Healer, Reaper

4: sweet-bitter

Midorikawa was no less surprised than he was 10 minutes ago, as the redhead, now finally known as Hiroto, led him to a royal blue car and drove them both to a bake shop. He'd been absolutely serious about breakfast, even as it was just 1 in the morning, and by the time they got to the car Midorikawa was simply too hungry to protest. The dinner he had at the hospital was lukewarm, and he didn't have time to make it good either. But as they pulled up in front of a bake shop, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Why a bake shop?" Midorikawa muttered as the redhead pushed the door open before leading the way to a fairly secluded booth. "I mean, no offense, but..."

"Because it was the closest place to your apartment that was good and open." Hiroto replied, smiling. "Also, I was craving something sweet."

"Hmph, and I thought you were just doing it for me..." Midorikawa rolled his eyes, faking annoyance. He bent down to sit in the booth, but to his surprise, a hand grabbed hold of his wrist:

"Wait. Sorry, I didn't ask you in advance. If you don't like this place, I could totally drive us somewhere else."

"Huh... what?" The genuinely apologetic look in Hiroto's teal green eyes made the doctor crack up. "Hiroto, I was joking! You don't think I'm still mad, do you?"

"I... er..."

"Heh, you're not as smart as you look." Midorikawa chuckled before pulling a stuttering redhead down next to him. "Come on, are you just gonna stand there and gape at me all night? Sit!"

"A... ah, sure..." Hiroto's eyes were still tinted with worry, but he'd started to smile. "We should order."

"Do you think it's too late... no, too early for ice-cream? This banana split looks damn good." Midorikawa was already flipping through the various pages of the small menu. His red-haired companion shrugged:

"Well, you're the doctor here. But if I may express myself, it's never too early for ice-cream."

"Good answer." The greenette nodded before placing his order. Hiroto got a simple chocolate frosted doughnut and a milkshake. "I'll pay."

"Huh? No, we'll split." The redhead tried to reach for his own wallet, but the waiter already took Midorikawa's credit card and walked away. "That's not fair!"

"You paid for the drinks the other day so I think I'm entitled today." The greenette replied cheekily. "Also, you did drive."

"That's hardly an excuse... You got me the files!" Hiroto mumbled before perking up. Midorikawa laughed:

"That was a piece of cake! Hiroto, I'm not dirt poor. Relax."

Are you sure it was a piece of cake, Midorikawa, his conscience chimed in, but the doctor quickly brushed it aside. The desserts arrived then, and for the next few minutes the booth was silent. Midorikawa thoroughly enjoyed his banana split, and although he did realize he had positioned himself rather close to the redhead (who, regardless, was still a stranger), he felt comfortable. It was nice to have someone who was willing to spend time with him, especially since he didn't have a lot of friends to begin with, and his neighbors are only interested in themselves and each other.

"So, Hiroto," Midorikawa spoke up. "Why did you need the files?"

"It's for work." The redhead replied with a faint smile, which only made the greenette more curious:

"Well, yeah, but... they were strangely specific."

"It's always better to be specific."

"What do you do anyway?" Midorikawa laughed. "You waltz in one night covered in blood, and then you keep showing up from nowhere... And 'overdose'? I mean, it's probably not true, but I feel like you're one of those mysterious vigilantes that work behind the scenes to protect your city or something."

"Sounds fascinating, doctor." Hiroto turned to look at Midorikawa. The greenette looked over as well, and as their eyes met, he was taken aback by the sudden glint of soberness in the usually joyful green orbs. "But if you want a superhero, you should look somewhere else."

"Hiroto...?" The name slipped out as Midorikawa watched the redhead stand, finishing off his milkshake. Was it something I'd said, or...?

"I must be off. Thank you for paying though. I'll be sure to return the favor." With a brief curve of his lips, Hiroto was gone, leaving the doctor with his spoon still in hand. As he sat in the silence again, Midorikawa couldn't help but feel like something's sinking inside him. What exactly just happened?

* * *

Hi guys! So I know this chapter is a little (a lot) shorter than usual, but do not worry! The next chapter will make up for it :) Also, the plot only thickens from now on...

Another thing... please check out my other (newly-published) work, a 30-day OTP challenge featuring NaguSuzu!! ♡