WOLVES WITHOUT TEETH, miyuki kazuya

twelve

You put that to the side for the moment and add, "You didn't have to come out and wait, either."

"No," he says, scratching his neck, huffing a little. "That's not why. This is just a bonus."

You squint, watching him. If not for you, then...

"Narumiya came, didn't he."

A tempting pout forms on his lips and he rolls his eyes; you watch a familiar childlike sense of annoyance form on his face.

"Yeah, he did. Have no idea how the hell he found out but I don't even care. He's in there hogging all the attention. Attention hogger. It's my birthday dinner, not his. The nerve of him."

"I can set him straight, if you'd like." You couldn't, not really, not in a way you'd like to, but you have it on good authority that the spider bite made you a little more off-putting

"Off-putting? What does that even mean?" you had asked when Eijun said it.

He scratches his head. The two of you are feeding the cats dinner now. One of them, a more domesticated one named Miko, curls around your legs, purring.

"Remember when we used to have those arguments about us helping you with your night work?"

"Yeah?"

"Sometimes, when we really upset you, you got kind of... scary. Or maybe not scary. Just, y'know, off-putting. Dangerous, I guess."

"I would never -"

Eijun smiles at you. "I know, senpai. We know that, too. But it doesn't change the fact that we feel it sometimes. Like... I dunno, like when it's nighttime and the street is quiet and you feel a little on-edge."

The warning of something primal, ancient, a leftover of your biology. Their biology, to be certain, and the cause of your own that was altered by the spider-bite.

You understand.

But just because you understood didn't mean you didn't find it mildly upsetting, especially when you two went inside and you asked the others if it was true.

It was true, but...

"We know you won't do anything," Wakana says again.

"I think we could all take you, anyway," Youichi says, before stuffing a handful of shrimp chimps into his mouth, his eyes on the TV. "Like if you tried to kill us or something, I think we could all take you with combined efforts."

"That's really great. Thanks."

Kazuya shrugs when you look at him. "I notice it. But fear isn't quite what I'm feeling -"

"That's fucking gross, Miyuki, can it. No one wants to know that."

"She should."

"Jesus Christ."

It's an undeniable facet of you now, though. And it's not like it isn't useful when you're out there, either. You'd rather no one close to you feel it, even if unintentional but you can't do anything about it. You're just more aware of it, making sure to be cautious if any of you get in an argument or something.

You would hardly mind utilizing it on Narumiya Mei, though.

"If only," he mutters, scuffing his shoe on the ground, then looking back to you, gaze sparking in a familiar way that has your stomach clenching. "Anyway. I don't want to talk about Mei."

"No? What do you want to do, then?"

"This."

He reaches for your mask. You let yourself drop down a few more inches as he rolls it above your lips. Blissful cool air rushes in, touching the exposed skin, but then Kazuya is in your space, warm lips on yours.