Two and a half years ago
Train returned home from his latest assignment deep in thought.
That was the third target that he'd allowed to escape in this month alone… and the fourth this year. Something that had never happened before in his entire career. If his superiors didn't suspect something before, he knew that this time would likely bring him to their attention.
It was actually surprising he had managed to go this long without reprimand, but Train was well aware it was only a matter of time now.
He sighed to himself as he reached his flat. There were too many things on his mind lately, thoughts he'd never entertained until very recently. Doubts that could get him killed, let alone fired.
Train shook his head as he opened his front door, dispelling those troublesome thoughts once more. They were becoming more and more frequent the more targets he let slip away, leaving him feeling unsettled and restless. He needed a distraction, but one look around his empty flat told him he wasn't about to find any inside.
Deciding some company was what he needed, he dropped his gear bag by the door and left once more, heading down the corridor to the one other familiar door in the apartment complex. Knocking on Saya's door, Train waited.
"Hm…" He muttered to himself when he heard no sound coming from inside. "What's going on? She still hasn't returned?"
'How strange.' Train thought with a small frown. The young woman had dashed off a few days ago, extremely excited about a tip she'd received regarding a 1.8 million bounty in another town.
But it had already been almost a week, and Train wondered aloud, "Could she have been killed by her target instead?"
"How rude!" A voice exclaimed from behind. "Who are you calling dead?"
Train turned in surprise to see the familiar, yukata clad figure standing at the entrance to the hallway, dragging a large suitcase behind her.
"Saya!" Train greeted in surprise, and the irate young woman growled petulantly, "I'm back."
Some time later
"False information?" Train repeated.
The pair were seated on a park bench, lunch having been postponed for a moment so Saya could let out her frustration first (Train had learnt that otherwise she could be very embarrassing in restaurants. Not that he particularly minded, but Saya cared… later, after her anger cooled).
"Yeah!" Saya huffed angrily. "I travelled all the way to Wulkot!"
"So that's what happened." Train mused. "Then that means you wasted your time."
Saya sighed deeply.
"I had already decided to use that 1.8 million for my 'tasty delicious food' project." She groaned, and Train muttered with equal disappointment: "Actually, I planned on enjoying some good food, too."
"It's because I trusted that information broker too much!" Saya ranted.
"He said it was reliable information. I even paid him a couple hundred thousand for it! Originally, I planned on taking my anger out on him; however, it seems he left the same night! Argh, it makes me so angry!"
She continued to rant and storm, hopping up and down as she shouted insults at the sky. Train watched her for a moment, before…
"Heh." Train let out a small snort, his lips curling up into a small smile at Saya's antics.
Saya froze, twitching, before she whirled on Train, her eyes flashing as she snarled like an angry feline.
"Hey, Train! Were you laughing at me?! Are my failures that funny?!"
"Ah, you're so noisy." Train complained, leaning back from her angry yells. "I wasn't laughing at you; it's just rare to see you like this."
"Eh?" Saya blinked, confused, and Train elaborated: "After spending three months around you, I know you're even more ill-mannered than I could have imagined, but even so I rarely see you like this. You've had really bad luck this time, huh?"
"Ah? Oh, er… wait, hang on! Who're you calling 'ill-mannered'? You're being really rude today!" Saya blustered, but Train just shrugged.
"Everything I said was true." He pointed out. "And as for ill-mannered, you know I'm right there too. At first I could never have imagined that you would make such a loud fuss, let alone in public."
Saya scratched her head sheepishly as she conceded: "Ah, you're right… I'm always very polite the first time I meet someone."
She then fixed a critical eye on Train as she added: "However, having said that, you've changed a lot too, you know."
"Really?" Train smiled slightly, indulging Saya by playing dumb.
"Your expression has become so natural." Saya mused, before grinning mischievously. "I remember when I first met you, you knitted your eyebrows like this and had a face like this."
She illustrated with a terrible attempt at mimicking a feral, almost vicious expression and Train scowled.
"Hey, who's that supposed to be?" He argued. "I didn't look like that."
"Yes you did." Saya scoffed, rearranging her features back to normal. "I was so surprised when I first saw you with Jules, remember? Your expression was so natural, I couldn't believe it! But now, you look more relaxed even when she's not around."
Train averted his eyes as Saya gave him a knowing look.
The young woman's gaze then turned serious as she added thoughtfully: "It would be even better if you were to leave that organization and live your own life; and take Jules with you."
The lines on Train's face also shifted, becoming as serious as Saya's as he answered quietly: "The situation isn't as simple as you think."
Saya watched him as Train stared off into the distance, both falling silent as an unspoken understanding passed between them.
Unnoticed by either of them, a blond figure watched the pair from the shadowy balcony of a nearby apartment building.
"That's her…?" Creed muttered, his hands fisting tightly as he stared at the back of the dark-haired woman's head. "Saya Minatsuki…"
His fists tightened so much he burst a blood vessel in his hand, but Creed didn't feel a thing as hatred and dark fury swirled inside his chest. Creed stared at the corrupted expression Train was wearing and then at the woman standing before Train who must be behind the change.
"Witch!" Creed hissed.
"Eh?!" Saya exclaimed as they returned back to Train's flat later that evening. "Jules isn't back yet?"
Train shook his head as he opened the door to his flat.
"She's gone back to work so it's to be expected." He reminded her, taking off his long black coat and hanging it up on the hook near the doorway. "You should be used to it by now, it's been a month since she started again."
"Yes, but I missed her while I was away." Saya pouted. "And I was looking forward to her cooking for dinner!"
"It's always food with you." Train rolled his eyes, and Saya retorted: "I don't want to hear that from you."
"Touche." Train shrugged. "But, given the circumstances you'll just have to make do with me for today I'm afraid."
"Your cooking's not as good." Saya grumbled and Train shrugged again.
"If you don't want to eat, you're welcome to leave now…" He hinted, and Saya huffed.
"Fine." She groaned. "Do you need help? I could make the rice!"
"Sure; just don't burn it."
Despite the light-hearted bickering, between the two of them Train and Saya soon had a decent meal set on the table. Saya was just placing down the last of the place settings while Train turned off the gas stove when the door opened again and they looked over with pleasant surprise.
"Jules!" Saya called brightly, perking up instantly, and the blue-haired young woman in the doorway grinned.
"Saya, you're back!" Jules greeted warmly, hugging Saya back when the other woman bounded over. "You were gone so long I actually worried something might've happened."
"Oh, it was terrible, Jules!" Saya whined. "Listen-"
"Maybe let her in so we can eat, Saya." Train commented as he placed a stewpot on the small table. "And stop hogging Jules."
"Oh, right."
Saya let go of Jules.
Jules smiled, brushing some of her long hair back as she asked, "How were you while I was gone, Train? Before Saya goes off on what terrible thing happened this time."
Saya pouted while Train chuckled.
"Same as usual." He informed Jules, going up to hug her as she closed the door and moved further into the flat. Jules kissed his cheek, to which Train responded by swooping down and kissing her on the lips.
"Ugh." Saya pretended to groan. "We were supposed to be eating!"
"I am." Train answered cheekily, and Saya rolled her eyes.
"You two are disgusting. I feel like I'm a constant third wheel lately!"
But she winked at Jules, who grinned back while Train shot back: "Then you shouldn't have helped us get together in the first place."
"Oh no, I'd rather take this than all that tiptoeing you two did. That did threaten to make me lose my appetite and explode." Saya replied.
"Then don't complain now and just eat your dinner."
As the teasing continued, Train settled down at the table and Jules sat beside him. She listened as Saya told her of what happened, the black-haired woman getting riled up all over again while Jules laughed at the story. Not like Train's soft chuckle; Jules let out a full-blown laugh at Saya's story, a laugh that had Train joining in and Saya eventually caved and laughed with them.
They chatted well after dinner was over as well, Jules telling them about her own day and a hilarious episode on her latest mission where her partner had been dying to go to the loo but couldn't without giving their position away. He'd sped away like an incredibly fast-walking duck the second they'd finished, and it was Saya's turn to laugh as Jules mimicked the action for them, the action made all the more entertaining given the yellow summer dress Jules was wearing.
Soon however, it got late and Saya yawned.
"All right, I have to get unpacking." She announced as she got up. "Thanks for dinner, Train, Jules."
"Thanks for helping and with the dishes." Jules replied and Train added: "And spraying me with soapy water."
"You're welcome." Saya winked. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight!" Jules and Train chorused as Saya left.
Only to poke her head back into the small flat as she added: "And don't be too naughty now."
"Goodnight, Saya." Jules replied while Train rolled his eyes.
Saya grinned and closed the door, leaving them alone as she returned to her flat several doors down.
The second the door shut, Train pulled Jules towards him. She reached for him at the same time he did, and they met in the middle, kissing each other enthusiastically.
"I missed you." Train murmured, and Jules smiled.
"It was only two days." She reminded, but he countered archly: "So, are you saying you didn't miss me since it was 'only two days'?"
"Oh, shut up." Jules giggled, before she was swiftly silenced as well as Train pressed his lips back onto hers once more…
Later that night
Jules lay with her head on Train's chest, listening to his heart while she drew patterns with her finger on his bare shoulder absently.
Their clothes lay scattered on the floor, his black shirt and her dress pooled near the middle of the room while their shoes, his trousers and her bra made a trail towards the bed where they now lay, tucked under the thin blanket.
Train had his one arm wrapped around Jules's naked waist, his fingers running along her soft skin, while his other arm rested behind his head as they stayed in blissful silence for a moment.
"Do you think we could ever leave Chronos?"
Jules's hand stilled momentarily in surprise at Train's abrupt question, before she started tracing his shoulder again.
"I don't know…" She answered slowly, thoughtfully. "Why? Do… you want to?"
"Saya mentioned it earlier." Train explained softly, gazing up at the ceiling now as he arranged his thoughts. "It's not simple. No-one just leaves Chronos, least of all people like me or you. But… there's no longer any sense in staying. I don't want to kill for a living anymore. I want..."
"I know." Jules sighed softly. "But it's not so simple, even though I know and why, too. You know that better than anyone else."
Train nodded; he certainly did. After all, it had been that exact 'problem' of Jules's that had brought them together once more in the first place.
Following the first time that Train had met her, Jules had started to resist Chronos' orders to kill. While she still executed stealth missions (and with increasingly better results) she had refused to execute anyone – even though she was supposed to be an eraser. Eventually, fed-up with her insubordination, the Council of Elders had finally ordered that Jules be mentored by a Number to learn the level that was expected of her.
In hindsight, it was a sheer miracle and a god-send that Sephiria had assigned Jules to Train's watch when Chronos determined she needed to be 'reigned in'.
Following her disastrous day with Baldor during which the pair attempted to murder each other (Baldor claimed he was simply trying to teach Jules her place; Jules refused to defend her actions no matter how they grilled her), Sephiria had intervened.
Realizing there was likely to be no future for either Baldor or Jules let alone a partnership should the young woman continue to be trained under the brutish Number, Sephiria had deemed that a different arrangement was necessary. And it was pure chance that Train had been the only one available at the time.
Cerberus was out on a long-term mission, taking No. X Ash with them. No. I and II were too busy with political work that had included No. III and IX's involvement; No. VI was also away on a mission; and No. XII was too respected to ask to take time out from between missions to do what Chronos essentially perceived to be babysitting a stubborn child. Any attempt with No. IV, Kranz, could only end as well as it had with Baldor, and so that had left only Train.
He'd been between missions at the time, and even when he took any new assignments they were usually brief – a day or two at most – since his primary use even for a Number was an assassin. In addition, the fact that he was the youngest in age and years of service yet also one of the coldest and generally unsympathetic of the Numbers had made him one of the most compelling choices for Chronos.
At least, that's what they had thought.
Train still laughed a little at the irony when he looked back now. If Chronos had known then how their decision would come back to bite them… Though, admittedly, none of them could have foreseen what would happen considering the reason for the plan's failure had come in the most unexpected form - or rather, forms. After all, it took two to make a pair.
Train smiled as he remembered the past, when Jules broke into his musings.
"What are you thinking about now?" She asked, peering up at him curiously.
He looked down at Jules lying across his chest. Her long blue hair cascaded down her back, shimmering in the moonlight and framing her face to give her the appearance of a water goddess. Her grey eyes were fixed on his, her gaze questioning but soft and warm; and Train's smile widened as he revelled once more in the fact that she was his.
Jules cocked her head, her gaze probing, and Train finally replied.
"I was thinking of when you first arrived for training under me." He explained, and Jules laughed.
"Oh." She smiled too.
It had certainly been an interesting time for them both; and it hadn't ended how anyone had or could have expected. Least of all Train himself.
*A/N Song of the Day: Konoyo no Uta from Black Cat the anime. The link is: /0_We2gBhi9M