An unseasonably warm wind rolled through the plaza. Inukashi could smell spring in the air as surely as the tang of soap and the funk of wet dogs around them. It made their nose twitch.

They hated spring, when the barren landscape of West Block struggled into newborn life. It made a mockery of the death that nipped at their heels through every season. Winter was better. When everything was dead, and smelled like ice, and the merciless cold bullied customers through the hotel doors, life was as good as it could be.

Unlike the majority of West Block, Inukashi thrived in the winter.

Shion dumped a bucket over his current dog's head and the dog immediately began to shake. Water exploded off its long fur like freezing shrapnel. Inukashi raised an arm to shield their face from the onslaught, but Shion was too close to avoid the brunt of the attack. He sputtered and fell back from his crouch and onto his bottom. Inukashi tsked and grabbed the freshly washed dog by the scruff of its neck and wrangled it in for a towel down.

Shion was such a klutz. They'd washed so many dogs now, and Shion was still as bad at it as ever. How hard could it be? Wet the dog, smear each side of it with the soap bar, dump water on it, and wipe it down. So easy, a child could do it.

Shion's issue was that he tried too hard. He wanted to soap every part of the dog, from the backs of its ears to tips of its paws. No matter how many times Inukashi scolded him, Shion continued to overdo it. He said he had a responsibility to the dogs and to the customers, and he wouldn't settle for anything but a thorough wash of every dog.

Which was insane, but Shion was kind of insane in general. He didn't even back down when Inukashi reminded him that he wasn't going to get paid more for overtime. Say what you want about the guy's common sense, but Shion was stubborn as a goat and he didn't do things by halves.

I suppose that's something to admire… It makes for a good worker, at least.

If they were honest, Inukashi liked Shion and his weird work ethic. Inukashi was constantly underestimated and underappreciated in West Block, due to their youth, small stature, and the generally shitty attitude of West Block's populace. But Shion was always kind and respectful towards them, and he hadn't laughed at their dog family even once.

True, Shion's unwavering kindness was a sign of crippling weakness and he would probably end up dead one day very soon because of it, but Inukashi decided it wouldn't be by their hand.

Besides, the dogs had really taken to him. Most humans the dogs only tolerated—they were professionals, after all, and didn't let any dislike they might have towards certain customers taint opportunities to make money for their master—but they legitimately seemed to like Shion, and had adopted him as an honorary member of the pack. Inukashi's own little brother had spearheaded the effort. That was weird. The scrappy youngster had never been very active or serious about anything.

But Shion had that effect on people—and dogs, apparently. He brought out the best in everyone.

Inukashi pursed their lips and dismissed the dog they'd been toweling down.

"Hurry up, Shion. What're you still doing sitting on your ass?"

"Ah. Sorry, Inukashi." Shion stopped blowing into his hands and struggled back into a crouch.

Inukashi narrowed their eyes. Shion's hands were bare and bright red from the cold. "What the hell. Are you stupid? Where are your gloves?"

"Oh, uh… I brought them, but…" Shion grimaced and balled his fists in his sopping sleeves in a pointless attempt to warm them. A light shiver racked his body. "I lost them in the market. Or… Well, they were taken, actually."

"...Huh? How'd that happen?"

Shion's smile was slow and more than a little guilty. "It almost felt like spring this morning, so I wasn't wearing them at first, but it got colder the longer I was outside, so I took my gloves out of my pocket, and a little kid tackled me and snatched them out of my hands."

"Geez," Inukashi scoffed. "How dumb can you be? That's the oldest trick in the book!"

"I didn't know… She was really fast. I didn't even realize what had happened until she already disappeared into the crowd."

"You're complimenting the little thief? You should be cursing them out right now."

Shion shrugged his shoulders and stared down at the plaza stones. "Don't tell Nezumi about the gloves… He'd be really mad."

"Why would I tell Nezumi? I'm your employer, not your mama. It's got nothing to do with me."

Shion looked relieved, which made Inukashi's skin prickle. Why does Shion care so much about what that asshole thinks of him? Nezumi should have taught him better; then he wouldn't be losing his stupid gloves in the market.

"You can't keep washing dogs with no gloves on," Inukashi grumbled. "Spring might be coming, but it's still cold as fuck right now. Your fingers'll fall off if you go on like this."

Inukashi sighed. "Guess I'm going to have to find you gloves."

"No, it's okay! It was my own fault, so I can power through. It's not so bad if I keep my hands wrapped up and blow on them in between dogs."

Shion's eyes flashed with determination and he shouted to one of the waiting dogs to come over. Inukashi crossed their arms and leered down at Shion's dry, red hands and shivering form. He tried to pick up a pail, but he could hardly get his fingers to flex around the handle, forget trying to lift it full of water.

Inukashi clicked their tongue. "Don't be a dumbass. Here." They peeled off their own gloves and chucked them at Shion. He caught the gloves as they smacked him in the shoulder and blinked back at them.

"Inukashi…"

"Save the waterworks. Those're too big for me anyway."

Which was true. The gloves dwarfed Inukashi's small hands, but they were the warmest ones they had, so they had worn them anyway.

Gloves wore out quickly, so they always picked out one or two sturdy-looking sets of gloves and socks from the shipments they received and sold the rest to the market. It would be annoying to have to find a new pair to wear, but it wasn't like they had a choice; Shion wouldn't be able to do his job if his hands were damaged from frostbite.

Shion's face was tinged with guilt, but once he'd pulled on the gloves, his reservations were swept away by the warm relief. "Thank you, Inukashi," he sighed. "I'll give them back once I've bought new ones."

"Don't bother; you can keep 'em. I've got others inside I can use." Shion was now looking at them with something like affectionate gratitude, so Inukashi had to add, "This isn't a freebie, though. The cost is coming out of your paycheck."

Shion grinned and repeated his thanks, flexing his glove-clad hands in front of him like he had only just discovered he had fingers.

Inukashi snorted. So simple. But they felt pleased to have given Shion a gift he liked so much. Inukashi had never given another person a gift before.

"It's almost lunchtime," Inukashi mused, staring up at the sun. "I'll grab new gloves and a couple of snacks for us on my way out."

Shion perked up mid-scrub. "You're giving me lunch, too?"

"Don't get used to it."

But Inukashi smiled a little as they turned away.

They threaded a path through the ruins of the hotel plaza and picked their way up the less cracked steps on the stairs to the lobby. The wooden door was insect-eaten and rotted in places, but it held together well enough to serve. Whomever built the building had given it strong bones, for though the stones outside browned and chipped, and the plaster walls inside spidered with cracks, the hotel continued to stand strong as a weathered soldier holding the front line. And that was what the place was, really: a comrade in arms. Without Inukashi's business, the hotel would have wasted away and died along with its brethren, and it paid them back by defending Inukashi from harm as surely as their rifle and their dogs.

Inukashi hadn't thought too deeply yet on what they would do when it crumbled to dust, but they'd figure it out once they came to that. They sort of hoped that by the time the hotel succumbed to the ravages of time and constant damage, they wouldn't still be managing this cesspool of a business, but they knew better than to hope for a future that far out. In a place like West Block, where death waited in the wings like a carrion bird, you planned for the next few hours and no further.

Inukashi learned that lesson quite abruptly when their mother had died. It had been a day like any other, Inukashi and their siblings waiting patiently for Mum to return with a meal, and then she crested the hill all torn up, and it had turned into a nightmare within seconds.

But that was what life was like. There was no use crying about it.

Nezumi knew this. Only someone who knew how merciless life was could act like such a dick all the time. Nezumi loved to talk about how pointless attachments were. He laughed at Inukashi whenever they came to him with requests to sing their dogs off, and lectured them on their sentimentality as he snatched Inukashi's hard-earned coin from their hand.

The guy had a serious superiority complex—Inukashi knew perfectly well that getting attached to things was dumb. They cared about their dogs because they were an extension of themself, but they didn't get all broken up about losing them, because it was bound to happen sooner or later. The dogs had been good friends and protectors for the duration of their lives, and they deserved respect for their services. As far as Inukashi was concerned, letting them pass on in peace wasn't gross sentimentality, but the bare minimum of common decency.

But Nezumi didn't think like that. He emanated an aura of loneliness so strong that Inukashi could scent his approach like ice on the wind. Good looking as he was and pleasant as he occasionally pretended to be, it chilled one to be too near Nezumi.

Everyone had a sob story related to the infection and the fall of civilized society, but Inukashi got the feeling that whatever Nezumi's was, it was particularly unpleasant. There was something missing at the heart of him—an advantage in West Block, but that didn't make him any less unnerving to deal with. Inukashi would rather face down a dozen zombies than one smiling Nezumi.

But lately, the icy air about Nezumi had seemed to thaw, just a bit.

Inukashi had sensed the change a few months back, and when they did a little more digging, a name came up: Shion. And now that they met Shion in person, and saw how he and Nezumi interacted… They had no idea why Nezumi associated with the guy. Shion was nice and all, but he was the oddest person Inukashi had ever met, and he definitely didn't fit Nezumi. Shion was the very definition of 'sentimental fool'; Inukashi couldn't believe Nezumi hadn't mercy-killed him yet.

That Nezumi kept him close and seemed to be looking out for him, despite the obvious frustration Shion caused him, was very interesting indeed.

Inukashi meandered up the stairs to the second level and padded down the hallway. The rooms lining the passage were all for customers except for the last one, which was for Inukashi's own personal use.

They slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open—to find Nezumi sitting with his legs propped up on their table.

Inukashi paused in the doorway and glared. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Dogs invited me in."

Inukashi clicked their tongue. Obviously, Nezumi must have picked the lock, but also obviously, none of the dogs felt the need to alert them. There were several dogs resting around the room, and one of the older girls was even resting beneath the table where Nezumi had made himself at home. The dogs were getting too used to the rat's presence. Inukashi made a note to remedy that ASAP.

"If you're here for Shion, he's not done yet. Not even close."

"I'm not here for him. Feel free to keep Shion as long as you like. In fact," Nezumi tilted his head, "you two seem to get along pretty well. If you want to bring him on as a boarder, I wouldn't complain."

Inukashi aimed a kick at Nezumi's legs. If they had connected where they had been aiming, there was a good chance the force would have shattered Nezumi's kneecap, but Nezumi was too quick. He swept his legs off the table in the nick of time and smirked at Inukashi's miffed huff.

"Maybe I should take Shion on," they growled. "He obviously isn't getting much out of living with you. Shion's still as naive and helpless as he was three months ago. He got his gloves stolen this morning, for god's sake."

Inukashi realized after they said it that they had told Shion they wouldn't tell Nezumi. But they couldn't help it. Shion was as guileless and happy-go-lucky as a puppy, and Inukashi didn't like to think he wasn't being treated properly.

"Whether you wanna admit it or not, he's your responsibility. You adopted the kid, so you oughta take better care of him and teach him the skills he needs to survive."

Nezumi quirked an eyebrow. "My, you've really taken a shine to Shion, huh?"

What an asshole. How does anyone fall for him?

Sure, Nezumi was pretty with his delicate features, smooth pale skin, and shiny black hair. His thick-lashed eyes held the dangerous magnetism of thunderstorms and were the lustrous color of a polished shard of metal. But spend more than two minutes with Nezumi, and the charming exterior gave way to the absolute poison of his personality.

Surely Inukashi couldn't be the only one who wasn't fooled? And yet, over and over again, people fell for the innocent pretty boy act. Nezumi could commit murder in the middle of street, and people would still fall at his feet, singing his praises—even people who should have known better, like the Disposers or the tough-guy raiders!

Even Inukashi sometimes…

Inukashi gritted their teeth. It frustrated them to think of it. Nezumi was so selfish and terrible, always looking down on people and finding ways to manipulate and exhort them. Inukashi was involved in some unsavory businesses on the side, but they couldn't touch Nezumi's level. He was a soul-eating demon who preyed on and profited from other people's misery.

"What do you want?" Inukashi asked.

Nezumi leaned back in the chair and smiled blithely. "I have a job for you."

He flicked a coin onto the table. Inukashi blinked at it as it wheeled across the surface and clattered onto its side.

"That's…gold?"

"That's right. It's the real deal; check if you want."

Inukashi snatched the coin up and nibbled the corner. It was real, just as Nezumi said. Inukashi had seen very few gold coins in their hitherto short life. They turned it over in their hands a few times, luxuriating in its soft yellow gleam.

Then they chucked the coin back at Nezumi.

"No thanks."

Nezumi caught the coin out of the air and frowned. "I haven't explained the job yet."

"No need. If a miser like you is throwing gold coins down, I don't want to get involved in whatever it is you're doing. It's bound to be life-threatening, and you know I don't like excessive risk."

"Not even if I said that this—" the gold coin winked coyly as Nezumi waggled it before their eyes "—was only a down payment, and you can expect another gold coin once you've completed the job?"

Inukashi pulled their bottom lip between their teeth. Two gold coins would have them riding high for months, but they trusted their gut more than their greed.

"No," they repeated, firmer this time, and crossed their arms over their chest. "Look, you've gotta see it from my perspective. All your jobs are dangerous, and you've never offered gold for those. So, seeing as you're now offering me not one, but two gold coins for this job, alarm bells are going off in my head like nobody's business.

"I'm out. Try someone stupider." Inukashi stepped back and jammed their thumb toward the exit. "Door's over there. Feel free to never come back."

"Hm. Well, alright then."

Nezumi pocketed the coin and pushed to his feet. The dogs around the room swiveled their ears forward and watched Nezumi as he approached their master.

"I think I'll take you up on the suggestion," Nezumi said, pausing by the door. "From now on, let's go our separate ways. I'll bring my jobs elsewhere, and next time you or your dogs are suffering, don't even think about coming to me."

Inukashi's heart jumped.

"H-hold on. Wait!" They leapt forward and snatched Nezumi's arm. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. One day, very soon perhaps, you might find yourself suffering and unable to die quickly, just like your mama. And when that day comes, you can call me as much as you like, but I won't listen."

Inukashi snorted, paused, and then snorted again. "That's… Ridiculous. If I get bitten, I know what to do. I don't need your help to pull the trigger."

Nezumi shrugged a shoulder. "Sure, if you get bitten you can take care of yourself. But that's not the only way to die—or did you forget humans have more to fear than just the undead? Disease, broken bones, unfortunate accidents… Or maybe the dead will sneak up on you one day when you're out, swarm in on you faster than you can shoot, and leave your body broken and bleeding and utterly helpless. In that case, please do send for me; I'd like to get an 'I told you so' in before you turn."

Inukashi's mouth was so dry it felt cemented shut.

Nezumi was right. One could never be sure what lurked around the corner. You could be the most careful person in the world and death would still find a way to claim you. You might be hit by falling debris as you walked beneath a building on your way home. That cut on your leg that you thought was no big deal could get infected and kill you overnight. And, of course, the undead were their own breed of risk.

The candlelight from the hall reflected in Nezumi's eyes, the flames dancing like wicked specters. "Well. Best of luck, Inukashi," he said, sweet as a parting kiss.

Nezumi swept Inukashi's hand from his arm and moved to leave, but again Inukashi caught him.

"Sit," they growled. "I'll listen to what you have to say."

Nezumi's lips curled up at the corners. "You sure?"

"Fuck you. Sit down."

Nezumi returned to his chair. Inukashi moved to stand across the table from him. For all his smirking and manipulating a moment ago, Nezumi now looked grim, and Inukashi was too nervous to sit.

"I need information," Nezumi said. "On the Correctional Facility."

"...Seriously? That hellscape out in the Deadlands? That Correctional Facility?"

Nezumi stayed silent and waited for their incredulity to exhaust itself. Inukashi picked at their fingernails.

"What kind of information?"

"Any kind, and as much as you can get. Doesn't matter how important you think the detail is."

Nezumi slid a mouse across the table. It was ghostly white and tiny, the size of a mouse pup. Except it was a robot. Inukashi suspected this by its stillness and sightless eyes, and Nezumi confirmed their suspicions by tugging off his gloves and pressing the top of the mouse's head.

Its back split open and yellow light shot up into the air, forming into a miniature hologram rendering of the floorplan of a building—the Correctional Facility, Inukashi guessed.

"This is pretty detailed," Inukashi said, moving their hand through the light and watching it warp. "Where'd you get these plans?"

"Does that matter? What matters is that they're outdated. The structure is probably little changed, but the system and security measures are bound to be improved. I need you to look into what those improvements and protocols might be."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, nope. I can't get that stuff."

"Why not?"

"Why not?" Inukashi laughed. "Hm, well, let's see." They held up their hand and began to count off the reasons. "To start, the Correctional Facility is in the Deadlands, which, as you're intimately aware, is crawling with zombies. I'm a sniper, Nezumi; I don't do face-to-face. Second, no one knows what the hell they do in there, because the people they bring there never come back. Not even bodies leave the building. All the rumors say they burn them. There—" Inukashi jabbed their finger into the bottom level of the projection "—that's where the incinerator is."

Nezumi stared blankly back at them. "There's no incinerator down there."

"Psh. How would you know?"

But then Inukashi paused. The look on Nezumi's face was not blank at all, now that they paid it closer attention.

"…Do you know?" Inukashi glanced at the hologram again. "Wait a sec. Where did you get this? Did you record it? Have you…?" Their eyes widened. "Have you been in the Correctional Facility before?"

"I think you misunderstand our situation. I'm paying you to give me information, not the other way around. Ideally, find me data on the security systems inside the building and any operations related to them. But I know that's harder than it sounds, so just get me whatever you can on the Correctional Facility. I need it ASAP. The faster you deliver, the faster I'll pay and we can go our separate ways again."

Inukashi blew out their cheeks. This was no typical job. Definitely worth gold. Worth more gold, if you ask me. But they didn't want Nezumi to return to issuing indirect death threats, and Inukashi had some ideas of avenues they could take… They wouldn't have to go to the Facility personally; the robot mouse Nezumi paid them with last time would be the perfect remote intelligence gathering device.

"Oh, and I should mention that you can't use that robot mouse I gave you to snoop."

Inukashi slapped their palms down on the table. "Why not?"

"Every piece of equipment in No. 6 is chipped. If the security sensors pick up something without the proper clearance, the system will blow it up. Same goes for any non-human organism. Cockroaches, rats, flies—the lasers fry them all."

"Well, that's just great. How am I supposed to gather information, then? I don't have any fancy chips, so it's not like I can sneak in there myself."

"No, of course not. There's no way to breach the system, but a system is only as strong as its weakest link. There are plenty of areas that are managed by people. No. 6 can rig the Facility with all the tech they want, but all it takes is one well-placed bribe to bring the whole place to its knees."

Inukashi's stomach twisted. Nezumi had hit on the one topic they were hoping to avoid.

"Yeah, sure," they said, clearing their throat. "That's true. But those people work inside the building, and it's not like I can get over there and talk to them. I mean, there are hundreds upon hundreds of corpses between here and there, and even if I made it to the Facility, I wouldn't be able to get in. I'm not exactly a smooth talker like you, so—"

"Inukashi."

Nezumi rested his head on his knuckle and smiled. It was such a gentle smile, comforting and conspiratorial, and Inukashi felt a little bit of their nerves slip away.

"There's no need to be so anxious. I know you have a contact at the Correctional Facility. You've been using the dogs to smuggle trash and supplies out for years now. Why do you think I'm offering you the job?"

Inukashi closed their mouth and glared down at the table. They really needed to get their nervous babbling under control. It was way too obvious a tell, especially for a first-rate manipulator like Nezumi, who knew everyone's secrets but pretended not to, just so he could have the pleasure of watching you walk into his traps.

"You're offering me the job because I'm the best and you know it." Inukashi crossed their arms and dared him to contradict them.

Nezumi chuckled. "You're cute."

Inukashi sputtered and turned red.

"So you have a contact at the Correctional Facility," Nezumi said. "You've already gotten them to hand you leftover food and clothes, what's a little information? I'm sure you could get them talking if you tried hard enough."

Inukashi deflated. "The guy I have a deal with is low on the chain, Nezumi. He shovels trash. He doesn't know anything about security systems."

"Perfect. The lower you are, the less people notice you. You'd be surprised what kinds of things menial workers see and hear when they're doing their rounds. Your job is to sniff out what he does know and report back to me."

Inukashi tapped the table with a finger, hating Nezumi more and more by the minute, and hating themself for being so susceptible to his blackmail. Everything about this conversation was too calculated. They didn't even have a chance.

"I'll need more money, then. The guy… He's kinda a scaredy-cat. He won't budge unless I give him a little motivation."

Nezumi tossed a bag of coins on the table, as though he had been waiting all along for Inukashi to say the magic words. The bag was full of gold. Inukashi wrinkled their nose at it.

"That's all I have right now," Nezumi said, and rose from his chair. "If you need more… I'll figure something out. Just let me know."

Inukashi paused. There was a note in Nezumi's voice they'd never heard before.

Nezumi came around the table and leaned down so they were eye-level with each other. And then he said something that had all the hairs on the back of Inukashi's neck prickling.

"Work with me, Inukashi. I'm begging you. If you do this job, I promise I'll come to you whenever you call. If you're suffering, I'll sing a song to carry you off quickly."

Inukashi couldn't keep the shock off their face. Nezumi, begging? Nezumi, promising to help them whenever they were in need?

Is he dying, or something? Nezumi didn't look sick, though. He looked…serious. Dare they say, sincere.

It's a trick, their mind hissed.

But it could be real. That was the worst thing about Nezumi: sometimes he was a pit of vipers and sometimes he played straight, and he was such a damned good actor that it was difficult to tell which role he was playing on a given day.

Inukashi gauged the dogs' reactions. They were all resting peacefully, and whether it was an act or not, it was hard to refuse Nezumi when he was making their skin crawl by staring at them so earnestly.

"I'll take the job."

Nezumi's shoulders relaxed. The action was such a genuine display of relief that Inukashi couldn't help but add, "But only if you answer something for me."

Nezumi's grey eyes bored into them, his body still as a statue. Inukashi took his silence as permission to go on.

"What're you doing this for? You've insulted and threatened me plenty of times, but never that ruthlessly. And you've never thrown this much gold into a project before… What's the reason?"

Nezumi seemed to consider the question. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure," they said. "I'll keep yours as a part of the deal. You have my word."

Nezumi approached, and Inukashi instinctively drew back. Nezumi made an exasperated face. "It's not something I can say out loud."

Inukashi grit their teeth, but didn't pull away when he leaned in. Nezumi's breath ghosted over their ear. They shivered, once, before they repressed it, hating the way their body responded to what their mind knew was dangerous.

Gentle as a lover, Nezumi whispered, "You smell like wet dog."

Inukashi shoved him away. Nezumi barely shifted, and Inukashi wished they had kneed him in the jewels instead.

I can't believe I fell for that! But Nezumi had been so weird in the last few minutes that they had let their guard down.

Nezumi straightened with a chuckle. "Okay, so maybe that wasn't such a secret," he conceded.

"It's no secret that you're an asshole, that's for sure," Inukashi spat. Then they crossed their arms and gave Nezumi an appraising look. "But now that I think about it, you don't have to tell me your secret. I already know it."

"Do you?" Nezumi appeared amused.

"Shion."

Nezumi's confidence dropped a few degrees. Inukashi couldn't pinpoint exactly what gave it away, but they had been watching for it and they felt the atmosphere shift decidedly in their direction.

Gotcha, you bastard.

Nezumi's face rearranged itself into a look of puzzlement. "Shion? He's a little too loud to be a secret."

"A little too eye-catching, too, with that hair. But you know that's not what I'm getting at."

Inukashi's smirk rivaled the best of Nezumi's. "Yeah... The more I think about it, the more convinced I am. This whole job has something to do with Shion, doesn't it? Could it be…?" Inukashi's tone dropped into a deadly whisper as they delivered the decisive stab, "Nezumi, have you grown attached to him?"

A muscle in Nezumi's jaw twitched, and Inukashi felt a thrill of power. Nezumi had so few weaknesses, and coupled with his razor-sharp tongue and good looks, Inukashi always felt like they came out on the bottom whenever they dealt with each other.

But not today.

Inukashi hummed appreciatively as they circled around Nezumi. "I've had my suspicions ever since I saw you two together, but I didn't believe it at first. I mean, you? Mr. I-Don't-Give-A-Rat's-Ass-About-Anything? But it's true, isn't it? It's written all over your face."

Inukashi stopped in front of Nezumi and met his flinty glare with a smug chuckle. "What I don't get is why you brought Shion here of all places. It's like bringing a premium cut into a starving dog's den!"

The dogs lying around the room pricked their ears and lifted their heads.

"You're right," Nezumi said, voice stark as a winter wind, "that would be really stupid of me. If I were attached to Shion, that is."

Inukashi snorted. "The jig is up, Nezumi. No use pretending. Either you're attached to Shion, or you're using him. There're no other motives in West Block."

"Well said."

"Shion says you're helping him." Inukashi sneered. "Either he's pathetically naïve or you've grown soft. I'd bet that fat sack of gold over there that it's the latter. I'm onto you, so you better start showing me some respect. Or else I might start employing some blackmail of my own, starting with your precious Shion—"

Nezumi moved so fast Inukashi barely got out a shout before his hand closed around their throat and thrust them up against the wall.

"I'd rethink that strategy, if I were you," Nezumi hissed, flexing his fingers around Inukashi's windpipe.

"Let me go, or the dogs will tear you limb from limb."

On cue, every dog climbed to their feet and began growling. Nezumi didn't even spare them a glance. His hauteur had returned full-force, edged by a deeply sinister smile. Inukashi felt a curl of fear in the pit of their stomach.

"I don't think so," Nezumi said. "I have something for your precious dogs."

Inukashi's heart rabbited at the cold promise in those words.

And then the door opened and Shion popped his head into the room.

"Inukashi…?" Shion paused and stared at the scene before him: Nezumi, holding Inukashi by the throat, surrounded by a posse of snarling hounds.

"What's going on?" he said slowly.

"Nezumi's being an asshole, that's what," Inukashi growled, and then, quieter for Nezumi's ears only, "Let go or the deal is off."

Nezumi's face was calm, but his eyes burned like frostbite. He released Inukashi and stepped back. Inukashi drew in a ragged breath once his attention was distracted. Never had they been so glad to have left their door unlocked and Shion close by.

"What are you doing up here?" Nezumi said to Shion. "Don't you have a job to do?"

His voice hadn't quite thawed from his and Inukashi's exchange, but if Shion noticed, he was well-enough acquainted with Nezumi's bad temper as to be unaffected.

"Inukashi was gone a long time, and I heard growling noises." Shion frowned between them. "What are you fighting about this time?"

"None of your business."

"Why are you so grouchy?" Shion sighed. "If you're here to pick me up, I won't be off for a few hours…"

"I'm not here to pick you up. You're perfectly capable of walking home by yourself."

"Okay…"

Shion looked to Inukashi, obviously deciding they were the more pleasant and forthcoming one in this motley gathering.

"Nezumi was just leaving," Inukashi said, moving to stand at Shion's side.

Everything in Nezumi's body language promised death if they so much as mentioned the job or their suspicions.

Inukashi almost rolled their eyes. Nezumi knew well that they weren't an amateur; they wouldn't go back on their word and they wouldn't leak the job to outside parties. As for safeguarding Nezumi's little secret…

Well...

"Come on, Shion," Inukashi chirped, smiling at Nezumi as they looped their arm through Shion's and tugged him into the hall. "We've got a lot of work to do."