For Those With Wings (Angel/AngelKiller!Brothers and Reader)

Chapter 9

"I've finished the morning assignments, Ichimatsu," I called out from the kitchen as I plated the last few bits of bakery goods, storing them under a cover to keep the moisture in. I flipped through the instructional folder to ensure that I did everything he had needed me to do before 7 a.m., going through a mental checklist and allowing myself a smile when I was satisfied that I had completed everything.

A soft thumping noise sounded from the staircase before the door opened, Ichimatsu stepping into the kitchen quietly while dressed in semi-formal attire. His hair was partially combed back and tucked behind his ears, exposing his neck that was wrapped up nicely in a purple collared shirt. He looked...stunning.

"When the cats finish their food, gather and clean their dishes. The café will be opening in a few minutes," His eyes glanced around the kitchen before he left, his footsteps retreating towards the front. I nodded silently and went to check on Sophie's progress, slightly opening the door to see that she had eaten all of her food and opening the door wider so she could leave the room.

"Oh, you're back," A familiar voice caught my ears, "Need any help?"

I looked behind me and saw the same waiter from when I was looking for work, his coat hanging over his left arm as he waved towards me.

"Ah...yeah," I nodded, "Just trying to keep out of the way, since I don't really know what my job title is."

"That's odd, but we do need the assistance," He hung up his coat in the closet by the kitchen, moving towards the tablet by the front door, "My name is Takeda Juurou, by the way."

"(L/n) (y/n). It's nice to meet your acquaintance," I slightly bowed.

"The pleasure is all mine," He returned the bow before logging into whatever program the store used to track orders. Ichimatsu returned from the front door, tugging slightly at the collar of his shirt before motioning from me towards the kitchen. He followed closely behind and pulled out the plates from their containers.

"Is there anything I need to do?" I moved out of his way, watching him carefully.

"You said that you'd do anything, right?"

"Y-yeah...?"

"If you see us bogged down, help where you can," His dark eyes met mine, "Friday is our busiest day."

----

The clock finally ticked past 6 p.m., and Ichimatsu locked the door behind the last customer. Takeda gave out a long sigh before opening the tip jar and tallying up every yen, adding it to something else before handing Ichimatsu the paperwork.

I was completely exhausted.

Even my previous job as a factory line worker wasn't this intensive. Taking a deep breath, I focused on cleaning up the dining area and washing the dishes. Ichimatsu seemed to have the pattern of each day down to the second -- opening before people went into work, letting the cats rest between the lunch break and the work rush after a majority of shifts ended, and closing the café just before the dinner rush was at its peak.

I scraped every last piece of food off the plates before dumping them into the soapy water, rolling up my proverbial sleeves and scrubbing each one clean before setting it into the sanitized water basin. I had been running around nonstop through the time the café was open, running food back and forth from the kitchen, fetching Ichimatsu for adoption inquiries, helping Takeda out in the front--

"You did a lot better than I thought you would've," Takeda laughed as he entered the kitchen, his hands full of the cat dishes that I had left behind for a second run.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I breathed out, wiping my sweaty brow on my inner elbow as I focused on the dishes.

"Do you have any plans after this?"

The question stopped anything that I was thinking about.

"Excuse me...?" I partially turned to look at him, his back towards me as he reached for towels to dry the dishes with.

"Not like a date, but just to hang out...?"

"I can't stay out for much longer. I need to get..." I bit down on my tongue. Should I tell him about me being homeless? Sure, I don't look like the stereotypical homeless person, but...did he need to know?

"That's okay. I kinda figured that you'd turn it down with such a short notice," He turned around with a smile, walking to the basin next to me and taking out the dishes that were soaking in the sanitization fluid.

"Maybe tomorrow," I tried to laugh past my nervousness.

"We're closed tomorrow. The café is closed on every weekend," Takeda stated matter-of-factly, organizing the dried dishes into neat piles.

"Right," I put the last dish in the sink and scrubbed it clean as Ichimatsu called for Takeda. With him gone, the tension in my body left. I don't think he meant for it to sound like an actual date, but I had never been good at the 'get-to-know-you' kind of thing.

With the last dish soaking, I turned my attention towards the garbage bins and started to gather them all up by the back door. Grabbing the bags in both hands, I shoved the back door open and made my way towards the dumpster. After opening the dumpster lid and throwing the garbage bags in, I wiped my hands off on my shirt, my hands running over my stomach.

"Please...don't be a baby..." I whispered quietly to myself. The same soft pain from before pulsed in my stomach, quickly turning into a sharp, stabbing sensation that drove the wind out of my lungs as I cried out in agony.

What the...?!

The pain seemed to crash over me again and again, each wave somehow more painful than the last. I couldn't remember when I last felt this kind of pain, falling to my knees and clutching my arms around my stomach. A tangy taste was starting to build up in my mouth, as if I had licked something sour and metallic, and I clamped a hand over my mouth. The semi-familiar sensation of vomiting began to itch at the back of my throat.

I could vaguely hear someone talking, but couldn't make out any of the words. I felt arms lift me from my kneeling position before my body finally convulsed and I retched in front of me, coughing and crying out in pain. There was another voice replying to the first, the volume growing before I couldn't hear anything at all.

----

Ichimatsu held (y/n)'s shoulders as her head hung over his arm, his glare directed at a figure blocking the alley entrance. The smile on the figure cut through their shadowed appearance, their attention focused on (y/n).

"Why..." Ichimatsu's tone held no question, "You didn't have to do it."

"She said she didn't want the baby," The figure's smile grew wider, "So I took the child away from her, and gave him to a woman who deserved him more."

"You can't do that...! You know they'll find out," Ichimatsu barely shifted (y/n) into a more comfortable position in his arms.

"If they do, then they can ask for my reasons," The shadowed figure shrugged before turning away from the alley, "But their reactions are not my concern."

"Wait...!" Ichimatsu tried to run after the figure, but the weight in his arms brought his attention back to (y/n), who looked ragged. He clicked his tongue before looking back up to the entrance of the alley, his eyes narrowing in frustration as the figure was no longer there.