The fight had been resolved, but there was still a rift between them- an uncomfortable space that Keigo couldn't close no matter how badly he wanted to. This...distance... was made most obvious by how differently Mariko reacted around him. Gone were the times he'd surprise her at her apartment with dinner and a movie, the afternoons they'd spend lounging around together on their off days, and the impromptu sleepovers when one of them would come home distraught from something that happened at work. By far what hurt him the most was the unspoken rule that the blonde could no longer wander into her apartment whenever he wanted to- especially when she wasn't there. He had to wait for Mariko to be in the mood to entertain him which was much less often than he would've liked. His "emergency key" really was only to be used in extreme emergencies now. He thought that given the circumstances, he should be thankful she was still talking to him; but that had changed too. Their conversations no longer included the unnecessary details she'd previously included in her recounts so he could have a more complete idea of what her day had been like, and she'd stopped calling him about dinner.
He knew he had no one to blame but himself. She'd been mysterious, but she'd never given him a reason to think she was a criminal or a spy, and he'd basically accused her of being both because he'd poked his nose in places he wasn't supposed to. He kept kicking himself for the way he'd reacted when he found out and wished he could go back in time and just talk to her. Feeling sorry for himself, however, wouldn't do anything to get Mariko to trust him again. Instead, his regret served as motivation to do whatever he could to make it up to her.
Keigo had come up with several ideas to achieve this (including a risky plan to have her fake kidnapped so he could rescue her- but decided to save that as an absolute last resort). When he really thought about it though, he knew a grand gesture wouldn't work on her. He had to show her through small, consistent gestures that he was reliable- that she could rely on him.
He'd started to walk her to and from work, accompanying her whenever she went out at night, and helping her carry groceries or shopping bags. Doing all of these things allowed him to spend time with her in a positive environment. Besides, he'd found he actually liked bringing her lunch to work every day (something else he'd gotten into the habit of doing). He always made sure to get something she liked so whenever she was able to get the food herself, she'd thank him, and a little smile would come across her face when she looked in the bag. It was moments like these that reassured him he was slowly, slowly making progress.
Mariko, on the other hand, wasn't exactly sure of how to respond to the male's sudden thoughtfulness. She wasn't stupid- she knew Keigo was doing this because she'd distanced herself from him, and as a result, she'd rejected them at first. But as she'd learned to do with all of his changes in behavior- she adjusted and even became accustomed to it. As time passed, she'd actually come to expect seeing him waiting for her outside her apartment first thing in the morning to take her to work, and again at the hospital when it was time to go back home. She especially liked not having to wake up early and make herself lunch.
The brunette walked into the breakroom, having just changed into a new set of scrubs seeing as her first set had been ruined by a patient with a stomach virus. Her phone buzzed and she frowned a bit, seeing a message from Keigo. She had just missed him stopping by the hospital to hand off her lunch. She realized that he'd been putting a lot of effort and time into fixing things between them on top of his hero duties and investigation on the League of Villains and really appreciated it. So, she'd figured the least she could do was thank him for it whenever he did something nice.
"Mariiii," Sakura sang, waltzing into the room. "The boo dropped off lunch for you again," she said dropping a plastic bag on the table in front of you. "I looked inside.. that boy spoils you too much. I don't know what you did to get a man like that wrapped around your finger, but whatever it is, is gonna get you fat soon," she joked.
Mariko glared at her and opened the bag. Inside there was a bento containing all her favorite sushi from her favorite restaurant. She was a bit surprised he'd remember that was her favorite place even though they'd never eaten there together. A tiny, almost unnoticeable smile graced her features.
Sakura stared at her for a moment, a curious expression on her face, "how much longer are you gonna keep him in the birdcage?" she asked. Mariko had ended up telling Sakura about what happened between her and Hawks when she got back from Okinawa and while she knew Hawks was in the wrong, she still felt bad for him. She knew first hand how difficult it was to get to know Mariko- one literally had to pry the information out of her, or hope you stumbled on it. She knew Mariko had trust issues and usually she respected the brunette's no-second chances rule, but Hawks was different. It was obvious the male meant a lot to her, and it was painfully obvious how much the hero cared for her friend. At this point, Mariko was just being stubborn.
"I don't know," the female sighed. Yes, he'd been putting a lot of effort into gaining her trust again; but where was the guarantee that he wasn't gonna break it again?
"Mari, he fucked up. I know that, you know that, he definitely knows that. But he can't make things better if you don't give him the chance to. You guys are miserable without each other. It's like you're walking around with a dark cloud over you at all times. Don't you think it's time to kiss and makeup?" Sakura asked.
She raised an eyebrow at her friend's choice of words, "We don't kiss," she informed her.
"Then you are a disappointment to all women kind but that's not the point. The point is that he's doing everything he can to redeem himself and it'd be wrong of you to not give him a second chance," she told her.
Mariko said nothing, but she knew her friend had a valid point.
"Promise me you'll think about it though okay? I'm sick of seeing him coming in here looking like a sad puppy. It's giving me depression," she pouted.
The brunette looked up at her, "I will," she promised.
Sakura nodded, accepting the response.
The rest of the workday, Mariko kept thinking about what to do. She recognized that she was part of the problem. Had she not been so unwilling to open herself up to him, she could've explained the situation and avoided permanently putting their lives in danger by sharing classified information. Now, she was repeating the same mistakes as before; she was distancing herself from him again while he was trying to reach out.
When she left the hospital that evening, Keigo was right outside waiting for her as always. He immediately noticed the pensive look on her face and became worried. Had he done something to upset her again? "Hey... how was work?" he asked hesitantly. He decided to go for a casual question and hopefully be able to decipher what was going on with her.
"It was pretty slow thankfully, just the usual rounds and someone with a stomach virus in the morning," she told him.
"That sounds like it'd be really gross to deal with," he commented.
Mariko smiled a bit, "Yeah it was," she admitted. "Thanks for the food by the way. Sorry I wasn't able to get it from you in person."
The blonde shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I figured you were probably busy with something," he dismissed.
The brunette nodded, adjusting the bag on her shoulder so hung more comfortably. The small action prompted Keigo to slip the bag off her arm and take it himself.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"Don't mention it," he said quietly.
The silence that followed was a strange one. It wasn't filled with tension; it was just a bit awkward. He sensed that something had changed between them, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. Whatever it was though, allowed him to stand a little closer to her than the day before, and for that, he was grateful.