Chapter Twenty-Nine – Home
Takigawa approached his house slowly, almost nervously. He'd had a tiring day at work, checking up on multiple small deviant cases. There was still no sign of that damaged android, which was odd considering the mount of thirium it had lost. It probably crawled off somewhere and shut down…He thought, but that wasn't what was making him walk so slowly now. He hadn't seen Ayako that morning, which was pretty normal. She usually didn't turn up until he'd left, and she was often gone when he returned. He wasn't sure she'd still be there, or whether she'd seen what he'd done and left for good. A large part of him hoped she'd taken the silent hint and just stayed. I can't put it off forever. He thought with a resigned sigh.
In the house he could see the gentle light of the side lamps through the curtain covered front windows. That didn't necessarily mean anything though. The lamps were auto-timed to turn on in the early evening. His heart was pounding as he slotted his key into the front door. He opened the door and stepped inside quietly, slipping his coat off and hanging it on the pegs in the hall, trying not to feel too relieved as he saw Ayako's heavy winter coat hanging there.
"Ayako? Are you home?" He called out as he stepped into the open living area, which stretched out into the open plan kitchen. He smiled warmly as he saw the redhead. She was curled up in one of the armchairs, an old book from his shelf lying open across her lap. Her red lips were open where she'd been about to call her response, but she paused at the sight of his slightly dishevelled appearance. His long locks were in a messy tail where he'd been out on the streets, and his cheeks were flushed from the cold. He was wearing a simple black suit, but instead of a shirt he wore a neat white top beneath. It was tight and hugged his torso as he slipped the blazer off and tossed it over the back of the sofa. "Hey! I wasn't sure you'd still be up." He greeted cheerfully, opting to play it off as if they'd talked about her moving in.
"Oh, well, I thought I should…" The redhead trailed off, her cheeks heating slightly as she wondered where to begin. She was still dressed in outdoor clothes. Blue jeans clung to her long legs, a white top hugged her arms but revealed a lot of her cleavage. Takigawa, being a gentleman, paid no mind to the low neckline. He stretched as he headed across the living room. "You unpacked my things…" She added hesitantly.
"Well, you left them in a bag…Were you planning on just leaving them there?" He retorted, more curious than anything else. He looked over his shoulder to see Ayako peeking over the back of the chair. She almost looked like a child who'd been caught doing something wrong.
"I didn't mean to…I just wanted to leave them somewhere safe." She added, her hazel eyes darting away as Takigawa's met hers. He tried to ignore the small buzz that shot through his chest at that. He wasn't about to go mooning over his housemate.
"I didn't mind you leaving things here, no one uses that room anyway…What bothers me is the thought of you wandering the streets in the dead of night by yourself…Things have been happening lately, people being attacked or going missing…" He added cautiously, watching Ayako nod her agreement. She was well aware of what could happen at night, especially to wandering androids. It didn't seem to matter to humans whether the androids were deviant, council owned or privately owned. She'd seen humans attack both maintenance androids and some that had been left in android parking terminals. She'd managed to avoid notice herself. Without the LED people just assumed she was another human living rough, probably because of an android taking her job. "I don't want anything to happen to you." The officer added softly.
"But…what do you have in mind as payment?" Ayako asked hesitantly, seeming a little vulnerable as she tugged her neckline absently. "I don't have any money besides what you pay me, so…" She trailed off meaningfully, the long haired man's eyebrows shooting up in response. He didn't know whether to be offended or flattered at the silent implication her tone was making. He waved his hands, feeling a slight heat in his cheeks.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa, back up! I'm not asking for anything! Like I said, no one uses that room, and your things are here already, and it's really no trouble having an extra person in the house." He replied hastily, the redhead looking at him in disbelief.
"Really? You'll just let me…live here?" She said incredulously. Takigawa tugged his hair free and ran a hand through it, resting his weight on one leg as he tugged out a few knots. The redhead felt more at ease as he nodded his agreement. He looked sheepish as she continued to stare at him as if he'd grown an extra head.
"Just…keep doing the housekeeping, and maybe you could cook more often." He added as he noticed a covered plate in the kitchen. It was a slice of lasagne, clearly part of a larger serving that had probably been cut up, boxed and put in the freezer. He suddenly felt very spoiled, having two of his favourites in two days. "Wow, thanks, this looks really good." He added brightly as he slipped the plate into the microwave.
"There's some salad in the fridge too…I'll take a shower if that's okay." The redhead checked, the detective calling his agreement over the hum of the microwave as he grabbed a beer and set it on the table. Ayako had already set him a place, complete with a glass and napkin. He looked around the tidy living room, which hadn't looked this clean for months. Ayako had done wonders. He almost felt domesticated. It was a nice feeling.