Rio and Kento took the lead away from Shibuya. I wondered if Kento had gotten what he needed. I knew, for instance, that he was unable to retrieve his weapon. But Yuta had given him a new one and opened a few new lines of thought for all of us. Both of them moved like stalking cats. Though the oily feeling had come back as soon as we left the station, the men hadn't bothered trying to shield me.

"I'm sorry things didn't quite go your way."

Kento watched the ground as he walked, "Better than I had hoped in some ways. I don't want you to worry about it, Tori." He glanced at me, his lips were smiling but his eyes, even behind the shades, were troubled. "Can you feel Okkotsu? He's guarding our backs."

"I like him, but his curse…" Rio shook his head, "I wish we had time to talk to them."

I stepped fast to walk beside Rio, "I thought all spirits were either like a wisp or like you. Seeing those curses was frightening." My head hung, "I wasn't of any help at all. I'm scared of everything."

"Being scared is good. It means you're smart enough to realize you should be." Kento spared us a glance, "I'm scared quite often."

Rio nodded, "Indeed. Nothing should ever prepare you for what we've seen tonight. If you ever feel like you have seen enough to not be scared, then you have lost a part of your humanity, Tori."

The car was sitting under a fitful streetlight, the parking meter either broken during the confusion after Halloween or turned off while Tokyo was supposed to be deserted, I didn't know. If I were being honest I don't care. I wasn't even that rattled about the curses we saw. What had me seeking comfort was the simplest statement Yuta had made.

'I'm a little attracted to you.' He's a teen boy, I'm a woman. I tried to chalk it up to simple hormones. But how could I when he'd surprised me by echoing my thoughts? I still think Nanami hung the stars, but now I was definitely feeling the same sense of confusion he must have been feeling all along. What was our pull? I believe in soul mates, love at first sight, true love's kiss. As a child I had eaten fairy stories whole, and swallowed every pretty thing about them. But I had never experienced it. Was Kento my other half? Or is it something sinister, as he believes? Something Rio knows or suspects that would make me upset if I knew. See? Confusion.

"I definitely am not built to ride in a car." Rio stopped, looking at our ride. "Tori? Am I coming home with you?"

I snapped out of my melancholic thoughts. "Oh. Right. Of course, Rio." This was not helping, but I could not just turn him out. I did love him, and though we weren't seeing eye to eye didn't mean I wanted him to leave. Just thinking about him not being with me made my heart cringe. At this point, though it might mean that I lose Kento forever, I didn't just want to wish Rio farewell.

He took a step toward me, then I felt him safe in my soul. I lay a hand over my heart, and smiled at nothing. Rio was happy again, though I could feel the wariness he carried about himself since Halloween. Wordlessly, Kento beeped the key fob, and I got in the car, settling in for the drive back to my place. He got in, and just as quietly started the car.

We drove in silence, though I found myself glancing at Kento's profile. The glasses were gone, put into his inside pocket. His eyes were bland, almost, so I figured it was an act, but I didn't know if it was for me or him. His mouth was downturned just enough so I could tell that it wasn't neutral, too. I didn't know if he just didn't want to talk or had nothing to say.

Kento made up his mind, "I will call my parents when we get back to your place. It might take a day or two for them to get things together for me."

"That quickly?"

He nodded, "I don't think it'll take too long. My mother has been worried about me for a long time now. I have a lawyer who is well-paid to look the other way when it comes to our family. I told you my parents were executives?"

I tittered, "You make it sound nefarious when you're saying things like that."

He finally cracked a smile, "You know how it is; spoiled rich kid, overprotective mom."

"I know next to nothing about being rich, but the mom I get."

"With the chaos surrounding Shibuya, even if the school alerted my parents, I may be able to go to the bank. I should have checked this morning. Sorry." His fingers massaged the wheel, "I'm still not thinking straight."

"You almost died. I'll give you a pass this time." I smiled at his chuckle, "Besides, you're still not thinking. You have no way to prove your identity."

"I really have been rattled," he sighed, his fingers gripping the steering wheel, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Even after what just happened, I'm not."

The car ride went quiet, but like the train, just a few words had lightened our burdens enough to make us comfortable in each other's company. I loved the feeling of it. I'd had actual boyfriends who had never had me so lulled in their presence. Whether this was all Kento or something else, it was perfect.

I sat back, staring out the window for a moment, a smile curling my lips while I thought over the things we'd said earlier. I closed my eyes and really tried to sort my feelings. I'd never been really good at it, my mind was always jumping from one thing to the next.

"Rio?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you ready to talk to us?"

His pause was nearly palpable, "Yes. I'm sorry."

"What was so important, Rio?"

"My pride. I can't think of anything else."

I paused this time, turning his words over in my mind. "I'm sorry, Rio. I don't love you that way. I don't want to lose you though." I felt the stinging in my eyes, so I cuddled into the space between the window and the seat. "I love you, Rio."

"I know, Tori. Just drop it, you don't have to lose me. I think I can come up with a solution that can placate everyone."

He felt calm in my mind, and I knew that this was the end of his jealousy. I was glad of that at least. It was like having a big brother who was just a scooch overprotective. It felt nice, if a little too cozy. I closed my eyes and drifted off to the sounds of tires on asphalt.

Kento

Tori closed her eyes and leaned against the window. Though I wanted to talk to her, I couldn't control the rest of myself nearly as well. My fingers were tight on the steering wheel, and my shoulders were aching with the amount of tension in them. My life was being taken from me one chunk at a time. I almost wished that I had perished in the belly of Shibuya.

After a few minutes she fell asleep, and I forced myself to stop having these defeatist thoughts. I hadn't wanted to die. I didn't go there to perish, I went to fight back against men and curses that wanted chaos and maliciousness to reign. So, no. I am a 'good guy' and the good guys shouldn't wallow in mud for longer than strictly necessary.

My shoulders lowered by degrees and I allowed myself to just think about what I was supposed to do next. Tori was correct, calling me out on my nonsense. I couldn't have gone to the bank, and I only had one recourse now. I would have to become someone new. For the rest of the drive I let those plans form and materialize. I had contingency plans, after all. A lawyer and my parents who'd hated my job even more than I had.

For the rest of the drive I turned over all the things I had heard, felt, and said for the last day. I couldn't believe it was only two days later. Had Okkatsu really sent Fushiguro and Itadori on a mission into the heart of the Zen'in? The boy had a calm sureness about him that made me want to believe him. I felt real relief to hear that he would save Gojo.

I woke Tori as we approached her apartment building. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and groggily directed me to the parking structure and her assigned spot. I pulled in and turned off the car. It was the smallest hours of the night. I opened her door, offering my hand. She lurched up, hanging off my arm as we walked to the stairs that would take us to the lobby.

Carefully, we took the flights up to her apartment and she fished her keys out of her purse with a giant yawn.

I watched her enter her apartment, "I'm sorry. For everything."

"You couldn't have known."

She turned to watch me as I lingered outside her apartment. I watched her eyes go from mild surprise to hurt to a tired sort of acceptance. More than anything I wanted to stay but I couldn't continue dragging her down. Ino and Yuta were correct. It was time for me to die. I needed to leave Japan and never come back.

"Thank you. For your kindness. I don't mind sleeping in the car." I flashed the keys, "I can clean it and whatnot tomorrow. And return it to your friend." Her eyes slid to the side, making my heart beat painfully. "You must realize I have to go."

Tori took a deep breath, "Whatever you think, you don't have to experience life on hard mode. If you have to leave then stay here tonight. Get your shit in order."

Is that what I was doing? I remembered telling Itadori that living life was hard. Finding hair on your pillow, waking up with aches you didn't have yesterday. Is that hard-mode, or getting older? I didn't know, but knew I wanted to stay. I wanted to experience life in casual mode. I ached in my heart for it.

"Kento?"

Impulsively I pressed forward, grabbing her shirt front, pulling her slim frame to fit against me. I leaned in and kissed her. I could feel her frantic heart beat even overlaid as it was with my own. Her lips were soft, and she allowed me to explore the sensation of her. It was gentle, just enough to ease that ache in my chest.

Tori opened a sliver, her breath ghosting over my mouth, "That was worth the wait, but you have terrible timing."

"I play on nightmare mode." She smiled, and I felt her lips curve on mine, and found that my own lips matched hers. "I suppose," I leaned back, studying her dark eyes, "That I could stay. I need to make some calls. Get my shit together?"

She stepped away, and I melted at the sight of her. Even with such a tiny kiss, her cheeks were pink, and she was faintly chewing on her bottom lip. I wanted to kiss her again, but she was not wrong. I had to have better timing.

I followed her in, and she flipped a hand at the couch I'd slept on last night. The quilt was still folded where I'd left it. I sat on the edge and watched her stand with an air of uncertainty in her own home.

"I'm going to call my parents."

"That…" She shook her head, just enough to make her red hair sway, "Right. Good night, Kento."

I waited for her to get to her room and close the door. A fingernail more time and I might have broken down and begged her to save me like some kind of orphaned puppy. I shouldn't have kissed her. This was beyond nightmare mode now. I was going to need a cheat code to live through tonight.

I checked my phone for the time and calculated. Mor should be up. I dialed and waited for just one ring before a voice I knew so well answered.

"Nanami residence."

Switching to Danish, I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat, "Mor."

A surprised beat, "Kento!" The sound of a soft sob came over the phone, "Baby! We just got word you've died. Kento, honey, are you okay?"

"Not really, no."

AN/ Copenhagen (Denmark) is -8 hours to Tokyo time. 'Mor' is Danish for 'mom'. I just read an entire article about Japanese roads. All I really wanted to know was 'do they use asphalt…' LOL No beta, all mistakes are mine. If you wanna help, drop me a line.