a/n: Like, sometime pre-canon, but then again maybe (probably) it's just an AU where things are fairly fluffy and mildly life-threatening shenanigans still occur on the reg
"What are we doing here?"
Seiji kicks his feet out like an unruly child, bouncing his heels against the bench. "It's called a stakeout, Shuuichi-san. Be on the lookout for possessed civilians."
"You're kidding."
Seiji's visible eye flicks up to look at him.
"I'm not," he intones affably. "Now, sit down and be good."
But it's Seiji who succumbs first.
Shuuichi resolutely ignores his fidgeting until the other flicks a bottle cap at him. It meets its mark, bouncing off the rim of his glasses, faulty depth perception be damned. He yelps.
"Where did you get that?"
Seiji gestures at a nearly empty soda bottle. "S'mine."
A beat.
"Sip?"
Shuuichi shakes his head 'no' at the same time his mouth goes dry.
"Your loss." He finishes off his drink. "Wait, no it's not." His face scrunches up in a grimace.
"Why'd you get it then?" Seiji considers the bottle.
"It was pretty good until the end."
Seiji manages another two whole minutes on the bench before he tugs insistently on Shuuichi's sleeve.
"I'm bored," he announces plaintively. Shuuichi rolls his eyes.
"That is absolutely atrocious." Shuuichi turns the hat over in his hands.
"Thanks," he says cheerfully, starting over to the cashier to be extra contrary. It's worth it for the look on Seiji's face.
He tries to jam said atrocity onto Seiji's head when they're out of the store.
That goes about as well as it could've.
"What do you think?"
"It's fine," Shuuichi says distractedly. He glances out the front window of the shop.
"Is it." Seiji picks at the dark fabric, contemplative.
"Yeah, yeah, let's go. I think I saw something."
"You didn't think this through, did you?"
Seiji looks about as guilty as he's able (read: not very much) and Shuuichi pinches the bridge of his nose, peering around the corner again at the woman - their first possessed civilian.
"It's just her?"
"Probably," Seiji replies, fluidly evasive. Shuuichi feels a nasty headache coming on.
"How will we—" He's suddenly cut off by Seiji who grabs his wrist and drags him across the hall. Before Shuuichi can say anything else, Seiji bunches up his new sweatshirt around his hand to pull down the lever of the fire alarm.
Shuuichi gapes.
It turns out to be just the woman. And emergency services are already on site, so that's a plus.
Shuuichi's never felt so worn out. Seiji comes to stand beside him.
"So... same time next week?"
He stalks away from him, new hat in hand, ignoring Seiji's laughter.
He also ignores the texts that flood his phone later.
(At least until the next morning.)