Note: Wrote this as a flashback to something else, but it got kinda long, sooo have a mini-fic instead~
Amai
It hasn't been good hunting for a while. After a recent rash of attacks in the neighboring ward, the humans are cautious; and when they aren't, Doves are patrolling closely. When they finally do find a pair of inattentive humans, it's the kind that neither she or Ayato have the courage to attempt taking down.
"Don't look!" Touka hisses, covering Ayato's eyes. "Save your innocence!"
She's teasing, and he looks away as if annoyed; but his flush matches hers.
Humans stumbling their way to love hotels, or tangled up in the back alleys of bars in a muffled, sweaty mess — they weren't uncommon. Easy game, except for the fact that neither she or Ayato could ever get over their embarrassment enough to go after them.
She and Ayato leave to find other humans, only to return empty-handed an hour later. The humans are still there, and don't show any signs of stopping soon, not even when Ayato's stomach gives an embarrassingly loud growl.
He clutches his belly through his jacket and grimaces at her.
"Sorry," he whispers, but Touka shakes her head. There's nothing for him to be sorry about. If anything, she should be the one apologizing, for allowing him to get this hungry in the first place. They haven't had a good meal in days.
She takes a deep breath. It's silly to be embarrassed by something like this, much less to let it get in the way of a full belly. She can do this. She has to do this.
"Wait here," she whispers. She shoves him out of sight and stands, but before she can force herself to stop blushing and approach the humans, Ayato pulls her back.
"Aneki, wait!"
She panics and jumps back into the shadows. "Doves?" she gasps, looking around. She puts her hands on his shoulders. "Where? Ayato," she calls when he doesn't respond, "where," but he just shakes his head, so fiercely his long hair slaps at her white knuckles.
"Aneki, you don't have to — that is —" He struggles for words. "I mean, it's probably best to leave them alone, right?"
She blinks. "What? Why?"
"Because…I mean…you always need to leave some behind, right? So everyone will have enough to eat in the future," Ayato mumbles. It takes Touka a while to get it, but once she does, she laughs. She had found a biology textbook abandoned out by a school the other day, and given it to him. Until now, she had had no idea he had actually been reading it.
Ayato brightens at her laughter, and goes on. "S-so…it's alright. Don't worry about it, there's no need for you to overdo it."
"Alright," she says finally. Her agreement comes less because she wants escape, and more because she wants to accept his kindness.
"Let's go," she continues, before he can realize that the two humans are both female and unlikely (at least for now) to be reproducing with each other. Later, after they've retreated to shelter, she watches Ayato fall fitfully into sleep. When he cringes unconsciously and grips his stomach, her pride turns into worry, and determination. She creeps back out into the streets and drags herself to Anteiku to beg the old man for meat.
Note: Fun Fact - In Japanese, "amai" means "sweet" (the flavor). But, it can also refer to "loving indulgence," or the concept of mothers allowing their children (especially boys) to have their way.