Mai's AN: Uh. What is even going on anymore w... *rolls away*
Mikoto's A/N: Idk what to say in these notes anymore but I hope you enjoy this chapter if you read it www
As the blood rain stopped, Eve looked up from his worked and yawned a little. How long was it?
Deciding not to think about it, the mushroom haired male stood up and walked to Amatsuki's room to wake the brunette up, before heading off to wake Sou up.
Walking into the room, Eve gently shook the younger's shoulders. "Sou-kun?"
"Hngh?"
Opening his eyes, the younger male blinked at the older sleepily, looking around before nodding to show that he was awake, standing up.
"Morning... Gonna go wake Kashi-san up..." he mumbled before going to find the other brunet and wake him up.
As Sou went to wake Kashitaro up, Eve went back down, just in time to hear a knock and the door opened to reveal Daruma. "Ready to meet Boss again?"
"Nope." Eve sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Not now, not ever."
"Did the blood rain stop?" Kashitaro asked as he walked downstairs with Sou behind him. "Finally some fresh air again, huh? Ready to head off?"
"Yeah." Following behind, Amatsuki looked around the building once more before nodding. "We're splitting right?"
"That's right! You and fox mask-san should head back immediately and Eve and Sou-chan follow me~"
"Stay safe, Sou-kun, and be careful, alright?" Kashitaro told him. "Make sure to stay close to Eve-kun and not walk off. Don't do anything dangerous, try not to get hurt ok? Once we get back, I will buy you lots of ramen so take care," he said giving the other a quick hug before sighing. "I wish I could go with you guys but let's go quickly..."
"It won't be long," Daruma assured.
"Our long is different from theirs, Daruma." Eve sighed as he packed up his things, picking up the rose and beckoned Sou to come close. "Give us two days or so... maybe even a week. If we're not back by then... well, just assume something went wrong."
"Doesn't sound great." Amatsuki frowned, displeased with this.
"Good luck all of you guys," Kashitaro wished them with a small smile.
"You two take care on your way back as well. Don't worry, Kashitaro-san! Eve-san is skilled so I am sure we will be back in no time. And then we can eat ramen together," Sou assured him, walking close to Eve when he saw the other motioning him to get closer.
Sliding the rose back in place, Eve backed away with a small smile that was wiped away as Daruma gave him a teasing smirk.
"You two better get back home soon." Amatsuki crossed his arms.
"W-we will do our best. See you two soon," the blond male told them, gently adjusting the rose so it wouldn't fall down.
Nodding, Amatsuki gestured for Kashitaro to follow him and the both of them left for home, leaving the three in the house.
"Let's go then!" Daruma threw one last smirk at Eve, who had a neutral face, before walking out.
"Sou-kun... do you trust me?" Eve asked softly after Daruma left.
Tilting at the question, Sou looked slightly startled by it before he answered. "That is... very sudden," the younger male commented.
"But I trust you enough to go with you right now and such. That's enough for now, isn't it?"
"I guess." Smiling awkwardly, Eve nodded as he slung his bag across his shoulder. "Shall we follow?"
Nodding, Sou followed along, making sure to stay close to the older male. "You do ask weird questions, Eve-san. We don't know each other that long enough yet to trust each other," Sou reminded him.
"But you know," the younger male started as he poked Eve's cheek. "If you said to me that you would trust me wholeheartedly earnestly someday then I would trust you with my life."
Surprised by this, Eve blinked before chuckling. "If I ask weird questions... you certainly do give surprising answers." A pause before a warm smile. "Thank you."
"A-ah... No problem," Sou mumbled before returning the smile. "Anyways, let's go fast so we can go back to Kashitaro-san and Amatsuki-san soon."
"Right." Following after Daruma, keeping pace with Sou, Eve began to sit in his thoughts until they arrived in a building where they were ushered to the highest floor.
"Nice seeing you again Eve." Daruma hummed as he gently patted his shoulder. "Hopefully you live another day so we can talk more."
"Don't be so ominous..." Eve muttered before nodding. "Thanks."
"No problem~ See you guys again~" Waving goodbye, Daruma walked away.
"Have a nice day?" Sou wished as he watched the other walk off.
"Is something going to happen in there? I thought we were going to meet your boss..."
"My ex-boss." Eve corrected as he shook his head. "Yes we are, but do remember, he is sort of the leader of this place."
"I will make sure to know my place," Sou assured him as he hoped the leader wouldn't be too bad. Though he doubted that he wouldn't be.
Nodding, Eve placed a hand on the younger's head, patting him once before he turned and knocked on the door. Three sharp knocks, one long, and another three sharp knocks.
"Come in."
Trailing off slightly, the blond male made sure to stay close to the older male but not walk too close as he followed him inside, looking around the building curiously as he did so.
Sitting in the chair was a brunette with a tinge of orange in his hair and matching eyes sitting on the chair at the sole table, his feet kicked up on the table. "Ah, Eve's here!"
Placing his feet down, the male had a warm smile on his face, beckoning the two closer.
Seeing how the brunet was beckoning them to get closer, Sou did as told, carefully stepping towards the other male.
Stepping closer, Eve respectfully bowed. "It's been a while."
"It has indeed! You know, like without you around, things felt like it's been decades!" the brunette gasped dramatically before turning to Sou, his orange eyes staring the blonde down. "And your name?"
"My name is Sou, it's a pleasure to meet you," the blond male answered as he bowed.
"The pleasure is all mine~" A dubious grin. "My name is Meychan, the boss around here and Eve here would have told you, the scary person here~"
"I've... heard about you from Eve-san a bit yes..." the younger male nodded, not saying anything else afterwards. Whatever they had to do here, he hoped it would be over soon.
"Then I'll cut it short!" Clasping his hands together, Meychan grinned at Eve. "Eve join us again."
As soon as he heard that, Sou's head snapped towards Eve, wanting to protest but deciding to stay quiet. It wasn't surprising that they wanted Eve back. Was he taken here so he could report back to the others if Eve decided to say yes? Or was he here to slow Eve down in case he said no?
"Sou-kun." A gentle smile to the younger. "Do you mind leaving the room for a bit?"
"E-eh? But..."
He wanted to argue but not knowing what to say and wanting to believe in Eve, he merely nodded before turning back to leave the room.
"Chasing away Sou-chan?" Meychan tilted his head slightly.
"For a more serious talk." Taking a deep breath, Eve stared Meychan down. "I won't join you again. Now, and forevermore."
Closing the door behind him, Sou leaned against the wall as he decided to wait for whatever Eve decided to discuss in there, hoping the older was alright.
"Eavesdropping is rude you know?" Approaching the blonde, a certain green-eyed brunette grinned as he stared at Sou. "You shouldn't stand so closely to the door."
"I-I didn't mean to-"
Widening his eyes, Sou recognized the person. "E-eh, why are you here?" he asked in disbelief.
"Why?" An amused smile. "A curious question indeed..."
Shrugging, Urata beckoned Sou closer. "Come away from the door. You'll only get in trouble."
Not knowing what to do, Sou merely nodded as he stepped away from the door a bit, making sure to not get too close to the brunet.
"So wary~" A small tease from the brunette before he turned serious. "Would you like to make a deal with me?"
Narrowing his eyes, the blonde male looked at Urata and shook his head. "I don't."
This would have been a good opportunity to catch Urata if only Sou wasn't alone.
"I expected this..." Urata sighed dramatically. "So you wouldn't even take this deal if I even offered you your four teammates back?"
"Everyone?" Sou asked as he looked at the older male surprised. "...What is the deal?" the blond male then asked after a few seconds.
"You just leave right now... leave back to the other side." Urata smiled mischievously. "The rose will keep you safe. All you have to do is leave... and you'll get back everyone!"
"That sounds... too easy..." Sou mumbled as he grew cautious again. All he had to do was leave here and go back to the other side?
"It is easy." A cheeky smile. "Wil you take this deal or not?"
All he had to do was go away right now, that would be easy enough right? But because it was so easy, Sou knew not to trust him.
"...No. We will find the others by working together. Eve-san told me to wait outside and I said that I would listen to him." Between trusting Eve or Urata the answer was obvious.
"So you will willingly give up freedom for your friends over a stranger you met only days ago." Urata tutted in displease. "I only make deals I can keep Sou-kun. I mean it when I say I'll let them go. Last chance~"
Gulping, Sou hoped that he made the right decision as he shook his head once again with a smile. "I stay by my choice. I will wait here until Eve-san is done."
He only hoped the others wouldn't scold him over his decision later.
"Tch." Crossing his arms, clearly displeased, Urata clicked his tongue just as doors burst open, revealing Eve who looked rather anxious, but that anxiety soon turned to relief.
"Guess we failed huh, Urata-san?" Meychan shrugged as he leaned against the door, Eve marching up to Sou and pulling him close. "We failed to get Eve back~"
"Guess my game still continues." Urata shrugged.
"So it was a trick after all?" Sou asked, happy that he at least made the right choice. He didn't know what those two had discussed in the room but he was relieved to see the older male was alright and still on their side.
"It was." Eve let out a soft sigh of relief. "If you left... then I was to remain here."
"Who knew a jellyfish like him would actually not take the offer?" Meychan mused
"J-jellyfish- Well, I'm glad I didn't make the wrong choice then," the blond male said.
"Even if I said you can leave... who says you can leave peacefully?" Meychan tilted his head with a grin.
"Because you wouldn't want to sacrifice anyone coming against me." Eve muttered, slightly glaring.
"Nee Sou-kun, I'll make my offer one last time." Urata slightly grinned. "Would you prefer to save four innocent people, or trust and follow a murderer that killed his own teammates?"
"Own teammates...?" Sou repeated. He had heard a lot about Eve before but his own teammates was a bit different. Because right now, they were teammates too right? Did that mean that Eve would kill him as well?
"...Why are you bringing that up?" Eve muttered softly, his fists clenching into balls.
"Were you planning to kill Sou-kun, Eve~?" Meychan gasped. "How scandalous!"
Urata and Meychan were obviously trying to convince Sou to leave Eve here and what he had heard was a bit worrying but even so he merely poked the older male lightly as he gave him a reassuring smile.
"People can change for the better. If I left you now, I would have been lying to you. I'm not leaving you behind, don't worry."
Blinking in surprise, Eve stood there in stun before smiling softly. "Thank you."
"Guess that's a no~" Urata shrugged. "I better be on my way then. The game still continues."
With that, the brunette left before either can say anything.
"Sou-kun really is brave huh?" Meychan smiled a little.
"If I was brave, I would have done something the first moment he stood before me," the younger male merely replied as he watched the brunet leave. "Are you two finished or did you still need to do something?"
"We're done. For now at least I think... unless Eve wants anything." Meychan stared at the mushroom haired male lazily.
"Your-"
"Cooperation? No can do~ I can't lie in bed with another devil when I'm already in one~" Meychan hummed, rather relaxed.
"Then... an easier way to get a pass next time."
"Done."
"That was faster than I thought it would be," Sou commented. "Does that mean we can go back now?"
"With a little trouble maybe." Meychan playfully stuck his tongue out, before walking back into his office, shutting the door behind him.
Staying silent for a minute, Eve bit his tongue lightly before looking away. "Nee Sou-kun..."
"Yes? What's wrong, Eve-san?" the younger male asked as he waited for the other to continue talking.
"...Why did you still choose to trust me even after hearing that?" Eve asked softly, fiddling with his bag straps.
"You know, you could have just stayed silent now, I wouldn't have asked any further if you felt uncomfortable with it," the younger male reminded him.
"But... since you asked me. I chose to trust you since you are different from the past right? You have friends who are waiting for you and trust you and until now, you still haven't done anything to me for me to distrust you.
I have heard a lot about you but if you say that you don't do that anymore, I will trust you for now. That's what my brother taught me so I will think like that."
Blinking, Eve laughed softly. "Normally if you would think with such a mind-set... you would already be used against your will around here... but I'm glad."
Smiling awkwardly, the older patted the blonde gently. "Thank you."
"I guess I am not fit to be a police officer, huh?" the younger male said laughing lightly. "Anyways, should we head back to the others?"
"Before that... if you'll allow me, please let me tell you my story." Eve smiled a little awkwardly. "It has no beneficial purposes... but I feel like you at least deserve to know."
"Are you sure about that? From what people are saying about you, I understand if you feel uncomfortable talking about yourself," Sou assured him.
"It's... old anyway. All I can do is accept it as what has happen." Eve shrugged a little. "Can we walk as I tell you?"
"Of course, let's go out of here and you can talk about it," the younger male said.
"Where should I even start..." Mumbling softly as he led Sou back to the metal gate, Eve hummed softly. "Back when I was in Daylight I guess?"
"As I have told you before I was in the Daylight Police... because I had murdered my superior, I was thus sent to Twilight." Sighing softly, Eve shook his head. "He... was preying on young girls... and a blind eye was turned since he was a superior. So I took matter into my own hands."
Smiling awkwardly, Eve let a disappointed look shine briefly in his eyes. "They didn't even listen why."
"So you killed him because he was preying on young girls? It was unfair that they didn't do anything about it. Was there no other way to stop him though?" Sou asked as he listened to the older male talk.
"He would no longer listen, and if you were ever to go against him... you would be stripped of your police position, possibly even thrown to Twilight for whatever reason he thought of." A sigh from Eve. "Either way, it was a lose-lose situation. At least those girls wouldn't be preyed on anymore by him."
"Though... after I was kicked, I heard that regulations changed in Daylight... and people like him were thrown into Twilight, regardless of rank."
"I see... so you didn't have much of a choice. I can't say that murder was the right choice but you wouldn't have been the only one who would have acted like that in that type of situation. Doing all of that for those girls despite knowing that you would suffer from it, you're really brave, Eve-san." Sou told him.
"Did you ever regret doing what you did?"
"I'm not brave... I was a coward for not doing it earlier." Eve mumbled softly. "I don't always regret it... but sometimes I do... because it made me think murder was the way to solve things for a period of time." A sheepish smile this time. "That's how I was thrown into the forbidden area."
"But... it was because of the pressure, right? And because you wanted to save those girls from him, right? If you wouldn't have done it, he would have continued what he did and who knows if there would have been anyone there to stop him." the blond argued.
"Yes that's true... but when one action leads to someone to think that solves the problem... that person takes that action again and again... until an innocent person is killed." Eve looked down, sadness in his eyes. "Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate... that innocent person, was the person I killed in Twilight.'
"So you killed more people other than your superior?" Sou asked, looking at the way in front of them as he walked with the other.
"Yes." Eve closed his eyes momentarily. "I killed... my friend in Twilight. Then I was exiled to the forbidden area where I killed more people... all for the sake of survival. I'm not brave... I'm a coward for using people's lives to save my own."
"If people had it hard like you had it, they would also kill if it was for surviving." Sou argued. "Is surviving the most important thing for you then? Living?"
"I guess." Eve chuckled softly as they reached the gate. "You're a very positive person... Thank you again."
"I'm not very positive, I just try to see things without judging." the younger male waved it off laughing. "And it's just listening so no need to thank me, I am used to listening to people!"
"Still it's a lot for me." Eve smiled warmly.
Just as they were about to pass through the gate, they were stopped as Daruma ran up to them. "Wait! Eve!"
Pausing as they let Daruma catch up, Eve looked at Daruma in confusion.
"This is yours." Daruma grinned as he held out a white mask. The one Eve had on in the picture.
"Ah..." Taking it into his hands, Eve smiled softly at it. "Thanks."
"His mask? Did you come back just to give him this?" the younger male asked as he looked at it curiously.
"Mhm. It's the only thing tying him to this place after all." Daruma sheepishly smiled. "And the boss said to give it back."
"I see..." Closing his eyes, Eve sighed softly before he handed it to Sou. "Would you like it?"
"Eh? Are you sure? Why would you give it to me?" Sou questioned as he waved his hand. "It's alright, keep it, it's yours after all."
"It's time to let go of the past anyway." Eve laughed softly as Daruma checked his watch before quickly running off without so much as a goodbye. "I guess... this is just my way of coping."
"Eh... Then thank you?" the younger male thanked him as he took the mask carefully before turning around and putting it on his face to look through it. "Uwah... you don't see that much through this like normally. And you used to wear this all the time, Eve-san?"
"Yeah. It was to be more less reliant on my eyes. After all, if you become too reliant on them... your other senses dull." A soft chuckle from Eve. "Do what you wish with it. I have no use for it."
"Hm..." taking the mask off, the younger male looked at it before nodding. "Ok then! Thanks. Now let's go back to the others if we can? They are probably worried."
"Mhm." Guiding Sou back into Twilight, Eve hummed softly. "I guess... back to the story?"
"Did more things happen after that?" Sou asked as he started walking again, holding the mask so he wouldn't lose it.
"Mhm." Eve nodded as he looked to the sky. "I never really belonged in the forbidden area... yet I did. I quickly rose the ranks until I had a team of our own."
Showing off the pin, Eve smiled softly at it. "We were the most feared... and the loyal group to Meychan that worked directly under him. But... I never liked being in the forbidden area."
"It was a few months, then I met Mafumafu-san at the gates between the forbidden area and Twilight. We became friends... and then, he helped me out of the forbidden area." Eve smiled fondly at the memory. "The both of us started the Twilight police... Our first mission was rescuing Amatsuki-san from the forbidden area. Slowly we gained Kuro-san and Senra-san as allies... and now that's the current Twilight police."
"I see... I'm glad you met Mafumafu-san and the others then. You guys look very close, just like a family." Sou commented. "Let's do our bests to get them back."
"Yes." Smiling at this, Eve nodded. "Let's do our best together."
"Mhm. Now let's go back to the others before anyone will worry. I don't want Kashitaro-san to worry for too much longer," Sou said laughing.
"Neither do I want to worry Amatsuki-san." A soft laugh from Eve.
"Neru-san and Kuro-san are probably wondering why we aren't back yet either so even more reason to! How long till we get back?" the younger male asked as he looked at the path ahead of them.
"Just a few more minutes..." Eve hummed softly, stifling a yawn. "Maybe I can go back and sleep..."
"You should! You worked too much but didn't rest enough... that's really not good, you know?" the other reminded him with a small frown.
Laughing nervously, Eve nodded. "It's a little hard not to with how dangerous that place is... as well as how I know that place really well..."
"Yes but what if you end up collapsing or get serious consequences for not resting enough?" Sou asked. "Everyone will worry, you know? You should rest not just for yourself but for your friends too!"
"Right..." A soft laugh. "Does that mean we're friends too?"
"Huh?"
Blinking, Sou then panicked as he flailed his arms around. "I didn't mean to assume that or anything, I apologize!"
"No, no it's fine." A soft smile. "I would like to be your friend if you wouldn't mind."
"...Of course I don't! So please make sure to rest enough or me and Amatsuki and everyone else will worry," the blond told him. "Resting is very important..."
"Mhm. I will." Eve smiled warmly as they fast approached the house. "Would you like to rest too? It was a long trip after all..."
Thinking about it for a second, Sou shook his head with a small smile before answering. "It's ok, I will rest later when everyone will. You, on the other hand, need to rest as soon as you can. Besides, the trip wasn't that long so I'm not tired!"
"It felt really long..." Eve chuckled softly. "But I'll spend some time first before I head to bed."
"Make sure to not spend too much time before going to bed..." Sou reminded him. "And you look like you haven't had a nice trip in a long time, you should travel somewhere after we get the others back. It's nice to have a nice change of scenery."
"Maybe." Eve paused before smiling awkwardly. "Would you like to go on a trip with me?"
"Eh? Me? What about Amatsuki-san or someone else? You know them longer, I'm surprised you would ask me," the younger male pointed out. Sure, they are friends now but still.
"Because... they have their own people to go with if they do decide to go on a trip." Eve smiled awkwardly.
"Eh really?" Humming, Sou then shrugged as he nodded.
"If Eve-san doesn't mind me, we can go of course! I have a lot of places I planned to go and since Kashitaro-san won't be joining me anymore and the others don't want to, I'm happy to see you ask me!"
Chuckling softly, Eve smiled warmly. "I'm glad then. When this is finally over... let's go somewhere nice."
"Yes!" the other nodded in agreement. "But for now, you have to rest up enough. If you are not well rested, you can't go on a trip unfortunately."
Pouting slightly, Eve nodded. "Fine~"
"Good! Anyways, let's go in, I want to get my things back from Neru-san," Sou said as he rushed into the house to search for the others.
"You're back!" Amatsuki's eyes widened slightly. "I was at least expecting a day!"
"You two are back? Thank goodness, you are safe!" the fox-masked male exclaimed as he rushed over to the blond male patting him all over to see if he had any injuries. "And nothing happened, thank god..."
"Yeah... it was just a test." Eve smiled softly, not revealing the true intentions behind it.
"I see."
Hearing how more voices appeared, Kuro stepped out of the room to see them. "Glad to see you guys are still alive too~ Now that you're back, we have many questions and all but I guess, Eve here should get some rest first~"
"Everyone wants me to get rest huh...?" Eve laughed softly as Neru peeked out from the room, immediately noticing the blue rose. "Eh? Sou-kun, what's that flower for?"
"Eh?"
Noticing how he still had the flower, Sou took it down, holding it gently as to not destroy it. "Ah... Eve-san just lend it to me for safety."
"Safety?" Neru asked accusingly.
"Just a protection charm." Eve assured.
Grinning when she saw the flower, Kuro hummed before crossing her arms behind her head. "Well that's that, so now don't keep the hardworking boy here any time longer, Neru~"
"Hmph." Neru huffed, not satisfied, but knowing the younger needed rest.
"If you'll excuse me." Eve smiled warmly before disappearing into the room.
"Have a nice rest~" Kuro chirped as she waved lightly at the other male, watching him go. "Enough about us, did you two get back safe, Kashitaro-san and Amatsuki-san? And did anything happen here while the four of us were gone?" Sou asked.
"We were fine... no trouble at all." Amatsuki assured as Neru shook his head. "Nothing. It was... oddly quiet."
"Yup~ It was so boring that I was wondering what I should do to pass time besides sitting and waiting for you guys to come back," Kuro said sighing.
"Well, it's good that you guys were safe," Kashitaro told them with a small smile. "Now that we are all back, I think we should all just get some rest and relax a bit until tomorrow morning."
"I agree. I'll try to make you cake tomorrow Kuro-chan~" Amatsuki smiled warmly.
"Ehhh~ Really? Thanks, you're the best~" the blonde chirped.
"It's just an attempt though." A small smile from Amatsuki.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll go back to my room." Neru said with a shrug, taking a small bow before leaving.
"Rest well then, Neru~ I will also go get some rest if you guys are back~" Kuro said waving before she left the room as well.
"Maybe all of us should get some rest now," Kashitaro said as Sou hummed. "Ah! I will go get my wallet from Neru-san first so I will also leave, see you two tomorrow!" the younger male said before leaving as well.
Waving goodbye to the three, Amatsuki sighed softly before turning to Kashitaro. "You can go rest first if you want to."
"Are you not going to go rest yet?" the older male asked confused when hearing how the younger brunet didn't seem to want to go sleep yet.
"No... just gotta get some things off my mind." A soft sigh as Amatsuki turned to go to the kitchen.
"Do you need to talk about it? I can listen to you if you need someone to listen to you," Kashitaro told him, following him.
"No, nothing really..." A soft sigh as Amatsuki sat on a chair in the kitchen, contemplating on what to make. "It's just... today is a... somewhat special day?"
"A special day? Your birthday?" the older male asked as he thought of what it could be. "Or something else?"
"Something else." A sheepish smile as Amatsuki glanced to the calendar. "The day I got out of the forbidden area with the help of Mafu-kun and Eve-kun."
Hearing that, Kashitaro hummed. "I see... Happy anniversary to you guys then. It has been a while now huh?"
"Yeah. About four or five years? Feels nostalgic." A soft smile this time before Amatsuki realised something. "I never actually told you anything much huh?"
"I don't blame you, we only met a while ago and are something close to strangers after all," Kashitaro reminded him with a small laugh. "You guys have known each other for so long huh? That's nice."
"It is." Amatsuki hummed softly before standing up, grabbing what he needed. "Nee, why don't we get to know each other better?"
"The two of us?" Kashitaro repeated thinking about it for a bit before nodding. "Sure, I would love to know more about you."
Humming softly as he placed the things he needed on the table, Amatsuki stared at Kashitaro. "Would you like to ask me anything? We can just trade questions."
"Alright then... even if you ask me that, I don't know what to ask for..." the older male said laughing lightly. "Then, Amatsuki-kun, do you like cats?"
"Cats?" Eyes widening slightly, Amatsuki nodded. "Yes. If I could, I would have adopted... but with Mafu-kun's allergies, we can't keep any here since it's hard to get medication for it."
"I see... That's a shame."
Sitting down on a chair, the fox-masked male made himself comfortable. "Well there is this nice cat cafe. If you can't keep a cat, you could go there if you want to see some cats sometime."
"Ah, can I?" Eyes slightly sparkling, Amatsuki blinked before shaking his head. "It's probably at Daylight Side no? I won't be able to go."
"It's alright. If you ever really feel like going, tell me and I can inform the owner. They are a friend of mine so it should be okay," the older male assured him. "Cats are very comforting after all."
"Thank you Kashitaro-san." Smiling warmly, Amatsuki grinned slightly. "Ah, my turn! Then Kashitaro-san... do you keep cats?"
"I do. They are the most adorable cats in the world," the older answered with a grin.
"I would like to meet them some day!" Amatsuki smiled happily. "I'm sure they'll be really cute!"
Thinking about it for a while, Kashitaro merely hummed before answering. "They are. But anyways, my turn again right?" the brunet said, thinking about it before speaking up again with a smile. "Ever had any experience with love? If it's too personal, go ahead and skip this one."
Cheeks burning red, Amatsuki timidly shook his head. "Not at all... I have never had any..."
"Hm... I see. Well, you are still young so no worries, I was just curious," Kashitaro assured him chuckling.
"How about Kashitaro-san?" Amatsuki forced the topic on the older, genuinely curious.
"Amatsuki-kun, it's unfair to ask me the same questions," Kashitaro scolded him jokingly.
"But I'm curious!" Amatsuki pouted slightly. "If I can't then... have you ever dated anyone?" There, change of question with same meaning!
"Isn't that the same thing?" Kashitaro asked laughing softly before answering. "I have. Though they never lasted."
"Why not? Kashitaro-san seems really nice..." Amatsuki huffed softly, mixing the dry ingredients together.
"Hm... another question huh? Well, no important reason, it's my turn now, Amatsuki-kun. Do you have any dreams? Goals in the future?" the fox-masked male asked.
Freezing at the question, Amatsuki hesitated before shaking his head. "None at all... If I can live happily, that's enough for me."
Hearing that, Kashitaro hummed in agreement. "I see... Well, being happy is also very important. Are you happy now?"
"I guess... It makes me happy to be here... and as weird as this sounds." Turning to Kashitaro, Amatsuki smiled sheepishly. "It makes me happy to have met you Kashitaro-san."
Widening his eyes in slight surprise, Kashitaro then returned the smile with one of his own. "Saying it like that, makes me want to expect something, Amatsuki-kun. But I agree with you."
"Expect something?" Tilting his head in confusion, Amatsuki stared at Kashitaro. "Expect what?"
Seeing how the younger male didn't get what he was talking about, Kashitaro merely shook his head with an amused smile. "Nothing. So what are you making right now?"
Pouting as Kashitaro dodged his question, Amatsuki hummed softly. "I'm going to try making that bubble tea cake... but can you at least tell me what you were expecting?"
"I prefer not to. It's embarrassing," the older male stated though he wasn't really bothered by it. "Well, good luck with your bubble tea cake. It's for Kuro, isn't it?"
"Mhm!" Folding in the ingredients, Amatsuki tilted his head a little. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me...?" What could be so embarrassing?
"Yes. Getting my hopes up to get them crushed is something, I don't want to experience again," Kashitaro said in a joking manner.
"Eh...?" Even more confused, Amatsuki nodded gently. "Whoever hurt you... they're mean. They don't deserve someone as kind as you!"
Blinking slightly surprised, Kashitaro laughed lightly as he stood up ruffling Amatsuki's head. "You are a good person. Thanks, Amatsuki-kun," the older thanked him before stepping away.
"I guess I will let you make your cake in peace and find my way back then. I am slowly getting used to this building finally."
Cheeks slightly dusting red at the hand in his hair, Amatsuki looked away before stuttering nervously. "W-Would you like to stay a little longer...? I-I understand if you're tired though!"
Smiling softly, the fox-masked male hummed before sitting back down, making himself comfortable. "I can stay until you are done then. Though make sure not to bake for too long. You need to rest or you will end up like Eve-kun."
Smiling brightly, Amatsuki stifled a giggle before nodding. "I will don't worry. You can even be my taste tester!"
"I can taste it before the others? I am honored then," Kashitaro said, smiling. "I look forward to it then."
"Mhm~" Separating the cake mixture into different batches, testing different flavourings, Amatsuki finally put it in to bake. "Why don't we continue asking each other questions?"
"Sure, we can do that. I believe it was your turn, Amatsuki-kun," the older male told him as he leaned back in his chair.
"Hm..." Sinking in thoughts, Amatsuki pouted slightly before nodding his head to one question. "Nee... can you tell me more about love? It's okay if it's too awkward to!"
As someone who lived most his life getting experimented on, he never really had time to explore his human feelings.
"Love? I didn't expect you to be interested in that specific topic," Kashitaro commented chuckling. "But I can do that of course. Is there anything you want to know? I am also not the best but I will answer what I can."
"I'm... not familiar with the topic." Amatsuki admitted sheepishly. "Anything you tell me is fine. I just kind of want to know, since it has been brought up and all."
"I see... Well, love exists in many forms doesn't it? Whether it be the love with your family, friends or romantic love. Some think one is more important than the other. It just depends on the person," Kashitaro explained.
"Since I asked about dating, are you curious about what romantic love is like?"
"Mhm." Nodding his head, Amatsuki sat down next to Kashitaro. "What's it all about? How does it feel?"
"Depending on the situation, you can feel really happy being with them and want to spend more time with them or it can pain you. Usually when you are in love with someone, you want to spend as much time with them as you can doing things that couples do I suppose," Kashitaro answered.
"Couples do?" Tilting his head, Amatsuki frowned slightly. "Like go on dates?"
Did Kashitaro get hurt from one of these dates? Was that why his hopes were crushed? What does that have to-
Oh.
Oh.
Not knowing how to react, Amatsuki's cheeks flared red and he turned away in embarrassment.
Was that the embarrassing thing?
Seeing how the younger male was starting to blush all of a sudden, Kashitaro smiled confused as he laughed lightly. "Are you alright? Your face is red," the older male pointed out amused.
"A-Ah... I-I'm fine!" Should he ask? What if it wasn't? Would he just embarrass himself?
Ah... why was his heart fluttering so much?!
"If you say so," the older male dismissed. "And yes, things like dates I guess."
"I-I see..." Turning his head away, Amatsuki fiddled with his fingers. "K-Kashitaro-san... do you love anyone romantically now...?"
"Me? I don't have anyone like that right now. After my last relationship, I decided to focus on work," Kashitaro answered. "I do have someone I am slightly interested in. But let's leave it at that."
"I.... see." Not him, not him right? Okay, he could deal with this!
But why... did he feel slightly upset?
"How would you know if you're interested in them?"
"If they stand out to you enough that you want to know more about them, you are interested in them right? At least for me that is the case," the fox-masked male answered.
"I see..." Nodding slightly, Amatsuki hesitated a bit. "Nee Kashitaro-san, do you-"
Saved by a bell from his embarrassment, the bell being the oven, Amatsuki jumped up. "A-Ah it's ready..."
"I see, so it's done," the older male hummed as he stretched slightly, watching as Amatsuki walked over to the oven. "Did you want to ask something?"
"...It's... nothing..." Amatsuki mumbled, red coating his cheeks as he took the tray with the five different small cakes to try.
"If you say so then," Kashitaro said as he walked over to look at the cakes with a smile. "Ohhh, they look delicious already."
Taking a toothpick, Amatsuki carefully poked each cake to make sure they were cooked before nodding. "After cooling, you can try them."
"Are you sure I can try them today already? I feel lucky now," the fox-masked male said chuckling.
"Y-Yeah..." A pause before Amatsuki smiled sheepishly. "No guarantee they'll turn out nice, seeing as this is my first time attempting this..."
"Well they look good," the older male commented. "I am sure they will turn out just great."
"Hopefully." A soft hum as Amatsuki nervously tapped the table, the question lingering in his mind.
Does he dare even...?
"Is something on your mind?" Kashitaro asked looking up from the pastries when he noticed that the younger male looked like he was deep in thought.
"Ah..." It wouldn't hurt to ask right...? "W-Well... Kashitaro-san... that... embarrassing thing..."
"That again? Are you that curious, Amatsuki-kun?" the fox-masked male asked as he laughed amused.
"A-A little... but..." Words getting stuck in his throat, Amatsuki bit his lip. "Kashitaro-san... that person you're interested in..."
Was it him...? He didn't dare to ask...
"Do you want to know?" Kashitaro asked with a smile before reforming his question. "Or have you guessed?"
Gulping a little, the younger pointed to himself before speaking softly, almost a whisper. "Is it me...?"
It was so quiet but Kashitaro managed to hear it as he hummed before answering courtly. "Yeah."
A short silence before the older male gave the younger male a reassuring smile. "I won't make any advances or anything like that though. After all, we have to focus on work, don't we?"
"R-Right..." Looking away, Amatsuki tugged at his shirt, unsure of what to do now.
Why? How? When?
Questions surged his mind, but Amatsuki dare not ask. What if it was something as surprising as this again...?
But he just... at least wanted to know one.
"...Why...?" Why him?
"Why?" Kashitaro repeated. "Even I don't know the answer to that one. You just caught my eye and I was interested to get to know you more."
"I see..." Clearing his throat, Amatsuki took a deep breath before bowing a little. "I'm sorry."
"Rejection already? I mean, it's good to know from the start but I was hoping we could become friends at least," the older male said laughing sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
"I-It's not a rejection!" Shaking his head immediately, Amatsuki awkwardly scratched his cheek. "It's just... I don't know... I've never experienced anything like this before... so it's new to me. I'm apologising for my ignorance..."
"Don't worry about that, we can just be like we always are. Partners who try to get their teammates back," the fox-masked male assured him.
Nodding slightly, Amatsuki could feel something weighing on his heart. For some reason... he didn't want to be just partners.
"Uh... Kashitaro-san... not now, but another day... If I... feel the same way as you to me... what would you do...?"
"I didn't think our conversation would end up like this honestly," the older male said laughing. "But honestly, if you don't feel the same way, you should probably leave it like that."
"...But what if I did...?" A soft whisper, as Amatsuki gripped his shirt before shaking his head. "A-Anyway... the cakes are cooled."
"Rising up my hopes like that is a bit unfair, Amatsuki-kun," Kashitaro joked. "But you know by now that my previous relationships didn't work out well. And I don't want that to happen again. If you did decide to feel the same, I might not want to let you go," the older male admitted with a smile.
"But enough with this talk, let's try the cake and go to sleep, alright?"
"Mhm." Nodding at this, Amatsuki pulled out two forks for Kashitaro and himself before holding a cake out. "Now pick the best out of these five cakes."
"Got it."
Looking at the cakes, Kashitaro picked one before taking the fork from Amatsuki, thanking him.
"They look so nice, it is almost a shame to eat them."
"They'll all have to be eaten anyway... Maybe adding some tapioca will being a more obvious bubble tea flavour... though..." He could never imagine how tapiocas would tasted after getting baked.
As much as he was trying to keep his cool, Kashitaro's words still lingered in his mind. It was... almost embarrassing... but his heart was fluttering so much...
"Tapioca on cake huh... It does sound very unique," Kashitaro said, wondering if something like that was actually good.
"Maybe as a decoration." A small puff of his cheeks. "Anyway, please go ahead and try all of them!"
"A-all of them?" Kashitaro repeated with a smile as he looked at the five cakes. "I thought we were just going to eat one."
"Taste testing! You don't have to finish all... just take a bite of each and say which tastes the best!" Amatsuki smiled a little.
"They are all different? I thought they were the same... You are really impressive," Kashitaro praised chuckling. "Alright! I will try all of them then."
"I have to see which has the best taste after all!" Amatsuki huffed. "If not Kuro-chan would complain!"
"She has high standards I see," the older male commented before trying all of the cakes, chewing carefully as he thought for a while before answering.
"I am not a good taste tester but I think this one tastes the best," Kashitaro said before pointing at another cake. "Though I think the others would like this one the most so I think you should go for this one."
"Hm..." Tasting them himself, Amatsuki sat in thought before nodding. "Can you try one last one? Just a quick one."
Pulling out the last of the batter, Amatsuki began putting in the flavouring again, this time seemingly more focused than before.
"Of course. You made another one?" Kashitaro asked as he watched the younger male pull out another cake.
"Mhm." Making it bite-sized so it cooked faster, Amatsuki fanned it gently when it came out of the oven before holding it out with his fork. "Try this one."
Humming, Kashitaro leaned forward, opening his mouth to eat the cake, chewing as he hummed in approval. "Mhm, this one tastes good as well. You really are skilled, Amatsuki-kun."
Blinking, Amatsuki bashfully shook his head. "It just takes practice... does this one taste better and what everyone will like?"
"I think everyone will like this cake, I'm sure," Kashitaro assured him.
"Then I'll bake this tomorrow." Nodding to himself, Amatsuki stared at the leftover cakes. "Maybe Kuro-chan would like to try all these too..."
"All by herself?" the older male asked amused as he looked at the remaining cakes.
"Well... yeah." A soft sigh as Amatsuki nodded. She'll have a fun time... or maybe I'll just bake the cake the day after so she finishes all these cakes first."
"That is your choice. But for now..."
Taking the fork and the cake plates, Kashitaro started cleaning up things. "Let's clean up and go sleep."
"Mhm." Washing the plates with Kashitaro's help, the two soon returned to their shared room and were now laying in their beds. "Nee Kashitaro-san... one last question..."
Putting the blanket over him, Kashitaro had already closed his eyes, humming in response when he heard the younger male speak up. "What is it, Amatsuki-kun?"
"If... I really did return your feelings... did you really... mean what you said?" He was just curious!
Smiling wryly, Kashitaro stayed silent for a second before answering. "You shouldn't get to that point in the first place, Amatsuki-kun." Hearing all of that, did Amatsuki really want to keep his hopes up like that?
"But I don't lie."
"Then... let me at least say this." Cheeks dusting red, Amatsuki looked away as his hand reached for the light switch. "I might... have feelings for you... even if it's just a bit..."
Quickly switching off the light, Amatsuki dived under his blankets, hiding himself away from embarrassment.
Saying nothing after that, Kashitaro merely hummed as he shifted slightly, staying silent for a bit before speaking up again.
"I see."
If Amatsuki said that, then he could keep his hopes up like that right? And he had told the younger male about how he might be if the other would be interested as well.
"Keep it up like that and I really won't let go of you again," Kashitaro warned him, his tone light hearted though he meant it. "Good night, Amatsuki-kun."
"G-Good night..." Amatsuki mumbled softly, burying himself under the blankets.
Another day... but this was so much different from the other days.
If they could get everyone back... wouldn't that just be great...?