Yukio returned to his dorm feeling so tired he couldn't feel his limbs anymore. It was one of those days were grading tests collided with writing them and doing all sorts of Exorcism jobs and researched on the side. And, as hard working as he was, he hated those days with a fiery passion.
The moment he stepped into the building- his feet falling right over the portection charm under the mat he'd set up a week ago- something entered his nose and beckoned him to go to the kitchen, where the delicious smelling source was originating from. Once in the kitchen, he found Rin and Ukobach running around the kitchen, cooking. Yukio, through his exhaustion, found the sight and the scent faintly familiar, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"What are you two up to?" He asked groggily, ready to collapse face first into the first table he found and just sleep there for a few hours.
Rin stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to his younger brother with a devious grin, like a child being caught in the act. He gestured to Ukobach, or rather the spatula he was was holding.
"Maira leaves in three days. We're having a party for her."
Yukio almost didn't hear it.
"Huh. When?"
"On Tuesday...well, the day after tomorrow." Rin answered cheerfully and prepared a plate of dinner for Yukio.
"Here." He said as he pushing the warm china towards his narcoleptic brother. Yukio, still barely able to move through his exhaustion, attempted to scoop up some of the food with the fork- or was it a spoon?- while trying not to get it all over his clothes. To his partial dismay, he was as careful in doing so as a drunk man.
Rin didn't go back behind the counter to help Ukobach. Instead, he stayed there, uncomfortably quiet as Yukio ate.
"Do you think Mai's..." He started finally, only to lose his voice again.
Yukio tried to sigh the tiredness away. "Die? I hope not. The Grigori's got a lot riding on this."
"The Grig- nevermind. I just...it's either her or him, you know?"
Him. Shima. The spy. Yukio sighed again, this time to deliver a point.
"I don't think it'll come to that. Song and Shura make this mission sound dangerous and complicated, but I doubt they'll risk their trump card so early in this war." Yukio admitted.
"But Mai's not the only trump card!" Rin protested.
"Rin, the Grigori doesn't trust you. They don't trust Ser Pheles either. The Paladin's not exactly a trump card. Maira has had their seal of approval since she was five, and not that many people in the order even know about her. It makes her the best weapon they have."
If Rin still doubted him, he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he retreated to the kitchen, working on the food less excitedly.
"Was it really that hard?" Leah asked, a glimmer of humor in her eyes.
Maira shrugged in response, preffering to drink her coffee in peace.
"Telling them? I suppose not."
"'Then what's the problem?"
"It...it doesn't seem real, you know? It's been a whole month and I'm just not feeling it. Like he's gonna walk through the door and nothing will have changed."
Leah nodded.
"That's kinda how I felt when Eva walked out. Falling in love is really hard the first time around. Especially if you love assholes."
"But I didn't-"
"No, you just every waking- and non waking- moment with him." She cut in with an eye roll. "Look, I'm not here to tell you how to feel, but it's easier to see it this way."
"It is? So what, I just tell myself that I might have to kill the guy I love and that's easier? I thought that seeing him as the enemy would be the solution." She admitted, rubbing the her neck sheepishly.
"When you do it, maybe. I don't think it'll help you deal with it afterwards though. Killing a human being is... more fucked up than killing a demon."
"Never really noticed anything fucked up about killing demons." Maira grumbled.
Leah's forest green eyes met hers for a split second and her alabaster face creased with an unreadable expression.
"So...party?"
"Wh- oh yeah. That thing." Maira said dreadfully. "It's not a good idea, but they already made preparations. I still don't wanna go though."
"You have to say goodbye at some point." Leah pointed out.
"I know. I just don't want to act if nothing's wrong and pretend to have fun while doing it."
"And why not? For all you know, it could be fun."
"Yeah. A 'mentally unstable' Branded, four orphans and their long-suffering friend. Fun!"
"You missed one."
"I think Shiemi's normal. And that's really saying something about the rest of us."
Leah laughed.
"I think Moriyama knows more than you give her credit for."
"Yeah, well, I've spent more time with her than you."
For a few quiet moments, all that could be heard was the soft jazz music the cafe was playing. It was a bit too early in the day and the only other patrons were a group of three that hadn't quite woken up yet.
"Nice choker, by the way." Maira commented, eager to break the silence. "New?"
Leah touched her neck absently. "Yeah. They had run out of suns, so I got the moon one instead."
"Shame. Amaterasu would love it."
The green bag swung familiarly between her shoulder blades as Maira made her way out of the boys' dorm. Sentinel was quietly opposing her decision to leave early, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Even if she did attempt to stay behind, she'd probably drive herself insane with worry.
Frankly though, Maira didn't feel very good about ditching her friends either. But the last thing she needed was a party in her honor. She hadn't done anything to deserve it; she'd been blind to Shima's machinations, she tried to kill him upon finding out and then spent her days moping about. If she did deserve anything, it would be a harsh slap of reality, whatever that might entail.
She had just passed the bridge Kuro used to guard when she heard her name being called out. Dreading the next part, she turned around slowly to see a relatively pissed off Bon. He stomped his way over to her, and all she could do was give him her best innoncent grin.
"Where are you going?" He demanded.
"Look, party sounds nice an' all, but-"
"No buts. We all spent so much preparing it for you and you're even gonna show?"
"Rude, I know. I just don't think it's the best idea."
"It's not." He agreed, relaxing some. "But they haven't seen much of you lately. I think Izumo might actually be missing you." He added thoughtfully.
"And I'll miss her too. But I...can't. I need to be vigilant."
"Yeah, well, you could at least say a vigilant goodbye."
Maira stared at him for a second, taking in his appearance. Sure, the piercings and the hair was the same as always, and he was wearing casual clothes. And there was tiny, pink box in his hand that he was trying to hide by rolling back and forth on his heels. There was something familiar about the way he stood there. She knew that if she closed her eyelids she would remember- she would see it play out. And so she let it.
She hadn't realized what she'd done until she heard the box hit the floor with a soft 'thud'. Her hands her clutching onto the front of his shirt, keeping him in place and, despite him not being too tall in comparison, she was tiptoeing. Her mouth was pressed against his in a parody of a kiss. But she didn't pull away. Neither did he.
Not at first anyway. His hands moved from hanging awkwardly at his sides to wrapping around her. That's when reality veered away from memory and trully sunk in. That was Bon she was kissing. And sure, they had come close lately, but not close enough for that to happen. She jerked away from him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
Fortunately- if there was anything to be happy about in that thrice-damned situation- Bon was too stunned to realize she had pulled away, and he didn't see the tears that started welling up in her eyes or the ugly red color her face had. Without saying a word, Maira turned tail and made a run for it.
...So, that happened.
Okay, okay, truth be told, when I first started writing this, it was supposed to be a BonxOc fic (and that's why chapter 1 in in Bon's P.O.V) but I changed my mind . I decided the unrequited love thing later. Well, here it is.
