Chapter 14: Flour

The sound of the side door swinging shut in the bar below caused Mikoto's eyes to crack open, waking him from his sleep. He had been dozing restlessly on and off that night, trying to rid himself of this constant headache he seemed to have acquired these past few weeks, but was grateful that his nightmares hadn't reared their ugly heads.

Moonlight spilled in through the blinds, creating slanted shadows along the opposite wall. Raising his head off the back of the couch, he glanced down at the small child curled up on her side next to him. Anna, with her head pillowed against Mikoto's thigh and her alabaster hair spilling over the edge of the sofa, shifted slightly in her sleep before becoming still once more, and Mikoto's gaze softened at the sight of her.

The room was deathly quiet, save for the gentle sound of Anna's breathing, so it was not a strain for Mikoto to hear the sound a glass clinking quietly on the bar's countertop below.

With a sigh, he slid slowly out from underneath the young girl, gently resting her head against the cushion in order to keep from waking her before pushing himself to his feet. He searched his pockets for a pack of cigarettes but to no avail, and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

He would have to buy another pack tomorrow.

After slipping out the door Mikoto silently made his way to the balcony that overlooked the bar below. The sound of a barstool scraping back was much clearer now in the hallway, and Mikoto reached the stairs just in time to catch a glimpse of long, honey-blonde hair ducking into the doorway of the kitchen and swishing out of sight. His shoulders relaxed a fraction.

She was home.

It wasn't as if they were oblivious to Rin slipping off in the evening, nor the padding of her footsteps as she stumbled tiredly back to her bedroom in the dead of night. Ever since she and Yata had lost Niaka's trail, Rin had been out scouring the streets every night, desperate for any leads regarding the gang or its leader. However, lately Rin's exploits had been keeping her out later and later, and oftentimes she disappeared without a word to anyone about it. She reminded him of one of the abandoned pups Kousuke had sheltered for a time last summer. The teenager had placed food outside the bar's door, much to Izumo's displeasure, for the dog to run off with and eat until it finally began to warm up to him.

A similar thought must have struck Izumo too. Only yesterday he had brought it up as he gazed around his bar, struck by the sheer number of clansmen that now followed Mikoto.

Chuckling, he had said, "It seems throughout the years you've picked up a number of strays, Mikoto." His eyes leapt from Misaki to Eric and then to Rin.

The Red King had said nothing in response, and merely leaned back in his chair and followed his friend's gaze. His eyes passed over the first two before coming to rest on their newest clansman.

"Tch," He had closed his eyes as he took a drag; only the slight crease between his eyebrows on his otherwise impassive face had hinted at his irritation. "This one seems to enjoy running off."

"Yeah." Keeping his eyes trained on the scene in front of him, Izumo had replied, "But she always manages to find her way back."

Though he had made no sign of it, the thought had warmed Mikoto deep in his chest.

Now he slowly made his way down the stairs, stretching his arms behind his head as he went. The silence of the bar made it easy for him to hear the muffled sounds of cabinets shutting and a pan being laid down on the stovetop. As he reached the bottom step, Mikoto spotted her jacket thrown carelessly over the back of a barstool. After once glance, he was relieved to see there were no bloodstains decorating the sleeves. It had become somewhat of a common occurrence as of late, one that usually made the Red King's eyes flash in dismay any time he caught sight of it.

Recently a few things had made the King's fists clench and jaw tense, aside from her frequent scuffles. Something so small as Chitose throwing a playful arm around her shoulder or Shouhei letting her borrow his baseball cap for the day would make Mikoto's mood darken. Even the long hours she spent hovering next to Tatara in the kitchen, her face alight as his friend taught her how to properly filet a fish or slice vegetables, suddenly began to grate on him. Lately, Mikoto found himself finding simple ways to be near her, usually under the pretense of participating in some activity that included Anna. If the other HOMRA members noticed their King's sudden interest in their every day activities, they made no comment of it.

Mikoto wasn't stupid. This wasn't the first time a girl had caught his eye. The slight seed of jealousy, the simple excuses to catch her wrist or pat her shoulder, were all familiar to him. Usually Mikoto had no problem bedding a girl for a night or two, but Rin's status as a red clansman only complicated things.

It was terribly frustrating and complete nuisance in Mikoto's opinion.

There were plenty of attractive women in Shizume – Lord knows how many of them had draped themselves around his shoulders in the past – but lately he had found himself growing more and more on edge when it came to his newest clansman, and he was at a complete loss at how to vent his frustration. Perhaps it was her desire to fit in as one of the boys that only made her stand out even more, or the way bruises seem to looked darker and uglier against her pale skin than the other members that woke up the same protective instinct as when it came to Anna. Or maybe her absolute stubborn refusal to open up about herself that kept drawing his interest back to her. Mikoto didn't know. All he knew was that despite his cool exterior, both Izumo and Tatara had been eyeing him lately and complained incessantly of his constant mood swings.

It was annoying.

Rin seemed to have only complicated his life even more, and Mikoto hated complications.

The redhead maneuvered effortlessly through the bar, sidestepping stools and tables with ease. Light poured out from the kitchen door as Mikoto approached, and he could hear a feather-light voice humming softly. Leaning quietly against the doorframe, the Red King's mouth twitched as he watched, unnoticed, the sight in front of him.

Lost in her own world, Rin stood in front of the stove whisking a few eggs in a bowl. His eyes traveled down her plain white tee, admiring the slight jut of her shoulder blades through the thin material, down to the jeans slung low on her hips. Her hips bounced and she tossed her hair back and forth, dancing in place to a tune Mikoto did not recognize. He watched as she poured the eggs into the pan, letting the omelet begin to set. His lips quirked once more at her idea of an appropriate two in the morning 'snack'.

His eyes passed over to the counter next to her, and he could see that Tatara had not put away the ingredients from their last baking experiment. Flour, sugar, and honey were still spread out on the counter along with various mixing bowls and measuring spoons. As Rin waited for her eggs to finish cooking she quietly began to place these items away, not wishing to incur Izumo's wrath.

Mikoto began to wonder if her entire meal would be finished before she would notice him when suddenly she caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye. A rather feminine shriek escaped her lips, and she jumped in shock as a cloud of white burst at her feet. Rin had been in the process of placing the flour back into the cupboard, and, at her surprise, it had tumbled from her hands, spilling its contents onto the counter and the floor.

The King's eyes flickered in amusement.

"Oh, you find this funny, do you?" Rin grumbled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear while trying to wipe off some of the flour that had flecked onto her shirt. Her attempts only succeeded in creating white smears across her stomach and chest.

Mikoto barely caught the string of curses she aimed his way. His eyes had been trained on the line of powder that was streaked across her cheek from where her hand had brushed back her bangs. It made the angry glare she gave him all the more comical.

As she bent over, trying to wipe some of the spilled flour into a pile, she asked, "Did I wake you?"

Mikoto leaned his head back against the doorframe as he gazed up at the ceiling and shook his head once. In his peripherals, he could visibly see her shoulders relax as she blew out a breath.

A slight bubbling sound from her pan drew her attention once more. "Ah, crap, my omelet," She muttered, hurrying to her feet. Quickly, she scooped the egg out of the pan and onto a plate, then glanced back at him over her shoulder. "Mikoto-san, would you like some?" She nodded in the direction of her food.

He merely looked at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"I swear, it's not gonna taste bad. You just…startled me is all."

The two lapsed into silence as Rin struggled to push the mess into a manageable pile, grumbling ever so slightly about the 'laziness of Kings'. Mikoto had never really been one for long conversations, and instead found himself captivated by the sight of her hair loosely spilling over her shoulders. The slight curls at the end, so different from the pin-straight style that Anna wore, captured his attention, and Mikoto's hands unconsciously twitched at the sight.

He froze for a moment, shocked at this minor reaction, before his amber eyes narrowed. In three strides Mikoto pushed himself off the wall towards her, a frown creasing his forehead. Rin glanced up at his sudden movement, and stood quickly when she caught sight of his face.

"Mikoto-san?" Her voice was soft, and he could hear the faint note of confusion.

His feet finally stopped a foot away, heat radiating off his torso as he stared down at her. This girl had been nothing but a distraction to him these past few weeks, a disturbance. Only a few months again he had welcomed her into HOMRA, and now, his own clansman, suddenly shook the very stability that he had grown so accustomed to before her arrival. As a King he couldn't afford to be so unfocused, not when he had other clansmen to maintain, yet he found himself unable to keep his eyes off of her; always aware of her wellbeing.

Rin backed up against the countertop, forgetting the mess, and braced her palms against the edge. Distracted, her hands slipped, spilling more of the white powdery substance onto the floor where it landed and burst into a cloud of floury dust at her feet.

"Shit," She muttered, breaking eye contact and glancing down at the mess around them. "Kusanagi-san's gonna kill me."

After blowing a hole through his upstairs bedroom, Mikoto felt the bartender had seen worse.

As she reached for the rag only a few feet away, two strong arms came down on either side, successfully trapping her. Rin froze, her hand still partly outstretched, before turning slowly on the spot to face him. Her eyes remained lowered, nervously trained on his chest, and Mikoto could see that the edge of the countertop was digging sharply into her lower back.

Ever so hesitantly, Rin raised her eyes to meet his own until Mikoto was able to see himself reflected in their depths. It was a rather peculiar experience. He had never noticed the small flecks that ringed her pupils, nor how light of a color brown her irises were. It was as if someone had poured molten gold into two puddles, which now shone back at him under the harsh glare of the kitchen's fluorescent lights. Mikoto remained quiet as his eyes traveled across her face; the smeared flour across her cheek, the short, thin scar – one he had never noticed before – nearly hidden by her eyebrow, the long bangs that fell across her eyes.

That such a small girl could cause him more frustration than the entire team at SCEPTER 4 was shocking.

And yet, all the tension he had been bottling up again this evening suddenly eased. As he towered over her small frame, it felt as if a weight began to lessen in his chest. Somehow this tiny, fierce, stubborn teenager was sapping away all of the frustration he had been building up for the past few weeks.

His eyes searched her face all the same once more, scanning for any sign that he had finally gone too far. She barely even blinked as she stared up at him, frozen in place by their proximity like a deer in headlights. The Red King's eyes drifted lower as one of her teeth caught her bottom lip, a nervous habit he was well aware of. One of her curls had spilled over her shoulder, and he caught the tip of it between his fingertips. He could see her chest rise and fall, and the sight made his amber eyes darken.

After a moment, Mikoto closed the distance between them until their chests were only inches apart and made his decision.

Another squeak escaped Rin's lips when two firm hands slipped beneath her thighs, scooping her up so that she suddenly found her back was no longer digging into the counter. Mikoto placed her gently on the countertop, and Rin's eyes softened in appreciation. He placed himself between her legs, his hands on either side of her thighs until they were only centimeters apart.

And despite their clothes being flecked and smeared with flour, the mess that would cause Izumo's head to explode, the egg omelet lying forgotten on the counter, and the knowledge that anyone could walk in at any moment. Despite that this certainly could be one of the biggest mistakes he had ever made as a king - although he had never been one for following protocols - and despite the knowledge that by the morning this could all have gone horribly wrong… he lowered his head.

"I like you…"

Because Mikoto finally stopped caring about what was to come.

"Tachibana-san."

And kissed her.

Author's Note: So I hope you all liked this Mikoto focused chapter (and also the ending! Teehee!) I felt like trying a new perspective. For all you YataRin fans out thereplease don't give up hope yet! I hope I won't lose any of my readers because I have a lot in store for Yata and Rin's relationship still, so I hope you all will stick around to see! I also hope you all have managed to recover a bit from K's 13th episode. I know it still stings every time I see something about it on tumblr. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers! Hugs to you all!