm it once the right amount of cash was handed over, you know, the cliché stuff." He looked at the table, unable to focus on Mika's beautiful blue gaze. "I was part of a small team that was supposed to get inside and disarm the bomb before taking it out of the building. The thing is, as soon as I saw it, I just... I dunno, I have no idea what I was thinking... I shot at the thing. Luckily, we weren't close enough to get hurt, and we managed to get out before the building collapsed, but..."

It was silent. There was only the buzz of conversation from neighboring tables, of people shopping and running from store to store. Yuu focused on that, not wanting to look at Mika's face.

The blond finally responded. "Why'd you shoot it?"

Yuu shrugged, heart heavy. "I don't know. I guess I thought it was the right thing? No-- no, that's not it. I..." He looked at Mika helplessly. "I really don't know. Hundreds of people died. They died because of me, and I don't know why."

Mika stared at him, his face expressionless. There was something in his eyes that made Yuu nervous, as if he were breaking him apart piece by piece and peering at each one carefully. Maybe he shouldn't have told him. Why did he tell him?

A flash of purple in the crowd caught his attention. Shinoa was making her way back, her head bent as she typed on her phone. She was still a bit away, but close enough that Yuu knew if she happened to look up, she would spot Mika instantly. As much as he didn't want Mika seeing her, he didn't want her seeing Mika. In Shinoa's case, he would either get a harsh scolding or merciless teasing. In Mika's case... he didn't know. He didn't want to find out.

"Ahm-" Yuu straightened up, nervously looking back and forth between Mika and Shinoa. "I- I think you have to go."

Mika blinked at the sudden topic change, then raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"No, you definitely have to go."

Mika turned to see where Yuu was looking, but Yuu quickly grabbed his face and yanked him back around, squishing his cheeks with his hands.

"Nope!" he said. "Nope, don't look over there. You are going."

Mika pouted, and Yuu didn't like how his heart fluttered at how cute he looked. Despite what his mind was telling him, he squeezed Mika's cheeks more. The cuteness level increased. Damnit.

Shinoa was getting closer. Yuu pulled his hands away from Mika's face before grabbing his arm and yanking him up, shoving him away from the table. "Don't look back."

"Oh my, is that a threat?" Mika asked, smirking. He leaned down, lowering his voice. "Let me guess- Shinoa's back?"

Yuu sputtered, and Mika grinned. "That answers my question. Aw, I wish I could meet her."

"Mika-" Yuu started, voice a warning. He stopped when Mika held a finger to his lips, cutting him off.

"Relax, Yuu-chan," he murmured. "I'm not going to go after her and try to hurt her or something. I promise."

Yuu stared at him. The blond's finger was still pressed against his lips. "How can I trust you?"

"You can't," Mika said. "But I'm telling you now-- I won't hurt her."

I won't hurt her.

Yuu exhaled, eyes not leaving Mika's. "You better be telling the truth."

"I am." Mika lowered his finger, lightly brushing Yuu's bottom lip. He then turned, stepping away from the table, making his way through the crowd. Yuu watched him go, unable to look away. He didn't know why his heart was pounding.

The arrival of Shinoa tore him away from his thoughts of Mika. She let out a disgusted shriek, earning a few glares from those around them, and proceeded to interrogate Yuu on why the table was covered in pieces of fried chicken. He scrambled for an explanation, which Shinoa was extremely disappointed in, before she began whacking him with her folded napkin.

The rest of the day went by in a blur.

His thoughts were filled with blue.

Chapter Text

Weak sunlight filtered in through the window blinds, sending sharp yellow lines slicing into the room. The light was diluted from the clouds covering the sky, preventing its full strength from reaching the ground. Heavy blue eyes lifted up from the desk, watching the sunrise and the light in the room grow brighter.

Mika couldn't sleep at all. In his hands he clutched a pencil, which he had been staring at for the better part of the night. Papers covered the desk in front of him, files of past targets he had been studying for a reason he couldn't remember now. The bags under his eyes had worsened, his limbs were heavier, and his brain felt as if it were rotting in his skull. The fact that his worry over Yuu had gotten stronger didn't make his situation any better.

The thing is, as soon as I saw it, I just... I dunno, I have no idea what I was thinking... I shot at the thing.

One even randomly shot at a powerful bomb, killing hundreds. You still don't think it's a big deal?

Mika dropped the pencil, rubbing his eyes. He let out a low groan, his heart sitting heavily in his chest. He wasn't one hundred percent certain if the person Krul had been talking about was Yuu, but he was damn near close to it. Who else could it be?

Thinking about these kinds of things on little to no sleep would surely result in him crashing, but he couldn't help it. His gut felt as if it were twisting into knots. Thoughts of Yuu going berserk and killing the people around him, people he cared about, wouldn't leave Mika's mind. JIDA was experimenting on its agents, and Mika was almost positive Yuu was one of those experiments.

"Calm down, Mikaela," he whispered, closing his eyes. "Stop thinking. Stop thinking."

His temples throbbed. All he wanted was to go to sleep, but whenever he tried, the ceiling became his friend. When he was younger, he would count the cracks in the plaster until he drifted off, but now the trick had lost its charm. Krul had told him to count the number of bills they got in his head, but that only stressed him out and prompted him to actually get up and sort through them. He drank warm milk before going to bed, but it never seemed to work, and any kind of peaceful, "relaxing" nature music just kept him up. He would spend most of the night pondering how they actually got the sounds to keep going for so long.

Krul suggested another doctor. Mika had ignored her for the rest of that breakfast.

Sounds from the kitchen signaled that the woman had woken up, preparing her first meal of the day. Mika listened to the clinking of a spoon against a bowl, of the rattling of cereal in a box. She would come to greet him soon. He didn't want her to find him at his desk, clearly giving away that he hadn't slept. He was in the exact same position she had left him in a few hours previously.

Letting out a soft groan, Mika stood up, making his way around the bed and to his dresser, opening a drawer and pulling out pajama pants. At least he could pretend he slept. After he changed, he sat down on the edge of the bed, dragging his fingers through his blond curls, messing them up slightly.

He was fooling himself if he thought she would believe his appearance for an instant. Krul was like that.

The faint sound of sharp knocking at the front door caught his attention. He waited as Krul went to the door, opening it. He couldn't hear any of the words exchanged. Closing his eyes, he inhaled heavily before letting out the breath in a low whoosh. His shoulders sagged.

The harsh sound of someone stomping their way to his room reached his ears. Mika looked up, facing his door, then stiffened in surprise as it was thrown open, the doorknob smacking against the wall in a loud bang. Standing in his doorway was a girl aged up to seventeen, her fingers clenched into fists and nostrils flared angrily. Her eyes were ablaze, her cheeks were flushed, and strands of her brown hair floated around her head, coming undone from her side braid. She resembled a bull staring down a red flag, getting ready to charge.

Mika slowly stood up, eyes wide. "Akane -"

"You -" Akane spit out, striding forward. Mika instinctually took a step back. "You - you son of a bitch!"

Her slap resonated throughout the house, loud enough to leave your ears ringing. Mika's head snapped to the side, his cheek stinging and turning a bright red. His mouth was open in surprise, eyes popped open wide. From the kitchen, he heard Krul utter a soft, "Oh shit". His hand clasped over his cheek, the feeling of pain starting to filter into his brain. Turning to Akane, he stared at her as she fumed.

"I've spent the last two months," she hissed, eyes turning watery, "mourning for you, crying myself to sleep, wishing I had been able to say goodbye. I went to your funeral. Your fucking funeral, Mikaela!" She shoved him, and he did nothing to prevent it. "I thought you were dead! This whole goddamned time, I thought you were dead! When did I find out you weren't? Fifteen minutes ago! From who? Lacus!"

Mika felt his heart grow heavy with every word. Akane was panting, eyes filled with hurt and anger. He didn't even try to defend himself as she went off on him.

Akane waved her arm. "There I was, sitting in the lounge, ditching school, when Lacus greeted me and asked if I was waiting for you." Her voice cracked on the last word, and Mika winced. "Of course I was confused, 'What do you mean?' I asked him. 'Mika. You're waiting for Mika?' he said. At this point I was sure he was joking, how can he joke about you being alive? Was he really that shallow? 'Mika's dead,' I told him." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, but the tears still came cascading down. Mika reached for her, but she smacked his hands away, glaring at him. "'No, he's not dead,' he said. 'He's still alive and kicking!'"

"Akane, I -" Mika whispered, but she shoved him again, though not as hard as before. Her fists slammed into his chest before resting there weakly.

"One look at my face and he goes, 'Wait, you didn't know?' No, I didn't know! Nobody told me! Nobody fucking told me! Nobody called me, so I figured they were all still in mourning, too! I didn't want to make them sad again by mentioning you!" A sob burst out, and suddenly she was hugging him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Her bird-like shoulders shook uncontrollably. "Fuck you, Mika... Fuck you... Why didn't you... Why didn't you..."

Mika was quiet, his arms still limp at his sides. Akane's fingers dug into his back, her whole body quivered, and she sobbed into his shirt, probably getting it all wet. He didn't know what to do. It was almost like stepping around a fizzing bomb, except he wouldn't want to hug an actual bomb.

But he wanted to hug Akane, though he wasn't sure if she would let him. Since the explosion, he had thought someone had told her what happened. Even though she wasn't all that close with the people here (she wasn't very supportive of his job - "it's too dangerous", she says), he would've thought there would be some communication.

Why hadn't he just called her?

The guilt sat in his stomach, heavy like a weight.

"Akane," he murmured quietly. She didn't respond. "I... I thought you knew."

She sniffed, resting more relaxed against him. "Even if I did, why didn't you just call me? To say hi? See how things were going?" The anger had mostly trickled completely out of her body. "Why were you avoiding me?"

Her hair smelled of oranges. When she was younger, she told him the smell of them calmed her down, didn't make her feel so depressed.

"I wasn't... I wasn't avoiding you." After a moment, Mika lifted his arms, gently pulling her closer. She didn't push him away this time. "In my defense, ever since school started for you, you would yell at me whenever I did call you for interrupting your studying."

Akane gave a small laugh. "True, I did do that."

"Also... I thought you were mad at me. The public thinks I died in an explosion. You're always going on about how dangerous my job is..." Pale lips lifted into a soft smile. "I guess I was avoiding you, kind of. I was avoiding a lecture on being more careful, or just quitting altogether."

There was a snort, then a responding snort, and soon the two were giggling like mad, covering their mouths with their hands to muffle the sounds. The tense atmosphere had evaporated, leaving room for their laughter.

"Sorry about slapping you," Akane said. Mika pulled a hand away to gently touch his cheek.

"It's fine," he said. "I think I deserved it anyway."

"Yeah, you did," she said, punching him lightly in the stomach. He pretended to feel pain, bending over slightly and making an "oof" sound. That resulted in a real punch to the stomach, and his response was no longer an act.

Being with Akane was like the sun coming out after endless days of rain, like a breath of fresh air after being hidden inside for so long. It was like they were kids again, when he was eleven and she was five and he carried her on his back everywhere he went. The director called them Thing One and Thing Two - they always got into mischief, like managing to sneak a large amount of cookies out of the cookie jar before they got caught, or decorating the bathroom in toilet paper as a surprise to the next person that had to go.

Being with her now was like then - happy, innocent, bright.

Akane hugged him again, and they stayed like that for a long while, listening to the birds sing their last songs before taking off for the winter. Everything was as still as a clear lake, everything as calm minus a few fading ripples. Peaceful.

"I hate you," Akane said, breaking the spell. Mika laughed, pulling away to pat the top of her head, something he knew infuriated her. A harsh but playful glare was thrown his way as he sat back down on the edge of the bed, giving her a loopy smile.

"No you don't," he said confidently.

"Yes I do," she quickly responded.

"You don't hug those you hate."

"Well, I do!"

Their light bantering continued like this for awhile, lasting until they were both too emotionally tired to go on. After a moment of hesitation, Akane drifted towards his closet, probably to criticize his fashion sense, something she would do daily.

She wasn't exactly good at expressing herself when she's happy.

Throwing open the door, her nose immediately wrinkled. "The hell is this?" she asked, tugging on the sleeve of one of his jackets. "Why do you need so many zippers?"

Mika shifted, preparing himself for more disgust being thrown at him. "I like how it looks?"

"And this!" Mika visibly winced when she pulled out a pair of thigh-high tights, the tops having a cat design with the ears poking out. "Oh god, what are these?"

Mika pursed his lips. "Um, they're - they're for missions."

Akane stared at him. "You still slut your way to information?"

"They wouldn't give it to me any other way!" he said defensively. "And some of them have, like, you know, kinks..."

"... That's disgusting."

"It's worse than it sounds." He shrugged. "I've gotten used to it, though. I really only still do it because I get to kill them afterwards."

"Do you, like," Akane started, struggling to find the words to continue the question. "Do you actually, um, get down to business, or you just... tease them?"

"Akane!" Mika covered his face. It was a little red. "No, I don't actually do that. I just get them aroused enough that they'll spurt out anything I ask them." He paused. "Why am I telling you this? You're seventeen!"

The girl seemed to actually puff up like an angry bird. It was almost adorable. "That doesn't make me a child!"

"Compared to me you are."

Akane scoffed, shoving the tights back into the closet. "Like you're so old, Mr. I'm-twenty-three."

Mika closed his eyes in a sigh. "It's better than seventeen."

"What about this?" Akane said, ignoring him as she pulled out a deep maroon silk robe. The sleeves were long enough to hang over anyone's fingers, and there were little glittering jewels embedded in the collar. They were fake, but they still gave off the desired effect.

The last time Mika wore that one was a year ago, when he needed to swoon the president of an illegal company. He felt like those over-sexualized females in action movies, wearing nothing but lingerie. One of the reasons he doesn't really like action movies.

"The color is hideous," Akane said.

"Like you're an expert on fashion," Mika grumbled.

"Actually," Akane said, putting the robe away, "I'm taking a special class for it, so I kind of am." She turned towards him and pointed at his closet. "Your clothing looks terrible."

"Krul!" Mika called. "She's bullying me!"

"I'm just telling you the truth!" Akane defended.

At the call of her name, Krul poked her head around the doorway. She looked very unimpressed. "You're letting a seventeen-year-old tell you what to do. Woman up, Mika."

"Yeah, woman up," Akane echoed.

Mika sputtered, then gave a wild gesture to the girl. "You're supposed to be in school! Go to your classes!"

"I'll go to my classes if you go out and buy new clothes!" Akane shot back.

"Okay! Fine! I'll do that!" Mika jumped to his feet, already hyped. "I'll go shopping and get clothes that is acceptable to Your Highness -"

Akane said something after that, but Mika didn't hear her. A sudden dizziness had washed over him, and black spots danced before his eyes, like when you hold a flame to a piece of paper and watch the dot of black grow bigger and bigger. A light buzz filled his ears, muting all other sound, and the floor swayed beneath his feet.

The moment passed, and Mika quickly tried to shake it off. It was quiet, and when he looked up, he found the two women in the room staring at him. Both of their gazes held worry.

"Mika?" Akane murmured. "Are you... okay?"

The blond swallowed. His head throbbed, his throat was dry. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Just stood up too fast."

"Are you eating?"

Not really. "Yeah. I'm fine, Akane." Ignoring Krul's darkening glare, he smiled, attempting to get back into his childish mood. Being with Akane did that. "Aw, are you worried about me?"

The girl's cheeks tinted pink. "You're a big idiot, so I kind of have to be!"

Mika opened his mouth to respond, lips twisted into a smirk, but Krul cut him off. Turning to Akane, Krul smiled at her politely. "Didn't you have a test in chemistry today?"

Akane's eyes widened, and Mika could almost hear her heart fall to the bottom of her rib cage in a faint thunk. She stammered, face as white as a sheet, before quickly pulling Mika into a hug and then taking off, yelling a "Bye!" as she darted out the door. Mika could only get out a surprised noise before she was gone.

Turning to Krul, he fixed her with an unamused stare. "How did you know she has a test?"

"I didn't," Krul said, eyebrows raised. "I guessed."

Mika continued to stare at her. "You almost gave her a heart attack and she might not even have a chemistry test."  

Krul shrugged. "She shouldn't be skipping in the first place." Placing her hands on her hips, she looked at him, biting her bottom lip worriedly. "What's going on with you?"

Ah. Of course. "Nothing," Mika answered, refusing to look down at the ground and admit defeat. "If this is about me being dizzy, I already told you, I stood up too fast. It happens to everyone."

"You look like shit, Mikaela," Krul snapped. "I doubt you got much sleep, if any at all."

"I'll take a nap later," Mika grumbled, turning and sorting through his drawer. "If it bugs you so much."

"Will you actually nap or just pretend to nap?"

"I'll actually nap." With his clothes for the day in his hands, he turned around, facing her. She didn't look happy. "I want to go out for a little bit, clear my head. Maybe get some new clothes so Akane doesn't yell at me again."

The expression on Krul's face softened, and her arms dropped down to her sides. "Mika, you don't need to keep everything locked up. Something's been bothering you lately, and I want you to tell me."

"Oh, like you tell me everything that's going on?" Mika snapped, his voice coming out harsher than he had intended. Krul flinched, and he can see her jaw clench.

"Top information in the agency and your mental health are two very different things," she said, voice low. This argument was not new to them.

Mika ignored her, turning around to pick up his sweater. "I'm fine, Krul. Now can you go?"

There was a heavy silence, and Mika could feel her eyes on him. Then there was a soft "No, you're not," before she quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Are you free? I'm bored."

Mika smiled, holding the phone to his ear as he went through a clothing rack. "DTF?"

"Down to fight? Hell yeah!"

The blond raised an eyebrow, refusing to let out a laugh. "Yuu-chan, that's not what DTF means."

"Pfft, yeah right, that's definitely what it means."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Okay, so what does it mean then?" Yuu asked. Mika could hear the grin in his voice.

Mika felt his lips twist into a smirk. "Down to fuck."

There was an undignified squawk on the other end, and Mika burst into laughter. A few people in the store looked at him weirdly, but he found he really didn't care. He covered his mouth anyway, toning it down to light giggles.

"No!" Yuu yelled. "I am not DTF! Not DTF!"

"Are you sure?" Mika teased. He hoped there was no one in hearing distance where Yuu was. "You haven't even given me a chance yet."

Yuu sputtered, then went strangely silent. Mika hummed as he browsed through some sweaters, pulling out a few that he liked. The store wasn't all that big, though from what he could see, there wasn't much people inside. A group of girls were in the makeup section, making their way to the clothes, and an old woman and her partner were looking at some purses.

Mika was draping some sweaters over his arm when Yuu responded. "Well, I can't say I haven't thought about it..."

A blush quickly covered Mika's cheeks, his eyes widening. Coughing, he hid his face in his hand, and he could hear Yuu chuckling on the other end.  

"I mean," the other man continued, "you're kind of like everyone's dream guy, your looks at least. Hell, I'll be surprised if somebody isn't attracted to you in some way." His voice changed, becoming slightly overdramatic. "Oh, with your gorgeous blond hair, your flawless complexion, your beautiful blue eyes -"

"Okay stop!" Mika squeaked, certain his face couldn't get any redder. "Stop! Stop!"  

Yuu was cackling, the phone making his voice fuzzy. Mika didn't like how he wished they were talking in person. Mika didn't like a lot of the things he thought up about Yuu. How he liked how his voice sounded, the color of his eyes, how his smile could light up a room. How he resembled an adorable puppy, how he always cracked jokes, how he was much like a child. How he would catch himself fantasizing about the taste of his lips, about his hard chest beneath his fingers, how a single look could stir something inside of him. How he liked the way Yuu said his name. How he worried about what was happening to him without his knowledge, being turned into something that wasn't human.

Mika didn't like that he liked those things about Yuu. He also didn't like how he knew that list was going to get longer.

Fuck it. Fuck it all.

"Ah, sorry babe, couldn't help it," Yuu said, definitely not feeling sorry at all. Mika clucked his tongue in annoyance.

The group of girls was closer now. Mika lowered his head and tried to at least appear normal.

What Yuu had said caught his attention. "So, you have fantasized about me in that way?"

There was a moment of silence before Yuu coughed awkwardly, and in doing so he gave Mika his answer. "W-what, you interested? Wanna do it for real, hmm?"

Despite knowing he was joking, Mika's heart fluttered. Why did it flutter? Hell if he knew. Perhaps it wanted to try out for the Butterfly Olympics. "Oh, maybe," he softly sang, "I just need a time and a place - if you're up for it."

"I, ah - " Yuu stammered, and Mika could hear him swallow nervously. There was a sudden laugh, "You're joking, right?"

"Nope," Mika said, popping the 'p'. His grin matched that of the Cheshire Cat. "I must admit, I have been fantasizing about you, too."

"You're definitely joking."

"Come on, Yuu-chan," Mika purred, "don't you want a taste?"

"Heh... What would you do if I said I did?" Yuu countered. Mika could feel the tables shift. "If I said yes, I would love to have a taste, just a lick - " his voice dropped down a notch, "well, a few licks..."

Mika got played in his own game. He grumbled, watching through narrowed eyes as his confidence staggered away with a slight limp. He'll get that fucker back eventually.

"Cat got your tongue?" the other man teased.

Before Mika could respond, a soft gasp came from right beside him. Startled, Mika turned, finding one of the girls from the nearby group staring up at him with wide eyes. Her expression was one of shock and confusion. Her friends were glancing at them over their shoulders, but none approached to collect the girl.  

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Mika coughed awkwardly. "Um, can I help you?"

Yuu was silent. Mika supposed he knew he wasn't talking to him.

The girl stammered, then closed her gaping mouth. After a deep breath, she opened it again. "I - I'm sorry, you just - you looked familiar, is all."

"Oh." Mika blinked. "No, it's okay - "

"Aren't you the guy who's house exploded?" the girl blurted. She looked terrified at her own words. "I - I mean, aren't you supposed to be dead? Your face was all over the news for like a month. I couldn't help but recognize it..."

She continued to ramble, but Mika didn't hear her. The world shifted and bent, rolling out from under his feet. Aren't you supposed to be dead? He backed away, the hand that held up his phone shaking. He could hear Yuu's voice, asking him what was wrong, but Mika didn't answer. Everyone's eyes were on him. Or maybe they weren't. He could've sworn the old couple glanced his way. But maybe they didn't. The girl's friends were all watching him now, of course they were, they all knew, they all knew who he was, he was in plain sight, how could he be so stupid? How could he think that news about the explosion had died down? The only big things that have happened that the public knows about was the bomb in the office building and his house going boom. Of course people would still be talking about it. They all knew now. Eyes from a million different directions bared down on him, caging him in and trapping him. They knew who he was. They knew what he's done.

Mika bolted. Probably not the best thing to have done, but he panicked. Hanging up the phone call with Yuu without another word, he dropped the clothes in his arms to the floor in a messy pile before he burst through the doors, into the crisp, chilly air of November. Everyone was staring at him. Fingers pointed. Mouths opened in surprise. That's him! That's Mikaela Shindo! They all knew it was him. Even though the logical side of his brain told him they didn't, that his paranoia just made him see things and nobody on the street was actually paying him any attention, he refused to listen to it. He felt the eyes. They stared, and stared, stop staring, stop staring!

Ducking his head, he ignored his phone buzzing in his pocket and briskly walked down the sidewalk, aiming for the little side parking lot where his car was. It was hard to breath. The cold of the air made it feel like he was inhaling icicles. A stark contrast to what the explosion felt like.

Mika had honestly thought he was going to die. When he saw that black car parked not too far from his house, his heart had plummeted to his toes. As soon as the front door had shut behind him, he took off for the back door, panic swelling inside him. He had spotted multiple round devices tucked away in corners he wouldn't have been able to spot if he were a normal civilian, a normal civilian with no knowledge of what horrors the world could conjure. Picture frames glinted as he passed, the faces of his friends and family calling out to him, Run! Run!

He was lucky to have escaped with only a scratch. A scratch that was now a scar, barely noticeable, but easily seen from under the disgusting bathroom lights.

Aren't you supposed to be dead?

He was. But he wasn't.

He almost wished he could be.

Mika hadn't gotten far into the parking lot when a sudden weight slammed into him from behind, tackling him to the ground. He let out a startled shout as he tumbled behind a row of cars, cut off from sight from the people on the street. His shoulder ached from where he landed on it, his head buzzing and his thoughts rocking around in his skull. Someone was on top of him, pressing his face into the gravel. Sharp pebbles cut into his cheek, drawing blood, and a strong grip on the back of his head only worsened his headache.

With a sudden yell, he threw his attacker off of him, their back slamming into a car. Mika scrambled backward, cursing at himself for leaving his gun and knife in his car. His cheek stung, and he wiped at it with the back of his hand. Red.

Turning his attention to the attacker, Mika realized he looked up too late. They were already on him again, hands around his throat, pushing him back into the ground. Mika choked, digging his nails into their wrist, kicking at them in an attempt to dislodge them. Nothing worked.

"You're one of them!" they hissed, saliva dripping down their chin. Mika's eyes widened in horror. The person's nails scratched the skin on his throat, digging in deep, and Mika gave a gurgled choke. They shook him mercilessly. "You're one of those things!"

"I don't - " Mika gasped, trying in vain to push them off of him, "I don't know what - what you're talking about!"

They snarled at him, and he finally got a good look at them. Brown, ratty hair framed their face, loose strands coming undone from their ponytail. Their face was contorted to portray near insanity, and they reminded him of a feral animal. But what really caught his attention was their eyes. They gleamed in the light the cloud-covered sky gave off, the irises a murky brown color. Rimming the edges of the brown, however, was a thin strip of pure bright red, mixing in with their natural eye color. Then another strip of red, around the black of their pupil. Like blood.

"You killed Shusaku!" they cried, and Mika couldn't think about what was wrong with their eyes any longer before his head was being slammed into the ground repeatedly. Black and yellow dots filled his vision. "You killed him! You took him from me!"

They were strong, much stronger than the average human should be. Mika felt his wind pipe about to cave in, and his eyes bugged as the back of his head hit the ground again. Out of desperation, he formed a fist, and with all the strength he could muster, slammed it into the side of their head. They winced, their movements faltering ever so slightly. Giving a choked yell, Mika continued to whack them in the temple, not stopping until their grip loosened around his throat. Taking his chance, Mika bent his knees and then kicked out, catching their stomach with his feet. They landed not too far from him, but they were already scrambling back up, eyes zeroed in on him.

It struck Mika like lightning. They wanted to kill him.

"I don't know Shusaku!" he cried, lurching away from them. His voice came out scratchy, and it hurt immensely. Grabbing his throat, he coughed, then swung his leg around to knock them off their feet. Their ankles being swept into the air, they landed back with a thud, gasping in surprise.

Mika had to do something, fast. Before he could process it, he was on his feet, and was bringing his fist down towards their face. Thwack. He did it again. Thwack. Again. Thwack. And again. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

Tears stained their face. Blood poured from their nose and mouth. Their eyes, their mutilated eyes, rolled back into their head. Mika heaved above them, his knees trembling against the ground. His fist was covered in blood. The silence stretched out for longer and longer, until Mika realized he had been crying, and once he did he started crying harder, crying until it turned into full out sobs.

At that exact moment, the sky decided to cry with him. The softest of rain fell down around him, landing on the person's face, pinging off the cars' roofs, kissing Mika's tear-streaked skin. Little rivers collected the blood and washed some of it away, and Mika had a sudden longing for his mother's arms around him, for Krul's arms around him. He wanted to be anywhere but here, where he sat next to an unconscious man in the middle of an old parking lot, covered in blood and surrounded by rain.

The man shifted. Startled, Mika lurched away, trying to get to his feet. His shoulder throbbed, and his head felt like it was filled with cotton. Blood still dripped from his fist. The back of his head burned, his cheek stung. He frantically searched for his car, finding it a few slots down. If he could just get to it...

"Wha..." Turning back to his attacker, Mika blinked in surprise. They struggled to sit up, a hand clutching their temple. Their hair was even messier than it had been before. But what caught Mika's attention was their eyes.

Pure brown. No red in sight.

What...?

Before he could think about it more, the man shakily raised his gaze, staring at Mika in confusion. "Who... who are you? Where am I? What...?"

Everything went cold. Without a single word, Mika jumped to his feet, swiftly turning on his heel and striding towards his car. Ignoring the man calling out for him, he opened the door and got inside, starting the vehicle. His eyes were glazed over.

The only thing going through his mind was "experiment".

"Mika?" There was a knock at the bathroom door. "Mika, can you answer me? Are you alright?"

Heavy blue eyes stared back at him from the mirror. He looked like shit, with huge, disgusting bags under his eyes, horribly pale skin, and multiple bruises around his neck. He had scrubbed his face clean, being careful not to open the scratches on his cheek more. The blood that had covered his fist was long gone.

After coming back home from the store, Mika had made a beeline for the bathroom. Krul had gasped when she saw him, too shocked to move as he stormed past her. Her face was similar to everyone else who had seen him when he made one last shopping trip.

"I'm - I'm fine, Krul," he said, voice shaky. "I'm - just doing something."

"Can you at least tell me what happened?" she persisted. He heard her try to open the door, but it was locked. She gave a frustrated huff. "Damnit Mikaela!"

"I said I'm fine!" he snapped. The sound of his voice made him wince. "I - sorry, I'm just... tired. I'll tell you everything later."

"What are you doing now though?" she asked. "Do you need help cleaning up? You need to make sure those cuts don't get infected... And - and all that blood on you, was that yours, or...?" Krul's voice cracked. "Oh god, Mika..."

His scalp was becoming itchy. He washed the gray gunk from his hands, watching it get rinsed away. Was that stuff supposed to go down the drain? Too late now if it wasn't.

"No, Krul," he said quietly, although she was still able to hear. "That blood wasn't mine."

"Whose was it then?"

"I don't - I don't know." Mika closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Just a few more minutes and then he could wash his hair clean.

Krul paced outside the door in frustration. "You don't know? Someone attacked you and you don't know?" There was a pause. "Or did you attack them? What happened?"

"They attacked me," he said. The cuts on his cheek throbbed. "I don't know who they were. They just came out of nowhere and tackled me. They were screaming something about me being 'one of them'."

Their strange-looking eyes flashed through his mind, glaring at him with hatred. He shuddered, swallowing thickly.

You killed Shusaku! You took him from me!

"What does that mean?" Krul asked. "'One of them'? One of what? Were they JIDA?"

"Krul, I don't know," Mika stated, gripping the edges of the sink in both hands. "I didn't focus on asking questions. I was more trying to, I don't know, stay alive?"

"I'm freaking out here, Mikaela!" she cried. "You just burst in covered in blood - what if someone's after you?" She inhaled sharply. "It was that JIDA agent! The one that almost killed you with that bomb! It's him! I know it is!"

"No," Mika whispered, "no, it's not him."

Yuu.

Mika's lost count how many times his phone had alerted him to a call from him. The calls had recently died down, but it was obvious Yuu was worried about him. Or at least he cared enough to spam him for an hour. Mika didn't understand it. Why? Why did he care so much? Why was he so persistent?

From: Yuu-chan

Mika? Mika what's wrong?

From: Yuu-chan

Answer the phone dude

From: Yuu-chan

Why aren't u picking up? Did something happen? Are u okay?

From: Yuu-chan

Mikaela!

From: Yuu-chan

Please don't be dead

A faint beeping reached Mika's ears, and he realized it was the timer going off. He carefully stripped himself of his shirt, being mindful not to let it touch his hair. Turning on the shower, he stepped inside, leaning over and letting the water hit the back of his head. Dragging his fingers through his gunk-covered hair, Mika washed it all out, closing his eyes to avoid the water from getting in them.

From: Yuu-chan

Mika I'm really worried, pls just answer already

Why? Mika's shoulders shook, and he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. Why did this have to happen? To him? To them?

Why did he have to meet Yuu this way?

The gunk was long gone from his hair by the time he turned the water off. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his head, drying his hair as he stepped out of the shower. He refused to look in the mirror just yet, instead keeping his eyes closed as he ruffled the towel around his hair.

There was a knock on the door. Krul was still there. "Mika, please. Can I come in? What are you doing?"

"Someone recognized me," he blurted.

Krul didn't respond for a moment. "What?"

"While I was shopping. This girl recognized me." He stopped drying his hair, but didn't drop his hands from his head. "She recognized me from the news, when I was being proclaimed dead from the explosion. It's still going around."

Krul tried to open the door again. "So what are you doing?"

Mika opened his eyes, finally facing the mirror. "Changing my look up a bit." He pulled off the towel, his now darkened hair falling into his face. Dragging a hand through the strands, Mika's chest tightened, looking at himself as no longer a blond.

"Changing your look? What are you doing?"

Mika bit down hard on his bottom lip, taking deep breaths. The curled ends of his now brown hair framed his face, dripping any remaining water onto his skin. His blue eyes seemed to be brighter against brown than they were against blond. They stared at him from the mirror, big and glassy.

Unlocking the door, Mika lowered his gaze, not wanting to see Krul's reaction. He turned back to the sink, using the towel to quench out any access water. "You can come in now, Krul."

He heard the door creak, followed by a small, soft gasp. It was quiet, their thoughts preferring to go unsaid, staying in their heads and swirling around every other thought that dwelled there.

Mustering up enough positivity, Mika turned around, slapping a fake smile on his face. He spread his arms, taking in Krul's shocked expression. "Well? How do I look?"

"I - " Krul stammered, searching for something to say. "It's - it's different."

"Yeah," Mika laughed hollowly. He twirled a few strands around his pointer finger. "Yeah, it's quite different." He shrugged. "People can't recognize me as easily now. Besides, it'll grow out. Nobody will remember the explosion anymore when that happens."

"Maybe it was just that one girl?" Krul suggested. She stepped forward, reaching up to lightly touch his hair. "It's not like everyone recognized you, right?"

"One could lead to two, two could lead to three, three to four..." Mika sighed. "People will tell other people. I don't think much would care, but it'll be interesting - everyone thinks I'm dead, then I pop up in a clothing store? And what if someone from JIDA overhears? I'll be in trouble. You'll be in trouble, too." At her hesitant expression, he sighed. "I'm supposed to be dead, Krul. I can't just waltz into public anymore."

She was quiet, biting her lip as she stared at the floor. "I know, I know, but..." She patted his hair again before dropping her arm. "How long are you going to hide?"

"I think I'll always have to be cautious from now on," Mika said. "Not necessarily hiding, but..."

"What if we move?"

Mika blinked at Krul in surprise. "Move?"

"Away from here." She was staring at him, a slight tone of desperation in her voice. "Sanquinem has other buildings scattered around everywhere, we can station ourselves at one of them. You won't be known there. You won't have to hide." She grabbed his hands. "Please, Mikaela, I don't want you to live the rest of your life feeling like everyone is watching you."

Mika's mouth moved, but no sound came out. Move? To another town? Another state? What about everyone here? Lacus, René - hell, even Ferid Bathory. What about Akane? What about Yuu?

He couldn't just leave them. He didn't want to leave them. Whether he liked it or not, they had dug themselves too deep in his heart, and he couldn't rip them free without causing severe damage to himself. Maybe them, too. Lacus with his jokes, René with his quiet support, Ferid with his whole annoying self, and Akane... Akane with her cheeriness, her love. They all meant so much.

And Yuu...

He didn't want to leave Yuu.

"Think about it," Krul said, stepping away. She looked more composed now. "We have the money. Sanquinem will help us. Just... think about it, okay?" She turned towards the door, then looked at him over her shoulder. "And take a shower. You stink."  

The door shut. Mika stood in front of the sink, staring at the floor, his face completely blank. A million emotions were flashing through him, but they were going too fast for him to catch one.

Picking up his phone, Mika went to Yuu's contact and clicked the call button. Holding it up to his ear, he waited, squeezing his eyes shut.

Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath...

"Mika!" Yuu's voice was like a bomb, loud in the silence of the bathroom. "What the hell, man? Why weren't you picking up? What's wrong? Are you okay? What happ - "

"Yuu-chan," Mika whispered. "Yuu-chan, can I come over later?"

"What?" Yuu asked. "Wh - of - of course, yeah, sure. Are you okay?"

It was like a weight had been lifted from his chest. "Yeah, I'm - I'm fine, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Something happened," Mika murmured. "I'll tell you all about it when I see you."

He could hear Yuu's heavy breathing. "Promise?"

Mika smiled. "I promise."

"And you're sure you're okay?"

He didn't know. "Yes."

"Okay..." Yuu swallowed, and Mika could imagine him pacing. "Hurry up, would you?"

Mika felt a strange warmth spread throughout his chest. It wasn't exactly unwelcome.

"I will."