Chapter 3 - Truce
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Despite her lack of sleep and the lingering tension with her partner, Tashigi had been pushing through for the past week. There was a deafening silence between them during their patrols, which while not too unusual, was causing discomfort. Tashigi struggled to keep her emotions from boiling over.
She had no clue what to do.
That night she felt like she never felt before and it scared her.
The icy wind whipped at her face as she passed through the back entrance, hoping to avoid idle chit-chat and get straight to the women's locker room. Once she finished changing into her uniform, she noticed that a large chunk of the day shift was still around. Having them gather and be lively around Christmas wasn't unusual, but Tashigi had a bad feeling about it.
This has to be one of their dumb jokes.
As she got closer, she caught snippets of conversation that confirmed her suspicions. She wondered if Roronoa was the one behind it.
Is that what I think it is?
Someone had taped mistletoe to the ceiling. Tashigi pinched the bridge of her nose.
That's one way to stay alert, I guess. It must've been a slow day.
"Anyone seen Roronoa?" She asked loudly, to no one in particular, fully expecting his green hair to pop up with a devious grin. Some of her juniors looked at her as if a teacher had reprimanded them.
"Uh… No, Tashigi-san," Hibari replied shyly. "I think… They are waiting on him…"
Oh. I suppose it's fair for him to get the taste of his own medicine once in a while.
She leaned against the desk, arms crossed.
"C'mon guys, take it down," Koby spoke.
Give up Koby, Captain is with them.
"Lighten up, Koby. We need to keep the spirits up. Roronoa is a good sport." Captain stuffed a rice cracker into his mouth. "I think he wouldn't mind a kiss from a pretty girl right before his shift. Any volunteers?"
Tashigi knew that some of the women liked him, but none of them seemed to have the guts to confess. She couldn't blame them, though, because courage was not the only thing necessary.
Their precinct had a strict policy about relationships between officers.
While romantic relationships were permitted under certain conditions, they were strongly discouraged. Those who found themselves in such situations either kept things private or ended the relationship to avoid the hassle.
"I'll do it," Kujaku said it.
"That's the spirit. Now, where is he?"
"He's always late," Grus said it venomously.
"Captain, that's not how mistletoe works," Koby attempted again, but nobody listened to him.
Tashigi was uneasy suddenly. She turned her head to the side, refusing to witness the scene.
A part of her wondered what would happen if she spent the night with him.
Are you out of your mind? She shook her head. Suppose I did. I'd probably get the same treatment as now and who knows what complications would that bring. We're both at a tricky spot in our careers, and we love our job, so it takes precedence over feelings.
He probably felt lonely or something... She sighed.
There I go again, overthinking it. I need to stop.
"What's going on?" A voice beside her made her jump.
"R-Roronoa?" She uttered it in disbelief. "Where did you come from?"
"Mistletoe shit this year too? How original. I had a hunch, and I came in the back. Idiots forgot who did it first."
"Maybe you should reconsider." She attempted to sound natural. "Kujaku offered to give you a kiss."
He frowned and stared daggers at her.
"I was joking."
His frown eased.
What was his deal?
"Let's just go do our job. Unless you think otherwise."
Serious Roronoa was also dashing.
Get a grip, woman.
"I think our duties take priority over this. Let's go."
"I'm slowly corrupting you, Glasses."
"On the contrary. I think I'm rubbing off on you," she smiled.
Their shift was eerily quiet, devoid of their usual banter. He wasn't talkative in the past either, but she cherished those moments when he shared his silly stories or talked passionately about sports. It reminded her of their early days of partnership when they were full of hostility and kept working against each other instead of being united and solving cases. Tashigi didn't want to get back to that.
They moved through their routine with ease, but time slowed to a crawl. Despite her attempts to engage him in conversation about anything other than work, he remained silent, focusing only on tasks. She admitted temporary defeat but refused to surrender. As always, she would have to force her way through his stubbornness.
When they got back in the morning, she stopped to witness the conclusion of the mistletoe situation.
"Stop trying to get me to walk under the damn mistletoe! Know when to give up." Roronoa shouted. He pulled it down and tossed it into the trash.
"Aw, c'mon, dude!"
Tashigi chuckled and returned to the women's locker room. Quickly changing, she decided to wait for him outside.
"Hey," she called out to him.
His freaked-out face was still priceless.
"What?" He grunted.
"Listen. I know you don't want to talk, but can we grab a coffee together?"
"Why?"
"Why not? Are you avoiding me?" Tashigi snapped.
His eyebrows furrowed. "Why would I be avoiding you?"
Tashigi sighed, exasperated by his thickheadedness. "I don't know, maybe because you've been acting like a brooding statue all night? It's not like you to be so quiet, Roronoa."
He scratched the back of his head, a gesture that betrayed his discomfort. "I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is that right? Well, a coffee might help wake you up. Unless you're too scared to have a chat with your partner outside of work."
Roronoa bristled at the challenge in her tone. "Scared? Me? As if. You're buying me breakfast too."
"Deal."
As they walked towards the nearest café, the tension that had been simmering between them slowly dissipated. The early morning sunlight cast a golden hue over the white city streets.
They settled into a cozy corner of the café, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting around them. Tashigi sipped her steaming cup and watched Roronoa stuffing his face with breakfast scramble.
She wanted to talk to him all night, and now that she finally managed to catch him in a better mood, she was drawing a blank.
"About what happened at your place…"
Roronoa paused mid-bite, his gaze meeting hers. After a moment of contemplation, he let out a sigh and set down his fork.
"What happened at my place stays at my place," Roronoa stated. "No need to talk about it."
Tashigi scowled. "I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it. I just want to clear the air. I know it's alcohol's fault and… I don't want things to be awkward."
He stared at her for long enough to make her sweat.
"Fine. It was a mistake, alright? I shouldn't have let things get out of hand. I promise it won't happen again."
Tashigi nodded, a sense of relief washing over her. "Good. It's water under the bridge."
"Water under the bridge…" he repeated. "I guess you never considered it could have been genuine."
Tashigi's eyes widened. She searched his face for any sign of a joke, but his expression remained serious.
"Genuine?" she echoed, unsure of what he meant.
Roronoa hesitated. Finally, he spoke.
"I'm not good with words, but that night... it wasn't just the alcohol talking."
A rush of emotions flooded through Tashigi.
Before she could respond, a commotion erupted outside the café. People were shouting and running past the windows. Without a word, they both sprang into action, pushing through the crowd.
Smoke billowed from a nearby building, flames licking at the windows as panicked bystanders fled in all directions, the acrid scent of smoke filling the air. The windows shattered and debris scattered across the pavement. Tashigi's heart clenched at the sight.
Roronoa was already barking orders into his phone, calling for backup and emergency services. She kicked herself into the gear, following his lead, directing civilians away from the danger zone.
Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder as the fire department raced to the scene. She could feel the heat of the flames as she got closer to check if anyone was in danger.
They managed to clear a path for the firefighters.
As they worked tirelessly to extinguish the fire, she couldn't shake off the peculiar feeling. She glanced at Roronoa, his usually stoic expression now etched with determination and focus. His eyes followed the action, his fists clenched at his sides.
At that moment, her heart fluttered despite the chaos surrounding them. She knew that risk and danger would always be a part of their lives, perhaps even leading to death. Feelings she persistently denied, kept rearing their head.
Should she listen to those feelings or ignore them?
Since the area was deemed safe, the firefighters started packing their equipment and the crowd dispersed.
She stole another glance at Roronoa.
His face was streaked with soot and sweat, but his eyes still held focus and reassurance as he talked to the civilians.
Her body started to tremble with exhaustion as the adrenaline began to ebb away. She leaned against the nearest brick wall, hoping that no more incidents like this would occur in the coming days.
Once again, she wished for a peaceful Christmas.
"You okay?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She must have looked dreadful.
Tashigi nodded, trying to push away the weariness that threatened to consume her.
"Let's just give our reports so I can sleep."
"I don't know about you, but I could use a drink after all of this." Roronoa's lips quirked up in a half-smile.
With a tired chuckle, Tashigi had to agree. "Yeah, a drink sounds good right about now. And let's settle our bill at the cafe too," she replied.
"Shit. Yeah."
"Roronoa," she began. "About what you said back at the café..."
"Forget it," he replied curtly, his usual walls back up.
"I can't just… forget it easily."
Roronoa ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Tashigi, we're partners. We work well together. Let's just leave it at that. Rules and all that shit."
"Then why did you say that?! You're making me…"
"Making you what?" Roronoa's voice was low. He halted, turning to face her fully.
"…feel things I shouldn't be feeling," Tashigi blurted out, unable to face his eyes.
"We're in the same boat, then."
Her heart skipped a beat at his admission.
"You have feelings for me?"
"I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't."
"What are we going to do? I don't want this to affect our work."
"Me neither," Roronoa agreed. "I decided to 'fess up when I kissed you. The thought of losing you that day reminded me how short life is. I don't want to have more regrets in life. We never know how much time we have left. Then you ran away and I felt like a piece of shit for doing that to you. I was selfish."
Tashigi noticed a profound sadness in his eyes. She realized there was so much about him and his past that she didn't know. As she gazed into his eyes, she silently promised herself to make an effort to uncover some of the mysteries of her partner, even though she knew it would only sink them further into the depths of their complicated relationship.
"I panicked because I liked it. I wanted to stay." Her face was heated. "I wanted to spend the night with you." The admittance burned her.
He took her hand in his.
"But we both know that we will choose work over relationship. Over love."
His grip tightened, but he didn't deny it.
The precinct was busy, but that didn't stop the Captain from greeting them personally.
Tashigi found it odd. Had they done something they shouldn't have? It was an emergency even though they were off duty.
Captain watched them with a serious expression, eyes flickering between Roronoa and Tashigi. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"Good job you two. Now kiss."
"Sorry?"
She exchanged a puzzled glance with Roronoa, who shrugged in response.
Captain pointed up. They both raised their heads to see the mistletoe dangling above them.
"That's a proper way, right Koby?" He stopped the man who carried a mountain of paperwork.
"I… I… technically yes."
"C'mon, you two. You know the tradition."
Roronoa grinned at her. "Looks like we have no choice, partner."
Without giving her a chance to protest, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Tashigi instinctively closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his kiss. It lasted only a few seconds before he pulled away, a smug expression on his face.
Captain clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! That'll be all for now. You can give me your written reports when you get back."
"You could have warned me," she said when they exited the station.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"Well, you can forget about that drink. I'm not buying you anything."
"You liked it."
She rolled her eyes, ignoring the way her heart raced.