Chapter 6: The Strangeness Of A Shared Bed
((Author's Note: the there is only one bed chapter, aka the point where I hope it's clear just how self indulgent this story is with all the shipping tropes.))
Akihiko rolled his shoulders, getting used to the bags in his hands. He had no objections to being the heavy lifter for this trip; particularly since they were supposed to be relatively incognito. No fancy limos to draw the eye, and even the hotel was conceivably in his own budget. (Potentially. If he saved for three years.) But as a consequence, it was up to him to carry the suitcases, as they walked the streets towards the hotel.
"What do you think of Sumaru, then?" Mitsuru gently asked. She carried her own supplies, after they'd popped in and out of a pharmacy and convenience store mix.
"It's… It feels a little more chaotic, compared to Port Island." Akihiko told her, glancing around the city again; the sun was half set, turning the sky a riot of colors. The city was doing its best to match that, as all the lights turned on. "A lot more colorful, lots of neon… But it feels like everything here is also… Darker. By contrast. If that makes any sense at all."
"Yes… I thought much the same, when I came here for the first time. It takes some getting used to." She shifted her grip on her bags, ruffling the Satomi logo on them.
"…I also think that pharmacy song is going to haunt me for the rest of my life." Akihiko continued, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the store as possible. A laugh bubbled out of Mitsuru at that.
"It… It's something of an acquired taste, I think. But we shouldn't have to stop back in there again; we have enough in the way of supplies. And more protein shakes than I know what to do with." She lifted one of the bags for emphasis.
He found himself grinning back.
"Don't underestimate me; those things will last a few days, tops."
"You'll need to go back to the store by yourself, if that's the case." Akihiko managed a mock groan, prompting another smile from Mitsuru.
'It's been a while, since she's acted like this.' Maybe she was just playing the part of a tourist, now that they'd stepped into a new city… Or maybe this was a chance for her to show a different side of herself. Regardless, Akihiko found himself in high spirits.
It lasted all the way to the hotel. Check in was a cheerful blur, Mitsuru helping him through the lobby and the process, taking them upstairs in the elevator, and down a lushly decorated hallway to their room.
The sun was completely down at that point, leaving them to fumble through the dark as they searched for a light switch. Mitsuru was able to find it first, illuminating the room; it took Akihiko a moment to realize just how high up they were, with how the city spread out beneath them through full sized windows. The room followed the curve of the windows, with a fine table, chairs, and even the bed was lushly appointed-
'Wait.'
Akihiko scanned the room again, looking for another bed.
He failed to find anything. And Mitsuru figured it out the same time as he did, with how she went shock still. All the high spirits drained out of her face, while Akihiko sat down hard in one of the armchairs.
"Are you kidding me?" He finally managed.
"…The situation would be sardonic. If it was happening to anyone else." Mitsuru finally said.
"I… I could go ask for a different room-"
"That would raise even more questions from the staff. We're supposed to be keeping a low profile here; we don't want to draw any attention." Mitsuru didn't sound all that happy about the arrangement, either. If anything, she was glaring at the bed like it was a personal insult.
Akihiko bit back a sigh.
"Well… The couch doesn't look too bad. I could make myself comfortable there-"
"Akihiko Sanada. You are NOT sleeping on the couch." He stared back at Mitsuru, and how adamant she was. "I need you at your best; not with pulled muscles, cramps, or anything else you get from sleeping on there."
"Well… What are we supposed to do, in that case? Share the bed-?"
Mitsuru's face almost went red enough to match her hair. She didn't fully look at him.
"It… Would be our best option. We can divide it up evenly enough; you take one half, I'll occupy the other. I'm certain we'll find some way to make this arrangement work, without sacrificing sleep."
'There's no way I'm going to get any sleep like this.' Akihiko wanted to argue, but he knew that tone in Mitsuru's voice; she had a plan in motion, and she was determined to see it through. He'd just have to hope he could keep up with whatever she had in mind.
-o-o-o-
The first phase of her plan involved room service, and at least one half of the offered menu. Mitsuru kept her focus on the phone, ignoring how Akihiko stared at her; to his credit, he only sputtered after she hung up.
"I-is this going to be a regular thing whenever we go out? Ordering all of that?"
"I find that it's easier to focus on a mission after having a full meal. We still need to review our plan of attack, after all." Mitsuru deflected his concerns, turning to the windows and looking out over Sumaru. Various sky scrapers crowded the skyline, and their target was almost obscured by all of the buildings.
"Well… I guess I can't complain about that." Akihiko mumbled, joining her at the windows. "But… I would've been just fine with a beef bowl and some water."
"We're supposed to be a happy couple enjoying some time to ourselves; we have an image we need to keep up." Mitsuru pointed out again, trying not to sigh. "And aside from that… I think a little indulgence would be appropriate, right now. We should enjoy a leisurely evening, considering what tomorrow will bring."
"You make it sound like this is going to be our last meal." She took a breath to argue, only to see that Akihiko was smiling as he spoke.
"…Would you rather I saved all of this for myself?" She found herself countering, and then couldn't stop herself from chuckling when he rushed out a series of "no, no," and raised his hands in surrender. The scene oddly lifted her spirits, even more than the promise of a good meal.
'Maybe because you know you'll also enjoy the company.' She thought, right as the a knock on the door showed dinner was ready.
She wasn't surprised that the suite and room service came with plates and cutlery. Mitsuru found herself instructing Akihiko with getting the dinners out of their boxes and onto plates, while she set the table; she'd seen others do it often enough, she was relatively certain she could copy it.
"This feels… Interesting." Akihiko murmured, glancing between Mitsuru and the waiting table.
"True. Though I suspect if Shinjiro was here, he'd scold the both of us for not cooking everything ourselves."
"And in our defense, I don't think either of us knows how to prepare a steak. Or lobster. I sure as hell don't." Akihiko was still grinning as he brought the meal over. "I'm a little worried about being spoiled with all this, though…"
"If it makes you feel better, next time we can opt for beef bowls and bottled water." A part of Mitsuru marveled over how easy this exchange was. The rest of her decided to enjoy the glow from Akihiko's smile, and savor the different scents of their dinner. "Though I hope you don't mind if I go with a nice red wine tonight."
"As long as you share." Akihiko set the dishes on the table, while Mitsuru moved to light the candlesticks-
And almost dropped the matches, as an unexpected tremor moved up her arms. Akihiko instantly lost that joking, playful tone, shooting her a concerned look.
"Mitsuru…?"
"I… I suppose my nerves are more taut than I first expected." Mitsuru stared down at the dropped matches, feeling little jolts of phantom pain travel through her fingers. "Sometimes, when I am nervous about things, Artemisia seems to pick up on the tension. She becomes more… Alert. More ready to manifest."
"H-has she ever-?"
"I've always needed an Evoker to call her. But sometimes her affinities and weaknesses become more pronounced. I don't think I need to remind you, that she has a weakness to fire… And apparently, the prospect of fire."
Mitsuru sighed at that, looking over the unlit candles. Akihiko didn't answer all at once, instead carefully picking up the matches.
"You don't need to-" Mitsuru protested, even as he sorted the sticks.
"No, but I WANT to. You ordered dinner; I can at least help with the decorations." He struck the matches as he spoke, lighting the candles with a few quick touches. After that was unpacking the dishes… And pausing over the bucket of ice cubes and the bottle sitting in it. Now it was his turn to pause, both over the temperature… And the contents of the bottle.
-o-o-o-
Mitsuru wasn't the only one with nerves and element sensitivity, Akihiko decided. Because for whatever reason, his hands had frozen over the wine.
"Do you drink?" Mitsuru asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.
"…Mostly protein shakes and energy drinks." Akihiko answered. "Never really got into wine; always felt like it was… You know. Too high class for someone like me."
She lost that inquisitive look, replacing it with something that could have been sympathetic. At least it wasn't pitying.
"Well… You will likely need to get used to it, given how much you're interacting with the high class life." Mitsuru told him, as she poured two glasses. The wine was almost as rich and red as her hair… And Akihiko couldn't help but feel that they matched all too well.
He'd barely touched the stuff, during their first outing. And he'd been too nervous for much drinking at that high class gathering. But he couldn't argue with Mitsuru's logic; the stuff might become omnipresent in his life, if the last outings were anything to go by.
'Can't be that different from sake, right?'
"I could at least try it again; if you're alright with walking me through it."
"First, you savor the aroma." Mitsuru demonstrated by lifting her own glass to her face. "Breathe in steadily… But not so deeply that you get wine up your nose."
"I'm not THAT clumsy." He protested, but still did as Mitsuru did. He wondered at the odd scent, almost like fruit but with a slight acrid sting. When he drank, his tongue also couldn't decide if the taste was sweet or fiery. And he tried not to choke or sputter.
"W-well… That's different." He managed to cough out. "How do you drink so much of this stuff?"
"Very slowly; it's not a contest to see how fast you can consume a glass, or a bottle." Mitsuru told him, half chiding. But there was still an amused gleam in her eyes.
"…Yeah, and how do you do that?"
"Mostly by spacing it out through a meal, or through meaningless small talk. I can promise you it pairs well enough with rare red meat. Which I hope you still enjoy, despite everything?"
"I haven't changed THAT much. Or was that rattled by the attack. But… What about meaningful conversation, instead? You feel like changing it up?" Mitsuru didn't answer at once, looking down to the meal and busying herself with serving portions. "What… Do you want me to do going forward? W-with the mission, I mean. How are we tackling that skyscraper?"
"…Well, I'm not sure we can depend on that trick you pulled off before, of summoning without an Evoker. So I took pains to bring a pair along." Mitsuru nodded to an innocuous looking briefcase. "As for you specifically… Stay watchful. But try to avoid any aggression; if we can get by with just some simple spy work, and come away with SEBEC none the wiser, that would be ideal."
"…Sounds boring enough." Akihiko muttered, taking a bite of steak and another swig of red wine.
"If you're that desperate, you could always blow off steam at the gym instead. I COULD simply handle it alone, if you're worried about being bored to death-"
"Nope. Not happening. You don't get rid of me that easily, no matter how boring you try to make this all sound." Maybe the wine was already going to their heads, with how cheeky he was… And how Mitsuru gave a quick smile at his remark. It was… Oddly satisfying, to see that little twitch move across her lips.
"I should have known better; so much for trying to scare you off." But then her eyes fell away from his, and gave Akihiko pause. He could see her trying to school her expression back into something more businesslike, while eating her food with almost mechanical precision.
"I'm in this for the long haul, remember?" He found himself saying, his voice dropping low. "And… I promise that I like what I'm doing."
Mitsuru didn't seem all that convinced, with how she frowned and took another drink from the glass. Akihiko found herself matching her, trying to give her more breathing room. And get a better taste for the wine.
"Wouldn't you rather be off doing something more… Suited to your skills?"
"This suits me! Don't you think?"
"Well… You have been cutting a more attractive figure lately in your suits. You might even be growing into it-" He and Mitsuru all but choked on their food at the same time. "M-my apologies! I didn't mean it quite like that; just that you're fitting into the role admirably enough. And I'm… Glad enough to have you."
She was staring at the wine glass now, and Akihiko found himself doing the same.
"Sometimes I simply worry that I am… Pressuring you." She spoke slowly, like she was looking for words in the bottom of the glass.
"It's not the best thing to worry over… It leads to me thinking of worse things. Such as how I'd probably try to approach this alone, convinced that I could handle it myself. I was ready enough to do that, until you asked to come along."
Akihiko frowned, and let his scowl deepen as he swirled the wine.
"You keep doing that, you know. And you don't HAVE to take this on all by yourself." Sometimes he felt like a broken record, trying to repeat that.
"I know. I just… Sometimes feel like it should only be me, who makes everything right. To make up for everything else that I got wrong…"
'She still tries to do everything herself.' He wasn't sure what he felt more; hurt that she didn't completely trust him, or grumpy that she was still trying to take care of everything. Akihiko shut off both of those feelings by trying to listen to her; and realize that she was actually talking about her independent streak, instead of acting on her own.
"Well… For what it's worth. I'm glad you trust me enough to talk about it. I'll just work on convincing you that… That you can trust me with more." He met Mitsuru's eyes, saw her mouth open and close before she gave a helpless shrug. Instead of arguing, she raised her glass to him.
"Should we toast to the partnership, then?"
"How about friendship?" Akihiko countered. This time Mitsuru favored him with one of those small smiles, before raising her glass.
"To my best friend."
'Best?' He'd… Never really thought of it like that. Never really ranked himself among her friends and acquaintances. Hearing her say that almost made him fumble with the wine glass. But Akihiko managed to catch himself and lift the glass in turn, letting them clink together.
This time he allowed himself to down the entire glass, regardless of what Mitsuru had advised.
The rest of the dinner grew increasingly blurry after that. He found himself talking more about the dinner, and letting Mitsuru guide him through the etiquette on what to do. How to better cut his steak, the sizes of his bites, when was best to drink… How she kept all of this straight was a mystery to him, even with all of his reading.
He found himself fumbling with a lot of the silverware, needing to get instructions repeated to him… But for all that, Mitsuru never sounded stern or frustrated with him. Towards the end of the evening she'd picked up a bright quality to her eyes, and as they finished the dessert it was still present.
"You going to tell me what has you so happy? Or is that a secret?" Somehow, she smiled all the more.
"Hardly a secret. I was just thinking how this dinner has gone much nicer than many in the past."
"Ah. You mean those… Missions we went on together?" It still felt weird calling them 'dates.' And at that Mitsuru's smile faltered.
"I… I suppose so. But mostly I was thinking about how much I prefer your company, to those of other suitors. In truth, this has been the most pleasant company I've had for some time." He remembered the suitors from the gathering. The possessive manner they had over her… And Akihiko wasn't sure what was burning in his chest. Definitely not the last sips of wine, though their faces were both flushed with alcohol at this point.
"Well… I do my best." He finally managed.
"I know… That's why I…" Mitsuru slowly pushed her seat back, eyes cast down at the table.
"N-never mind. The hour is late." She mumbled something about being tired, about needing to get ready for bed. Followed by wobbling towards the bathroom, doing her best not to stagger. As he waited for her to finish, Akihiko's eyes slid back towards the mattress, and he wondered again about sleeping on the couch-
"Akihiko. I hate repeating myself. And you're not sleeping on the couch." Mitsuru was getting too good at reading him. He lifted his head to protest… And then saw the nightgown she'd opted to change into. She was draped in a dark, half transparent cloth. He couldn't decide if it was too revealing or too enticing, and either way it was almost impossible to pull his eyes from it. To stop staring at her.
"Okay, okay fine just… Just make yourself comfortable while I-" he hoped she'd just go to bed while he stumbled through his own preparations. He really hoped she'd be asleep by the time he lurched out of the bathroom. His own bedwear was a lot more lacking; just old worn sweat pants, and after a moment of cursing and fumbling through his suitcase, Akihiko realized he'd forgotten to pack the shirt that went with them.
…He REALLY hoped Mitsuru was in bed and sleeping by the time he emerged from the bathroom.
He ended up being very disappointed in that. Mitsuru was perched on the edge of the bed, still in that confusing nightgown, still waiting for him… And he didn't miss the way her eyes widened when she saw him, and the way they roved up and down his body.
"Uh… You know the couch does look alright?" He tried to point out, only to be silenced by a sudden glare from her.
"Akihiko. If you bring up the couch one more time, I WILL Execute you and leave you to thaw out overnight."
"Y-yes ma'am." And just to keep her from getting any ideas, Akihiko forced himself to shuffle forward. "If that's what you really want, then…"
"What I WANT is for you to not feel like a servant at my beck and call." Mitsuru's voice was still tight, a little frustrated… But it was all directed at herself. "And yes, I understand how hypocritical it is that I'm still ordering you around, but I'm not sure how else to get you to listen. It's just as you said. We're supposed to be partners-"
He hated the way her face was twisting up in frustration; it made the meal in his stomach turn sour… And there was also a hint of panic curling through him as well. Mitsuru was being far more free with her words, and he wondered if it was the wine helping with that.
She wobbled as she stood up, almost at eye level with him.
"You… You've been good to me tonight. The best diner partner I can think of, a good teammate, and I don't want to punish you for that by forcing you off the bed. I'd sooner be the one sleeping on the floor than-"
Panic flared up all the brighter, and Akihiko found himself reaching out to Mitsuru; he wasn't sure if it was to quiet her before she said something she regretted, or if he was trying to reassure her. Or-
Either way, the hand on her shoulder at least silenced Mitsuru. She stared up his arm and locked eyes with him.
"H-hey. It's okay. You know, I've had a great night too? I… I like spending time with you, and if you want me to sleep on the bed-" He tried to sooth her, rubbing her shoulders to try and ease the tension out of them. Instead he pushed his weight too far forward, and found himself pitching into the mattress. And of course he was pulling Mitsuru with him.
They tumbled into the bed together; and even addled with the wine, Akihiko managed to turn so he hit the mattress first. Not that he had to worry about the impact being hard; trust Mitsuru to choose the softest mattress in the hotel. Possibly in all of Sumaru City.
"…Alert as ever, I see." Mitsuru mumbled.
"Ah… You're alright, Mitsuru?"
"Of course I am." She mumbled. "Because…"
He didn't quite catch the rest of it. But it sounded almost like "because you're here."
"Oh…" He shifted uneasily, trying to get up. But instead Mitsuru put a hand over his shoulder, pulling him back down into the sheets.
"You…Don't have to sleep anywhere you don't want." She all but murmured into his ear, and it made Akihiko go oddly limp; any desire to get himself out of the sheets fell away, as Mitsuru drifted off next to him. "I just… Hope that you-"
Her eyes were drifting shut, and her words taking longer to get out.
"You want to be with…"
She didn't finish the sentence, as she drifted off. Akihiko found himself staring, wondering what else she was going to say… But he was also fighting a losing battle against fatigue and wine alike. It was an effort to even roll onto his side, let alone away from Mitsuru.
He'd untangle from her eventually, Akihiko told himself. Just as soon as he rested his eyes.
-o-o-o-
Morning sunlight gradually coaxed Mitsuru's eyes open. As she blinked, she wondered at the odd, gentle touch along her body. The pressure made her smile, and urged her to take a long time waking up. It was so oddly warm, and felt almost like she was wrapped up in-
'Like an embrace.' Her thoughts provided.
Not that she'd indulged in one of those in a long time. To the point it was almost forgotten; both the weight, and the soothing sensation that spread through her. It was almost a wonder that she'd survived without it for so long.
'Who-?'
Mitsuru blinked her eyes open at that… And found herself facing Akihiko. His arm was slung over her side and wrapped around her back. His open palm pushed heat and warmth into her skin, while his forehead curled towards her shoulder. From the angle she could just make out a smile on his face, as he slept.
She'd never seen him look quite like that before; cheerful, yes. Even reassuring. But she'd never seen him smile in such a way, completely unguarded… And she found herself smiling back, wondering at the odd, light feeling in her chest. She tried to shift in place to get a better look at him, but that motion coaxed his own eyes open.
It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts up, blinking at her… And as that happened, the last of that sleepy haze fell away from Mitsuru.
Akihiko lost that peaceful look at the same time, instead doing his best impression of a deer in the headlights. She could see his thoughts processing everything, putting the pieces together… And then flinching backwards when he realized their exact situation.
"M-Mitsuru! S-sorry. About that." He scrambled back, hesitating only when he hit the edge of the bed. He was half tangled in the curtains, back against the window. "I… I didn't… Sorry." He was crossing his legs, even while he struggled with the sheets. Mitsuru decided it was better not to look at him for too long.
'I don't believe this. We haven't been like this since-'
Since Shirakawa.
And they'd been doing their best to put Shirakawa behind themselves, until now. She'd almost forgotten the way she'd woken up, in the midst of running a hand along his chest and half undoing his shirt, while he held her close and brushed her still damp hair away from her face.
…Except this time, there wasn't a Shadow to blame the intimacy on.
"I… I owe you an apology as well. I don't know what came over me last night." Mitsuru told him, not quite meeting his eyes, or even looking at his face. Giving him too much attention still stirred uncomfortable twinges in her chest. And she'd sooner see those feelings go back to being half buried, and half forgotten.
"You were… Just feeling a little hurt. If I'm remembering right." Akihiko offered. And that dredged up more things Mitsuru would sooner forget. That sudden flood of pining that had washed through her, the feeling that spending another night alone was intolerable-
"And so I decided the best course of action was pulling you down with me-?" Akihiko gestured at the bed, and then at himself sitting half disheveled. To her chagrin, her eyes caught on his bare chest again, and she found herself wondering at his inability to keep a shirt on in her company.
"I…" Akihiko groaned out, shaking his head. "…Okay, I think we need to add a new rule to our arrangement. No more drinking wine at the same time, if we're both like THAT once we get a little tipsy."
"A-agreed." Her skin felt warm where he'd been touching her. All the more humiliating, she found herself missing that contact. Mitsuru prayed none of that showed on her expression. She slowly forced herself to other edge of the bed, ready to take a very cold shower-
At least that was the plan, until Akihiko reached out and brushed his fingers along her wrist. The contact froze her to the spot, as he struggled to speak.
"Ah, Mitsuru… I didn't-" He forced another breath. "I… Never wanted to make you uncomfortable. Or overstep our agreement-"
'He's afraid he hurt you.'
"You didn't do anything. I know you're not like that." Mitsuru told him. "You're… Different from Saeki. Or any of the others who would jump on a moment of weakness."
"But… We don't do a repeat of that, right?" Akihiko pressed. Mitsuru didn't answer all at once. Neither did she fully look up at him; instead glancing at him through the curtain of her hair. "We… Don't want to do that again, right?"
"…No. Not particularly." She said at last. "And…I'm sorry if I caused you distress, or confusion over that."
"Wait, YOU'RE sorry? I-I was the one who-"
"You were trying to help, as you always do. But for now… I think it's best for us to put this behind us." Even though part of her was screaming that it didn't want that. That it already missed him-
She pushed that part of her down, let herself go cold.
"And… We have other things we need to focus on now. Things we need to prepare for. By evening, we have a company to investigate."