Archive of Our Own

It was just another ordinary night at your bar when you officially met the Port Mafia. And not just a bar that you frequent; it's a bar that you've owned for the last year. It's been your dream to own your own establishment, and it just so happened that mixing drinks and attending guests was your specialty. After graduating from college and earning your bachelor's degree in business and hospitality, you then went on to get your degree in mixology, and later earned your liquor license. You bought a run down building in downtown Yokohama, spruced it up a bit, and after 6 years of hard work and determination, the 'Rose Thorn' bar was opened. You're very proud of your bar, and it shows every time you mix drinks, or engage in animated conversations with your patrons, or interacting with your co-workers; even when you have the occasional unruly patron that tries to start a fight, 're you're pretty happy (though slightly annoyed during those times). It really is your dream bar.  

Even though you're aware of the recent trouble in Yokohama as of late, the city is still a place you call 'home'. Even though you're aware of certain yakuza that've been known to stir up trouble, you still decide to stay. Growing up, you've been known to be quite stubborn, and getting into so much trouble that your grandparents nearly had heart attacks trying to keep up with you. You didn't have many friends, due to your stubborn streak and rather progressive way of thinking when it comes to certain topics of conversation, but you did have one best friend that's still around in your life, who was, unsurprisingly, your first employee in your bar.

It was in this very bar that you ran into the infamous Port Mafia for the first time.

You've heard of them, sure. Anyone, whether on the surface or the underground of Yokohama, has heard of the Port Mafia in some way or another. After all, they were primarily involved in a war that nearly destroyed Yokohama a few weeks prior, along with the Armed Detective Agency. You don't really know the complete details of what happened- just bits and pieces from certain patrons, and a limited amount of information from a friend in the ADA. Nonetheless, you know the Port Mafia and you know how dangerous they can be. And though you are worried about them, and you should be afraid of them, you know that you can handle and protect yourself should you need to.

It's with this mindset that you fall back on when the Rabid Dog of the Port Mafia, Akutagawa, the manipulator of gravity, Nakahara Chuuya, and the boss man himself, Mori Ougai, walk into your bar. You feel the easygoing energy that's common in your bar turn into something cold, defensive, and calculated. You can see the eyes trail after the three men ( 'Well, a man and 2 monsters,' your brain unhelpfully corrects), yet you keep wiping down the bar top, feigning obliviousness to the situation at hand, until you feel them walk up to the main bar. After about a minute, you put the towel over your shoulder and look at the three people with a small smile. "Gentlemen, how can I help you?" you ask. You refuse to let the internal panic and worry show on your face, as you take in the faces of 3 of the most dangerous people in the city. Akutagawa was wearing his tattered black coat that he used for his ability, along with a scowl on his pale face. Nakahara Chuuya was wearing a sort of disinterested expression, partially covered by his famed fedora, and his regular western style outfit. Mori Ougai was wearing a crisp, three-piece black suit, and a calculating smile on his face, and carrying a suitcase.

"I was hoping you can point me to the owner of this establishment?" Mori asked, though, by the tone, it didn't sound like a question.

You raise your eyebrow. "May I ask why?"

"You may," Mori replied smoothly.

The two of you just stare at each other in silence for a moment, wearing equally calculating smiles, before you break it. "Well, while we're waiting, would you three like something to drink?" 

"Wine," you hear Nakahara say immediately. You do your best to not laugh outright, but you do manage to let a snicker slip from your lips. The redhead looks at you and smirks a little. "If you have it. Red."

You nod and turn your attention to Akutagawa, who just stares at you with an annoyed expression. He says nothing, so you turn your head to Mori. "Whiskey on the rocks, top shelf," he says, holding up a finger. 

You nod, and gesture for the three of them to have a seat at the bar while you go make their drinks. It's a bit of a shame that you're not mixing cocktails, but business is business. While getting the respective glasses and deciding which type of whiskey and red wine you should pour, your best friend, Nick, approaches you, cleaning a glass as he avoids eye contact with the guests. "You know who they are?" they ask.

"Yep," you say, looking at the selection of alcohol you have.

"And you're still serving them?"

"Yep."

He glances at you with a look of concern before he turns away and goes back to the rest of the patrons, but not before they whisper "hope you know what you're doing." 

You ponder that for a minute before admitting quietly to yourself "Not really." 

You grab the highball and wine glass in one hand, and the bottles in the other, performing a daring balancing act as you place them in front of you. You pour the finger of whiskey in the glass before sliding it across the bar before you see it enveloped in a red glow, stopping in front of Mori. You pour a glass of water with ice in it, and you slide that over before Akutagawa stops it with his hand. With the wine, you bring both the glass and the wine over to redhead and pour until he gives you the signal to stop, and you place it in front of him with your customer service smile. "So, how can I help you?" you ask again as you lean across the bar.

Mori looks at you with a raised eyebrow. "I was hoping you could point me to the owner-"

"That would be me," you say with a proud smile. You hear a slight cough coming from one of them, but pay it no mind, as you watch a slight hint of shock come over Mori's face, before it disappears under that damn mask of a smile.

"I see. You're a bit young to own a bar," he says. Nothing patronizing, though; just stating a fact.

You shrug. "I hear that a lot, but coming from you, I'll take the compliment for what it is."

Mori nods. "Well, I was hoping to talk to you about this bar, if you don't mind."

"What would you like to know?" you ask with a raised brow.

Mori takes a drink from his whiskey while keeping his eyes on you, and you do the same. You can still feel the eyes of some of the other patrons locked onto your area, but you ignore them. After placing his glass down, Mori places his hands underneath his chin, and speaks. "I was wondering if you're willing to have this bar placed under the protection of the-"

"No thank you," you say, cutting the man off.

You hear two coughs this time, and your quick glance shows that it came from the two executives. You turn your attention back to Mori, as he regards you with slightly widened eyes. "Pardon?" he asks.

"I truly appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to respectfully decline," you say with a low bow. As you rise to your full height a few seconds later, you look into Mori's unnaturally colored eyes, and give him a soft smile. 

A hush falls over your bar as everyone starts fully listening in on your conversation. This isn't the first time you've been offered protection before, and you knew that it wasn't going to be the last. There have been no more than 3 minor gangs that came to you with the same offer over the last 6 months since you've opened, and you've turned down all 3 of them for the same reason: you just don't want any trouble (ironic since you've gotten into loads of trouble growing up, especially when you were in high school ). But ever since the summer after your second year in high school, you've tried your best not to voluntarily get yourself into trouble, as well as go out and look for trouble, and you've done a decent job with that endeavor ( though, the last time you did, you may or may not have put someone in the hospital, but it wasn't your fault, really; if that guy hadn't been harassing Nick, you wouldn't have had to punch him so hard in the face, over and over and over, that he needed to have minor reconstructive surgery).

However, when these minor gangs started showing up, you've done your best to stay out of trouble, and kept your business afloat. There was that one gang that wouldn't really leave you alone, so you've had to… convince them to do so, and ever since then, no other yakuza have come to bother you or the Rose Thorn ever again.

Well, until tonight, that is. 

"Well," Mori says, interrupting your thoughts, "may I ask how you handle these problems?"

"You may."

Once again, the two of you stare at each other in silence, though, this time, Mori is the one that breaks it. "You've seen to have made up your mind rather quickly."

"You are not the first to have come with such an offer, though I do hope that you're the last," you say honestly. 

"I see." And Mori takes another swig of his whiskey. You take a look around and you notice that everyone in the bar, including the two executives, are staring at you in blatant shock. See, some of the patrons know about the offers you've received, and hell, they know about the Port Mafia; but to see someone turn down an offer from the Port Mafia? Almost unheard of.

"I'm sure you're familiar with who I am," Mori says in a calm voice.

"I am."

"And… you do understand who these two gentlemen are," he says, gesturing to Nakahara and Akutagawa.

You look at them both and nod. "I do."

"And yet… you decline my offer."

"Yep."

Mori finishes off his whiskey and places the glass down with a sigh. He then looks up, and the two of you stare at each other for more than a couple of minutes ( 'At least 3,' your brain supplies), before you see Mori give a subtle nod at Akutagawa. In one second, you see Akutagawa's coat grow sharp and about to go after the patrons. In another second, you place one finger on Mori's hand with a light touch, and another finger on Akutagawa's. In a third second, you feel Nick pull out a gun from across the bar, and aim it right at Mori's head. In a fourth second, you see Nakahara pull out a gun and aim it right at your head. In a fifth second, you feel the sharpness of Akutagawa's coat right against your neck, careful enough to not draw blood. In a sixth second, you feel everyone else freeze at the suddenness of everything.

No one moves. No one talks. No one even breathes. You keep your eyes locked on Mori, as he does the same to you; he wears a small smile, while yours dropped from your face in a line of grim determination. You know that if you turn your attention away for a millisecond, things could end bloody. You keep your fingers steady on Mori and Akutagawa, and you know that Nick can handle themselves. You can feel an intense gaze coming from both Akutagawa and Nakahara, knowing that they'll defend their boss to the death, if it comes to that. You pray that it doesn't.

"You're an ability user," Mori says after a few moments of tense silence.

You say nothing, but your eyes tell Mori all that you need to say: "How do you know that?"

"Well, I had no way to confirm it, really, until now." Mori continues with a chuckle as he glances at the finger on his wrist. "The fact that you didn't go for the gun underneath the bar, and instead you placed your fingers on me and Akutagawa, which tells me that you have a touch based ability."

You still say nothing, but you dart your eyes to the two executives, and quickly look back at Mori with a deadly glare. "Call them off," your eyes say.

It's tense for a few more moments before Mori nods again, and the tendrils and gun immediately disappear. You keep your fingers on Mori and Akutagawa, as Nick keeps his gun trained on Mori. The man raises an eyebrow, and darts his eyes at your finger. You keep it there for a few moments, put a little pressure on it in a silent threat, before you slowly remove them, just in case Mori tries anything. You place them on the bar, just a few inches away from the man, as you keep your glare on a smiling Mori. "You're quite an interesting person," he comments idly. 

"And you're an insufferable, fucking bastard," you snark back.

"What did you-" Akutagawa says, but Mori raises a hand. You don't flinch at that gesture.

"Relax, Akutagawa-kun," Mori says offhandedly. "I take no offense to their words." He stands, and gestures for the executives to do the same. Nakahara does, after he spares you a glance which you return with a glare, and Akutagawa follows after you both exchange murderous glares. As they start to walk out, Mori pauses and looks back at you. "May I ask why you don't want our protection?" he asks with a raised brow.

You don't answer for a few moments, seeing as you feel that Mori doesn't deserve such an answer. But you do: "I just want to run my bar without any problems; though, should any appear on its doorstep, I'll handle it like I always do."

"I see," he says, amused at your answer. He gives a short bow and starts to leave the bar.

"Mori-san," you call out. The man stops, but doesn't turn to face you. "I trust we won't have any problems?" you say with a smile sharp enough to cut a knife. 

Mori gives you a nod. "You have my word," and he, along with the executives, leave the bar. 

As soon as they do, you let out a shaky sigh of relief as your knees finally give out, and you practically collapse on top of the bar. Nick rushes over to you, his gun disappearing as he does, and places a gentle hand in between your shoulder blades. "You okay?" he asks in his concerned tone.

You take a few moments to catch your breath and control your nerves. When you do, you look up at Nick with a shaky smile. "Yeah. You know I can handle myself," you say with confidence, but your eyes tell you something that only you and Nick knows: that you were terrified. And you know that Nick knows because he pulls you into a tight hug.

"I know you can," he murmurs. 

After a few minutes, you gently pat their back as they go get a glass of water, and you take the time to regain your balance. You take a few deep breaths, slowly drink the water that Nick gives you, and you go back to your patrons. 

After all, a bartender's night isn't done until the very last call.

The second time you meet a member of the Port Mafia, it was another regular night at the bar, until it wasn't. 

It had only been about a month since the incident at the Rose Thorn, and while you've been working your ass off, you've also closed the place for a few days to process what happened, and to allow yourself to take a breather. 'You almost died, ' you thought one night. 'You, Nick, and everyone else almost died that night.' It hurt, thinking things like that, no matter how true it might be, but it also gave you some perspective: you had an encounter with 3 of the most dangerous members of the Port Mafia and lived to tell the tale. Not a lot of people can say that- you can probably count on one hand the number of people who can - and, well, if you can get through that in relatively one piece, then you can get through just about anything.

Including a break-up.

You had been dating a man since your second year in college, and you were infatuated with him all this time. You were head over heels in love, and you were thinking about a future with him: an engagement, marriage, and maybe starting a family with him. But when you found out that he was with another person a year before you opened the Rose Thorn, you broke it off, right then and there. It was heartbreaking, those nights in your apartment, or Nick's, or your other friend's place, crying your eyes out over a love lost. You haven't had so much as a date since then, refusing to open your heart like that again for someone else to break it. You haven't even texted your ex since you found out. 

Ever since your near death experience, you looked back on those times with your ex: the pictures, the gifts, everything that reminded you of him. During that month after the incident, you got rid of whatever was left, whether that was burning and deleting pictures, or pawning the gifts to help with the bar, it was gone. You spent so much time thinking about your ex, even though it still hurts sometimes, and now, you realized that you wasted time thinking about someone who really has no real significance in your life now and moved forward. You're finally ready to permanently close that chapter off in your life. 

Or so you thought.

In the middle of your shift, you just finished making a fruity cocktail when you heard the door swing open. You're about to cheer out a greeting, but, upon seeing who it was, you stop short as you look into the electric blue eyes of one Nakahara Chuuya. The two of you lock eyes, and you cross your arms, a scowl etching your features, as you see Nakahara walk up to the bar. You don't avert your eyes, and neither does he, as he pauses just a couple of feet away from you. You notice he doesn't take a seat at the bar. "If you're here about that offer, you can tell your boss-"

"It's not about that, I promise," you hear him say. You raise an eyebrow at that. "Seriously. I know Mori is an 'insufferable, fucking bastard', as you so eloquently put it-" the corner of your lips quirk up a bit at the memory- "but, believe it or not, he's a man of his word."

You scan the ginger's face for any indication of him lying, and finding none, you start to lower your arms. "So you're here for…"

You see Nakahara smile. "That wine that I had."

"You're here for a drink?" you ask incredulously. 

"Last time I checked, this was a bar," he retorts with a raised eyebrow.

You pause for a bit. "No strings?"

"No strings."

You survey the room, and find that everyone present either doesn't care that Nakahara is here, or that they do care, and are just really good at pretending not to. You start to look for Nick, but remember that he's not working tonight, but your other employees regard you with a questioning look. You subtly shake your head at them, and they go back to what they were doing. Turning back, your eyes meet electric blue, and you give him a curt nod. "I'll be back," you say.

"Bring the bottle?" you hear him call. You don't answer, but you do bring the glass and the bottle back to him. You pour until he motions for you to stop, and you leave the bottle on top of the bar before going back to work, keeping a careful eye on the redhead, just in case he does try something. After handling the other patrons, you start wiping down the bar with a towel when you hear Nakahara speak again. "You really own this bar?" he asks.

"Sure do," you answer without looking up at him.

"Thought bartenders were supposed to listen to the customer's troubles, or something," he says with a teasing smirk.

You look up at him with a deadpan expression. "Well, when someone comes in here and starts something, I don't really care to listen to their problems."

The smirk from the redhead drops. "Would it help if I apologized?" he murmurs.

You pause your cleaning and regard him with a calculating stare. "It would be a start," you say after a while. 

What you didn't expect was for Nakahara to stand, take a step back, and bow at a perfect 90° angle and say "Then, on behalf of myself and the Port Mafia, I apologize for the way we behaved in your bar last month," with such genuineness that it momentarily takes you aback. You didn't think he'd actually do it, but, well, it's not the first time you've been surprised before. He rises, and goes back to finish the glass of wine he had, and before he pours himself a new glass, you snatch the bottle from him, while he looks at you with a scandalized expression. "What the-"

You cut off his, most likely, pissed off response by pouring the wine in his glass. You stop when it reaches the same level you first poured him and place the bottle back on the bar. "Consider that me accepting your apology," you murmur. The ginger closes his mouth and nods. You look at the number of customers and, seeing how there weren't a lot of them and that they looked satisfied, decided to have a little fun. You place the towel over your shoulder and you lean across the bar. "So, what's troubling you, buddy?" you say with a mirthful smile. 

Nakahara snaps his head up and, most likely registering what you were saying, lets out a chuckle. "Really?" he asks.

You shrug. "You were the one that said that bartenders should be more concerned about their customers' troubles. So, what's troubling ya?" you say, smile still in place.

Nakahara sighs, his smile dropping a bit. "Just thinking about what happened, honestly." You nod and wait for him to keep going. "I honestly don't know what Mori was thinking when he did what he did, but-"

"He's your boss, and he gave you an order," you finish.

He nods. "Yeah," he replied, and took a swig from his glass. "Think I may have figured out why though."

"Oh?" you say, raising both eyebrows, "Enlighten me, please."

"Think he was testing you," he sighed, and you scrunch your eyebrows in confusion, so he continues. "He probably wanted to see how much of a threat you would be to the Mafia, or something." He takes another drink.

You scoff. "Me? A threat to the Port Mafia?"

"That's my prediction," Nakahara shrugged. "Think you passed or some shit, I don't know."

"Well, I think he knows not to start something again. And no offense, but I don't really give a damn if he's the boss or not: he shouldn't have started something that probably would've gotten him killed," you say in a low voice.

"No offense to you," Nakahara says in a similar low voice, "but I don't think you would've been able to take out Mori. You know how many people tried that?"

"I don't, but the second I touched him and Akutagawa, they both would've died," you say seriously.

You feel Nakahara scan your expression, trying to find out if you were lying or not. When he finds nothing, his eyes widen a fraction, but you caught it. "Mori said you had an ability." You nod. "A touch based one." Another nod. "Mind telling me what it is?"

'Should I tell him?' you think, but as soon as the thought pops up, you dismiss it. 'He'll probably tell his boss, and I'd rather keep my cards close to my chest. Though…' "I won't tell you the name of my ability, but you should know that it can be pretty deadly, if I want it to be," you say with a smirk.

"I'll keep that in mind," the ginger says, as he finishes his glass of wine, "and I'll make sure that the rest of the Mafia knows not to intentionally mess with you. You have my word," he says with a nod.

"Thank you," you say earnestly, "I meant what I said: I just wanna run my bar without any problems."

"It is a nice bar," Nakahara says, and he flashes you a smirk. "And the owner isn't half bad looking."

You let out a disbelieving huff of laughter at the shameless attempt at flirting. "Nakahara Chuuya, are you flirting with me?"

"Is it really considered flirting if I'm speaking the truth?"

Before you could reply to that, the door opens, and when you look to see who it was, your eyes widen and your blood freezes. You feel Chuuya look at you, then the person who walked in, but you can't bring yourself to say anything. How can you, when your ex-boyfriend walks into your bar. He stares at you with a warm smile (the urge to punch it off his face is a strong one that you, rather reluctantly, do not act on) and he walks over to where you and Nakahara are. He stands next to the redhead, but he keeps his eyes on you. "Hey," he says in that voice that once made you smile so widely, but now, it only serves to make you sad, and bitter, and angry.

"What do you want?" you ask, hoping that the tone matches how you feel, but you don't think it works.

"Can't a guy come and visit his-"

"I'm not your anything," you say a bit stronger. 

The smile slips for a fraction before it slides back into place. "Come on, babe-"

"And I'm not your babe, either. So either order a drink, or leave me alone. I'm working," you say, as you turn around.

"Didn't look like you were working from what I watched," you heard him say. You freeze in your tracks at the implication. "From what I saw, it seems like you were flirting , instead of working ," you hear him say, probably jerking his head towards Nakahara.

"I wasn't flirting with him, he was flirting with me, " you say in a clipped tone. "Now, are you going to order something, or are you going to leave?"

"You're okay with some guy flirting with you when you already have a boyfriend?" your ex says in a hurt tone.

"You're not my boyfriend anymore." You can feel your fists clench in anger, and you really want to hit something- preferably his stupid, prick face.

"Babe-"

"Leave them alone." 

You snap your head towards the direction of that voice, and you, just like your ex, are shocked that Nakahara spoke up. "Nakahara-kun-" you start, but was immediately cut off by your ex.

"Stay out of this," he says with that fake polite smile.

"Nah, I don't think I will," the ginger says, standing up and glaring at your ex. "Leave. Them. Alone."

"And what are you going to do if I don't, pipsqueak?" the smile finally falls from your ex's face as he leans in Nakahara's space. And you can already tell this is about to get ugly, real quick.

A feral grin starts to spread across Nakahara's face. "Oh? I'll show you-" 

Before he does, however, you gently pull him back and glare at your ex. Nakahara looks at you in shock, probably wondering how you got to his position so quickly. Apparently your ex is wondering something similar, since he's wearing a look of shock, as well. In a low and deadly voice, you speak slowly: "This is the last time I'm going to say this: order a drink, or I will throw you out of here. Hell-" you give him a sharp grin, almost similar to Nakahara's, as you jerk your head towards the ginger- "I'll have him throw you out, if he wants to."

You feel Nakahara turn his attention towards your ex, with a smile that promises blood. " Please try something. Haven't had a fight in a good while."

Your ex looks at you both with disbelief and shock on his face. He scoffs and turns to leave without a second glance, and the door slams shut with his dramatic exit. You let out a sigh as you head back to the other side of the bar and start making more drinks for the other patrons, most of which politely ignored the confrontation just moments ago. Nakahara seems to want to talk to you, but you hold up a hand and curtly tell him "I have work to do" and leave him to his own devices.

You fall into a rhythm and a kind of peace as your mind falls away, the only thing running through it being making drinks and tending to the customers. It gives you some time to think- or not think- about your ex popping up in your life again. Soon enough, it's last call, and the bar starts to slowly, but surely, empty itself, though, you're surprised to see that Nakahara is still at the bar, sitting at the same spot he's been in since the events earlier that evening. "You're still here," you say as you start drying glasses.

"I wanted to apologize to you for what happened earlier."

You regard him with a slightly tired look. "I could've handled him myself," you say, though not with your usual confidence. 

"Yeah, but luckily, you didn't have to," Nakahara rebuttals with a snicker, though not unkind.

"I guess," you huff. Then, in a murmur, you add "I do accept your apology, Nakahara-kun."

"Please, call me Chuuya," he says.

"Is that something your friends call you?"

"It's what everyone calls me, though I have no qualms about us being friends," he says with a soft smile.

"Well…" you murmur, "I guess after what happened, I wouldn't oppose us being called acquaintances , Chuuya-san," you say with a smirk.

Naka- Chuuya gives you a returning smirk. "Well, acquaintances is one step below being called friends."

"I suppose it is." You notice Chuuya start to place a few bills on the bar, and you stop him with a gentle hand. "It's on the house."

"I insist," he murmurs with a sigh. "After the shit with Mori and with your ex, it's the least I could do."

You smile softly. "Then, I thank you again, Chuuya-san." You accept the payment and the tip that he's left, before going back to your tasks for closing the bar. As Chuuya leaves, you call out to him. "Think you'll visit again?"

He pauses and tosses you a smirk over his shoulder. "Maybe," is all he says before he walks out into the night. 

You smile, a little kindle of hope in your chest that you do see him again.

You thought that the next time you see Chuuya would be at the bar, but you were shockingly mistaken. 

After the confrontation 2 weeks ago, you've seen neither hide nor hair of the ginger. At first, you were worried for him, but you tried to justify them: maybe Chuuya had some Mafia business that took longer than usual, was your first thought, while the fact that maybe he just didn't want to accidentally cause more trouble was your second. Your third thought was that maybe he didn't want to see you again, and for some reason, that reason hurts a bit, but you don't try to figure out why. Nonetheless, you try to push Nakahara Chuuya from your mind, with relative success.

After the third week, you go to the kitchen to start making breakfast, but upon checking the fridge, you realize that you haven't done any grocery shopping lately. Work at the bar as been pretty busy, and trying to stay out of the red for the month seems to have taken priority over cooking a home-cooked meal 3 times a day. So, you take quick inventory of what you have (or, rather, what you don't have), what you want, and what you should buy, and you head to the store. And as you're about to open the door, someone does it for you. "Thank-" you start to say, but when you look towards the person, your eyes lock with the electric blue ones of Nakahara Chuuya. "Chuuya-san."

"I'm pretty sure the expression you're looking for is 'Thank You', but either way, you're still welcome," he says with a smirk.

You playfully huff and roll your eyes as you walk into the store. "You shop here, Chuuya-san?" you ask, greeting the person at the front before grabbing a basket and making your way deeper inside.

"Sometimes, yeah," he answers with a shrug, as he casually scans through the non-perishables. "Thought I'd do some shopping while I was already out. Then I saw you, so I thought I'd say hello."

"Well, I can say that this is definitely a surprise," you murmur as you pick up a couple of cans of black beans.

"Hope I'm not intruding on your time or anything."

"On the contrary," you reassure. You then rub the back of your neck a bit. "To be honest, I was thinking about you lately."

"Oh?" you feel rather than see the smirk on his face. "Is that so?"

You playfully roll your eyes. "Not like that," you say. "I was just wondering why you haven't dropped by lately."

"Missed me that much, huh?" he snickers. Sobering a bit, he adds, "Sorry 'bout that. Shit's been a pain in the ass at work."

"Ah."

"That, and I thought it'd be better if I stayed back for a bit," he murmurs, adding a bag of rice to his basket. 

With his back turned, you can't really gauge his expression, but from the tone, you speculate that he might be a tad upset. "How come?" you gently pry.

You're both quiet for a bit until Chuuya answers, still with his back turned. "After the shit that's happened the last couple of months... seemed like I bring trouble to you whenever I show up, so I thought I'd back off while things cool down a bit," he murmurs.

'So it was both the first and the second reason,' you thought to yourself. You smile and let out a huff of amused laughter. The ginger turned sharply, frown evident on his face, and eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "What's so funny?" he grounds out, a slight roll evident in his voice. You try not to laugh some more, but another snicker escapes before you can catch yourself. "Seriously, what's so fucking funny?"

"Well, for starters, the roll in your voice is kinda cute," you say, and watch Chuuya's face redden in both indignation, confusion, and possibly embarrassment. "Second, what's funny is that I was right."

"Right about what?"

You pick up a bag of brown rice and add it to your basket. "I was thinking about the reasons why I hadn't seen you, and 2 of them ended up being right."

You both walk to the produce aisle and start looking at the fruits and vegetables. "What was the third reason?" Chuuya asks after a while.

You pause for a bit, while continuing to look at the radishes. "I thought you just didn't want to see me," you murmur.

"Oh," was all the ginger said, and you both continued to shop in silence. It wasn't a comfortable silence, but it wasn't an unbearingly awkward silence. "How long have you been the owner of the bar?" Chuuya asked out of nowhere. 

"Huh?"

"Your bar. How long have you owned it?"

You turn to face the ginger and raise both eyebrows as you see the seriousness in his expression. "Are- Are you trying to make small talk?" you ask. Chuuya just continues to stare at you, expecting an answer. "Uh, less than a year; about 9 months give or take."

"That long?"

"Yeah. Had a few jobs while I was in high school and college and saved a ton. After I got my bachelor's degree, I found out that the will my grandparents left behind said that all of their inheritance would go to me, so I used the money to buy the building. Got my mixology degree and liquor license while I was doing renovations, and as soon as everything was in place, I opened the bar."

Chuuya let out a low whistle. "That's pretty damn impressive," he said with a grin.

"You think so?"

"Fuck yeah. You're only, what, 22? And you already have your own business. Not many people can say that."

"Well, you're 22, and you're already an executive in the most dangerous organization in Yokohama. Not many people can say that," you retort back.

"Touche." 

"Speaking of which, how long have you been an executive?" you ask.

"A few years now, actually. Though, if it wasn't for that goddamn waste of air and bandages, I doubt I'd get there," Chuuya said with a growl.

"You mean Da-"

" Don't say his name," the ginger grounded out, and you shut your jaw immediately with a nod. "Sorry. In case it wasn't obvious, I fucking hate him."

"Really? Well, colour me surprised," you snark, which got a chuckle out of Chuuya. "Since we're still doing small talk, you got a favorite food?"

"Wine." 

You laugh at the seriousness in his tone, but looking at his expression, you see, once again, that he was dead serious about his answer. "You know wine isn't a food, right?"

"Don't care. Wine." You nod slowly, mouthing an 'okay', as you grab some seasoning. "What about you?"

"Favorite food? My grandparent's curry," you say fondly, salivating the flavor of the spices with the rice and the curry.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup. We serve it at the bar. You should try it sometime. Might even be your new favorite," you say with a teasing grin.

Chuuya barks out a laugh. "Not a chance."

"Bet you'll change your mind once you try it. It's a life-changing experience."

"Doubt it, but I will give it a try."

You smile and let out a little fist pump.

"Mind if I ask you something personal?" Chuuya says in a low tone. You glance at him and raise an eyebrow, but nod anyway. "It's about your ex."

"Ah," you say, expression darkening slightly. "If you're wondering how we broke up…" you pause as you try to find a way to best explain it, and you realize that blunt honesty has always been your go-to. "Apparently, he'd been seeing someone else while he was seeing me, and conveniently decided not to tell me."

"Shit," you hear Chuuya hiss.

"Yeah. Then, he had the nerve to tell me that they were 'just friends', just as I caught them engaging in, what appeared to be, a very exciting game of 'Hanky Panky' in our apartment, if the  laughter, moaning and use of the phrase 'Yeah, just like that' were any indication," you say with a bitter laugh. 

"Should've killed the fucker when I had the chance," Chuuya growled, rolling his r's as he did.

You let out a sigh as you glance at him. "Much as I appreciate the sentiment, I'd rather you not. After all, I'm pretty sure that prison, or wherever they send ability users for murder, doesn't serve French reds to its prisoners," you say with a teasing smile, which got a chuckle out of the ginger. You then offer a small smile at what you say next: "Plus, I'd miss you, and I don't want to see you arrested for something that happened, like, a year ago."

As you're both making your way back to the front of the store, Chuuya says something, but you don't catch it because it's said quietly and in French. "Speaking in tongues, Chuuya-san?" you joke, trying to lighten the mood.

It seems to have the intended effect, if the small smile is anything to go by. "It's nothing. Just said that I wished I could see you as often as humans see the sky," he says, averting his gaze. 

You freeze, shocked at the words he just said and the sincerity of said words. You start to feel a blush rise to your cheeks, and you're thankful that Chuuya isn't looking at you because if he was, you'd probably be too embarrassed to ever see him again. You swallow heavily and nod. "Uh, we should probably go and… check these out," you stammer out.

Chuuya nods immediately and the two of you briskly walk to the checkout lane, in now unbearable awkward silence, as what Chuuya said continues to ring throughout your head. After the grocer scanned and bagged your items, you started to leave, but stopped when you felt a slight tug on your sleeve. You turn and you find Chuuya staring at you with a slightly wide-eyed expression. "Wha-"

"Your number," he stated. 

You blink and process the words. "What?"

"Your phone number," he repeats, "I, uh, was hoping I could have it. So that we could talk," he stammers out, letting out a quiet curse as he did so.

You blink again and you snicker before laughing quietly. Looking at Chuuya's expression, you quickly recover. "I'm not laughing at you, I swear. I just think that's the boldest way anyone's asked for my number, and it took me by surprise."

You relax at Chuuya's easygoing smile. "Well, I'm nothing if not bold. But if you give me a minute, I could think of a smoother way to give you mine," he says.

You shake your head at the way the tension just dissipated. "No, it's cool. You have Line?"

And with that, you leave the grocery store with a wide smile on your face, and a new number in your contacts.

Since the grocery store, the two of you have started texting each other whenever the opportunity arises; mostly in the mornings or afternoons, since both of you work late at night (and since you were caught sneaking texts to Chuuya while working by Nick. The scolding was not worth getting caught a second time). There were times when the two of you went days, sometimes up to a week, without texting each other, since Chuuya is an executive and some missions went on longer than others, or if those missions took him overseas. You make it a habit to visit each other a couple of days after he comes back, and sometimes, he gives you gifts from his trips abroad. You're thankful for them, yes, but they make you fluster whenever he does so. It must be obvious when you do, however, because Chuuya lets out a little snicker whenever it happens. For weeks, this has been your new normal, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

It was during these text exchanges, you suddenly felt a sense of sadness. Checking the calendar, you find out why that is: that day is actually pretty close. Tomorrow, actually. You're shocked that it was so soon, because normally, you'd spend the week at home feeling depressed, but the fact that you weren't has you feeling shocked. Then, you sigh with a sad smile on your face as you look at your phone and a picture of a certain ginger clouds your mind; the reason why you've been so happy as of late. 

You text Chuuya, saying that you can't make it to the plans the two of you made later that week. When asked why, you say that it's something personal, but not Chuuya's fault. He texts you back, but you don't answer. 

When that day finally comes, you spend most of the morning crying in your bed, buried deep beneath the covers, making sure no light enters your room. The pain in your chest makes it hard to get out of bed, but you manage to crawl out anyway. You blearily glance at the clock, and are slightly surprised to see that it's only a little after 10 AM. You sluggishly make your way to the bathroom, and you feel nothing when you look in the mirror. Sure, you're a right mess, and you definitely need to wash your face and look somewhat presentable, but you also couldn't care less. You still do, as well as brush your teeth and hair, but it doesn't really make you feel any much better. You go about your day- skipping breakfast because of your lack of appetite, but you slowly drink some water to replenish the tears that you used earlier- put on some fresh clothes, grab your wallet and keys, and you leave your apartment. You don't bring your phone.

On autopilot, you stop by the flower shop and purchase some peach-coloured roses, and lavender incense, and you make your way to the graveyard. You think of nothing as your feet carry you to your grandparents, a hollow look on your face; you almost look like a zombie walking to your own final resting place. You don't register the people around you, the fact that the sky is a clear shade of blue with no clouds in sight, that the breeze whistles mildly in the air; it's all numb to you, all background noise.

You blink, and you find yourself kneeling in front of your grandparents tombstones, incense already lit, and flowers placed carefully in between them. You stare for a long time, and finally, you let the tears that've been building up since your walk fall down your face. You don't sob, nor make any noise; your emotion is as silent as the area around you. Even though it's been 6 years since they've died, you miss them dearly; after all, they were the reason why you own the Rose Thorn at all. 

You're momentarily shaken out of your grief by a presence in the air. You don't turn to look at who it is; you don't really care, honestly. You feel them getting closer with each careful step, and soon, you feel them standing behind and to the right of you. They come closer and kneel right next to you. Through your blurred vision, your peripherals make out Chuuya's stark red hair, and the dark colour of his fedora. Neither of you say anything as you stare right at the tombstones. You feel another bout of movement from Chuuya, and at a glance, you see that he's praying. You faintly think that Chuuya didn't really seem the type of person who believes in the Gods before it drifts off in the breeze. Afterwards, you feel a comfortable weight on your shoulder, and almost immediately, you rest your cheek on that hand. Chuuya carefully moves closer and he wraps an arm around your other shoulder, and the tears start anew; not only because of what the day reminds you of, but because of the warmth emanating from the ginger. He smells of cologne and a bit of cigarette smoke, and it grounds you in a most comforting way.

You don't know how long the two of you stay like that, but after a while, you move away from Chuuya. You place your fingers to your lips and place them on each of the tombstones for 10 seconds, saying the same thing to both- 'I love you'- before one thought comes to your mind: 'I'll see you soon.' You slowly get up, and nearly collapse from the numbness in your legs, before you feel your weight nearly disappear. You turn and find Chuuya getting up just as carefully, his body enveloped in a faint red glow, and you realize that he's used his ability. After the feeling in your legs return, your weight gradually comes back and you continue to stare at Chuuya. He stares back with a sheepish sort of expression, almost embarrassed by the way he tried to help you. 

He almost looks away, but he stops when a voice speaks. "I'm hungry," the voice says. You realize after a moment that it was yours.

Chuuya stares for a moment before he offers you his arm. You loop your own through his, and he walks you down the steps and to the train station. You let him do so without a word of protest.

The place he takes you is somewhere you wouldn't have thought you would go to today: the Rose Thorn. You stand and stare at the entrance, almost in a daze, but you make no indication that you have a problem with this turn of events. He leads you through the front door, and you both take a seat at a booth near the back of the bar, opposite each other. One of your co-workers comes and takes your order, a silent question as to the reason for your presence, but nothing about the reason for your expression. You think they know, probably because Nick told them; maybe not every detail, but enough to know that today's just not a good day for you. You hear Chuuya order something for both of you, but your mind doesn't bother acknowledging what it is. When the order comes, you stare into a bowl of curry over rice. Your grandparent's curry over rice. You take a spoon and eat, and the spiced flavors transport you back to when you were a little kid, bouncing excitedly in your chair as your grandparents cook in tandem. It was your favorite dish growing up, and, as you eat it right now, it still is.

Halfway through the meal, you place your spoon down and you look at Chuuya, eating the same thing as you. "How did you find me?" you hear yourself ask. You're not angry, per se, but you are curious.

Chuuya swallows his bite and looks contemplative for a moment before answering. "After yesterday, I was worried about you, so I came here to ask your friend about you. Nick, I think his name is?"

You nod faintly and you stare into your half-eaten bowl for a bit. 

"I'm sorry if I did something I shouldn't have, but I was fucking worried about you, and I know I should've given you space but-"

"They died in a car accident."

You hear Chuuya's jaw snapped shut and he looks at you with slightly widened eyes, as you explain the details of what happened: the drive they took to visit you, the drunk driver, how they were in a coma for 3 days before they died. How much you cried, and how you couldn't leave your apartment for a week, and had Nick come over and console you during that time, even though you both cried. You even talked about how your ability came in during the grieving, and how much it freaked you out at first. You explained how they were the reason that the Rose Thorn even exists now. You even tell Chuuya how they were the ones who took you in and raised you when your parents couldn't, about how they loved you, about how much trouble you got in for getting into fights with the schoolkids, and how they looked like they were about to keel over from shock. Chuuya listened through it all, laughing with you at certain parts, scowling at the fact that a drunk driver took them away from you, looking like he wanted to come over and hug you when you talked about your grieving.

When you were done, Chuuya only had one question that he asked tentatively: "What is your ability, if you don't mind explaining?"

You stay silent for a bit before you sigh softly to yourself. You take a napkin from the napkin holder to your left and you hold it in your hand. After about a second, the napkin turned into a bunch of white daisies, which you placed in the middle of the table. "It's called Garden of Eden, Garden from Hell," you say quietly. "If I touch something or someone, I can turn it into flowers."

Chuuya stares at the flowers in awe. "That's a pretty fucking cool ability," he admits.

You shrug unenthusiastically. "I could kill someone with it though," you say nonchalantly. 

"How?"

"The Garden from Hell aspect," you say. "If I touch something or someone, and I consider them a threat… I basically inject them with poisonous flowers that can sprout from their body, and kill them."

You see the gears turn in his head as he processes what you said, and you know when he's done because Chuuya's eyes widen in realization. "So what you said about Mori-"

"It wasn't a bluff," you finish. "I had already touched him. One move from him, and flowers would've sprouted from his body and killed him. Akutagawa, too."

Chuuya nods dumbly. You sit in silence for a while, and during so, you finish your now cold bowl of curry. "Can I go?" you hear him ask, out of the blue.

You stare at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant by that, before realization washes over you. You nod slowly, and you listen to Chuuya talk about his own trauma: the testing facility, the vengeful god Arahabaki, the Sheep, being recruited by the Port Mafia. You listen with a shock-filled awe, but you don't dare interrupt. It's hard, insanely so, but you do. 

At the end of it you look down at your now empty bowl and you give it a wry smile. "Life just loves fucking us over sometimes, huh?" you whisper.

You hear Chuuya chuckle darkly. "Yeah," is all he says and you both fall into another peaceful silence. You then look outside and notice the sky exploding in an orange, pink, and purple gradient, and you just now realize how much time has passed. Chuuya follows your gaze and lets out a low whistle. "That late, huh?" You nod solemnly and you go to pay for the food, but Chuuya stops you. "What are you-"

"You were the one that took me out. It's my way of saying thank you," you murmur.

You see Chuuya open his mouth, probably about to argue, but he closes it and gives you a curt nod. You leave the money on the table and get up to leave, with the ginger following next to you. You look over at your employee, Cameron, and give them a small nod in thanks. They wave you off with a small smile, and that's that. The walk to your apartment building is quiet, but peaceful. The two of you keep brushing each other's shoulders occasionally, but you pay it no mind. Rather, you start to feel your lips curl into a soft smile.

"What's got you smiling?"

You turn your head and notice Chuuya looking at you with evaluating eyes. Your smile never wavers. "Today is usually really bad for me. The whole week usually is, honestly, but…" you trail off and look down at your shoes. "You made it better, Chuuya-san. Thank you for that," you murmur and give him a bow of thanks. 

Chuuya seeme taken aback, but as quickly as it happened, he went back to his usual, easygoing self. "Don't worry about it. I know how fucking bad it can get when things like this happen," he says with a small grin.

About half an hour later, you both arrive at your building, and the thought makes you a bit sad. As much as this day brings you pain… you don't want it to end. As numb as you've felt throughout the day, you feel… not really 'happy' per se; maybe peaceful, or content. As your brain remains silent and empty, it currently fills with so many thoughts and feelings that you're struggling to name. You turn to your right and you find Chuuya staring at you again, but this time, the sight of him nearly takes your breath away. Bathed in the setting sun, his hair and his eyes look like they're glowing. His smile seems so soft and inviting, and it makes your heart start beating hard and fast, and everything starts to feel almost too much. 

You stare for what feels like hours, and yet, it still doesn't feel like it's enough time to take in every detail of Chuuya's face. Eventually, you feel your mouth move and words coming out. "I'll see you later, Chuuya," you whisper, not realizing that you dropped the honorific.

You notice the ginger's face combust with a carmine shade of red that he hides by lowering his head, covering it with his fedora. You continue to stand there, and you nearly take a step back when Chuuya's head snaps up, determination lined in those electric blue irises. He takes two steps forward, and he places his lips on your cheek so quickly, yet so softly, it feels like a ghost whipped past you. As soon as you register the fact that what he's done was real, he quickly walks away in the opposite direction the two of you came from. You watch him walk off, your face hot to the touch, and your mouth opening and closing like a fish. Your hands sneak up on the place where his lips meet your skin, and you jerk your fingers away as if it burned you. As you briskly walk towards your front door, your hand keeps making its way to your cheek, and the blush doesn't go away.

For the second time that day, you register a full thought that comes to your mind and that thought stays there for the rest of the evening, and well into the night: 'Holy shit, I think I like him.'

You don't text or call Chuuya for about a week after that kiss, mostly because you have no idea what to do. It's certainly not the first time that someone has taken an interest in you, but it has been a while since you reciprocate those feelings back; the last time that happened ended up with a broken heart and a depressive streak a mile long. 

You won't lie to yourself: Nakahara Chuuya is handsome. Very handsome, and he knows that, but he's not cocky about his looks as most people tend to be. He's a flirt, but he respects a person's boundaries, and he seems like the kind of person who would back off if someone was truly uncomfortable with him; in fact, you know that that part is true, considering how he didn't show up for some time after he, Akutagawa, and Mori showed up at your bar. You also know that he's funny, caring, chivalrous, and very kind-hearted. You also know that he is a part of the Port Mafia, a syndicate of criminals that is not above killing other people for standing in their way of their illegal activities, and you know that he has killed people in the past, both as a member of the Port Mafia and before. And yet, despite all of this, you still see the good in him. You see it in the way he smiles, in the way he laughs, in the way his eyes light up when he's happy, and in the way he shamelessly flirts with you.

Because of this revelation, you have difficulty sleeping. Every time you lay in bed, you wish to feel Chuuya's arms wrap around you, keeping you safe from anything and everything bad in the world. Every time you close your eyes, you see blue ones stare back at you, pulling you in, like gravity. Every time you sleep, you dream of Chuuya's laugh echoing around you, warm and unrestrained. And every time you wake up, you feel disappointed that you don't feel that comfortable warmth beside you, that faint smell of cologne that makes you feel safer than you thought possible.

You realize that you're falling for Chuuya, and that terrifies you.

As a result, you call Nick to ask if he and a couple more staff members can cover for you while you try to get your head on right. "Don't worry, we got it covered. You do what you need to, and you know that if you ever need me, I'm a phone call away," was their response. You don't know what you did in a past life, but you're extremely glad to have a friend like Nick, and you make a reminder to put a little extra money on their next paycheck, as well as whoever else is covering for you. You then make another phone call to another one of your friends, and hope they can shed some light on this whole situation of yours. Plus, you could always use some retail therapy.

A couple of hours later, you and Yosano Akiko are sitting in a boba shop inside of the shopping plaza, almost a dozen bags laying beside both of you, as you take a break from the shopping excursion. Contrary to what you thought earlier, none of those bags are for you, but you always know that Yosano always needs a helping hand whenever she shops (past memories of the two of you shopping while you were in college, as well as mild griping from the woman of colleagues being "too weak" to go shopping with her).

The two of you make some small talk while taking a break, mostly catching up about each other's lives, talking about how it sucks that they haven't seen each other in months and that they should try to line up their schedules so that the two of you can spend more time together, as well as bringing Nick along with them (you shudder internally about the prospect of Nick and Yosano together in one room, and you weep for your dignity because you know that Nick will tell Yosano the most embarrassing stories from when the two of you were growing up). The conversation then turns to your jobs, and while you do try to listen to the latest drama in the Armed Detective Agency (apparently the two newest members were pivotal in a case a couple of months ago, and although Yosano omitted most of the details, you do know, more or less, about what case she's talking about), your mind wanders to your own job, which eventually leads you to thinking about a certain ginger.

Your sudden change in mood doesn't escape the doctor's notice. "Everything alright?" she asks, concern laced in her voice. You let out a sigh, which turns into a groan that you muffle with your hands. "That bad?"

You pick your head up a bit and glance at Yosano. "No, not really. Business is actually pretty good right now, it's just… something else," you say hesitantly. 

Yosano's eyes darken slightly. "It's not your ex, is it?" After your breakup, it was both Yosano and Nick who were there to support you and make sure you were okay, and somehow, even through all of that, the two haven't really met each other, but have definitely heard of the other (and you try your damndest to make sure it stays that way).

"No, it's not him!" you reassure quickly, but you backpedal slightly. "Well, not really. I mean, he did kinda show up at the bar recently," you add quietly.

You're both silent for a bit before Yosano breaks it. "I told you about how my ability works before, right?" she says conversationally. 

Your eyes widen briefly before you try to speak again. "You don't have to do that, promise! I was able to handle it and… so was someone else, and he left, and I haven't heard from him since!"

Yosano looks at you, and whatever she finds manages to placate her for the time being. "So if not your ex, then…?"

You take a breath, thinking about how to break the news to her, before realizing you should just get it out. "Well, about a month before he came… I kind of got a visit from Mori and a couple of guys from the P.M.," you say, bracing yourself for her reaction.

Yosano nearly chokes on her boba, and you wince slightly. " You what?! "

"Yeah, and the guy who helped deal with my ex? It was Chuuya, who I may or may not have a tiny crush on."

Yosano just sits there, gaping like a fish, before she takes a breath and leans back in her chair. "Tell me everything," she asks, though the way that it was phrased didn't really seem like a question. Nonetheless, you tell her everything that happened, from the day that Mori and co. came to the bar, the offer of protection and you turning it down, the whole 'almost killing the leader of said Port Mafia' (to which Yosano nearly choked on a piece of tapioca when you told her), to the whole Chuuya helping you with your ex, and the two of you running into each other and hanging out and texting each other almost every day, and how he helped with your grandparents' anniversary, and the kiss that he left you before he left. 

Thankfully, Yosano just listened to it all, breathing a sigh of relief at the end, knowing that you were okay. Though, she did say one thing that took you by surprise: "You keep calling him Chuuya."

"Huh?"

"Whenever you talk about Nakahara-san, you just call him by his first name."

The realization hits you, and you hide your face in your hands again. “What do I do?” you ask, though it does come out muffled.

“Well, that depends.”

“On?"

“How much do you like him?” 

You spend a few seconds thinking her question over, but, to you, the answer is pretty obvious. “I really like him, Yosano. I know he’s Mafia, but… he’s so sweet and caring and funny.” You look up at her, eyes blazing earnestly. “I can’t stop thinking about him, and it's driving me crazy.”

Yosano smiles softly. “Then you should tell him that. I don’t really know Nakahara-san that well, other than that he’s Mafia, and that he and Dazai-kun have had some problems, but you seem really head over heels for him. I say go for it. Worst that could happen is that he doesn't reciprocate your feelings, but from what you told me, I doubt that'll be the case.”

Your eyes soften and a smile crosses your face. “Thanks Yosano.”

“No problem.” She then gets up and stretches her arms. “Now let’s go. Retail therapy isn’t done,” she said, her eyes glinting mischievously. You gulp, and accept your fate, but can’t help but feel a light fluttering in your chest as you resolve your determination.

Next time you see Chuuya, you’re going to tell him.

You groan in frustration. It's been a week since you admitted your feelings for Chuuya to Yosano, but you haven't made a move since. 'How can I?' you think to yourself. At first, you couldn't understand why that's the case; it should not be this hard! You once kicked the asses of four kids in the 5th grade when you were 6 years old, and you haven't apologized for it to this day. You own a bar, and stared down, and almost killed, Mori Ougai and the Port Mafia in said bar just a couple of months ago, without any hesitation, and you're stressing out over a phone call? You scoff at your indecisiveness, before realizing why you're hesitating in the first place: it's because you really, really, really like Chuuya, and you really want things to work out (it's too soon to use the other "L" word, hard to leave yourself that wide open again, only to be disappointed and hurt. You don't use that word, but maybe… maybe…). 

At this, you groan again and lean your head back against the couch. 'This is so stupid' you think in aggravation, 'it's just a stupid phone call… to the guy you like… a really, hot guy that you like…' you grab the throw pillow and chuck it across the room before you stand and start pacing in front of the couch. After about 30 seconds, you turn and glare daggers at your phone, a scowl etched on your face, as if it ate your leftovers and put salt in your coffee. Then, you grab it, pull up Chuuya's contact info, and hit the call button, smirking in triumph as the phone rings, before the reality of the situation hits you like an incoming bullet train, and the smirk drops into a horrible realization. You're calling Chuuya! Maybe you can still hang up, but, no, that would be rude. Maybe he's busy! Yeah, he's an executive; he's probably doing executive things, or is out of the country, or possibly under-

"Hey, miss me that much?"

Shit. 

"Chuuya!" you say, and then cringe horribly. Whether that's from the excitement in your voice, or the way that your voice audibly cracks when you say his name, you're not sure. What you are sure of is how much you wish your ability could work on you right now. 

Hearing Chuuya chuckle on the other end did not help, since it sends shivers down your spine. "You good?"

You clear your throat. "Yeah, yeah. I was just surprised that you answered is all," you say clearly, and fist pump at your smooth recovery.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, thought you might've had a last minute thing or something, but I'm glad you didn't." Why the hell were you even nervous to begin with? You are nailing this.

"I'm glad I didn't either, cuz I was just about to call you," Chuuya said, and you can hear the smile in his voice.

You raise your eyebrows in curiosity. "Oh yeah? What's up?" you say.

Chuuya pauses for a bit, and you start to feel your nerves shake a bit. "If you're busy I can call later. It's not that important-"

"No! No, it's cool. I'm not that busy," you quickly say, curiosity burning inside you.

There's another pause, and you think Chuuya might've hung up, but he speaks again. "I was just wondering if you were working tonight," he asks.

You blink. "Uh, yeah, I am."

"Cool, cool. Uh-" you hear him pause, then huff out a swear- "so uh, listen. I was hoping that maybe we could talk, or something, but you're busy so maybe-"

"You could come down by the bar," you cut in, "and if it's not that busy we could talk. But only if it's okay with you, cuz if it's not then-"

"Yeah, that works," Chuuya said, and you can hear the relief in his voice, which makes you smile. "So, yeah, I'll see you."

"Yeah, see ya," and with that, you both hang up. You plop down on the couch and let out a long sigh, your phone sliding on the carpeted floor. A smile worms its way onto your face as you stare at the ceiling. Why? You're not all that sure; Chuuya could want to talk about any number of things, some being really bad, and some being really good. You have no idea what he might want to say to you, and yet, you're still grinning like an absolute idiot .

And it's all because of Nakahara Chuuya.

"You okay?"

You jump slightly at the sound of Nick's voice next to you. You turn and you notice the ever stoic look on your best friend's face. "Yeah, of course I am," you say with faux confidence etched in your voice. His raised eyebrow indicates that he probably didn't believe that

"You sure? Because you've been cleaning that same glass for like, 5 minutes now."

You stare at the glass in your hand, and you furrow your brows a bit before straightening them out again. "Yeah. Just fine," you say as you finally move on to the next glass.

At this, Nick searches your face for something and it's times like this, you hate that he can read you so well. "You're waiting for someone." It wasn't a question.

You sigh a bit, but still, you don't turn to face Nick. "Yeah, I am. I'm waiting for Chuuya."

At that, Nick chokes on air. "Chuuya? Nakahara Chuuya?" You nod. "That same Nakahara Chuuya who pulled a gun on you and was about to shoot you dead? That Nakahara Chuuya?"

"The very same," you say, and you bite your lip to prevent the smile that threatens to crawl on your face at the memory. Sure, you could've died, and you probably would've if Mori hadn't stepped in, but you still smile because two months ago, you probably would've laughed at the idea of you liking anyone who tried to kill you, but… things change.

You can still feel Nick look at you like you've grown a second head. "You like him, don't you?"

You turn, wide-eyed at the bluntness of the question, but then you sigh in defeat and nod slowly. In addition to being observant, Nick's always been blunt, it's one of the things you love about him, and why you've been best friends for the last decade and a half. But sometimes... you wish they would mind their damn business, and beat around the bush about certain things.

Nick sighs and stares at the ceiling, probably praying to some god that you haven't lost your mind. "Of course you like the guy that's in the freakin' Port Mafia," he says, and you can hear the smirk when they speak.

"He's not that bad," you try to defend, but Nick gives you a deadpan expression that makes you roll your eyes. "Really, he isn't. Once you get to know him, he's pretty… sweet."

"'Sweet?' The guy shows up with his boss, pulls a gun on you, and was practically a breath away from pulling the trigger, and you call him 'sweet' ?"

"Look," you say and you turn to face Nick, determination lining your shoulders, "I know that. I know all of that, but it's true. He's pretty sweet, and he's not a bad guy," you say, and then you let out a sigh. "He was there for me during that time, you know?" and you feel Nick's breath stall for a moment. "He was there for me; didn't ask me why I was depressed, didn't push me to say anything . He was just… there, and well…" you trail off with a shrug.

Nick looks at you for a few moments and then, carefully, he pulls your face into his hands and stares at you, point blank. "I just... don't want to see you hurt again. I know you're strong, but when you found out that he-who-shall-not-be-acknowledged was cheating on you, you… I don't want you to go through that again," they say, and you can feel the tears start to build up in your eyes. Nick then pulls you into a tight hug that you easily return, and you stay comfortably in their arms. After a few moments, you both pull away and he regards you one more time before smiling softly again. "I trust you, and if you say that he's a 'sweet guy' -" you snort at the teasing tone- "then I'll believe it. But I will make sure that he knows not to hurt you."

"Oh, come on, Nick, really?" you say with a playful eye roll.

They shrug nonchalantly. "It's either that, or I forbid you from dating anyone ever again."

You splutter. "You can't forbid me from dating!" you say scandalously. 

"Yes I can," they say like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Says you and what law, exactly?"

"The Best Friend and Protective Sibling Act, obviously."

"There's no such thing," you say, squinting at Nick.

"Uh, yeah there is. It's been a law for the last 15 years." They then tilted their head innocently. "Haven't you been keeping up with Best Friend politics? It was front page news when it was passed," they said, and then had the audacity to walk towards another patron.

"No, no, hold up-" you say, walking towards Nick when the door opens. Thinking that it was Chuuya, you smile and turn towards the door, his name sitting on your tongue, when the smile falls from your face and you scrunch your eyebrows in vaguely concealed disgust as your ex-boyfriend walks in your bar… again . "You," you say chillingly. 

He only offers you a smug smile and takes a seat at the bar. "Oh, barkeep! I'd like a drink, if you don't mind!" he called obnoxiously. 

You see Nick start marching towards him, but you grab their arm and hold them back. "Let. Me. Go," they hissed furiously.

"I know what you're planning to do, and trust me I don't blame you, but two things: one, I don't want to see you in handcuffs, and two..." you trail off and bite your lip, "you know our policy: so long as no one starts shit, anyone is welcome to come and go as they please."

"I still don't like it," Nick says sending a murderous glare towards your ex. 

"Neither do I, but for now, we're gonna do our jobs," and with that, you take a few calming breaths, and march behind the counter to glare at your ex. "What do you want?" you say, foregoing all niceties and people pleasing smiles. 

"Well that's not very hospitable, is it?" he says with a smile so smarmy, it makes you wanna gag.

"What. Do. You. Want?" and you can feel your anger slipping from your control.

"I think you know exactly what I want…" and then he leans over the counter with a charming smile. "I want you."

"You know, that probably worked on that skank you were dating, but you know damn well it won't work on me," you sass back, raising an eyebrow in a challenge.

"Oh come on," he says with an eye roll, "you're still mad about that?" you scoff and turn around to go deal with another customer. "What if I say I broke up with the girl?"

You pause in your footsteps and turn back. You walk, slowly, eyes never leaving his, but narrow in slight agitation, brows furrowing as you process what he said. "What?"

"I broke up with her. I just wanna be with you, babe," he said with a smile. 

As you stand in front of him, you lean in, while motioning him to come closer. Oblivious to your intentions, he comes closer with a growing smile on his face. You move closer, but instead of going for his lips- which was probably what he was thinking, seeing as he tilted his head slightly and his eyes started to close- you lean towards his ears. "If you think I'm that desperate, that pathetic enough that I would crawl back to you, after everything you fucking put me through, then you're more of an idiot than I thought you were," you say in a deadly whisper. You then storm off to go take a breather and gather your bearings when his voice raises into an angry shout:

"Oh, so you think some murderer is better than me?!"

You freeze, not even bothering to look back, but you know that everyone in your bar is now paying attention to the conversation. Hell, you can feel the concerned look that Nick is giving you, while planning the murder of this asshat. And yet, you don't say anything, and you don't move. You can't move, fear and uncertainty hidden underneath strings of anger that are weaving its way into your bones as you clench and unclench your hands.

"Do you even know who the fuck you think you're crushing on? Do you know how many people that man's killed?! Do you have any idea how many innocent people he's killed because they were collateral damage?! He's a fucking murderer, part of the Port fucking Mafia! And you think you like him? You call me an idiot, but you must be goddamn stupid if you think he actually-"

"You think I don't know that?!"

It takes you a moment to realize that that angry voice came out of your mouth. Everyone around you holds their breath, eyes widening in shock, but it's hard to see through the buildup of tears in your eyes. You take a breath, and finally turn to stare down at this jackass . "You think I don't know that he's killed before?" you ask again in a harsh whisper. "You think I don't know what he's capable of? You think I don't know that he can kill someone without even lifting a damn finger? Because I do ; I know exactly what the fuck he's capable of."

You take a breath, closing your eyes and figuring out what you want to say. You let out that breath and when your eyes open again, there's a fire burning in your irises, confidence circling throughout your body. "I also know that he's capable of listening to me when I ask him to. I know that he's capable of holding me when I'm crying and upset. I know that he's capable of laughing so loudly and so freely that it makes my chest warm and my heart beat faster. I know that he's capable of so many unspeakable things, both good and bad, and I know… I know that I like him- no, that I love him more than I will ever love you. "

You level your most hateful glare directed towards your ex, and you stalk slowly towards him, and when he tries to take a swing at you, you grab his special little naughty bits, and you squeeze and twist it as hard as you can, eliciting a high-pitched squeal and whimper. You look at him, his face painted in a painful grimace as he looks like he's about to cry. You don't really give a damn. "I know exactly what Chuuya is capable of… but it seems like you haven't the slightest idea of what I'm capable of," you growl, and you squeeze harder, making him yelp again. "And if you don't leave, right now , I'll be ecstatic to show you." After holding on for another few seconds, you let go and turn to head back behind the bar. The atmosphere is tense for a few moments, the only sound being your ex's harsh breathing before you hear him shout again:

"You son of a-"

But that sentence was cut off by a painful shout. You turn and you stare wide-eyed as your ex is down on his knees, enveloped in a red glow, pointing a gun straight at you, while Chuuya stands right behind him, concern explicitly etched on his face before it's hidden away with a look that could cleave mountains; he is pissed. Insanely so, and he's not the only one: you look at Nick, who has his hand behind his back, his face screwed in a shock and fear that you haven't seen since the two of you were kids. You turn back to the scene, and you watch the red glow get a bit brighter, the gun tumbling out of his hands, as Chuuya walks slowly, like a lion about to capitalize on an injured gazelle, and squats right in front of your ex, slightly blocking you from view. He casually picks up the gun on the floor, and aims it right underneath the man's chin, and when he speaks- casually, like he was just discussing about the weather- everyone listens:

"You know, I was going to come in here, order some wine, eat some of the most life-changing curry I've ever had in my life, and have a nice conversation with the good-looking bartender. So imagine my surprise, that when I look through the window, I see the bartender look like they're about to cry, and when I see what, or who, was the cause, I hear scum like you mouthing off. And then, after all of that-" he gestures towards you and your ex, implying the conversation that was had- "I see that same scum, pull out a fucking gun and try to shoot the bartender, all because he didn't like the way that someone was playing with his little scepter and family jewels." 

You hear Nick snort quietly in the background, but you don't pay attention to it as you just look at Chuuya. Underneath the lighting, and in this position, he looks positively deadly, and you can't deny that his whole aura makes your mouth dry and your heart beating wildly. He looks… beautiful, and you can't take your eyes off of him. You don't dare take your eyes off him, because you don't want to miss a single detail from what you can see of his face. 

"So here's how this is going to go," Chuuya continues in a growl, which is not helping your current internal situation right now, "you are going to leave this bar, go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, pack your shit, and leave Yokohama. You will never come back to this city, or this country again, and you are not going to bother them or anyone else , ever again, because I promise you, if I find out that you are -" and he increases the gravity to emphasize his point, and moves the gun from underneath his chin to the back of his head- "there will be no one to stop me from hunting your ass down, and rip you apart, limb from goddamn limb."

After a few more seconds, Chuuya eases up on the gravity and the gun, but keeps his eyes trained on the man in front of him. "You have 5 seconds," he says, and as he counts down, your ex scrambles to his feet and leaves, tearing down the street like the hounds of hell are chasing him, never to be seen again.

You can cut the tension in this bar with a butter knife. The last time it was this tense was just a couple of months ago. No one dares to breathe, no one dares to break the spell that's been cast on your bar. Well, no one except for you. "I could've handled it by myself," you whisper, but in the silence, it sounds like a gunshot echoing in a long tunnel, making you wince internally. Chuuya whips his head to your direction, seeming to forget that you were there, before his expression changes into one of leftover anger and resignation.

"Yeah, but luckily, you didn't have to," he says, the same line from the last time this happened. It's then silent for a few more moments, a tense and awkward thing, before Nick walks over and places a gentle hand on your shoulder. You jump slightly and turn to him, relaxing slightly at the calmness his presence brings you.

"I got things here. Why don't you take the night off and go have that talk with Nakahara-kun?" they say. Chuuya levels a look at Nick, but they ignore it and focus on you. You want to protest, to tell Nick that you're fine and that you can handle things here. None of that comes out of your mouth, and you feel your head nod slowly. You start to head back to your office, and you let out a stuttering breath as you lean against the door. You inhale and exhale shakily, as you feel your head and face buzzing from the adrenaline crashing from your body. You cover your mouth to prevent the gasping sobs from leaving your body, but all it does is muffle the sound, and does nothing to stop the tears spilling from your eyes. 

It takes you some time to gather your bearings, but you manage to do so. It takes you a bit longer to grab your things and gather the courage to leave your office. During that time, conversations are back into full swing, and you see Chuuya sitting at the bar with Nick standing in front of him, cleaning a glass, and a glass of water to the side. Chuuya's head turns to your direction, and a second later, so does Nick's. They both seem concerned about your disheveled appearance, but you keep walking towards them. You stop in front of the glass, and you take a few sips of water, before setting it back down, only half of it gone. You walk towards Nick, and your arms wrap around his waist, with your face buried into their shoulder. Nick wraps  their arms around your shoulders, and you feel more of the tension leaving your body as he carefully tightens the hug, before letting you go. They hold your face in your hands and look you over, before carefully wiping the lingering tears with their thumbs, and giving you a nod in satisfaction. They look at Chuuya and regard him with a calculating gaze, before raising an eyebrow in a silent question. Chuuya gives them a firm nod, which Nick returns, and the ginger then gets up and extends his gloved hand towards you. You grab it, and you feel the gravity start to leave your body. You feel yourself float, about 4 inches above the bar, but before you have a chance to register that, you feel Chuuya pull you towards him, gently, and you land on the ground safely, gravity now holding you down. You look at him with a teasing smile, but from everything that happened, it looks more tired than teasing. "Really?" you say with a soft snort. Chuuya only shrugs, not even looking sorry for what he did, if the soft grin you get is any indicator.

"Beats walking around, doesn't it?" You shrug back and the two of you start to leave the bar, but not before giving one last grateful smile towards Nick, who returns it just as easily. As the late night air hits you, you take a deep breath in and let it wash over you. You smell the alcohol from your bar, the familiar city smell that you can't really describe but you know that it reminds you of Yokohama, and a faint woodsy scent coming from... right next to you?

"Are you wearing cologne?" you ask Chuuya, surprise lacing your words.

He says nothing in response and the two of you spend the next 5 or so minutes walking towards Chuuya's parked motorcycle in silence. The two of you keep bumping shoulders slightly, and after the third time, you don't move away; instead, you let your hand drift towards his, letting your fingers brush against his. You feel him looking at you in shock, but you keep your head hanging downward, hiding the smile on your face when you start to feel his fingers fill the gaps in-between yours. You reciprocate the motion, and you both squeeze gently, making you smile wider, almost uncontrollably so. For those 5 or so minutes, the two of you walk, hand in hand, and with a glance, you see Chuuya looking away in flushed embarrassment, but also with an endearing look hidden by the fedora on his head. When you stop, you realize that he's parked his motorcycle a few meters away, close to Yokohama Bay Bridge. The two of you sit down on one of the benches, and you stare at the water ahead of you, shut your eyes, as you take in  the bayside air, and the sounds of the water lapping up and down. It's a peaceful silence that you savor, but you know that silence won't last.

"Did you mean it?"

Called it.

You open your eyes and turn to stare at Chuuya, who stares at you with a vulnerability that makes your heart beat out of your chest. "Mean what?" you ask.

"At the bar. Did you mean it?"

As much as you want to forget about what happened, you replay the conversation, trying to find out what he meant, before you come to the shocking conclusion. 'He was there,' your mind supplied. Instead of hiding your face, which, once again, explodes in a carmine shade of red, you keep your gaze on Chuuya and nod. "Yeah, I did."

Chuuya lowers his fedora, but you wait patiently. He gave you as much time as you needed when you were last together, when you were mourning the anniversary of your grandparents' death, so returning that same gesture is the least that you could do, knowing that he'll speak again when he's ready.

"You can't." You flinch slightly at the bite in his voice, but you still don't say anything. "You can't… like me, let alone love me."

You arch your brow. "Why not?" No judgment, no patronization. An honest question that totally doesn't scare the crap out of you (it does). And when Chuuya turns to face you, you're worried you said the wrong thing, because he's crying. You want to reach out and comfort him, just like he did three weeks ago, but you feel your body lock up, thinking that it might make things worse.

"Because your shitty ex is right: I'm a fucking murderer," his voice sounds so small, so vulnerable, and it feels so contradictory to the pain contorting his face, like he wants to scream and sob, but he doesn't. "I've killed hundreds, if not a thousand people. I'm a part of the most dangerous criminal organization this side of the world. I've killed before, and I will kill again," he says with certainty, as if saying the sun rises in the morning, and sets at night. And the truth is, he's not wrong. In his line of work, sometimes death is inevitable. Unavoidable, and it makes your heart hurt for him. "I'm a monster, and you say that you love me?" he scoffed at the incredulity of that statement. "You can't! You just… can't."

The tears don't stop falling and his shoulders shake with so much force that you reach out your hand, carefully choreographing your movements, and place it firmly on his shoulder. He leans in, hides his face in your shoulder, and you wrap your arms around him and just hold him; similar to when he held you almost a month ago. He holds you back, squeezing your midsection as he cries, rubbing his back in a soothing manner, and you take the time to process what he said. When you do, it makes you want to find the people who made him believe such a thing and hurt them. Badly. But you know that those people are probably long dead, though the sentiment still lingers in your head. Soon, the shaking in Chuuya's shoulder loses its intensity. He lifts his head up and wipes his eyes as you pull out a packet of tissues and offer it to him. He takes it and blows his nose into it, while a self-deprecating smile appears on his face. "Shameful," he chuckled, "Fucking shameful to be showing you this face."

"Not shameful," you say gently, "I promise you it's not." The two of you sit in silence before you find your voice again. "Chuuya?"

"Yeah?"

"I can like you, and I do love you-"

"You can't- "

"Let me finish?" you plead softly, and Chuuya closes his jaw and nods stiffly. "I can like you, and I do. Yes, I know you're in the Port Mafia, and yes, I know you've killed people, both the people you were meant to, and the people who were collateral. But… I think I can accept that part about you. Obviously I don't like it," you hear Chuuya suck in a breath, "but I accept that part of your job. And sometimes it's inevitable, right?"

He throws you a wild look, like he can't believe what you just said. "You can't fucking say shit like that! You just-"

"Do you enjoy it?"

"What?"

"Taking a life. Do you enjoy it?"

"Fuck no!"

"Then you're not a monster, Chuuya, because monsters, the really bad ones, they do enjoy it. The sound of bones breaking, the screaming, the blood; they love that, so much so, that they actively seek that out, and not give a damn about who it is. You don't, so that doesn't make you a monster, Chuuya. It makes you human."

He opens and closes his mouth so many times, he reminds you of a fish. "I-"

"You say that I shouldn't like you, but I do," you say earnestly. You reach out your hands and gently grasp his, staring right into electric blue eyes, eyes that pull you in, like gravity, yet makes you feel weightless at the same time. Eyes that could cut mountains with a single glare, or make the stars jealous as they can light up a night sky when it brightens in delight. "I think I'm in love with you, Nakahara Chuuya," you hear him suck in a breath, and you smile. "And… I'd be insanely happy if you feel the same way." 

You feel Chuuya move in, but stop just short of your lips, maybe a couple of centimeters away. You see him look down at your lips before looking back in your eyes, a silent question on his lips. But you know him, and he won't do anything without a verbal cue. And just like clockwork, he asks "Can I?" In lieu of a response, you close the distance in a chaste, yet soft kiss that makes the butterflies in your stomach flutter uncontrollably, and your heart pounding like drums in your chest. You can taste the lingering smoke from his lips, and from this close, his cologne hits your nose, and the effects leave you feeling dizzy with emotion. It's easily the best kiss that you've had. When you pull back, you see the blush resting comfortably on Chuuya's neck and cheeks, though you're not doing much better; the warmth surrounding your body is just on this side of uncomfortable, but you welcome it all the same. The smile on both of your faces is a small thing, but both of your eyes are lit up like a starry sky. From here, he looks so happy, and you know that you are too. "I think I love you too," he says breathlessly. 

"Really?" you ask in the same tone. And just like you, in lieu of a verbal response, you feel his lips on yours in another kiss, still soft and chaste, but the unfamiliarity is gone, replaced by a passion that makes you smile widely and uncontrollably. The two of you move back and forth, like the waves on the beach, and the playfulness  behind them makes you giggle like mad, which makes Chuuya laugh like mad, and soon, you're both kissing and laughing like two high schoolers, but you don't care, and neither does he. It's perfect. Soon, Chuuya, the gentleman that he is, stands and offers you his hand to help you up, and the two of you start walking towards his parked motorcycle. 

"You ride?" he asks when the two of you arrive. You huff out an affirmative, and as you're about to let go of Chuuya's hand, he squeezes, holding you in place. You turn to him, a question lying on your tongue, but Chuuya just pulls you gently towards the bike, and helps you straddle the bike while doing so himself, his hand not easing up in the slightest. He offers you a helmet, and that's when you, reluctantly, let go of each other's hands. You feel a disappointed whimper at the back of your throat, but you swallow that down before you let it out, refusing to be even more embarrassed than you already are. After making sure the helmet's secured on your head, you wrap your arms around his midsection. "You good?" he asks, and at the squeeze you give him, he starts up the bike and the two of you start moving, the bridge getting further and further away from you. You don't know where Chuuya is taking you, but... you trust him. It's easy, because you know that Chuuya wouldn't do anything underhanded or scandalous; it's not who he is. So, leaning forward against his back, you take a deep breath as the air passes you by, and from this close, you smell that same woodsy scent from a moment ago, as well as a bit of cinnamon, and you smirk. He's totally wearing cologne.

It's only about 15, maybe 20, minutes later before Chuuya starts to slow down, and as you look at your surroundings, you smile softly as you pull up in front of your apartment building. You stay on the bike until the engine cuts off, and as you take off your helmet to give back to the ginger, he places a hand gently on top of it, stopping you in your tracks. "Keep it," he says with a smirk, "you'll need it when we go out next time."

You let out a chuckle, as you place a hand dramatically on your chest. "Nakahara Chuuya, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yeah, I am," he replies with a teasing smile, before it softens into something a bit more serious, but nonetheless still having an edge of playfulness. "After all, I would like to see your apartment. Plus, it'll give us time to talk, and figure out where we go from here, right?" 

You nod, realizing that he's right. You both love each other, and you both want to be together, but the fact of the matter is that you're a civilian and he's Mafia; it's not unheard of for the two to end up together, but this isn't like the movies or TV shows. It's real life, and if the two of you don't talk about how this could work- and you really want this to work- people could get hurt. You could get hurt, as well as the people around you. But, seeing it as a challenge, you feel a fire light up in your stomach. You walk towards the ginger and you press a kiss to the top of his helmet, and lean back with a smile on your face. "We'll make it work. I know we can," you say with confidence.

Chuuya lifts the helmet off his face and places another firm kiss on your lips, drawing back with the same smirk on his face. "Fuck yeah we will," he says. He places the helmet back on his head, and he straddles the bike. "I'll text you when I get to my place, okay?" You nod, and with one last wave, Chuuya turns on the engine, and drives off, leaving you so warm and happy, you're practically glowing. And as you walk towards your apartment, you start to look forward to this next phase of your life, and you smile to yourself.

Dating Nakahara Chuuya. Now that sounds like an adventure.