Ran woke to a clouded state of mind. there was the feeling of dread and weakness in his limbs like they were too heavy. his eyes stung in adjustment to the lights. where was he?
he rose up in bed and finds one of their men.
he recalls Hikari's touch, her voice; her breath. she was always beside him somehow, and whether it was a dream or not, her scent lingered in the air. she had to have been here. but now she wasn't, forcing him to stand up immediately.
it wasn't such a smart idea. the room spun—and it was new to him. he's never been beaten up in years to the point of being dizzy. poison was a sneaky little bitch, it almost wounded his pride to be robbed off his strength.
"get off me," he huffs at the guard who held him in concern.
"sir, you're not supposed to be—"
"where's Hikari? no, better yet, what day is it?"
the guard filled him in on the recent events. he says that he had no exact details of the plan which he only knew Hikari had devised, and that the girl had been Bonten's trump card all along. was Ran surprised? no. was he proud? obviously.
but was he annoyed that her great plan put her life at risk when he's told her before to not get directly involved? he was. and he was worried. he called for the men outside to fetch him one of their spare devices, wasting no time to change his clothes, gather his weapons, and wear his gloves that were on the nightstand.
he instinctively moved to hide his ring necklace under his black shirt, but it was gone. his composure almost falters. where is it? he didn't have time to waste, but where the fuck is it?
"has Hikari been through my things?" he asks as he slipped the black leather on, faking calm.
"we thought you wouldn't mind," the guard stammers under Ran's gaze.
"I don't mind. did she change me from my clothes too? or was it the doctor?"
"she's been the one taking care of you from head to toe."
"of course," he sighs, opening the nightstand drawer and out of luck he finds the ring.
he can't be without it. he wears it around his neck, tucking the chain along with the golden band safely under his turtleneck.
"we really thought you wouldn't mind."
"I don't mind. I'm embarrassed."
while Hikari nursing him was exhilarating to know, he wasn't so fond of being a burden.
at his arbitrary honesty, the guard didn't know what to say. Ran grabbed the ear piece from his outstretched hands before walking out the door. he was still far from them, and so he could only hear the mess of the fight, unable to speak into the mic.
he knows absolutely nothing except that Hikari was in danger.
and he also knows that Hikari thought he was the most handsome man on earth. that, before the crushing sound of her device was heard. Ran spoke again as he entered the abandoned building, shooting people he crossed paths with.
he's sure he's shot some of his men too along the way but he was in a hurry.
"what floor is she in?" he asks, his miles long legs doing him good as he ran up the stairs.
"18th," Mikey answers, "can you fight, Ran?"
"the timer for the bomb?" he ignores his question.
"less than 20 seconds."
Ran grimaced, cursing everyone of the executives—Mikey especially, for allowing her to be this exposed. he knew he wasn't going to make it to her in time.
"which side of the building?"
"she's gonna fall, god, she's gonna fall."
"Rindou," he snaps, "which side?"
"facing the mountain."
Ran heard an explosion right there and he's never ran faster in his life. it was on the south side, and near the staircase. from what he can remember in the blueprints he's drilled into his head, there should be a balcony below the window right here.
the guys were busy screaming and letting out their agony in the mic. he didn't want to permit their worry as if Hikari was as good as dead. he went into the room connected to the terrace, quickly tossing his gloves to the floor. adrenaline took over completely and the next thing he knew he'd jumped across the other side of the railing.
Hikari was falling. she was falling still, and it was a good thing more than bad. because he was still above her, and he could still save her as long as he didn't fuck up.
his angel fell right into his arm and from the high fall he almost fell with her—the force exerted on his arm almost painful. his knuckles and his forearm hurt from tightly gripping the ledge, his foot digging in to the rubbling concrete of the edge.
he was panting, he'd realized. it was the aftereffects of the poison or his taxing sprint or the tensing of his arm muscles from carrying both their weight. what he did was crazy, the odds were close to none. but she was alive, eyes shut tight.
whatever the biology of his body was, as to why he still had the breath to lightly laugh when his lungs were the weakest in all its life even as a smoker, Ran did not care. relief washed over him. he didn't lose her.
"I'm awake now. someone promised me marriage," he teased.
+++
"hello, lover. can you kiss me again?"
no, she did not kiss him again. instead, she looked down, then back at him, down again, then hugged him tightly. his laughter was sweet but the air of having been so close to brushing death was not.
"come on, let's get you back in there."
his voice was everything she needed to solve 99% of her problems, including that of which the fear of this certain height. Hikari was trembling all over as Ran helps her step into safety. once she was both feet in, he easily jumps across.
"I love you, but we don't have time. tell me what the fuck is going on first."
he says this as he massages his shoulder—the one that had been gripping on the ledge—while rotating his wrist. Hikari can't help but forget every single word she'd known to speak. he was awake. alive. well. beautiful.
he was speaking, and he was dashing. his eyes were open and his lips could part. she has her Ran again.
and she must've felt damn relieved to finally be able to have someone to rely on again as her body shed of whatever fuel it was running on. her knees falter, every of her injury hurt ten times worse.
Ran was swift to hold her upright against his chest as his breath made itself present against her ear.
"fuck," he mutters, "did you get shot?"
"you're awake."
"I am, I am, so you better not die on me as a reward."
"I have no serious wounds, Ran. just let me hug you for a while."
her voice was muffled against his chest. Ran's mind was threading on a thin line—a very thin one wherein the fall would endanger her. of course he wanted to take his precious time to hold her and flirt with her and kiss her some more, but the loud gunshots and the rampant momentum of the fight made it impossible for him to downplay her need for protection.
"Hikari—" he moves to untangle himself from her, but she snuggles closer to him.
her neediness tugged right at his heartstrings but this wasn't the time. he hugs her indulgently, speaking through thee mic to tell the others who were on the verge of breaking down that she was safe. safe for now.
clearing the mess, he glances down at her again. it was hard to work alongside Hikari when his job required his tenacity, but the girl has him completely soft and weak.
"Hikari, baby, let's get you out of here first."
she pulls away instantly, her cheeks flushed.
"right, the mission."
"the mission," he nods, "that you are no longer going to take part of. tell me, where else did you plant the bombs?"
he motioned for her to walk back inside, and she does, the man tailing behind her. he pitied the girl for having to be forced to operate right after the shock of falling off a building.
he momentarily bends down to pick up the gloves he's discarded, handing them silently to her at the sight of the wounds on her hands. great, more scars to come—again because of him. if he'd never been poisoned he would've never let Hikari so much as lift a finger.
"they're too big on me, Ran."
"to prevent infection."
"it gets in the way of fighting."
he cocked a brow. "I didn't come here to make you fight some more."
she softly shoves the gloves in refusal as she took the gun from her waistband and emptied the barrel of her pistol. he looked more and more horrified by the second. what have they been doing to her?
"do you have spare bullets?"
he almost looked offended.
"do I look like I'd give you bullets?"
"why not?"
"give me that," he scowls, taking the gun from her hands and tossing it aside.
he didn't mean to let on so much attitude, he was just annoyed that she was burdened with so much in his absence. but clearly, Hikari took an offense to his actions, and before he could apologize she was glaring at him to shut his mouth.
"you can take your misogynistic and sick ass back to your hotel room. you shouldn't be out of bed. I should be helping the others."
"darling," he says, stepping closer, and his voice plays with her heart, "I am not underestimating you. and I am not sick anymore."
she sighs as she makes a point by touching his forehead. Ran almost leans in to kiss her again.
"you are still hot."
he blinks, then he cracks a grin as he steps back.
"'course I am. you're hot too."
"Ran!"
"fight with me as we walk," he hushes.
Ran's gloves were quality leather, but perhaps because it was his hands they fit, Hikari wanted them out of the way as he took her hand in his.
as they both left the corridor, Hikari filled him in on the floor locations of the bombs, the estimate remaining members of Red Flower, and a little story about how her undercover mission got totally flushed down the drain.
"so they figured you out because you couldn't hide your love for me?" he says.
"will you shut up, Ran?"
"you were begging me to talk while I was half dead, so no, I won't shut up."
she rolled her eyes. only Ran could pull out her knack for arguing even in the middle of a serious fight. and only him could make her mad and then constantly neutralize it because he was holding her hand so tightly.
their steps in sync, her shoulders free from too much weight because of this man's reliable presence, Hikari devised a plan with him. what a great mind he had, and it felt really really great to not be the plan maker anymore.
Hikari had to grow up too soon. she took care of both her brothers. she took on jobs and lied about her age. there was no one to particularly look after her and clean up her mess.
until Ran. he spoiled her rotten.
when he was away she was afraid that she'd have to carry things by herself again.
she sneaked a glance at his side profile as he was busy disseminating the plan to the others.
he looks back curiously, feeling her gaze.
"tell them I said hi."
"Hikari says hi," he says, his tone taking a break from its authoritativeness.
while he was handsome, Ran still looked pale—sickly pale. she wondered how his body was feeling, which she guesses couldn't be anything good. she's borrowed enough of his brains. maybe he can sit the rest out.
"where are we going exactly?" she asks.
"downstairs, you're leaving now."
"uhuh."
"uhuh?" he was certainly expecting an argument there.
"ah," she winces as she holds her side.
Ran came to an abrupt halt. "what?"
"what is it?"
he tried to move her hands away, concern painting his face. now, Hikari was the person he trusted the most, but she was also the person he knew could outsmart him. the girl pushed him back, and he stumbles into a room.
it's as if their mind simultaneously remembered which room it was from what they've studied in the blueprint as his face portrayed his realization. he locks her wrist in a hold before she could close the door, almost twisting them from muscle memory until he reminds himself this was his beloved.
"nice try," he remarks.
she grumbled. it was worth the shot to try and lock him in the room while they go wrap up the rest. "you're not yet healed."
"nothing of your concern. now, drop your antics and just listen to me for once."
this was the look in his eyes that told her he was bordering rare anger and patience. Ran never got mad at her, the only exception being when she gets in danger.
"you are not fighting!" she strikes first.
he sighs. so this will be a fight.
"we're wasting time."
"then how about we both stay here and do our jobs?"
"you've done enough. go back to my room, take a shower, get some rest, and I'll tend to your wounds when I get back."
"you're not my boss."
"I'm your—"
"ex," she finishes, "you're my ex."
he sucks in a breath, smiling annoyedly at her. why is it so hard to agree on a crucial subject such as her safety?
"you fell off a goddamn building, Hikari—you almost died. I cannot focus if you are here."
"I can protect myself."
"Hikari."
"Ran," she shoots back, "objectively speaking, chances are higher with me here. we both know that."
he rolls his eyes as he stressfully runs a hand through his hair. he's just woken up from a deep sleep and already the woman was giving him a migraine. of course he knew they were better off with her. he'd not bat an eye if she wasn't his woman.
"and you just rose up from the dead, Ran—you're not the only one worried here."
and she gives him a pinch of butterflies along with this mess. he sighs. there was no winning.
before he could argue however—and he's thankful his senses didn't die down with his energy—he braces Hikari to himself as a knife lodges to where she stood. he holds her in place, merciless as he shot the man right across the face.
blood spattered on his own. Hikari was star-struck for a solid minute.
he was an undeniably beautiful killer—back then when they'd first met and even now. his charm didn't fade with time. anyone would romanticize bloodshed when it complemented his skin well. anyone would treat his vices as gospel.
devil in silks, she thought.
Ran pulls away, looking to see if any blood had gotten on her. he's done a good job of hiding her away though.
"thanks," she grinningly says, eyes twinkling, "lover."
"you..."
maybe he was still sick, because his face felt hot. what a smile. only Hikari could melt the composure he easily wore like a second skin when he was working.
"stop saying nonsense," he dismisses.
"alright, darling," she shot back.
"Hikari, stop it."
"yes, love."
at this point the tips of his ears turned a faint pink.
their bubble however gets disrupted as more men rush in their direction. Hikari looked at them in both contempt and worry before a rain of bullets head in their direction.
both separate behind walls, checking to see if the other got hurt.
"they're a lot," Hikari sheepishly smiled.
"Ran? are you in position?" Kakucho asks over the device.
he grimaces out his response. "we're ambushed."
"probably because you two were too damn loud."
"could hear you arguing from ten floors up."
"it's better than them having sex, no?"
"well, they did just get back together."
"we're not back together," Ran mutters, "not yet."
Hikari goads him with a somewhat annoyed expression.
"am I not your ex?" he pettily says.
"you are, good riddance."
she lurches forward, extending her arms to their direction as she empties the shell of the gun she just stole from Ran's waistband earlier. Ran was quick to back her up, and he could almost smile at how Hikari's shots were getting more precise. that is until he ushers her behind his back, finishing off the remainder with no bullet going to waste.
honestly, the only advantage they had to not have been shot was that they were reloading, and Ran was a fast shooter.
Hikari peeked over his shoulder as the loudness died down.
"I've no more bullets."
"it holds 30 thin bullets, Hikari, they were only about 20."
"you are such an arrogant ass when it comes to my skills at aiming."
"or lack thereof," he says under his breath.
"fine, if we're rating things, the sex you offer is at a rate of 5."
"out of?"
"thirty."
his lips quirk up in a smirk. "I know you're a book nerd, Hikari. you rate books 5 out 5 stars. glad to know I get a perfect score."
he grabbed her waist to guide her forward as Hikari shot him a glare. they had plenty time to expend each other's banters and wits later on when there wasn't a risk of a stray bullet wounding in her flesh.
they turn a corner and Hikari realized he was taking her away the staircase. good, he's given up on trying to exclude her from the mission.
Ran was getting paler by the minute as they finally reach the room where she's planted the second bomb. Hikari tinkers over it as Ran spoke to the others again.
"anyone still in the floor above that we might blast off?" he asks.
"nope, we're down here." Koko gives him the go.
"all good," Rindou chipped in.
he almost asked his brother if he was alright, then he was appalled that he wasn't that much easy to think of as dead.
"Mikey? Hikari's working on it now."
"yes, proceed—"
"and why the fuck would you make Hikari handle the explosives?" Ran hisses in a low whisper so she doesn't hear, "are we that short on men? you'll overwork my woman?"
"she never told you Hideo's hobby was making explosives?"
"ah."
"once you detonate it come down to meet us right away, you shouldn't encounter another nuisance as we've cleared the 5th floor down. once it explodes they have no choice but to all go down."
"where we'll be waiting," Ran happily says.
"right. set it off."
"alri—"
"wait! wait! I'm still on the 10th floor," Takeomi breathlessly says.
he seemed to be running down the stairs. Ran looked down at Hikari who was fixing up the wires of the bomb.
"be careful of that wire, Hikari," he says.
and she listens.
"Ran, wait, I'm still on the 9th, god these stairs are killing me."
Ran pursed his lips as he fell on one knee to level his face with Hikari. she looked up at him, softly smiled, and said that she could set it off when he finally gives her a go. so precious. and Takeomi had the audacity to give her a hard time while he was unconscious, blaming her for Ran's own mistake.
"Hikari, darling," he makes sure to add an endearment to curb the authority dripping from his voice. Hikari wasn't his subordinate.
"will you please set it off now?"
Koko snorted into the device, "since when did Mr. I'm-Smarter-Than-Everyone-Else speak so politely when giving orders?"
but he didn't have time to retort as he took Hikari's hand and trailed to the flight of stairs. they were old-fashioned bombs that needed to be set at a short range; the only explosives Koko could buy from the other guests since the gate had them all shut inside. they were quite troublesome, but its explosion wasn't to be trifled with.
"can you not walk so fast?" Hikari scowls.
Ran would carry her if it didn't risk being unable to react on time for attacks.
"you're walking slow."
"you're rather blunt."
"really? have you met yourself?"
"I just think you work this way—you nitpick my shooting, my walk, my plans. our colleagues must hate you."
"yes, I don't have to be a good person to be a good husband."
"you're not a good husband," she lies.
the darkness of his murder and his lies, the words they'd let go that hurt each other were swept under the carpet. it must've been the thrill of the bloodied, deathly building.
"I hope being the most handsome man on earth makes up for it."
"you're not."
"ah, then who is this husband you bragged about?"
"what?"
"let me meet him so I can judge if he's worth your proud declaration."
her cheeks burn up with realization and embarrassment. her body had gone on autopilot as Ran took her with him downstairs.
why would I choose you when my husband's already the most handsome man on earth?
of course he heard that. she had a feeling it was bound to get brought up often from now on.
from now on.
did that mean she was set on never parting from him again? maybe. and maybe it's not wise to think about all that in the middle of a dangerous exchange.
"Ran, you can set off the bomb now," Takeomi tells him as he and Hikari finally arrive at the ground floor.
his disloyal woman untangles her hand from his as she went up to hug Kokonoi and Mikey. he resists the urge to roll his eyes.
"I'm already at the 5th." Takeomi—clueless fool.
"we set it off ages ago," he sweetly tells Takeomi.
"what?!"
and cue the groundshaking explosion of old-fashioned, short-ranged bombs. Ran whistled as he looked up, wondering if Takeomi finally learned his lesson. he had a long list of mistakes to justify Ran's petty vengeance: always having an arm around Hikari's shoulders, pushing her into the pool, making her feel bad a night ago.
"where's Takeomi?" Hikari asks as it dawns in that not everyone was here.
"if he's lucky, he shouldn't be in hell yet," Ran responds as he walks over to them.
"so we just wait for them to descend?"
"we wait for them. you, my beloved little criminal, who can't shoot straight but can set off bombs, will be retiring early."
"Mikey, you need to tell my ex that he's only an executive."
"Ran, you're only an executive."
"EXecutive," Kokonoi adds, making Hikari laugh.
Ran realized then that Kokonoi and Hikari were somewhat alike. they liked to tease him a lot, and when they were together it seemed their big mathematical brains just shrink and they laugh at about anything. their favorite pastime also seemed to be roasting Ran, even back then when they were all cladded up in their meetings.
at least despite their past he was ravenously jealous about, they were clearly just friends now—best friends at best.
"Mikey, can you tell Hikari that we got it from here?" he sighs.
"tell Ran he can fuck himself."
"tell Hikari she's being stubborn."
"Ran's stealing your authority, Mikey—always ordering me around."
"she's ordering everyone around."
"can't the two of you just get the fuck out?" Mikey snaps.
all banters were set aside as Takeomi descended down the stairs, announcing that there were still more than forty enemies in tow. it wasn't such a bad number. and Ran was a talent at sharpshooting because of his fascination for weapons at an early age, Mikey didn't even feel the need to help anymore.
"Hikari, maybe we should leave the rest to them," Mikey softly urges her.
the last thing he wants is her getting caught in the crossfire. he also knew that Ran's seemingly overprotective stance on Hikari's involvement was more than reasonable since just about anything could go wrong in gun fights when you least expected it.
"but—"
she gets silenced as a frustrated Ran, who stood beside her, suddenly dipped his head down to kiss her. now, all the others could see was the back of his head as he swallows Hikari. they all looked away.
this was his favorite way of shutting her up. he especially loves the surprised whimper she made that allows him control.
Ran wasted no time to take her frustrations in his mouth. sometimes, no matter how much he loved her sarcasm and retorts, her tongue was just best fit to be twined in his. he partially pulls away, their lips hovering over each other's.
"is this about wanting to kill them yourself?" he softly asks.
she looked at him in surprise, then she wonders why she was surprised at all when he knows her down to the depths of her soul. the girl avoided his eyes, then Ran moves to embrace her in a hug instead, his lips against her ear.
"is it not enough if I tie them up and offer them to you defenseless?"
"isn't that cheating?"
"you were defenseless too," he sadly says, but there was a hint of anger in his voice.
he will never forgive them for putting her in a coma months ago before his fake death; for even insinuating the wretched thought of taking turns on her had he not arrived on time.
"am I wrong? do you want to personally kill them for other reasons?"
"...Hideo."
his heart falls and he prominently stiffens, but he holds her tighter, as if silently pleading her to not full-on resent him again.
"then you've got the wrong target, Hikari. it was me who killed your brother, not them."
"you killed a nameless traitor—you were doing your job."
is this what you led yourself to believe?
—is what he wanted to ask. but the subject was too heavy to discuss right before he gets into a fight.
"I've killed Kenji and Miko, Ran, I'm not looking to personally kill anyone so much anymore. I want to stay because you're not well."
he hears the impending presence of their poor enemies as they descend the stairs a floor up. he took it as a sign that he needed to focus on his job again as he pulls away, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"it will help me so much more when I'm not anxious about your safety."
she looked to be considering it. then she gave a relenting nod.
she was just worried about him. Ran can't help but want to grovel at how much she still cared after everything.
"I'll see you in a while, yeah?" he gives her a soft smile.
"alright."
"huh, you do know how to listen," he kisses her temple, "after about thirty fucking tries."
they both share a grin.
"Ran, how about we put our dicks inside our pants first?" Koko calls.
he rolled his eyes, patting Hikari's head as he moves to turn away. one shy touch on his sleeve has him spellbound to offer her his attention once more.
"kill everyone, just make sure you come back to me unharmed, okay?"
he faintly smiles at the memory of when she's first told him that in the shower as she cleaned him from the blood of his victims.
"I'll be fine. come on, I am an executive."
"I am your wife," she sharply says, "I will worry."
his eyes widen at her words, but he brushes off his surprise with a chuckle.
"I got promoted from an ex that easily?"
he bid himself one last glance at her retreating figure as she leaves with Mikey. she'll be safe. and finally, he can actually kill the way he wants to kill.
a shrill laugh escapes his lips as he and Rindou move through the crowd of people. killing was fun. he sometimes liked to take his time with it—make it almost personal.
but this was different. these were the people that had truly, fervently made her suffer. he doesn't care if it made him a hypocrite—and maybe he partially blamed them too for sending Hideo in his vicinity, for making him sin so gravely without even knowing.
needless to say, where his enemies expected a straightforward death, they endured excruciating torture.
+++
Ran was extremely tired—as in one breath away from collapsing tired. his legs barely had the energy to carry himself to the elevators, then up to their floor, then to his room. unsurprisingly, he stops to look at Hikari's door.
how does he tell her that he wants to see her but at the same time he didn't want to push his luck? maybe he could use his sick privilege because he did feel sick. he was fine before because of the adrenaline rush and being on high alert, but as it died down he felt every repercussion in his body—from the poison and fatigue.
now he recalls that Hikari has sustained injuries too, and he had to treat them. did she need a doctor? well he'd only find out if he knocks on her door.
and he does. and he felt nervous. and he never felt nervous.
"Hikari?" he calls when there was no response.
she must be asleep.
or she's ignoring me.
she realizes I am indeed someone she might've romanticized, but the devil in silks is still the devil—to quote one of the lines in her books.
he mechanically moves inside his room instead, expecting to be greeted with emptiness. yet as he stepped in he could hear the soft noise of the television. he walked in further and found Hikari on the bed, dressed in one of her nightgowns and seeming to have fallen asleep while watching something.
his heart beats out of its ribcage, his energy replenished. but somehow he wanted to cry.
day in and day out, his penthouse had been empty ever since she left. and only now did he realize how much he missed having her to come home to after a taxing day.
he doesn't wake her up as he walks to the bathroom. he had to clean himself up first before he even so much as steps in her vicinity. he was littered in blood, and it never sat well with him to get something so filthy and impure pollute Hikari's air.
Ran turns on the shower in advance as he strips himself of his clothes, his gloves, and the necklace of his valued ring. he must've been out of his mind when he doesn't notice the eyes on him until he hears her surprise.
"Ran."
she'd stopped by the door, frozen in place. her eyes involuntary rake down his frame; he looks does as well, and he realizes he was already naked.
"nothing you haven't seen before, no?"
"put some clothes on!" she yells, flustered as she partially turns away.
"I'm about to take a shower, Hikari. did you have something to tell me?"
"I called in dinner—you haven't eaten in two days."
she left immediately. her cuteness made him smile, but he can't help but feel aggravated with what was to come after dinner. he wasn't ready to hurt her again, but it was inevitable when he spoke truthfully.