Mick sat at her desk with her aviators still on, rubbing her temples in soft circles, as she rested her elbows on the metal. A laugh caused her to lift her head with a groan.
"You look like you've seen better mornings." the amusement in his smug voice irked her to no end. Mick pushed her sunglasses down on her nose to glare openly at her silver haired partner. Kash gave her a once over, her red hair was braided back into two ropes that fell over her back. The snug black shirt stopped just at her belly button, toned pale skin visible. The tight dark denim skinny jeans hugged her mouth watering curves, the glint of her side arm caught his eye as it was straped to her thigh. The dark jeans were tucked into her tactical black boots, her Ruger American Pistol Compact, Semi-Automatic, 9mm clipped to her black belt. Lifting his eyes they found her striking pale blue ones watching him with an arched brow. Smiling sheepishly he went to make a sarcastic comment but the sound of heels on the floor saved him the trouble.
"Kash, i need to see you in my office." The Chief walked passed them straight to her office without even looking at them. Kash shrugged then followed, he paused to turn back to her.
The red head had went back to rubbing her temples, a caramel frappe was set in front of her with an asprin tablet beside it. Mick smiled, he knew her so well, she took the asprin then washed it down with the drink. The scent of a floral perfume surrounded her, turning she saw Ino and Sakura there smiling knowingly.
"So Kash brought you some coffee?" the undertone in the pinkettes voice made Mick frown.
"Whatcha gettin at?" Ino snorted in annoyance but Sakura just shook her head, changing the subject.
"Hows Sasuke?" Mick sat back in her padded chair with a smug smirk, the young women frowned at her. Mick noticed Naruto near by no doubt eavesdropping. Mick brought her hand to her chin, tapping a finger there as she thought. Ino sighed, arms crossed,
"Oh come on, Mickie." The red head griminced at the unfavorable nick name.
"Hes fine, he checks in every now and then with us." Sakura opened her mouth but Ino beat her to it.
"So his undercover status is a success so far?" Mick nodded, Kash had sent the dark headed stoic man undercover to infiltrate a small group in connection to the main group they had their eyes on. Kash, Mick and Sasuke were the Gang task force, so Kash as commanding officer had decided they needed someone on the inside for more intal before they made their move on shutting it down. Mick had volunteered but Kash wouldnt have it, saying that he needed her here for something else, she knew the real reason was because she had a habit of earning favor with men because of her looks. Often enough he had to step in to make sure she didnt break them in half. Mick had grown up with a military father who taught her self defense since she was five then shoved her into martial arts classes. She may be small but that didnt stop her from putting bigger men and women in the hospital.
Sighing while standing to her feet, Mick nodded to the girls,
"Hes the right hand of a crime boss." The girls smiled but Mick noticed Naruto clench his jaw, his hands clutched into fists.
Kash appeared beside her, she hadnt heard his approach, she jumped slightly with a yelp when he pinched her butt.
"Ouch! Damnit Kash, stop that shit. You must have been a cat in another life." Kash chuckled as he swung an arm over her shoulders, leaning heavily on her. Mick grunted under his weight but bared with it as he told her what The Chief wanted.
"We have a lead to follow but first we need to go meet an old friend. To the Kash-mobile!" he pointed towards the parking lot, Mick frowned as she shoved him off.
"Ugh, not the Kash-moblie. It stinks like wet dog." Kash either ignored her or just didnt hear her as he lead the way out the front doors.
Once in the parking lot they stood infront of a black four door Ram Durango. The redhead was shielding the sun from her face with her hands, Kash meanwhile was trying to start the vehicle with no luck.
"Come on Betsy!" The man groaned as he tried to crank it. Mick put her weight to one leg, smiling smugly, as she jingled her bike key above her head. Kash turned to her with a scowl,
"No! I hate riding bitch on that death trap. Cant i drive?" Mick laughed dramatically, bending over holding her stomach, she stood up straight wipping away fake tears. The lanky man sighed, hopping out of his truck.
Mick slowly danced towards her bike, Kiba with his K9 partner watching, Shino beside him with wide eyes behind the aviators. Kash glowered at them, their eyes locked on Mick's hips. Red sensed the killing intent coming off the silver haired man, barking to his master who ignored him.
"Mick, you're scaring the rookies." Kash managed to sound uninterested but his eyes were dark with annoyance. Mick paused, looking over at the two men dressed in their uniforms, flashing a grin she started dancing again until she reached her bike. The two rookies in blue raised their eyebrows with a goofy smile when she waved at them. Kash climbed on the bike after snatching the key, Mick was yanked onto the bike still playfully flirting with the dumb-struck idiots by their cruisers.
"Do you have to do that?" Mick blinked in momentary shock. His voice was unnaturally cold, she wrapped her arms around his muscled abdomen, they silently rode towards downtown. Mick knew where they were headed now, they were going to The Bottom and the only person they knew there was Henry.
Pulling into the parking lot Mick hopped off before the bike was even in neutral. She needed to space herself from her partner right now, his demeanor from earlier had made her uncomfortable. He never cared when she'd flirt with men, whether joking or not. Mick could feel his eyes on her, she ignored him before going to Henry's door. Kash knocked twice, the sound of footsteps greeted them.
"Whose there?" Kash had covered the peep-hole with his thumb.
"Henry baby! Its me!" Mick called out to him in her fake cheery high pitched voice. The dummy took the bait, opening the door fully only to see Mick and Kash smiling at him.
"Shit!" he tried to slam the door but Kash jammed his boot in doorway, shoving it open with his hand.
"Henry! Thats no way to treat old friends!" Kash stated as he made his way inside, wagging a finger at the short balding man. Mick followed silently, watching the now surrendering man who had cornered himself.
"You arent my friends! You and that crazy chick nearly killed me!" Mick snorted but Kash just laughed,
"Oh Henry! Whatcha talking about?"
Henry gulped as he noticed Mick approaching,
"She had you hang me off a building by my legs unless i told you what i know!" He jabbed a chubby finger in Mick's direction, she grinned at him with her hands on her hips.
"Oh what a coincidence! We need some Intel." Henry glanced between them in fear. Mick tilted her head at him with a pretty smile, "Kash." the chubby man let out a cry as he tried to run passed them towards the front door. Kash grabbed him in a choke hold, closed eye smiling down at him.
"Now Henry, lets not be stupid. You know something and we need that intel."
"Ok ok! Ill talk! Just make her go away!" Kash glanced at Mick who pouted,
"Aw but Hen, i thought we were friends." Henry let out a terrified squeal, turning to clutch onto Kash as the Redhead tried to reach out to caress the scared mans cheek. Kash pressed his lips together to keep a laugh down, Mick sighed dramatically but left the room to go out in the hallway. Henry glanced over his shoulder as she left before releasing the bigger man. Kash patted Henry on the shoulder, his eyes gleaming, "Ok So i need some info on a group." Henry nodded once, they silently when to sit at the kitchen table.
Meanwhile Mick was on snapchat, snapping a pic of her making a weird face to Naruto. She laughed when he sent back an even weirder one of him and Kiba in their patrol car. Heat on her neck made her glance over her shoulder to see Kash watching her phone.
"Wanna take a selfie with me?" she joked as she held up her phone to include him in the screen. She took the picture, seeing Kash holding up his middle finger with a deadpanned face. Raising an eyebrow at him he quickly reached forward to send it, then walked towards her bike.
"Whats eatin' you?"
"I dont know what youre talking about." The two stared at each other, Mick rolled her orbs with a slight growl while Kash planted himself on the bike. Climbing onto the back she sat in silence, her annoyance was coming off her in waves.
"I just have a headache thats all"
"Whatever you say."
The ride back to the precinct was awkward and quiet, neither one willing to break the silence. Kash pulled into the parking lot, dropping down the kickstand. Mick climbed off and took her keys, her eyes narrowed. Moving towards the front doors a siren bleeped at her, a cruiser pulling up beside her.
Naruto and Kiba hopped out, pretending to code five her, with their hands formed into finger guns.
"Stop right there!"
"Get down or ill let my K9 out!" Mick put her hands up, turning to face them with bright humor in her eyes.
"Oh no!" Mick laughed as they swaggered towards her in an exaggerated manner, thumbs hooked on their belt loops.
"Weve got a call that theres a redhead running loose around this neighborhood." Naruto said while trying not to break character to smile. Kiba meanwhile was pretending to cuff her, his hands were rough with calaces but gentle.
"One in custody."
Kash watched them with furrowed brows, Mick never paid rookies attention, he stood with his arms crossed a few feet away.
He didnt understand what she was playing at, Mick rarely allowed people to touch her let alone rookie cops who had nothing better to do than to mess around with his partner. Kash stopped himself from breaking Naruto's arm as the simpleton put it across her shoulders. Kash caught his breath when she glanced back at him, almost smugly before the three walked into the precinct. The sound of barking caught his attention, turning he noticed Red still in the cruiser.
"That idiot is so busy flirting he left you in the car?" Kash opened the door, Red gave him a wary look before charging after his master.
Mick sat on her desk, Naruto Kiba and Neji stood around her talking more to eachother than to her. She knew it was childish but Kash showing interest towards her, even if he didnt realize it himself, was nice. His jealously was a different side to this normally guarded man, one Mick wanted to explore. The front door opened and much to her displeasure her partner didnt even look towards her desk, instead he went to his own which was beside hers. Sighing to herself she leaped off her desk to wrap her arms around his shoulders, resting her chin on her arm. Kash turned slightly to smile at her before returning to his computer.
"Those the coded emails?" Mick asked, her breath tickling his neck. Kash nodded then pointed to the screen,
"Yeah, have you seen these symbols before?" Mick studied them for a moment before one caught her eye. Pointing to it, leaning forward so her breasts rested on his back,
"Yea, this ones an Egyptian hieroglyphics." scanning the others she noticed more ancient symbols. Greek, Egyptian and Roman being the main ones. Kash watched her closely, he was good with puzzles and cryptic shit mostly because he loved to annoyed people by being condescendingly cryptic himself. He knew she'd figure it out soon enough, he already had but didn't like to brag around her. Well for one she could snap him in half and he'd let her, Two: contrasting to popular belief he wasnt an asshole that believed in always being the best. If he could fly under the radar then he would, no since in trying so damn hard when it didnt really matter anyway.
Kash waited until Mick smiled at him, he was busted, she knew he knew what it all meant. Blushing in embarrassment he pointed to the screen, running his finger under the symbols as he said what the email said,
"Be at the water tonight at 2AM."
Mick furrowed her brows together, involuntarily drawing small circles on Kash's chest over his blue long sleeve shirt. Kash clenched his jaw, irises dilating slightly as his body leaned into her touch, heat creeping into his core. As quickly as the moment started it was over, Mick was pulled from him with a disturbed squeak. Kash turned to see Naruto had slung his redheaded partner over his shoulder, Kiba and Mick grinning at eachother. The heat he felt from before exploded into a raging flame, his eyes smoldering with his jaw locked. This tormented feeling in his gut was hard to tolerate, even more annoying was why he was feeling this way. Kash had understood long ago that he cared for Mick, but the thought again wormed its way into his brain. Everyone he loved died and he refused his deepest feelings for his female best friend to save her from it. Her death would be the one thing that would send him over the edge. Send him into a tailspin. Send his heart in the darkest shadow imaginable.
Kash looked away, forcing down his anger and jealousy. Mick was not his nor would she be. He put up the walls that normally incased his heart, growing cold to the flirtatious group behind him. Mick noticed the abrupt change in Kash and morbid aura around him at that moment. His pupils focused on her but not truely seeing her. Instantly she knew he had closed himself to her, she wretched herself free from the rookies. They hardly noticed, continuing with their rough housing. Mick placed a hand on Kash's forearm, head tilted with concern bright within her gaze. She surveyed his blank face, devoid of emotions. Kash seemly woke from his daze to smile reassuringly at her as she fawned over him.
"Hmm? Sorry i wasnt paying attention to a word you said." Mick scrutinized him for a moment, he could see he wasnt fooling her, she knew him too well.
Mick went to voice her concerns but Kash stood, turning for the doors, throwing his words over his shoulder without meeting her eyes.
"Come on, we have a lead to follow." Mick stood, trailing after him silently.
Kash walked to his truck, popping the hood, his hands out of her sight as he tried to fix whatever was wrong.
Mick climbed into the drivers said as he hollered for her to try it. The truck roared to life after the second try, she scooted over the center console to climb into the passenger side. Kash hopped in, his hands smudged in black grit but his smile was evident under the cloth covering his lower face. He pulled out of the parking lot, tapping the radio with his pointer finger for her to pick a station. Forcing a smile upon her face she played with the buttons until she found a suitable song that fit Kash's discription of music, instantly he began bobbing his head whilst tapping his hands on the wheel. She could see he was pretending just as much as she was, the tension between them was stale and choking. Mick turned to look out her window, brushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes. The man beside her couldnt help but occasionally glance at her from the corner of his eyes, pulling his eyebrows together in a small helpless frown. He wanted to ease the stiffness in the relationship, but unsure of how to do it, scared hed only make it worse. She looked so small and fragile, her body almost hugging itself in her uncomfortable silence.
Kash went to open his mouth, the sound of brakes locking, glass shattering interupted him. His eyes were jolted, his foot slammed the brakes out of the sudden sliding of the truck. He watched in horror as Mick was flung violently against her selt belt then ricocheted into the window. While his partner was clung he was as well, his bottom ribs slammed into the steering wheel knocking the breath from his lungs. Everything went black.
Mick felt the truck roll onto its top, she hung limbly from her saftey belt. Her breath in gasps, she turned to Kash. Her blood ran cold as her eyes adjusted onto his figure. Blood dripping from his head, turning his silver hair streaked burgundy. Before she could reach for him she felt herself being jerked from the window, screaming as her seat belt burned into her hips.
Kash struggled into consciousness, slowly turning to see Mick reaching for him through the busted window, blood on her face and hands. He strained his ears to hear her, thats when he noticed the men who held her. His body moved on it's own, unbuckling himself only to slam into the glass and crawl through it out from the windshield. He could barely hear her now, she was screaming his name. He stood on shakey legs as he staggered towards her, his eyes seeing double. God bless her she was fighting to reach him, his heart ripped in half as she struggled vainly. Her wounds were deep and these men were strong. He tried to will his body into action, but all he could do was stumble after her. In the back of his mind he could hear another voice screaming for her, only to realise it was his own weak tone barely a whisper.
Mick watched in agony as Kash tried to drag his broken leg behind him to get to her. She screamed for him to stop, but his eyes were glassed over in a sicking way making her heart twist. She bit a hand that wrapped around her mouth as they forced a wet cloth over her nose. She knew instantly what the sweet scent was, in her panic she fought harder when she shouldve stopped and pretended the cloriphorm worked. But seeing Kash in that state had made her loose all her training in that moment. She wanted to run to him, tell him she would be ok. Darkness engulfed her, the last thing her eyes saw was a big man approaching the man she loved.
Kash felt his knees buckle, collapsing onto his hands and knees, his head swimming. A boot connected with his stomach causing his eyes to bulge and the air within his lungs to flush out of his body. The silver haired man lay facing the sky, his left leg at an awkward angle. A masked mans face appeared but he didnt flinch. A gruff sound reached his distant hearing,
"Stir clear or your little friend wont last the night." he went to leave but a strong hand grabbed his ankle, turning to Kash who was glaring defiantly up at him,
"Let her go."
"We'll return her soon." Kash blinked as he saw the bottom of a boot coming down for his face.
Citizens were on the phone calling 911 as they saw what was happening, some recording it with their phones. A brave few had tried to help but were met with voilence as well. Kash lay in the street bleeding, people trying to help.
The sounds of sirens in the back ground as the van containing the female cop disappeared into the busy streets, leaving behind the broken man on the asphalt.
