Warning: This is a serious Cuticle Detective fic, so, if you don't like serious stories, I advise to you turn back and read some other Cuticle Detective fics.

Have you people watched the 7th episode of Cuticle Detective already? Man, I was so entranced with the #07E part! It was so serious that it tickled me to write this fic! Actually, I was planning to write this in a humourous way, but I changed it after I watched episode 07, so blame it when this fic turned out to be so serious.

So I said in my other fiction that I'm going in a short hiatus, but, here I am, ignoring the doctor's advise and writing myself out, nya, nya.

I'm thankful for "Good Night, Nii-ni," a fic by A Natsume Yuujinchou lover. It's because of this first post in Cuticle Detective Inaba fanfom that I managed to write one myself.

Anyways, as a warning, this fic is a SERIOUS fiction. A very serious one.

And, oh, writing issues and errors are all my sins.

Disclaimer: Meh...

Hiroshi's Prisoner

Inaba Hiroshi understood that police work was not all about the pleasantry of camaraderie or the enthusiastic car chases seen in various movies or the happy endings wherein a case would be successfully solved. Police work was a job reserved for those who were strong-willed, not once faltering away from the call of duty – a duty that beckoned them to live a life of danger, of seriousness… of mess. There were times that the work of a policeman was about wading into a pit of murk, in the blanket of peril that always patiently waited for their demise. Sometimes, their work even pushed them to stoop down to an even far lower level that no average human could stomach.

The founder and lead detective of his own detective agency, Inaba Hiroshi, silently kept a blank stare at a figure that was chained down to a chair in the center of a seemingly empty prison cell. Even though he felt mortified at the work of his previous police mates, Hiroshi could not blink down a frown or two. He felt so saddened, so distressed, so hurt that he could not easily piece the emotion he should wear at the moment. He wanted to reach out at the man who motionlessly sat at the prison chair, because that was what his feelings told him. However, duty was duty and emotion was emotion; two things that were constantly separated due to circumstance. A lot happened when those two mixed, Hiroshi understood.

Heck, perhaps it was because he let those two mingle together that things ended up as they were right now.

A hand dropped upon Hiroshi's shoulder, signaling the twenty-three year old detective to look at his sides. He was not surprised when he saw his previous work partner, Ogino Kuniharu, giving him an emphatic look. Probably, he was still as glad that he had the older male just around him, despite the fact that he had quit from the police long ago. As Ogino affectionately squeezed his shoulder as an effort to comfort him, the more that Hiroshi could feel the burden weighing in his entirety. Hiroshi twisted his face away from his ex-partner, although letting that assuring hand remain upon his shoulders.

No one would know just how important that little source of comfort for him right now. Perhaps, Hiroshi thought, he might have fallen into depression if he hadn't had the knowledge of Ogino just there for him. He shuddered at his own thought; his knees quivered on their own, his shoulders hunching down more. Hiroshi should have tumbled already, not for the strong hands of Ogino which held him in his place. Ogino remained silent though, yet the inaudible question still fluttered from his to Hiroshi's eyes. The half-human, half-wolf detective understood Ogino's wordless concern, but he himself couldn't understand what he should say.

"I'm sorry, Ogi." Hiroshi only said, the depth of his tone conveying his gloom.

"You don't need to be sorry," Ogino responded, waving off the younger male's apology. His hand left Hiroshi's arm, after he had steadied the other one. "Things like this couldn't easily be expected."

Was that supposed to calm me down? Hiroshi asked in his head, as his pupils silently went to the sides, looking at Ogino with slight disbelief. Not easily expected? He repeated those words, mulling over the insinuation of Ogino's words. It hadn't sounded good upon his ears, and the taste of the words was spoiled. He knew his ex-partner was just trying to make him feel a little better, but sugarcoated words only made him feel more unpleasant. "No," Hiroshi said. "Of all the people here, I should have been the one who expected it sooner."

Ogino gave a soft grunt, clearly understanding Hiroshi's remark. "You are just getting hard on yourself." He responded. "Do not feel as if this was your doing."

"Why shouldn't I, Ogi?" Hiroshi spun to his back and gave a sour look at Ogino. "Haruka left me years ago. I quit from the police just to find him." Hiroshi began, intending not to let Ogino's remark simply pass by. "And when we found him, what did he say?" At that point, tears began to collect by the sides of his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. "He is going to destroy the police work that is more important than him!" He yelled out, streams of sorrow now running down his cheeks. "It's all my fault, Ogi!"

"Haruka's decision is different." Ogi reasoned. Seeing Hiroshi so emotional made Ogino feel weak and vulnerable. He was Hiroshi's previous partner, for goddamn's sake; he should be the one to help him right now. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hiroshi, please do not blame yourself." He begged him. It won't help any of them if Hiroshi carried the whole burden by himself. It was not the best time for Hiroshi to push him away, now that the clock was ticking against them. "Please,"

"You don't understand, Ogi!" Hiroshi barked irately. "It was my carelessness that led to this!" He said, wiping his eyes furiously in an attempt to remove the evidence of his tears. As he brushed away the fluid of his loneliness, he remembered Haruka, his younger brother. The happy memories were quickly snatched away by that moment when he disappeared. The happy moments would instantly vanish at the empty feeling of having his brother lost. It was only pain that nestled upon his heart right now, and Ogi was being a jerk for ignoring the feeling inside him. Even though he knew Ogi only cared for his well-being, his previous partner was still a jerk.

"I won't mind even if it's your own carelessness, Inaba-san."

Suddenly, a voice reverberated across the prison room, instantly seizing both Hiroshi and Ogino's attention. Both males' eyes landed back at the figure that they kept inside the cell, the man that they had shackled on place for interrogation. Ogino quickly placed himself in front of Hiroshi, seemingly trying to protect the younger male from a possible assault. Hiroshi held Ogino's arms, trying to push them away. Their prisoner had finally talked! And Hiroshi would not less this chance be missed.

"Hiroshi, step back." Ogino said, his voice dangerous. "We don't know what this man can do even though he's tied down.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ogi-san." The person spoke, laughing down Ogino's words. "It's obvious that these chains hold me like glue in this chair." The person pointed, trying to shake off the shackles but to no avail. "I won't hurt Inaba-san, I promise."

"Be silent," Ogino retorted.

"You've been torturing me just to speak," the person said. "And now you want me quiet?" There was a soft chortle. "Stop kidding me already,"

"Ogi…" Hiroshi said, pushing the older man's away from him. "Ju-Just let me talk to him." He said to his ex-partner. "I have so many questions to ask to him."

"Don't let your emotions choose for your decision, Hiroshi!" Ogino finally snapped, as he strengthened his footing just to prevent the wolf from reaching their prisoner. "I know this is difficult for all of us, but if you are to fall right now, we will not be able to do anything at the end!" He looked menacingly at the man in the center of the cell, and threw the same threatening glare down at Hiroshi. "I don't want to you hurt."

"O-gi-no-san," the man said in sing-sang, obviously infuriating the inspector even more. "It's obvious that Inaba-san is already hurt," there was a playful smirk at the end of his statement. "You're just making the wound even larger by stopping him and getting angry at him." The man added, as he whipped his head side to side, removing the black locks that covered his eyes. The messy, dark strands fell at the side of his head, accentuating two turfs of hair at the top side. The plump mass merged up in a similar fashion as Hiroshi's; mimicking a somehow comparable appearance as that of a cat's ears. The only difference was the color: Hiroshi's was crimson, while his was pitch black.

"Do you not care for Inaba-san?" The man added.

Ogino bit his lips. "I am fond of you, so I'm not going to say anything about you." He admitted. "However, you made three sins that made you my enemy." He started to tell. "First, you struck a deal with the Valentino Family. Second, you performed crimes at their name. Last," he slowly raised his hand in front, releasing an accusing finger towards the prisoner. "Last, you've hurt your friend." He declared, slightly surprising Hiroshi who stood behind him. "I don't care for the things that you've done to me, but I can't possibly forgive you for hurting Hiroshi." He added.

"I've h-hurt, Inaba-san?" As if the world turned upside-down, the man who was casting sarcastic remarks seconds ago sounded so innocent and guiltless. "T-That's not t-true!" He retorted, his tone implying that he was confused. "I've never done anything! I-I've––" he suddenly stopped speaking when he noticed that his hands were in chain. "W-What? What am I doing here? Why am I tied down here?!" He asked, trying to shake off the chains. "Inaba-san, I just did those things to help you…"

"Help me?" Hiroshi said confusedly.

"Hiroshi!" Ogino spat. "Don't listen to him! He's just playing with you!"

"No, he isn't…" Hiroshi denied.

"Don't be so gullible, Inaba-san!" Suddenly, the figure laughed out loud, sounding hysterical and outlandish. "I know why you tied me down here. You hate me, don't you? You hate me because of things I did. You hate me because you thought you can trust me!"

"Shut the hell up!"

Ogino was too late to notice that Hiroshi was gone beside him. He could only look in surprise as the normally kind-hearted man pulled his fist hard and sent it fast against the man's face. The sound of Hiroshi's fist hitting the prisoner's cheek resounded all throughout the room. If not for being chained upon the chair, the prisoner would have kissed the cold floor already. Some seconds after, Hiroshi soundlessly stepped back and held his shaking fist. There had been some trickle of blood on his knuckles.

Ogino rushed towards Hiroshi's side. "Are you hurt, Hiroshi?" He asked as soon.

Hiroshi only shook his head, his eyes covered by the locks that dropped upon his face.

"I knew you hate me," the prisoner said, gradually steadying his head from the attack. He looked back at Hiroshi, his eyes glistening with tears.

"I don't hate you," Hiroshi answered, still refusing to remove the hair that shied his face away. "I-I just want to hear you out, Kei."

Nozaki Kei watched his boss, Inaba Hiroshi, with an intimidating pair of eyes, the same eyes that swam in the tears of pain and hurt. The single canine that poked out of his mouth was a lot longer than before. His hair was more bristled, and the ear-like hair protrusions were more prominent that Hiroshi's. Kei gave a whimpered sniff as he held back his tears, looking at his boss with a defeated appearance.

Inaba Hiroshi understood that police work was not all about the pleasantry of camaraderie; his own friend had betrayed him, leaving him torn and broken. It was not about the exciting police chases in those movies; heroes and enemies stood toe-to-toe, just forever waiting for the final strike. And it was not certainly all about happy endings wherein crimes were solved; no - crimes were the perfect excuse to mess up with their mind and feelings. It was all about their duty – the duty to take down the bad ones. It was about the duty that was reserved for those who were strong-willed; the ones who'd not bend down to petty emotions. It was being a police – a person who would forsake himself for duty even though the people he cared for was in fact the enemy.

Hiroshi had never been torn so much before. Finally, he understood it as well – police work sometimes let them stoop down at a level that no average person could stomach. He was treading upon those lines right now and it he was so devastated that he had needed to do it to a dear friend-turned-prisoner of his – Nozaki Kei.

"Don," Lorenzo's burlap sack crumpled a bit as he looked down upon his shorter master. "The preparations are complete." He had just sheathed his katana and attached it upon his waist. Lorenzo was ever-prepared for everything that their Don planned out. He gave a fleeting glance over Valentino Family's number one assassin, Gabriella, who was impatiently waiting for the order to come. Just like everytime, Gabriella could not hide the enthusiasm upon her face. After all, what would happen next was not a simple mission the Valentino mafia had exercised daily. He turned his head back at his master who has white for his fur.

"Sha-sha-sha," Don Valentino have a cheeky laugh. "I knew that the drug would be our ultimate weapon." He said. "After some time, we're finally going to destroy the werewolves of this country now-aro." He looked at the empty bottle at his hand, smiling at how effective the liquid was. "Giving the kid the drug was one of the best choices-aro and it works well for us -aro." He put down the empty bottle and got a silver knife. He started drumming the saucer on the table, the clinking sound echoing inside their quarters. "Send out the order for the attack." He said. "We are going to save a comrade-aro!"

"Yes!" Lorenzo answered, pulling out an old-model phone from his pocket. He quickly sent out multiple orders on the line, effectively finishing it within two minutes. After he pressed the 'end' button, Lorenzo gladly looked back at Don Valentino and spoke, "The underlings are on their way, although we need to have a plan for the additional doses of 'Meow-tate,' Don."

"Meow-tate has a potential ability to turn people into Werecats, the cat version of Werewolves." Don Valentino remarked. "If a single dose is successful, then we can use this to wipe out the werewolves of Japan-aro!" He said, laughing loud again. "Yes, we can totally use this to create a force that can fight equally with the Secret Dobermans! We can use them to obliterate those wolves that harmed the little kiddie goats-aro!" He looked at Lorenzo. "My right hand, Lorenzo, we need to ship out a lot of this drug for our success-aro!"

Don Valentino, together with Lorenzo and Gabriella, began to walk out of the headquarters, a box of the drug, Meow-tate, in tow. The leader of the Valentino Family had a sarcastic smirk upon his face, as if already implying that success was already at hand's reach. Of course, he knew; what the Don had said would be done. The philosophy of their family ran around their great Don Valentino, and, with their sheer belief backing them up, he and his lackeys were in a path to victory.

- End of Chapter -

I'm not good in graphical description, so the cover image of this fic is one of my ways to let you see how Kei-kun probably looked. Isn't he cute? Haha. :P

I'm so bad, making this really good anime so serious and angsty. Well, if you have been following me, I've made a similar trend to one of my fiction in Kuroko no Basuke.

Anyways, thanks for reading. I read that the anime would last only for 12 episodes, so I'll try to match up with the weekly updates. Ja ne!