Naoto Shirogane sighed, checking her watch before she looked up at the pristine apartment building. Rain was pouring liberally around her, but the overhang near the door effectively protected her from the water.

...It was still pretty cold, though.

The detective blew out a breath, watching it fade away as she eyed the door. The building itself was nothing special, but it was almost known for that. If anything, tonight was just another night, if not for the two suited men waiting in front. She sighed, walking up to the door. Just before she could put her hand to handle, however, one of the men put an arm out. "Hotel's closed for the night."

"That sounds absurd. Let me pass."

"Sorry, miss. I can't let you, not tonight."

She blinked, piercing blue eyes watching him for a moment before she nodded and pulled down the hood covering her head. "He called me here. Let me pass."

The man's eyes widened behind his spectacles, nodding and bowing apologetically before pulling the door open. "Apologies. Please, go ahead."

Naoto nodded curtly to the both of them, striding inside and heading for the elevator. She pulled out the card she had been sent the evening prior and eyed the neat handwriting on the back. Tenth floor...tch. Another one of his jokes, I imagine.

She pressed the button and leaned against the wall, ignoring the chill running down her spine as the elevator jolted. A few minutes later found her standing in front of the door the card had designated, poised to knock but frozen by hesitation. She swallowed it and bumped her fist against the wood, clasping her hands in front of her as she waited. It wouldn't be long before the door opened, revealing a figure that made her heart skip a beat, though not in the manner she would've expected. "Hey. Didn't think you'd actually come."

"...I wasn't sure I wanted to."

He smiled. Souji always smiled like that when he wanted to say he understood. His silver hair was shorter than she remembered, but a part of her mind buzzed happily that he hadn't slicked it back or anything like that. That would just make him look like an ass.

His hair contrasted nicely with the dark suit he was wearing, but Naoto forced the train of thought out of her mind when she remembered who he was now. The infamous Parasite of Okina.

Naoto froze upon realizing that Souji was using the same opportunity to scan her. "You're looking good, too. Come on in."

He turned on a heel and headed back inside, leaving Naoto to shut the door behind her and toe off her shoes. "Mind if I take your jacket?"

Naoto stared at him evenly, nodding after a moment and shrugging the waterproof top off. Souji took it with a small smile, shaking the rain off and hanging it appropriately. "Now, I think we should-"

"Why did you call me here?"

"I wanted to see you again. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

He took a step towards her, eyes dancing with vague emotions as he watched for any form of reaction. "I fail to see why that would be a valid reason, Souji," Naoto paused, unsure of what to say. Souji, ever patient, watched her with a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. Finally, her lips parted again. "...-san."

"Souji-san?" Souji wrinkled his nose, clearly unimpressed by the honorific. "Eesh, so distant. Whatever happened to 'Souji-kun'?"

"I don't know myself. In the eyes of the public, he turned into a monster."

Souji blinked, realizing that Naoto's eyes, however unwilling she herself wanted to admit it, somewhat agreed with this…"public opinion". "Heh, you're not holding back….A monster, huh. Well, I guess I understand where they're coming from."

He reached over to touch her arm, humming in question when he felt her push against his chest. "Hmm?"

"What is wrong with you?"

"Well, that's not very nice."

"You refrain from any form of contact for over a year and you think we can just go back to how we were?" She pushed him away from her, not biting back the disgust in her voice even when she saw hurt flash in his eyes. "How dare you."

Souji smiled then, further annoying and confusing Naoto. How he was able to smile so easily and so genuinely was thoroughly baffling. "Let's forget that for now. Y'know, just be me and you again."

"What do you want?"

Souji smiled, backing her against the wall and trapping her between his arms. Leaning down, he lingered in front of her for a moment and whispered, "I want you. Is that so wrong?"

Naoto felt her heartbeat quicken, swallowing nervously and averting her gaze from her former lover. "I-...I-I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh? What makes you think that? It's just us in here." He smiled, his breath hot on her skin as he kept his gaze locked on her. "No one would dare barge in on me. They wouldn't want to upset the 'monster', now would they?"

Naoto gasped softly, trembling upon this realization. No one would know. And she could tell that Souji was still holding to his rather unique blend of honor. "Do your underlings fear you that much?"

"I make sure they know their a crime, too?"

Souji stared into her eyes with that same mysterious smile, holding her in his thrall for five seconds before smirking and stepping back. "I understand your hesitation. I'm shaking in my boots too."

He walked away, leaving Naoto a bundle of frayed nerves and confusion to open a cabinet and fish a bottle out. "I need a drink. Join me?"

Souji looked over his shoulder with that damned smile and added, "For old times' sake."

He poured out two glasses of the amber liquid in the bottle, walking over and offering one to her. "I assume you can hold your alcohol as well as ever."

Naoto eyed the drink, taking it and staring down into the depths of the alcohol, muttering, "...I hate Yamazaki."

"What? You don't like the malt, the sherry casks, all that?"

"Too strong for my tastes. Quite generic for a connoisseur, as well."

"Sorry. I consider it a good choice for any friendly meetings. C'mon, have a seat."

"As good a point as any." Naoto took a sip from the glass, the familiar burn running down her throat as she sat across from where Souji had made himself comfortable. She made to drink again, but she couldn't help but stop and stare as Souji knocked back the entire glass. As he sighed with almost-exaggerated satisfaction, Souji grinned happily at her as he set his glass down; evidently, he could still read her as well as before. The notion that she couldn't reciprocate only frustrated the detective more. "It takes practice, trust me. I've had plenty of time, what with all the meetings with the top brass and the bottom rungs alike."

"Is drinking a necessity?"

"No. But it should be."

"I see you've become a booze hound as well."

Souji smiled over the rim of his glass. "I suppose I have."

"I must admit, you are awfully...dissonant to the image your reputation paints you as."

For a second, he wore the cold smile he was infamous for, steel in his eyes as he murmured, "I'm only a monster to my enemies."

He blinked, and suddenly his eyes were back to the warm, playful gray she knew him by. "But I hope you don't consider me as such. I do still love you, after all."

Naoto bit her lip, taking a sip from her glass to mask it. He was still proficient at keeping up an act when the need arose; the only problem was...which personality was the act? "I see."

"Heh, that's all that was worth? A while ago and you would've blushed and told me off."

"Yes, well, a lot has changed."

Souji's smile faltered, but he continued the conversation regardless. "Yep. I see you haven't though, not that much. Your consistency was always something I appreciated."

"Let me guess, you still do?"

His smile widened, and he nodded. "That's right."

Naoto returned the expression with a hint of smugness, something that managed to catch Souji off guard. "I see."

Souji made to say something but decided against it, instead raising his glass and drinking again. The bottle was emptied before long, both of the room's occupants feeling a light buzz from the alcohol. Naoto was gazing at Souji, studying his body and indulging the fantasy of what Adonis waited underneath those fancy-pants clothes. She huffed, placing the glass down on the table and standing. Souji watched her quietly, the assumption in his eyes saying he was expecting her to leave, but he was pleasantly surprised when she headed for him and began to unbutton the upper buttons of her shirt.

...Wait, what?

She had already taken off her dress vest, tossing it carelessly past his head as he watched the show, a warmth flowing through him that made his desire focus even more sharply. "Strip."

Souji's eyes remained glued to her, an act that sent an odd sense of pride through her body, before he forced himself to look at her face. He tugged at his collar and choked out a, "W-what?"

"Your clothes. Take them off."

Souji felt the urge to kick himself when he heard the next words that came out of his mouth. "...Why?"

Naoto smirked, straddling his lap and taking the liberty of slowly peeling her shirt off, letting Souji's eyes wander over every inch of pale skin she revealed. His hands, however, were staying put, although they did tremble a bit as if being held back. "Well, I'm pleasantly inebriated, mildly frustrated, and...maybe a bit attracted to you, you magnificent bastard."

The detective tossed her shirt away, leaving only her bra covering her chest as she draped her arms around Souji's shoulder and pulled herself closer. "Or perhaps you don't want me anymore?"

"No, just...surprised."

"You said it yourself. Let's just...forget. Just us, just like before."

Naoto smirked at the recognition in his eyes, playfully bumping her forehead against his chin and catching his lips against hers. She felt her breath mingle with his, their tongues quickly seeking each other out in pent-up need. Losing the clothes became a hurried, messy affair. Naoto's shirt went over the chair. Souji's suit jacket fell onto the couch. A few minutes later, the two were just about down to their underwear, although Souji managed to keep Naoto from tearing his trousers off. He pinned her hands to the floor, certain that, if she had her way, he would be on the bottom and their little battle would be lost.

That just wouldn't do.

"Well, then. Is this how you treat all the women you bring home?"

The words slipped past Souji's facade, and he raised a confused eyebrow as he muttered, "What? No, I didn't…"

His confusion managed to confuse Naoto, but she capitalized on his hesitation by planting a foot against his chest and pushing him gently away from her. Before he could protest, she forced him down with a hand insistent against his chest. "You're getting distracted. Someone else on your mind?"

By now, she was just making it up; he was far too focused on her body to even think about someone else. Naoto mused that it was far more interesting to piss him off. "Come now. Let's see what's waiting under here."

She let her hand brush against his pants zipper, dipping her head down to nose against it. Souji winced, his hand almost reaching up to push her back but ultimately deigning to hold back. Naoto smirked against his thigh, biting the tab and tugging it down. The expectant look and faint hope in Souji's eyes almost made her laugh. "What, did you believe I was going down on you?"

Naoto pushed him against the floor once again and straddled his groin, taking silent satisfaction in the way he groaned with need. "Don't kid yourself."

Content with his suffering, she brushed her hips against his and stood, stepping out of her panties and tossing them, once again, past his head. Souji mused that she was being rather passive-aggressive. He was given no more time to think when he found himself facing her stomach. If he dared to look a bit downwards, then yes, he would be looking right at her crotch.

Well then. "Lick."

Souji's eyes flicked up to hers, a gleam of defiance in his irises as he regarded her. Naoto smirked and spread her lips apart, allowing him a glimpse of a faintly glistening trail of fluid beginning to trail down her leg. The simple, provocative act effectively intensified the blush on Souji's face. "...I could sit on you, but I'd rather give you a chance to salvage some dignity."

Souji huffed, backing up against the couch and grabbing her ass. He grinned cheekily at the way she gasped in surprise, running his hand down her thigh. "Seems you can still talk the talk, can't walk the walk. But I'll play along."

He hefted her onto the couch but remained kneeling on the floor, spreading her legs apart and helping himself to a better view of her slit. "H-hey…"

"Just following orders."

Souji dragged his tongue along the outside of her folds, stopping short of her clit and listening to how her retort died with a gasp. Her legs snuck up to lock around his shoulders, ensuring that he wouldn't leave until she was satisfied. Of course, that was alright; he simply closed his eyes and traced along her inner thigh, his reward being a steady trickle as her hands grasped his short, silver hair. Naoto tried to keep herself together, stifling her moans as she felt Souji's breathing grow rougher against her skin. Don't stop.

"Yes, ma'am."

Naoto opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Did she say that out loud? She moved her legs slightly and accidentally bumped her heel against the back of Souji's head. Before she could mutter an apology, she felt his hand clamp down on her hips as he worked on her even more, even adding a teasing finger or two to the mix. He was taking her light kick as a command to give even more.

Damn. He knew what he was doing, not necessarily from skill but because he knew precisely what made her tick, what made her twitch just the way he wanted. His finger and tongue were working in tandem to attack as much as they could, often teasing two points of stimuli to get a stronger reaction out of her. "Wait-! Wait, I-"

She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip hard as she came, coating Souji's mouth and tongue as she shuddered and fell back against the cushions. Souji narrowed his eyes, letting out a low, uncomfortable groan as he felt his gut tighten and blood rush to his groin. He pulled back a bit and wiped his mouth, grinning triumphantly as she took a quick breath and looked at him. "That was fast."

Naoto worked up enough energy to glare at him. Souji being Souji, he didn't exactly take any offense from it. "Shut up."

"Uh-huh."

She was putty in his hands as he scooped her up and walked her to the bedroom, mindlessly trading kisses along the way until he carefully dropped her on the bed. Naoto's mind purred at how soft the mattress was until she noticed Souji sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?"

Souji sighed, shrugging glumly and shifting to sit cross-legged in front of her. "Would you believe me if I said you didn't have to do this?"

"Hmph."

Naoto scooted forward, pushing him onto his back. He bumped his head on the edge of the bed, clasping a hand to it and chuckling through his slight pain. "Ow."

Naoto ignored his grunt, pulling his underwear down and silently marvelling at how hard he was. She closed her eyes, unwittingly subjecting herself to the smell of his lust, and crowed mockingly, "Oh, those poor girls."

"What are you even talking about?"

She ignored him again, gulping nervously before sticking her tongue out to brush against his shaft. Souji suppressed a wince; it seemed that he had gone a long time without any sort of...action. She continued, leaving a trail of saliva wherever she went as she wrapped her lips around the head, her tongue circling it gently as she gauged his reactions. Before long, nostalgia washed over her, and she found herself falling into a rhythm. While her body worked on him, her mind recalled times when they would find excuses to indulge in each other. The way he would brush her hair back and smile, draping an arm around her shoulders to pull her close...

"I thought you said you weren't going to - ah."

Naoto would have rolled her eyes if she didn't have his dick in her mouth.

...Screw it. Naoto rolled her eyes. Souji chuckled softly, then winced. Naoto pulled away, tucking some hair behind her ear and smirking. "I could bite."

"Please don't."

She huffed and went back to work. For the most part, she tried to suppress the noises she made, but, on occasion, an errant moan slipped out. Souji also caught her hand inching every now and then towards her core, but she always refrained in the end; the thought of her holding back almost made him chuckle. He winced again; he was getting close...was it because he was sensitive or she was remembering his weak spots? "Stop. Just-...wait."

He gasped, finally putting his hand on her head. Naoto complied, pulling her mouth from his length with a small, teasing 'pop'. She smiled, wrapping gentle fingers around him and slowly stroking. It was enough to keep the fire in his chest alive but just light enough to keep him from going over. "Are you okay?" She cooed.

Souji smiled, pulling her forward to straddle him such that her lower lips were pressing rather snugly against his erection. Naoto panted softly, swallowing the lump in her throat as she felt her face flare with heat and lust. She moaned, leaning into his touch as his hands moved up her thighs. "Glad I remember your weaknesses."

Her eyes cracked open slightly at the words, a small grimace forming as she felt his hands weave almost sinful pleasure into her skin. That familiar sense of nostalgia hit her again, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. For now, they were two kind-of-strangers about to have sex.

The thought made her stomach hurt a bit. "We can stop, y'know?"

Naoto looked down at him, silently musing about how he didn't have any garish tattoo on his back or arms. Maybe that's just a movie thing.

"Don't be silly. I asked for this."

Before he could say anything more, she stood slightly, aligning him to her entrance and sinking down on him. She moaned softly, enjoying the feel of him inside her again. Naoto chanced a look down at him, to note the look on his face, but what she found was disappointing. Was he...troubled by something.

Oh, hell no.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just...worried about you."

"Big, tough yakuza head honcho cares about whether I feel good?"

Naoto smirked and ground her hips against his, taking his hand and guiding it to her breast. Souji rolled with it, squeezing gently and letting his thumb brush over the red bud waiting for attention. She cried out, unconsciously tightening around him and drawing a gasp out of them both. She briefly buried his erection as far inside her as she could, sitting in his lap and trying to acquaint herself with the feeling. Souji watched her, awed at how beautiful she looked for a good few seconds before putting his hands on her hips and pushing up a bit to encourage her. Naoto looked down at him and smiled sensually, willingly following his cue and planting her hands on his chest. The support allowed her to settle into a flow, rising and falling on him more and more until they were both in a haze of need. Souji felt himself swelling a bit inside her a few minutes later, assuming by the way she was twitching and squeezing that she was not too far off herself. "Naoto, I-"

Naoto looked down at him with blurry eyes, mouth slightly agape as she rode him; her intent was clear, and she had no intention of deviating from it. His hands, wanting nothing more than to force her down and keep her there until he was spent, instead endeavoured to do the opposite.

He forced her off him at the last second, releasing on her back and butt as she gasped in surprise. They both panted softly from their heat, although Souji, in his dimmed recognition, noted that Naoto was watching him with a scrutinizing eye. Naoto narrowed her eyes. "You're a bastard."

"Love you, too."

He sat up, taking her with him and pushing her down against the mattress with a quick, loving kiss to top off the switch. Not resisting, Naoto simply stared at him for a moment, then smirked. Souji marvelled at the fire in her her eyes and the smug look on her face as she looped her arms around her neck. Pulling him close and taking refuge in her their newfound lust, Naoto fought through the heat and the blush on her face to whisper in Souji's ear. "Is that all you wanted? To fuck me all night long?"

She bit his earlobe defiantly as he pressed her against the wall, forcing his length inside her as much as he could in one thrust. He pulled his head back to glare at her with piercing silver eyes before he swiftly turned her over and buried himself deep inside her. Naoto's mind went blank for a split-second, simply taking what he had to offer and basking in the pleasure.

"Y'know," Souji pressed his mouth to her nape, his breath scalding her skin as he thrust deep inside her. He closed his eyes and listened to her gasp before murmuring, "Maybe I did want to fuck you. Maybe I just wanted to see you again."

Naoto gasped again as he withdrew, thrusting again roughly to whisper into her ear. "Which do you think?"

The detective was dazed with pleasure, barely registering Souji's husky sigh before he was at again, driving her over the edge time after time after time.

Naoto awoke the next morning with a dull headache, curling her fingers into the blankets then turning onto her back and groaning softly. Is this what they would call a one night stand…?

"You're up. Good morning."

She turned her head the slightest amount to see her...former? Her former lover standing in the doorway, clad in a clean pair of pants and holding two steaming mugs of coffee. Souji smiled softly, handing her one of the mugs and sitting on the edge of the bed. He waited for the steam of his drink to cool and subside for a bit before he reached into his pocket and offered something to Naoto. "Here."

"...What's this?"

Souji smiled, nursing his mug and letting the steam wash against his face. He sighed then, and for a second Naoto could see the wear and tear slip through the cracks. He...really did look tired. "It's what you've been looking for."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ever wonder why I always got away with it all? How I could walk out of the station after those cocksure officers crowed about how they 'finally got me'?"

Naoto couldn't hold back a giggle at the way he imitated their mannerisms, sticking his chest out and waving his arms around. "Well, they were missing a piece of the puzzle. That."

He pointed again to the drive. "Hand it to your boss, or whatever. Barely remember how it works on your end with all the tape and politics."

"...I didn't come here as an officer."

He looked at her, a question in his eyes. "I came here because I wanted to see you again. To see if my Souji was still buried under all the rumors and the reports."

Souji smiled sadly, nodding as he digested her words. "And...did I disappoint?"

Naoto shared his expression, watching his back for a moment before shaking her head. "For the longest time, I wanted to say that you did. Purely out of spite."

"Heh, ouch."

"But...I could still see you. That cheer that never died, the way you would smile in the face everything. I wanted to hate you. However, I can tell...you haven't changed much either."

"...I see."

For the first time in the short period they had seen each other again, a companionable silence fell between the two. Naoto stared down into the gentle steam of her coffee before closing her eyes and nodding to herself. "Souji-kun?"

Souji turned to see that Naoto had put the drive down on the bedside cabinet, outstretching her arms to him with a gentle smile. "Come. You look like you could use some rest."

He smirked, shaking his head in hesitation as he murmured, "Do I?"

Scooting closer, Souji rested his head in her lap, trying to hide his choking up when he felt her fingers run through his hair like so long ago. He turned, burying his face against her stomach and wrapping his arms around her waist. Naoto smiled, letting her fingers fall into a rhythm as Souji loosed a world-weary sigh. "I missed you so much."

Naoto felt tears streaming down her cheeks along with Souji's sobbing, speaking quietly to avoid betraying her feelings. "And I you."

His fingers grasped handfuls of her shirt, his sobs growing louder as he said, "I'm sorry."

Naoto didn't reply, instead nodding despite him not being able to see her and leaning down to kiss his cheek. She understood everything now; all of his stress, all of his choices, and having his name fall into infamy had broken him a long time ago. It was only now that she knew he could finally let it go.

And that was alright.

He was gone the next morning, but Naoto didn't feel disappointed or used. Rather, she knew where he was going, the drive in her hand feeling heavier than the day before.

This was it. Their supposed "break-up".

She walked into the precinct later, handing the drive to her superior and leaving before he pestered her with stupid questions. That was the final nail in the coffin that had become their longtime, all-sorts-of-fucked-up relationship. It was in the papers the next day. Shirogane: Okina's Savior.

Her breakfast turned to ashes in her mouth and she dumped the rest of her coffee down the drain.

Naoto walked into the precinct one more time, watching him being escorted out in handcuffs. Despite it all, he still looked up at her and smiled that smile, unaffected and happy as ever. The difference was that this time she smiled back.


Vague, yes. Lacking in the actual sex, yes.

"But K4no! You told us that you like writing the sexy stuff!"

Well, yeah, I do. I'm in a bit of slump for Beneficial, as you can tell, and I've taken on a new story, so I guess you could call this an intermission. I feel like going overboard with the sex in this one would have taken some of the admittedly low strength out of this story. My rating? Ehh, 5/10. Maybe in the future I'll come back to this, add more of that.

Eheh..even as I'm writing this note, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I do hope you liked this, though. Thanks for reading, as always.