As Iba closed the shop doors behind her, locking them and swinging her vinyl bag back over her shoulder as she walked briskly down to the end of the street, only to be intercepted by someone she would have thought to be at work.
"Hello Rabbi Eli," Iba looked anywhere but at the man, she was in a hurry, but didn't want to seem like she was disrespecting the man.
"Hello, Iba, I didn't realize that you were staying at work so late these days." The man had his hands clasped in front of him as he always did, his face bearing a small smile. He seemed nice, but when you got down to it, he was just a bit… off.
"Yeah, I was working on some new designs, I don't know if they will look good though." As she tried her damndest to think up an excuse a rather delightfully familiar scent penetrated the air.
Uta walked up behind Rabbi Eli and looked at Iba with slight confusion.
"Oh hey, sorry I'm late, got caught up at work," as Iba said this, the rabbi turned around and looked at Uta. He was startled at how quietly the other ghoul had appeared behind him.
"That's alright. I completely understand," as Uta spoke, Rabbi Eli seemed to be sizing him up, to see if he could get him to stop bothering the two.
"Hey, Uta hun. I think I should go back to our place instead of the Christmas bash, my head is killing me!" Iba was hoping that this little gesture would get him to help her out of such an odd situation.
Uta raised his eyebrow quizzically and walked over to Iba's other side, put an arm around her waist and started to walk with her towards the fourth ward. As he did so, Iba waved to the rabbi, nodding a little goodbye and sliding her arm around Uta's back until they could no longer smell the man.
"What was that all about?" Uta let his arms fall back to his sides, wishing he could have held onto her a moment longer.
"That's the man who paid for my apartment, store and pretty much my entire life in Japan. He's a little weird though; he always looks the same, and has this tendency to suck on his own finger when he's hungry. It's creepy." Iba shuddered and put her arms around herself.
"So, your first instinct was, 'our place'?" Uta smirked at the disgusted look Iba gave him.
"Oh get over yourself," Iba shoved the tattooed ghoul towards the street playfully.
"You're going to be very interested in what the Helter Skelter looks like once we get there." Uta says as they round the corner to the bar.
"I bet I will. Itori always did have a knack for décor." Iba ran down the steps, taking a cigarette from her pocket and lighting it with the hot pink lighter she always carried.
"What are you doing?" The other ghoul stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her.
"Taking a cigarette break before I go inside." Iba shrugged off the question and took a long puff.
"Stop that," as soon as Uta had said it, he smacked the cigarette from her hands and stubbed it out.
"What the hell?" Iba shouted, as she reached in her pocket for another cigarette the male took a hold of her wrist and pinned it above her head.
"I told you to quit that back when you started, are you trying to die?" His voice coming out much harsher than intended, Uta sighed and released her.
Iba smirked, wanting to use the position to her advantage, she leaned in, putting her hand behind his head and pulled his lips down onto her own. Not expecting it, Uta stared at her, and slowly moved into the kiss, before stopping himself, remembering what this woman had told him not a week before.
"We can't. You said this wasn't what you wanted… I don't want to press you into anything you don't want." His voice was genuinely concerned and his eyes seemed to be searching for something her eyes.
"I know I said that, but look up."
As he looked at the ceiling above them, a smile was put on his face for the foolish way he had acted.
Mistletoe.
((Oops, I did it again... yeah, don't let me out of my house I'll ruin all your lives.))