Kanoichi is a tad bit out of character, do not forget that he's an unreliable narrator. Okay, they're both unreliable narrators but I'm only dealing with trigger happy child's pov.


The male is strange and not what he had expected. Annoying still, but he is a little more bearable to be around now. They had been able to come up with a middle ground for their line of work, yet they get along well enough otherwise. They share a couple of interests, which they talk to each other when they need to change the subject. It usually works, unless one or the other is in a bad mood where every little thing they do sets the other off and there's a screaming match full of barbs thrown out into the open with both of them breathing heavy. The blows are meant to hurt, always hitting a nerve or another and especially when they bring up each other's insecurities into it. It is not a healthy . . . whatever they consider themselves to be, coworker relationship.

An upside about all this, Satoru doesn't have to see Miyako-san much outside or even during work. Their paths don't cross too much, and when they do, they avoid each other as much as they could. Satoru doesn't mind it, yet for some reason there were times where he wants to seek the younger out, to talk and have a few drinks with each other. He never acted upon those impulses, never seeing a reason why he felt such a way. They can barely go a few minutes without being at each other's throats.

As he approached the other, he can tell that Miyako is annoyed. It's in the way he furrows his eyebrows, how his lips thin and how he taps his pencil against his cheek in a rhythmic yet quick beat. He wondered what had put such an expression on the younger man's face.

He had been so focused on Miyako's face that he didn't notice the Another, until he got a little closer. A tengu lays against his side, head resting on his shoulder as it slept against the human as if that was where it belonged. Then, whatever had annoyed Miyako seems to be forgotten as he glanced over to the sleeping tengu and his face softens at whatever he finds appealing. He forgoes his paperwork, reaching up to pet the tengu's hair. Seeing this, a bitter taste lingers on his tongue as something acrid blooms in his chest.

His jaw clenches as he continues his stride—keeping it slow and confident as to not betray whatever he's feeling—hands in his pockets as the wind ruffles his hair. "Miyako-san," he greets politely, sending a look of disgust towards the Another. He feels his lips curl into a sneer and he allows them, not hiding how he felt about having an Another there.

Whatever cheerful greeting he had been preparing for dies on his tongue, mouth closing with a click of his teeth upon seeing who greeted him. Miyako opts to glare at him instead, the polite smile now gone and turned bitter. "Kanoichi-san," he returns the greeting through clenched teeth and venom lining his name, having hesitated.

For a split second, his chest tightens and he doesn't understand why. He ignores the weird feeling with a scoff, choosing to go and lean against a tree in wait for Shimizu-san. He scrolls through his phone, just so he doesn't look too awkward standing there while Miyako is sitting and looking over whatever is one the paper.

The annoyance fades as his eyebrows relax, the corners of his lips pulling upward then down before relaxing as well. His hand comes up to pick at the skin on his bottom lip, his nose bunching up and twitching like a rabbit. Kanoichi observes as Miyako went from being annoyed to contemplative. He doesn't ask despite his growing curiosity banging on the cage of his mind and he looks away, focusing on what's on his screen in front of him. Or he tries.

When the tengu wakes not a moment later, Miyako's attention is focused solely on it. He speaks softly, messing with its black hair and almost appears to be a mother fussing over a child. Sweet smiles he shares with it turn bitter each time he glances in his direction, only to come back when the tengu says something to earn his attention again. It's when it turns to him that he sees bruises lining its face and neck. The tengu doesn't speak, not much it can say that he can't respond to, but it bows in farewell and flies off once Miyako tells it to be more careful.

Neither speak and Miyako's eyebrows furrow and eyes narrow at him with an unreadable expression before glaring back at the paper he has in his hands. The wait stretches for another few minutes.

It's peaceful, the tension that's usually between them isn't there.

The acrid feeling returns when Shimizu arrives, panicked over being let, and he earns a cheerful greeting. His name spoken with sweet honey and gentle warmth, much different to how he was greeted. Once again, he does not understand why it comes just that it's a terrible feeling and he wants it to stop. He doesn't voice any of it, turning to his coworkers and explaining the case.

Satoru just tolerates the redhead, but it would be great if they could find a better ground that doesn't constantly bend under their weight. Their middle ground is fragile and unlike the redhead, he wants to be able to have a strong relation so that they could get through their cases quicker and so that Akane doesn't have to deal with the stress of mediating between their fights. Even if it's just pretend, he doesn't care. He wants to lessen his cousin's burden and he can't do that if the redhead is being difficult.


This is going to be a 5 chapter fic. Hope you enjoy the journey. :)