Fushimi wasn't quite sure when he fell in love with her – all he was able to comprehend was that at some point after their first meeting she had somehow stolen the one thing he guarded most from the world. Despite the fact that the existence of most of his colleagues irked him to no end, he could never help the fact that he was somewhat intrigued by her, never completely able to push her out like the rest of them. He had tried, countless times, to keep his distance from her, but his attempts were ineffective – he simply couldn't stay away.
It wasn't like him to be so easily captivated by anything, and the simple fact that she had weaseled her way into his heart without much effort was bothersome and exhausting. He didn't understand any of it, and he was sure he never would. The emotions he felt when he merely thought of her were so foreign and unwelcome, and he often found himself mindlessly daydreaming about her stupid smile when he should have been busy working. It certainly didn't help that Munakata often assigned them to work closely together on most of their missions, causing Fushimi to unintentionally become well acquainted with his partner.
No matter how much he analyzed his unfortunate predicament, he couldn't decipher what exactly he loved so much about her. He didn't make it a habit of surrounding himself with females, but he knew enough about them to know that she was undoubtedly different. She liked being alone, he noticed; during one of their conversations on the job she had mentioned that she loved to read, and often found joy in locking herself away from the world and finding solitude in works of fiction. She also liked games, ranging from mindless video games to strategic board games that he sometimes indulged her in, finding her to be quite the adversary.
Fushimi supposed she was rather pretty, but he was never one for noticing natural beauty. Her hair was long, often cascading in chocolate waves down her shoulders and stopping just above her waist. Her eyes were green, but not a dark or dull green – a bright, light emerald that didn't seem to fit in with her usually stoic face. She had a dark and somewhat dry sense of humor, which he supposed most men would find intimidating but not Fushimi. He adored it…he adored her and he found it utterly disgusting.
She had initially been an enemy clansman, working against Scepter 4 and occasionally engaging him in battle when their paths crossed. Things took a drastic turn when the Blue Clan had managed to apprehend her, locking her up in the prison below their home base in hopes of getting some kind of lead on the whereabouts of the king she had devoted her life to. The clan that she formally served was usually a quiet and reserved group, never making themselves noticed by anyone and typically minding their own business until their king accused Munakata of murdering the sister of the girl that currently held Fushimi's affection.
Syler Sloan had, in fact, been disposed of by her own king, leaving behind her devastated younger sister whose blood boiled with vengeance. Munroe, the young woman whose green eyes captured Fushimi's very interest, had targeted any member of Scepter 4 that stood in her way during her path of retribution. Fushimi had been the one to detain her, and though he wouldn't admit it, it wasn't an easy feat. She was a force to be reckoned with, but he supposed he shouldn't have expected any less – a woman, he soon learned, no matter how soft or gentle she may look, was nothing more than a ticking time bomb; however, an angry woman…well, hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn, right?
After Munroe's detainment the truth finally came forth in an unexpected turn of events, and in the end it was revealed that it was her trusted king that ended her sister's life. Munroe, being no more than a simple clansman with powers granted from her king, stood no chance against the murderer of her older sister. In the end, Munakata had been impressed with the young woman and invited her to join Scepter 4, promising to administer justice to the one that caused her so much pain. Fushimi had, initially, been against the idea of allowing her to join, but looking back on it now he realizes it was partly because he felt involuntarily drawn to the green eyed girl.
Now, after nearly two years working alongside her, Fushimi was faced with a dilemma that he never had to conquer before. It wasn't in his nature to act on his emotions unless it involved Misaki, and even then those particular emotions were spurred on by a former friendship that was so damaged that Fushimi found himself craving his ex-best friend's hatred. Those negative feelings were beginning to fade, however, and Fushimi had no idea how to handle it. On one hand, he considered just making her hate him would be the easiest solution, that way he didn't have to deal with any kind of rejection and perhaps her hatred for him would make this yearning in his heart disappear. On the other hand – and this one seemed to hold his interest the most – he simply thought about keeping it all to himself.
Fushimi leaned back in his chair to observe the ceiling, clicking his tongue in irritation at his wandering thoughts. He surmised that, in the end, nothing good would come of either option. While keeping his unwelcome feelings a secret seemed to be the safest and best decision, he wasn't sure how long he could keep pretending he didn't care about his female coworker. For the time being she appeared to favor his presence above the others. He supposed she enjoyed his company to some extent considering she chose to stay by his side a majority of the time, but how long would it be until someone else caught her interest? He had, at one point, mused that it'd be simpler to forget about her if she were to establish a relationship with someone else, but the more Fushimi let that thought cloud his mind the angrier he became.
Releasing a long repressed sigh Fushimi closed his eyes against the fluorescent lights, willing his thoughts away. He didn't need this so early in the morning. After a few moments of silence Fushimi felt his body relax slightly, pushing aside his complicated feelings for the time being in hopes of getting some work done today.
The door to the far right creaked open slowly, causing the dark haired young man to withhold a groan at the intrusion.
"Working hard as ever, I see," a familiar, feminine voice announced from behind him.
Fushimi's eyes opened so suddenly he had to blink several times to adjust to the harsh lighting, that voice echoing in his head as he glanced behind him at the brown haired girl peering over his shoulder. She leaned over him a bit, staring at the computer screen before him with a hint of amusement on her face at his lack of progress. He felt his heart suddenly speed up at her proximity, the smell of what he assumed was her shampoo wafting over him. He suddenly felt dizzy.
"Isn't that the report the captain requested on Tuesday? That was three days ago, Saruhiko," she derided him lightly, a hint of a smile catching his eye.
Fushimi collected himself quickly, clicking his tongue and readjusting his glasses as she claimed the chair to his right. "I've been busy," was his short reply as his fingers began to work on the keyboard in front of him.
From the corner of his eye he saw Munroe arch an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to read the words he typed. "You call spacing out and daydreaming being busy?" she inquired, causing Fushimi to pause shortly before continuing his work with a scoff. She chuckled under her breath, resting her head in her hand as she observed him. "I was going to see if you wanted to go grab some breakfast with me, but it looks like you have a lot of work to catch up on."
Fushimi glanced at her quickly, his fingers working fast on the keyboard as he attempted to not miss a beat. Although he was used to Munroe inviting him to things such as breakfast, lunch or dinner, he could never help the beat his heart seemed to skip whenever she suggested it. He knew it wasn't a date, even when she'd tell him that it was his turn to treat her, it wasn't a date. Fushimi had never been on a date, so it wasn't like he knew what it was like or anything, but he liked to assume that his occasional outings with the girl he was so stuck on was a good enough comparison.
Attempting to appear nonchalant about the request Fushimi shrugged, his mind not even comprehending the words he typed before him. This was how he naturally responded to her, not wanting to seem too eager to spend more time with her. Although he was, in fact, pretty eager, he also felt a sense of dread. He was getting in too deep with this girl, and he didn't know how to stop it.
Munroe, who was used to Fushimi's withdrawn behavior, felt annoyance flare through her at his attitude. Although she was sure she was one of the few people who had ever witnessed Saruhiko display more than one emotion, she couldn't help but be displeased with his continued efforts of indifference. She wasn't one for being overly friendly, either, but she made an effort when it came to this boy – he was the only important thing she had left in her life, and he was completely clueless about it.
She had lost her older sister, and that was a loss that haunted her for quite some time. In the beginning she wanted to be strong, she didn't want to lean on anyone because she didn't need a crutch, but when she was partnered with Saruhiko she couldn't help but feel strangely comforted by his presence. Without even realizing it, he had helped her overcome the heartbreak that came with death, and ever since then she clung to the only thing that made any sense in her life: him.
While Munroe had initially been reluctant to get close to the reclusive boy, she couldn't deny the fact that there was something there, pulling her to him like a magnet. There was a need she couldn't satisfy, and for the longest time she didn't understand it one bit. Why did he have this effect on her? Why did her hands get unnaturally clammy when he stood too close or accidentally brushed his arm against hers? Why did she want to be around him so much when he was such a hard person to get along with in the first place?
The answer came to her one day unexpectedly, and she was nearly knocked off her feet when she realized that she was in love with Saruhiko. Saruhiko, the boy she used to fight against when she was his enemy; the boy she made snide remarks to and even threatened before she joined the blues. She was in love with him of all people. Man, her sister would be laughing so hard in her face right now, mocking her in that annoyingly high pitched voice saying: little Miss I-don't-need-a-stupid-man-to-make-me-happy finally fell in love. Sucks, doesn't it?
Yeah, Munroe thought bitterly as she gazed at Saruhiko with a small frown. It sucks big ones.
Occasionally it appeared that maybe, just maybe, Saru reciprocated her feelings, and when she'd move in to try and reach out for him he'd take two steps back and slip right through her fingers. It was an exhausting dance that seemed to be the main focus of her day to day life.
"Maybe next time," she said, trying to keep her voice even as she stood from her chair. "Catch ya later."
She got halfway to the door when she heard Saruhiko's chair scrape loudly against the floor and her heart rate spiked. There, she thought with a slight smile as he walked casually by her still figure, pulling the door open and peering back at her with softness in his eyes he only ever showed her, that's the push and pull that confuses and excites me. Damn you, Saruhiko.
Wow, it's been so long since I last uploaded anything to fanfiction…I don't even know what to say. This little 'thing' is based off an idea I've had for quite some time, and it's been eating at me for days. It isn't the complete story, just a little something I felt I needed to get out to satisfy my need for some Fushimi love. I intended for this to be nothing more than a simple one-shot, and for the time being it's going to remain that way because I'm far too busy to write out a full story based on this couple…that would take so much time, and I usually have issues with completing stories, anyway. I left Munroe's original clan out on purpose because, although I do have in mind what clan it is and have even made a backstory for it, I didn't want to upset anyone who likes for things to stay as close to canon as possible. Maybe I'll continue this in a series of one-shots or something, I don't know, I'm really busy and spend most of my free time staring into open space and I don't want to ruin the delicate balance of my simple life, hahahahaha. Yeah, let me know what you think.