Author's Note: For this piece, I suggest listening to Final Fantasy XIII-2 ~Future~ to make the feeling more surreal.
Not much got under a Contractor's skin. Most of them were calculating hunters. Some were trigger happy sociopaths. All of them knew the sight of blood by memory, and all of them had a price to pay. All except the Black Reaper, of course.
"I'm going out to scout the area. Stay here."
It was the usual procedure. Keep moving, and make sure that when you stopped, no one knew who you were or where you were going. And always keep the Syndicate guessing.
It wasn't often that Yin's gentle voice reached his ears with a comment of her own, so it caught him off guard when it did.
"Wait." She tugged on his shirt.
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry, Hei." Her fragile monotone barely disturbed the air. "I don't want to run anymore."
"What are you saying?" His voice came out sounding harsher than he wanted. He only reserved that tone for targets. She didn't flinch, she was used to it- but she looked down, and it stung.
"You've been fighting for a long time now."
Well, that was true. But so what?
"And you've had to kill…" She caught herself at that word, like it reminded her of something painful. "…A lot of Contractors."
"It was either them, or us." There was no denying that.
"I don't want to fight anymore." Her hand dropped from his shirt, and she walked over to the blind-covered window, quietly insisting on her request.
"Yin…"
"I don't want to kill anymore. I don't want to see you hurt anymore."
Hei had known for some time that Yin had been changing, with the way that she had been longingly staring at him, or coming to embrace him. But he had never expected that she would develop her own will so quickly, or that he would have to work with it so soon. Between keeping them safe and not shutting Yin down, Hei had a hard time choosing.
He may have been a merciless killer, but Hei still had a heart, especially for the young girl standing in front of him.
"…I'll be back soon. Don't wander off." He didn't want to leave her company just yet, so he took the opportunity to go before he changed his mind,
Hei left no time for her to voice any more concerns. He shut the door behind himself, relaxing his pose and widening his gaze. Now he was just a newlywed honeymooner, striding around. He could deal with her later.
Yin bit back whatever had been on the tip of her tongue. The air conditioner had chilled the room, so she sat down on the bed and wrapped herself in a sheet.
"Hei…" She spoke to herself, listening to the sound of her own voice to break the quiet. "When will we be able to stop running?"
Maybe never.
Something else spoke to her. If it wasn't her voice coming from somewhere within the recesses of her being, she would have looked up to check if anyone was in the room.
"Why not?" She didn't know any better than to ask back.
You already know why. Because of-
"-The Syndicate." She finished the thought.
You'd like to get rid of them, wouldn't you?
"I… just want to…" Yin was reluctant to admit her secret out loud, even if no one would hear her, and no one except him would care. "I just want to be with Hei."
The voice grew stronger. It was no longer her now- it felt more immersive, more like a presence than a sound.
Then go get him. I'll take care of the rest.
Yin felt a chill run up her spine as the presence departed, and stood to leave. He would be angry with her for doing it. He always was whenever there was a chance she could be in danger. But if being closer would take being disobedient, she was willing to make some sacrifices.
No cameras. No suspicious individuals. No signs of anything but some small birds, which could potentially be dangerous. Contractors could still swap bodies. Hei scratched the back of his head, stifling a yawn. He hadn't slept since their departure for the resort. Maybe that was why he was more prone to acting cold.
He couldn't help it sometimes. A stone rolled down the path from under his foot. He had experienced too much in life as an assassin to not follow protocol. He had been on too many missions with Yin to lose her now. He had already given up his team, given up his friends. His sister was gone. Fused with him, maybe, but still gone.
Huang was dead. Mao was out of touch. Jack, Amber, and Havoc were gone too. For the first time since the incident in the Gate, a pang of pain squeezed Hei's heart. Yin was the only one left. That's why he couldn't let the Syndicate catch them. She was more than just an operative. More than even a friend. When he thought of her, it brought a smile to his face.
For a moment, he let himself slip away to his imagination. Just for a moment. Yin was beautiful in her sundress. She always had been, but her dark clothing modestly hid it. Now that she was free, she had chosen to let her pale arms enjoy the kiss of sunlight. She even let her hair down. Her eyes may have been sunken, but they glinted with something fresh that could only be described as life. He refused to think of her as a doll anymore. He never put her so low. Not since after their first mission together.
Before Hei noticed, he had already made it back to the resort and had slipped by the concierge. He would be approaching the room in a moment.
I have to make it up to her. After what Yin has been through… She deserves better.
Hei cautiously opened the door to their room and peeked inside. It was empty. Fear gripped him for a moment before he collected himself and dropped his relaxed demeanor.
"Yin?"
No reply.
"Yin! Where are you?"
He rushed out of the room and ran back to the lobby. The concierge was right outside, folding some clothes up on a line. He calmed down for the few moments it would take him to speak.
"Excuse me, have you seen my wife?" He offered a meek smile. "I just have some important news for her, you see."
The man chuckled obliviously. "Why yes, I did! She came by a few minutes ago with some requests for the both of you. She was headed in the direction of the beach."
"Thank you." Hei bowed his head lightly and jogged on. When he was out of earshot and out of sight, he resumed his quicker running speed. Down the path, past the palm trees and garden. The shoreline was right there…
What is she thinking? I told her to stay put. She knows it's dangerous to walk out alone.
Hei shook the thoughts from his head. Those were instincts acting up. He had to suppress them and act normal.
He stopped at the edge of the beach, gaze darting in both directions. Some sailboats in the distance, seagulls in the sky, and-
There.
Hei rain at full speed down the sand, towards the lone figure standing ankle deep in the ocean.
"Yin!"
The girl turned ever so slowly towards him. It was hard to tell from his distance, but for a second he thought he saw a smile flicker across her face. He stopped himself short, right in front of her, and grabbed her shoulders harder than he should have.
"I told you to stay in the room." There was that bitter edge again. Hei wanted to bite his tongue for it.
"You told me not to wander off, so I wandered to you."
Hei was genuinely surprised. His grip slackened, and he trailed his hands down her arms.
"You can't wander off by yourself." His gaze softened. "Not when they're after us."
Yin closed her eyes and tenderly hugged him, not letting go. Her fingers brushed his back, calming his worries in a way only she could. If the way she showed affection wasn't human, no one was.
"I'm sorry," she muttered as Hei ran a hand through her silver hair. "For worrying you."
Humbly, Hei allowed himself to admit that his fear was unfounded. "The resort is clear. We're not being watched."
Yin looked up to him. "It's safe here."
When he gave her a questioning look, she elaborated. "My specter. It told me the resort is safe."
Hei suddenly remembered she was standing in water. "We shouldn't stay here for long." He gave her a quick squeeze and, holding her hand, turned to leave.
"Hei." She held onto his arm now. "It's safe here." She rested her head against his shoulder, not wanting to let go.
"Yin…"
"Don't go, Hei. I want to stay here. Don't leave me."
No one would understand how, or why, but one Doll among all transcended her bonds to become something even more powerful than a Contractor.
"I'll never leave you, Yin. I will always protect you." His voice was barely above a whisper. Her heart skipped a beat as his face drew closer.
"Hei…" Her lips parted ever so slightly. "I love you."
A kiss was a seal. Between Contractor and a Doll, fated beings, a romance had been blossoming. When Hei's lips met Yin's, their spirits were set free, and all the pain that had tortured their lives melted away.
It was said that a special girl would awaken one day and completely change the world. As it had descended deeper into chaos, one demon among thousands stood out as the most skilled, as the most lethal, and the most compassionate. He was the Black Reaper.
That day never came as Reaper and maiden summoned an ancient power that eclipsed all before it. It was called love.