Archive of Our Own

"Ah- K-Keiji-"
Keiji smirked against Sou's neck as hands tightened in his hair. The man moaned from his lap, tugging at blond locks to separate the others mouth from his skin, pulling Keiji to meet his eyes.

"H-Hey… you have a meeting… with Miss Sara… at five, right?" He panted, face red. Keiji nodded distractedly, observing the color blooming along the others neck. Sou rolled his eyes and pressed his finger against the others nose.

"I'm trying to say you should go, dumbass. Its 4:58." He said, trying to hide any disappointment from his voice. If the way Keiji smirked was any indication, he failed. The taller man brought a hand up and laced it through teal hair, curling strands around his fingers, while the other circled his hip and pressed gently against the small of his back. Any disgruntlement melted from Sou's frame, and he relaxed into the others lap, resting his head against his shoulder. Keiji chuckled. The other man made a muffled noise into his shirt before straightening to meet his eyes, unable to keep a small grin from his face.

"It'd be really rude to keep her waiting." He stated, before he glanced to the side. "... But… if you wanted to stay a little longer… that would be alright." He said as he hooked a finger around his shirt collar and pulled it down to reveal more unmarked skin, smiling mischievously. Keiji stared at him for a moment, blinking, before he shook his head with a fond smile.

"Stop playing dirty."
"Oh, I can play even dirtier." Sou purred, slowly rolling his hips down against the others. Keiji tightened his grip on the others waist and let out a breath. He looked up at Sou, who wrapped his arms around the taller one's neck and winked at him. Keiji narrowed his eyes.

"Only a little longer."
Sou smirked. "I won't need long." He stated, before leaning in to press his lips back against Keiji's.

It wasn't "only a little longer." Keiji blames Sou for this entirely.

He rushed down the hallway, buttoning up his vest and trying to pat his hair back down into something that wasn't so clearly "I was just having steamy makeouts" chic. If he were to stop and listen, he could've still heard Sou laughing from his room.
Asshole.

He rounded the corner and stopped, leaning against the wall and breathing deeply. He could hear footsteps coming from the lobby- presumably Sara pacing- and he sighed in resignation. Taking a moment to collect himself, Keiji entered the lobby.
He was immediately met by Sara's glare.

He opened his mouth to say something, but faltered as Sara looked him up and down. She zeroed in on a spot near his collarbone and gasped.

Fuck.

Attempting to control the situation, Keiji smiled as casually as he could and raised a hand in greeting.

"...Hey, Sara. Sorry, I ended up falling aslee-"
"Keiji! Oh my god, are you alright?"

FUCK.

Keiji swallowed, and scratched the back of his neck, trying to stay casual.
"...I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
Sara frowned at him and approached, pointed at a small bit of skin peeking out from under his shirt, and squinted at it worriedly.
"You have a big bruise right here. Did you fall? If it hurts, we can go see if Safalin has something for it."

Keiji stiffened. Damn you, Sara Chidouin, and your compassion for other people. He laughed nervously, and shifted his arm to cover up the hickey.
"Oh, no. I… tripped during one of the harder attractions. Doesn't hurt at all." He grasped the edge of his cool and collected act and pulled it around him, settling his hands on his hips and smiling at her nonchalantly.
"Now, why'd you call me? Mr. Policeman is here to help."

Sara stared at him suspiciously, but sighed and crossed her arms, mercifully dropping the subject.

"...Alright, if you say so. I wanted to get your help on this attraction…"

Keiji narrowed his eyes at the opponent, and leaned down to whisper into Sara's ear.

"Block, charge, beam. That should take it out."

She nodded, selecting the cards and sending them out. The creature made a screeching noise as the beam hit it, disappearing and leaving two clear chips in its place. Keiji nodded to Sara and they left the attraction together, walking side by side down the corridor. Sara handed him a clear chip with a smile.

"Thank you so much for helping me out, Keiji. I would have done a lot worse without your detective skills."
Keiji accepted the clear chip with a relaxed grin, shaking his head a little as he went to pocket the star.

"Ah, I find that hard to believe. You aren't a bad detective yourself, Sar…"
His fingers hit soft wool, and he stopped walking entirely, words trailing off. He clenched his fist and pulled slightly, glancing down to see-
Yep.
Green wool.

Sara noticed and stopped a little in front of him, turning to raise an eyebrow. Her mouth moved. Keiji knew she was saying something, but his mind was currently…

Sou climbed easily onto his lap, smiling mischievously at him. Keiji simply raised an eyebrow, but the way his fists clenched in the bed sheets betrayed any casual act he had attempted. The other man just smiled impishly, before moaning loudly and dramatically. "I've been so naughty, Mr. Policeman, you have to arrest me-" He was cut off by Keiji covering his mouth, the taller man's shoulders shaking with silent laughter. He shook his head and replaced his hand with his lips, pressing a gentle kiss against the side of Sou's mouth. The other laughed against him, flushed pink, and Keiji pulled away momentarily to pull his beanie off of his head and pocketed it, Sou gasping.
"Keiji! Warn me before you strip me!" He pressed a hand against his chest in mock offense as the other shook his head fondly.
"Shut up."
Sou grinned sharply.
"Make me."

They didn't say much else after that.

Keiji coughed roughly, tearing himself out of his memories and forcing his legs to keep moving. His cheeks felt warm, and he was positive his face was red.
Maybe she didn't notice.

"Um, what was that?"
Dammit. Alright. Play it cool.
"...What was what?"
That's wasn’t cool at all.

Sara narrowed her eyes at him. "That. I have never seen you blush before." She scoffed. "What's going on? You've been so weird lately."

Keiji avoided her gaze, forcing a smile on his face. He really hoped he wasn't visibly sweating.
"That's kinda rude, Sara. I'm fine." He looked up at the clock in the corner, mentally sighing in relief at the opportune time. "We should hurry. We're late for dinner."

As he walked away, he could hear Sara make an aggravated noise.
"Don't think this conversation is over, Keiji!" She yelled after him, making Keiji chuckle as the girl rushed to catch up with him.

They were even later to dinner than Keiji had thought; though despite being the last ones to walk in, no one even looked at them. Plates of food were left untouched on the long tables as everyone clumped around one chair. Keiji raised his eyebrows and observed the scene.

Gin was standing the farthest away from the chair, face scrunched up like he was thinking. Beside him stood Q-Taro, scratching the back of his head with a perplexed expression. Kanna was smiling brightly, her hand clutching an equally excited Nao's shirt sleeve. Reko stood behind the two with her eyes narrowed. Lastly, Alice circled the chair, squinting hard at something, before planting his feet and speaking.

"...It really is natural. I can't see any roots at all." He declared. Nao gasped, clasping her hands in a movement that jostled Kanna slightly.
"Seriously? Wow! How do you keep it so bright? The color saturation is…"

The voices faded away as Keiji narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out who they were talking about.
...If that's everyone around the chair, the one in the chair has to be…
Oh.
He inhaled sharply. From the corner of his eye he could see Sara look to him, confused. The voices lulled as someone raised their voice to be heard over the chatter.

"I-I don't know, shampoo? It's just always been like this?" Sou. He sounded flustered. "Seriously, it's not a big deal, I just…" He paused. Keiji had the feeling he was wracking his brain for an excuse. "...Misplaced my beanie."

"Seriously? How? I thought that thing was super glued to your head." Sara's voice rang out from next to him, drawing the others eyes towards the lobby entrance where the two stood. Multiple of them smiled or waved, but Sara stalked forward with a determined expression, leaving Keiji to follow. They rounded the chair and-
Ah.

Sou momentarily met his eyes, face red. He burrowed deeper into his scarf. His hair was messier than normal with no beanie to hide it, and he played with the ends of his scarf absentmindedly as the group interrogated him. Keiji could vaguely see Sara's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but he kept his gaze locked on the man in the chair, eyes wide as he exhaled slowly.
He looks… really…

"...Cute." He breathed out, unable to stop himself. The other two stiffened at the same time, their heads snapping to face him. Sou's scarf fell limply from his hands as his cheeks burned a darker red, while Sara stared at the taller man in disbelief. Keiji's mouth instantly clamped shut and he looked to the side, intently avoiding her gaze. He could see the gears in her brain turning, and as she opened her mouth, he rushed to cut her off.

"Alright, this is very interesting, of course, but our food's getting cold and I don't think Ranger cares enough to heat it back up for us." He spoke. He could hear the others behind him mutter in assent and disperse, finding their seats and filling the room with the clinking of silverware. Sara slowly turned away from him and moved towards her seat as well. Keiji huffed out a sigh of relief and sent a questioning glance down at Sou. The other man pulled his scarf down and smiled in a way that he knew was only reserved for him, and that knowledge alone made him warm enough to glance around the room for prying eyes. Seeing none, he leaned down and pushed a lock of teal behind Sou's ear, running his fingers over the edge of the other's lobe and down along his jawline, cupping his face. Sou turned bright red and his mouth parted invitingly, before he scoffed and slapped at Keiji's chest.

"Go eat your dinner, Mr. Policeman." He hissed, rolling his eyes affectionately. Keiji chuckled. He turned and moved towards his seat, observing Sara's tight shoulders worriedly. Her pinched glare met his relaxed grin, and his mood plummeted at the clear warning in her eyes.

Oh, shit.

Keiji sat and braced himself for the incoming conversation, picking at his meal. Sara finished hers, and as he inhaled slowly, Gin bounded up next to their chairs with excitement.

"Big sis Sara! Will you please come play with me, woof?"

Keiji tensed, trying not to look too relieved. He knew Sara could never say no to Gin. The girl bit her lip and looked between the two of them, before settling her gaze on Gin.

"...Of course I'll play with you, Gin. Lead the way."
"Yay! Thank you so much big sis Sara, meow! This is gonna be so much fun, woof!"

Gin grabbed her hand and led her off. As soon as she had left her chair, Keiji stood up as well, making a break for it before she could look back at him. He walked briskly out of the lobby on the other side of the room from where Gin and Sara were leaving, feeling two sets of eyes on him. He stopped and leaned against the wall, sighing.

"Hey."
Keiji smiled at the voice alone, looking over to meet Sou's eyes. He chuckled.
"Hey."

Sou looked him up and down, before checking over his shoulder. With no one else having left the lobby, he moved forward and grabbed Keiji's hand, lacing their fingers together and tugging the other one down the hall.
"I'm bored. Let's find something to do." He stated, squeezing the other’s hand. Keiji grinned softly at him.

"...Alright. Lead the way."

Hours later, the two stood in Keiji's room, staring at his bed. Sou tilted his head and made a frame with his fingers, moving it like he was cataloging the space. Keiji rubbed the back of his neck.

"...I don't know if we'll both fit."
"It's your fault for being so god damn thick, Keiji. Absolutely no one needs shoulders that broad. You're just excessive."

Keiji snorted as the other man muttered to himself. The shorter one narrowed his eyes momentarily before they widened, bringing his fist down onto his palm in a 'eureka' movement.

"You know what spooning is, right?"
Keiji sent him a deadpan look. Sou threw his hands up in defense.
"Hey! I don't know how many people have gotten a piece of police ass before me!" He winked, before continuing. "Anyway, if we, uh…" His face flushed red. "Um. Spoon, but, like, facing each other… I think we could both fit." He muttered the last part into his scarf, embarrassed. Keiji chuckled.
"You're cute."
"Shut your damn mouth."

Sou glared at the other without any heat, shifting to take off his outer layers until he stood in only a shirt and jeans. Keiji followed his example. The two stood, staring down at the bed once more. Keiji tilted his head.

"You're sure this will work?"
"Positive. How could it not? It was my idea, after all." Sou pressed a hand to his chest and fluttered his eyelashes. Keiji snorted.
"That almost guarantees it won't work."
"...You're such a dick. My plans work. This one will, too." The other man nodded decisively, gesturing to the bed. Keiji gave an amused smile and obliged, laying down. Sou slid into the covers next to him, pressing his face into the others neck and entangling their legs. Keiji slapped at his side, laughing into bright hair.

"Your feet are freezing," he muttered, but wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer.
"I can just leave if you’re going to make fun of my bad circulation." Sou answered, curling his hands into the others shirt and relaxing into him with a sigh of contentment. Keiji pressed his face into the others hair with a hum.

"...Sara is getting suspicious. I was really late to meeting her." He ventured, letting the words hang in the air. Sou stiffened in his arms, and he began gently running his fingers along the others spine calmingly.

"You can't tell her." He said, voice tight. Keiji made a soft shushing noise, gently rubbing circles into the others back.
"I know. I won't."
Sou melted into him, burrowing himself closer and huffing against his collarbone.

He sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Keiji shook his head. "It's fine. I understand."

"It's really… It's not like I'm ashamed, you know that, right?" He tightened his grip on the others shirt. "I just… This situation… I just…" Sou sighed deeply.
"...I don't want to be used against you."
Keiji froze, arms tightening. Sou frowned.
"...Keiji? Wha-"
He yelped as the other man threw their collective body weight over, propping himself above Sou with his hands framing either side of his face. The shorter one flushed bright red, and opened his mouth indignantly, but was cut off by Keiji pulling him into a deep kiss. He fell back against the pillows, panting, and glared up at the blonde man.

"That's not fair," he hissed, but his arms came to circle the other’s neck anyways. "You can't keep using my complete lack of strength against me. I'm sensitive about that." Keiji chuckled, moving his arms to grasp at the others legs and pull him back, adjusting so he was sitting up with Sou in his lap. The shorter man made a whining noise, face red.

"What the hell did I just say?"
"I don't know. I was too distracted by you." Keiji answered smoothly. Sou's mouth dropped open and he tugged at the others hair, Keiji laughing at him as his face turned even darker. The teal haired man scoffed, but moved his hands to frame the others neck and pulled him into a kiss. Keiji ran his tongue along the seam of the others lips, and as Sou moaned breathily into the kiss and leaned further against him, pushing their chests together, any thoughts that weren't of the man in his lap easily slipped away.

"Unless I settle the score with you… 'Fraid I can't move forward."

"There's no point in doing this...!!" Megumi yells, fruitlessly struggling within the chains. Tears run down her face as her chest heaves.
"Please!! Press the switch!!"

How sad.
"......"
You know what you've done.
"...I…"
Are you going to let justice be obscured again?
"......"
Are you going to let her live…
When he could not?

The timer hits zero before you can decide. Megumi screams, a gut-wrenching sound that buries deep into your chest. The chains go taut and snap. A terrible ripping sound is made as bones crack and tendons separate.
You close your eyes through it all.

"...How could you, Keiji?"
Your eyes snap open. A head- and only the head- rolls to your feet, eyes blank. Long black hair trails after it, and it stares at you unseeing. Its mouth moves without noise, but somehow you can hear her all the same.

"How could you? How much more blood do you need on your hands until you're satisfied?" A tear rolls down her cheek, mixing with dark red splatter in a horrifying cocktail. You swallow.

"After all I did for you…"

She smiles, a grin so disgustingly wide.

"You murderer."

"...Keiji."
Your eyes snap open. Who…

"Keiji?"
…

"Keiji!"
… Oh.

"Hey, Keiji! Wake up!"

Keiji jolted upright, narrowingly avoiding a collision with a concerned Sou. The other man reeled back in surprise as Keiji clenched his fists into the covers and breathed harshly. A hand landed over his and pulled it up, pressing it firmly against cloth covered skin. He could feel a steady beat under his hand, a comforting thump that he unconsciously began to match his breathing to. Fingers interlaced his, and Keiji eventually looked up to meet the others eyes. Sou searched his gaze.

"Nightmare?"
"...Yeah."
"You wanna talk about it?"

Keiji paused, considering.

"...No. Don't think I'm ready to." He answered truthfully. He let go of the other’s hand and turned as if to get out of bed, but simply sat on the edge and pressed his feet against solid ground. A shuffling noise sounded from behind him, before arms encircled his shoulders and a face pressed into his neck. Keiji exhaled, feeling the warmth of the man’s skin seep through his clothes. Sou hummed against his neck and placed a kiss against his slowing pulse, before raising his head to press a second one against his cheek. Keiji huffed affectionately and relaxed back into the other man.

"...Sorry I woke you up."
"Don't apologize, Keiichi. It sounds weird coming from you." Sou answered. Keiji laughed a little.

"I've told you to stop calling me that. It's a stupid nickname."
"Duh. That's the point, Keiichi." He planted another kiss onto his temple. Keiji breathed out gently, bringing his hand up to rest on top of Sou's. The other man made a contented noise.

"Think you can fall back asleep?"
"...With you here, probably."
Sou whined, hiding his face in the others neck. Keiji could feel the heat radiating off of his cheeks.

"How can you just say shit like that? It's not fair to my poor, injured heart." He muttered, hugging the other man tighter. He detached himself from the other’s back and pulled him down onto the bed, Keiji letting out an unceremonious "oof-" as he fell back. He peeked his eyes open to see Sou looking at him with a grin, gaze sparkling with mischief and something else that Keiji still wasn't sure what to classify as. All the same, the familiar face made him smile and relax into the pillows.

"...Thanks." He murmured. Sou scooted closer to him and tilted his head up to press his lips to Keiji's. They separated, and he nuzzled into the crook of the other’s neck, hands resting on Keiji's chest. Comfortably, the taller man slung an arm around his waist.

"Don't thank me, either. It sounds even weirder." Sou muttered into the others collarbone. Keiji laughed into teal hair and kissed the crown of the others head. He listened as the smaller man's breathing evened out, light puffs of air tickling his neck.

He closed his eyes, and sleep found him too.

Sou was gone when Keiji woke up, a note taped to his face. He huffed out a laugh and watched the paper flutter before peeling it off his forehead and turning it over to read it.

Keiichi~

You're taking too long to wake up and I'm hungry, but you need the sleep. Your eyebags aren't even Gucci anymore. They're just sad.
I'll see you later.

Lo -Sou

Keiji smiled amusedly at the note, folding it up and slipping it into his pocket. He stood and put his vest and shoes back on, momentarily checking the mirror to run his fingers through his hair in lieu of a brush. Satisfied, he trekked down the hallway and entered the lobby, stretching his arms over his head as he looked over the current occupants. Sou was already gone, but Sara was sitting down at the table and staring blankly at her omelette. Keiji frowned and approached her, observing the bags under her eyes with his hands on his hips. She looked up at him and smiled, far too wide to be real.

"...Good morning, Keiji."
"Did you sleep last night?"

He took a seat next to her, brows furrowed in concern even as she tried to grin reassuringly at him. She really looked more in pain than anything else.

"...You should nap today."
"Yeah, I will. I was just about to go try and sleep a little. Maybe a full stomach will make me more tired." She said, standing up with a yawn. She paused, before pulling something out of her jacket pocket and presenting it to him. It was a folded slip of paper.
"Oh, yeah, Sou told me to give me this to you when you came out for breakfast, since he was here way earlier than you." Sara said, waving the hand with the paper a little. Keiji's eyes widened slightly. That didn't sound right.

He would've written this on the paper he left this morning. Or slipped it under my door. He wouldn't risk someone else reading it, no matter what it says.
...So what is it, actually?

He took the paper. "Oh. Thanks."
Sara nodded. "No problem. I'll see you later." She said, before turning on her heel and abruptly rushing out of the lobby. Keiji stared after her, concerned, before looking at her mostly untouched breakfast. He frowned and flipped the note open.

Keiji-

Meet me in Room of Rubble @ 9pm.

-Sou

Keiji smiled fondly down at the note. Sou definitely didn't write this. He takes every chance he gets to call me that ridiculous nickname. His grin quickly faded and he folded the note back up, slipping it into his vest pocket. He frowned at the hallway Sara had disappeared down. There was only one other person who could have written this note that wasn't Sou, but…

...Why did Sara write this?

There was a pound at his door. Keiji looked up from his seat and raised an eyebrow.

"It's me. Open up."

He smiled instinctively, standing up and opening the door. Sou pushed himself through and shut it behind him. He dug around in his pocket before brandishing a slip of paper.

"You didn't write this, right? What's going on?"

Keiji blinked, taking the paper. "I haven't written you anything."

Sou put a finger up, cocking his hip. "Alright, well, first of all, rude. I expected poems about my beauty when I entered this relationship." He put a second finger up and frowned. "Second… Who did write this? And how could they know about… us?"

Keiji ignored the flutter in his chest that erupted from hearing Sou refer to them as an 'us,' shaking his head and opening the paper.

Sou-

Meet me in Room of Rubble @ 9pm.

-Keiji

He frowned, pulling his note out and comparing the two. Identical. Sou snatched the notes from his hand, scanning them. He narrowed his eyes.

"Hm….These were definitely written by the same person." Keiji, with only some difficulty, is able to bring himself to focus on the situation and not how attractive the calculating look in Sou's eye is. "How'd you get yours? Mine was slipped under the door." Sou finished, looking to Keiji. The other man rubbed the back of his neck in thought.
"...I got mine from Sara at breakfast this morning."
Sou's eyes widened. "Seriously? These are from Miss Sara?" He looked over the two notes again, frowning. "Why?"

Keiji shrugged. "I said she was getting suspicious. Although, I don't think she suspects why were spending time together… just that we have been." He stated. Sou made a stressed noise, running his fingers along the edge of his jacket. The blonde man frowned and pulled the other into a hug. Sou stiffened at the show of affection before melting into the others embrace, circling his arms around Keiji and sighing into his neck. Keiji ran a hand softly through the other man’s hair.

"We don't have to tell her anything. I can just go alone and tell her that we're… talking stuff out, and she doesn't need to worry."
Sou shook his head, hair tickling the edge of the others jaw.

"No, I…" He hesitated. "...I don't know. I want to go with you, but I don't know if I want her to know about this yet." He murmured against the other’s skin. Keiji nodded, pressing his cheek against the top of the others head. Sou pulled back, not out of the embrace but far enough to speak normally, resting his hands on the other’s chest.

"We should go together to the meeting. I don't want to tell her right away, but…" He clenched his fingers in the others shirt and looked up, meeting Keiji's eyes. "...That doesn't mean we won't tell her. Just… Please let me decide." He asked, eyebrows furrowed. Keiji blinked down at him before smiling, moving a hand from the others shoulders to cup his face. Sou turned his head and pressed a kiss to his palm.

"Of course." Keiji answered, running his thumb along the others cheekbone, watching as the skin under it flushed red. Sou leaned up and kissed the corner of Keiji's mouth almost shyly, muttering a "thank you" against his lips. The other man caught his jaw and realigned their mouths, pressing them together in a firm kiss. They separated, and Keiji looked over the others head to read the clock.

"...We should probably go soon." He said, voice leaving an unspoken question. Sou, who had started fiddling with the top button of Keiji's vest absentmindedly, nodded. He looked to the side and then back up at the other man.

"Can… Uh, can we… stay here for a second?" he asked. His voice was firm, but a slight tremor to his hands gave away his anxiety. Keiji, in lieu of a verbal answer, pulled him closer and nuzzled against bright hair, a hand gently rubbing calming circles into the others back. Sou made a contented noise into his neck and relaxed, closing his eyes.
Keiji shut his eyes too, listening as their heartbeats started to sync, and wondered what the chances were of finding someone like Sou in such a hopeless situation were.

Maybe his luck was finally giving him a break.

The one good thing about the meeting being planned past lights out was that Sou had attached himself to Keiji's side and was not letting go, arms intertwined as he rested a hand on the others bicep, eyes flicking around with thinly veiled anxiety. Keiji momentarily considered asking why Sou was so distrusting of Sara, but decided against it, placing his hand over the one resting on his bicep and giving it a squeeze. Sou seemed to deflate with a sigh and squeezed back. They approached the Room of Rubble and Sou detached from him, hands instantly going into his pockets. Prepared, Keiji nodded at him and entered the room, standing in front of Sou protectively. The chair was facing the other way, but he could see a hint of strawberry-blonde hair peeking out from it.

"...Sara?"

The girl startled and straightened her back, turning the chair to face the entrance. Keiji observed how the bags under her eyes had only darkened as Sou peeked out from behind him before pushing him forward, all three of them now gathered in the room. Keiji crossed his arms.

"Did you ever sleep?"
Sara blinked slowly, taking far longer to process the sentence than she really should have. Sou snorted into his scarf, and Keiji sent him a flat glare. He raised his arms in mock surrender.

"Sorry. Extremely tired Miss Sara is kind of hilarious."
Keiji rolled his eyes as the other shrugged and he turned his attention back to Sara, who was staring blankly at the wall between him and Sou.

"Sara?"
No response. She just blinked again.

"Sara, can you hear me?"
Nothing.

"...Sara?"
Finally, her head snapped up and her eyes met his, blinking in surprise. She made what sounded like a sniffle, and Keiji rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sara, what's going on? Why'd you need me and Sou here?"

Sara pressed her fists to her eyes and inhaled deeply, some energy returning to her stance. She looked up at the two of them and answered.

"I heard you two. Last night."

Kejji froze, and he could see Sou do the same. The shorter man tugged his beanie down and looked to the side, furiously blushing and avoiding any eye contact with Sara. Keiji felt the blood drain from his face and he shifted his legs, swallowing.

"...What do you… mean?" He ventured, hoping he was wrong. Sou made a choked noise of offense and glared at Keiji, but his bright red cheeks made the glare much less intimidating and far more adorable, in Keiji's opinion. Sara frowned.

"I heard you two planning. What's going on?" She crossed her arms. "I can't tolerate any more secrets. We have to work together. If you two came up with some idea, I would have really hoped at least you-" She looked to Keiji, eyes hurt. He felt his stomach drop a little. "-would have come to me. So this is the time for you two to start talking. If you have some kind of plan for escape or for the main game, I want to know."

Keiji stared at her, mouth open. His mind raced, trying hard to connect the dots. After a moment they finally connected, and the misunderstanding that had brought them all here became mortifyingly clear.

"Holy shit." He muttered before he could stop himself, covering his mouth and looking to the side. He could feel the heat coming off of his face, and he knew any attempts to calm the blush would be futile. Sou just blinked at her, still processing. He shook his head wildly and grabbed Keiji's sleeve, pulling him down to whisper frantically into his ear. Sara's eyes caught on where his hand met the others shirt and stayed there, shocked.

"What the hell is she talking about?" He hissed.
"I think she overheard… last night's…" He gave Sou a meaningful look. "Sleeping arrangement conversation." Sou raised his eyebrows.
"So she thinks...?"
"Yeah."
"But. We weren't?"
"Nope."
"It was…"
"Mhm."
"She didn't…"
"No, don't think so."

Sou managed a nod before he burst into laughter. He let go of the others sleeve and pulled his scarf up, giggling into the fabric. Sara frowned.

"...What. What's so funny?" She demanded, looking between the two in confusion. Sou was laughing so hard he had started leaning on a pile of rubble, making little snorting sounds as he inhaled. Meanwhile, Keiji had his eyes glued to the other man, practically tunnel visioned to the sight of Sou flushed pink and beaming, scarf not able to hide the genuine humor in his expression. He shook his head and scratched the back of his neck, looking to Sara.

"Sara. It's… really not what you think." Keiji tried, looking pleadingly at the girl. She only gritted her teeth.
"Then what is it?" She growled out. Sou's laughter abruptly cut, and the two exchanged a glance. Keiji could read the uncertainty and anxiety still present, flitting across dark blue. Something about the look pissed Sara off even more, and she threw her hands up.

"What the hell is even happening with you two? Can I get a coherent answer from someone?" She said harshly, turning a glare onto Keiji. Keiji breathed in and forced his shoulders to relax, before he looked Sara in the eye and spoke.

"...I'm sorry, Sara, but it's not my place to say. What I can tell you is that we aren't planning anything, much less anything related to escape. But if we were, you'd be the first to know." He finished, trying to communicate his sincerity with his eyes alone. He could see the anger start to cool as she met his eyes, and she sighed uncomfortably.

"...No, I mean, its fine. I just felt so… stupid." Keiji opened his mouth to interject, but Sou grabbed his arm with a pointed look. Sara glanced between the two and continued.
"I felt stupid and useless and like you didn't trust me at all. Which is barely even fair of me to be mad about, we are in a death game, so not trusting the people around you is probably the most logical thing to do, but…" She shifted her feet. "... I thought we had some kind of bond. Like we were a team. And I wanted you to trust me like that." She took a deep breath, wiped at her eyes, and stood up, looking at Keiji. Sou glanced between the two and let go of Keiji's arm, moving back to give them some space.

"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. If you aren't ready to tell me what's going on, that's okay. I trust you. I hope that I can become someone who you can trust, too." Sara looked determinedly up at Keiji, jaw set. Keiji felt his mouth part, and he watched her with wide eyes. The sense of pride that had been building as she spoke overflowed, spreading a grin across his face.

"...You don't need to become someone I can trust. You already are that someone."

Sara blinked and swallowed, her eyes becoming distinctively wet. A shaky but genuine smile appeared on her face to match Keiji's, and Keiji held his arms out in invitation. Her face lit up and she rushed forward, hands bunched in Keiji's shoulder fabric while she cried against his vest. Keiji instinctively pressed a familial kiss to the crown of her head. He peeked his eyes open slightly to look at the other man in the room. Sou was watching, his face pinched together and arms crossed, foot tapping on the floor. It looked like he was deeply contemplating something.

After a long moment, Sara pulled back from the hug to smile up at Keiji. He looked down at her softly, eyes warm and proud. Suddenly, a groan sounded from behind her, and the two separated to turn their gazes on Sou. He had started to tug lightly at his teal locks with a deep frown, face dusted red. Keiji could see as Sara pursed her lips and looked back at him, hand on her hip. He could already hear the wheels in her brain start to turn.

"...What?" She asked, sounding more accusative than probably intended. Sou didn't respond, squinting at the two and looking conflicted. He fiddled with the edge of his scarf and looked down at the floor and back up, catching Sara's eye searchingly. His eyes flicked to Keiji's after, and Keiji focused on communicating as much comfort and affection as he possibly could to the other with a look. It seemed to work, as Sou's movements slowed and his face smoothed out, dropping the edge of the scarf in favor of gently tugging it down at his neck. He met Sara's gaze, and she stared back firmly.

Keiji could see the exact path Sara's brain took as her eyes widened and she looked between the two, confused. He sighed.

"...Sara-"
"You can tell her."

Keiji froze, eyes wide. He looked at Sou, who stared back with a firm expression. His heart pounded deeply. Sara looked between the two, frowning.

"...Tell me what?"
Keiji neglected to answer, instead searching Sou's eyes for any hint of doubt. He only found determination, and he swallowed.

"Are you sure?"
Sara made a huffing noise and crossed her arms. Sou shrugged and averted his eyes, embarrassed.
"I mean, she's already suspicious. And if it…" He scratched at his cheek, face flushed red. "...Makes you happy, then I'm fine with it."

Oh, fuck you. This was a test of Keiji's self control. It had to be, as he tightened his muscles and refused to move, positive that saying or doing anything would only lead to him kissing Sou breathless the way he really wanted to right now. He looked over at a perplexed Sara before beckoning Sou over. The shorter man rolled his eyes, but obliged. Keiji stared him down with an obvious question written across his face. The other shifted his feet before grabbing Keiji's sleeve and pulling him down to mutter into his ear.

"...I know it would make you really happy. And I just really want to see your smile more often." Sou said under his breath with an embarrassed tone, before letting go of the others sleeve and pushing him away by the chest, blushing. Keiji had to clench his fists to keep himself from doing anything rash, but the flush that had covered his cheeks probably gave away his current thoughts. Sara gasped.

Keiji turned to face her and watched as she worked her jaw uselessly, pointing at the two of them. He exchanged a look with Sou.

"Seriously?!" She sputtered out, eyes wide.
Keiji could feel an unintended smile spread across his face at her reaction. "Seriously." He responded.
Sara stared at him like she was rebooting. "...Seriously seriously?" She ventured.
Keiji chuckled as Sou crossed his arms. "Seriously seriously." They responded in unison. Sara blinked.

"...How?" She croaked out, hand dropping limply. Keiji paused thoughtfully. He looked Sou over at the same time he was glanced at, considering. How?

Because he's attractive?
Because he makes me happy.
Because… He makes me forget what it feels like to be terrified of myself.
Because, I…

"I'm irresistible." He settled on, shrugging. Sou snorted cutely into his scarf, and Keiji felt an uncontrollable grin spread across his face at the noise. They comfortably entered each others space, Sou leaning against Keiji's chest as the man wrapped an arm around his waist. He pressed his face gently into teal hair and squeezed the others hip. Sou took a hand out of his pocket to rest it over Keiji's. Sara blinked at the two, shocked.

"... This is really weird." She muttered, narrowing her eyes and tapping her chin with a finger in thought. Sou stiffened against Keiji, and his hand gripped the others tightly in his anxiety. Keiji pulled him closer protectively, watching Sara cautiously. Almost instantly, she softened.

"Kind of a bad situation to fall in love in, guys." She teased, grinning. "...But as long as you're both happy, then… Thank you for telling me." Sara beamed. Sou turned his head to huff a sigh of relief into Keiji's chest, grip on the other's hand becoming more comforting than fearful, and Keiji smiled at Sara gratefully.

Maybe everything would work out okay after all.

Keiji was woken up by a soft weight on top of him and a pressure on his lips. He cracked his eyes open to see Sou hovering over him, sat firmly on his lap. He chuckled and rubbed his eyes.

"...Hey."

"Hi. Did you have a nice nap? You were taking too long to wake up and I require attention." Keiji laughed and shifted so he was sitting up, wrapping his arms around Sou's waist. He placed a kiss on the other's cheek, to which Sou scrunched his nose up.

"Your breath stinks." He complained without bite.
"You weren't complaining when you, of your own volition, kissed me awake just now." Keiji murmured in answer, amused. Sou flushed red and rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. The blonde man moved a hand to cup the others face and squeezed his hip gently. Sou relaxed and leaned into the others touch, closing his eyes with a hum.

"What time is it?"
"Don't know. Don't really care."
"...We should go to dinner."
Sou whined. "No, I want to stay here longer." He opened his eyes and looked at Keiji from under his lashes. Keiji swallowed and shook his head.

"...You're cheating. Stop using your looks against me." He said sternly, though his thumb ran along Sou's cheekbone. The shorter man smiled impishly and leaned back, tilting his head.

"Aw, Keiji… I didn't know my 'looks' could be weaponized at all. I'll have to keep that in mind." He stated, before leaning forward again and pressing his lips against Keiji's, hands clutching at the others shoulders. Keiji sighed into the kiss, wrapping both arms back around the others hips and pulling him as close as possible. Sou relaxed against him, angling his head so their lips fit together better. They separated, and Keiji blinked at him with bright cheeks before chuckling.

"Your breath stinks.” He parroted, laughing as Sou’s mouth dropped indignantly. The teal haired man made a noise of offense and slapped Keiji's chest, fighting back a grin.

"You asshole! Scorned by my own boyfriend!" He declared dramatically. He paused in the middle of his words at the same time as Keiji froze, arms tightening around the other. Sou blinked, face bright red.

"...Oh."
"..."
"Guess… That's the first time I've said it out loud, huh?"
"..."
"...Keiji?" Sou frowned anxiously. "Uh- if you don't want me to call you that we c- Mpfh!"

He was cut off as Keiji pressed their lips together, a hand coming up to lace through teal hair lovingly. Sou's eyes widened before they shut completely and he melted into the kiss. A few moments later they separated, Keiji grinning brightly.

"No. I like that. I'm… kind of terrible at romance, but." He ran his fingers along the others jawline. "I want to be your boyfriend. Officially. Your terrible boyfriend."

Sou stared at him, before a grin spread over his face as well. He leaned in to kiss the other man again, smiling so wide their lips barely touched.

"I can't believe I'm dating a cop." He muttered against the other's mouth, making Keiji chuckle. He pressed another kiss against Sou's temple and relaxed into the headboard, the man in his lap following suit.

"...Dinner?" Sou questioned. Keiji looked down at him, considering. He smirked, eyes lidded.

"In a few."

He took the others jaw and pulled him into a deep kiss.

If the door was broken, he was not going to shoulder the blame.

In retrospect, they should have figured out by now that 'in a few' very rarely means 'in a few.' Sou tugged at Keiji's hair encouragingly as the other bit color along his neck, breathing heavily. Keiji moved his head up and captured the other in a kiss, Sou moaning lightly into it. He had just parted the others mouth when his door literally flew open, the two instantly separating.

Sou, face nearly white, turned slowly to spot Sara in the doorway, arms crossed and grinning smugly. He groaned and hid his bright red face in Keiji's collarbone, fingers clenching in the others undershirt as his vest had been pushed off his shoulders. Keiji nodded.

"...What's up?"

Sara laughed a little, shaking her head fondly. "You guys are gross. It's 7:30 and you're super late for dinner. I came to get you because I had the feeling that it was something like this-" she gestured at the scene "-keeping you."
Sou swore and climbed off of Keiji's lap, grabbing his jacket from the headboard as he vaulted himself off of the bed.

"Dammit. I told Kanna I'd help her with an attraction after she finished eating tonight." He hissed, sliding his arms through his jacket and looking around the room for his accessories. Keiji stood up and stretched, grabbing Sou's scarf and beanie from where they laid on the chair. He wrapped the scarf around the others neck, adjusting it to hide any marks, before pocketing the beanie. Sou looked at him, offended, and Keiji winked.

"You look cute with it off." He stated. Sou rolled his eyes with a blush, but he was smiling as he tugged the other down to press their lips together. He dashed out of the room with a quick 'see you later, Miss Sara!' Keiji stared as he left the room, rubbing the back of his neck. He noticed Sara looking at him softly, and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"
Sara shook her head gently. "It's nothing. You… look really happy." She smiled. Keiji grinned back at her and he slipped his vest back on, thinking of how he was sleeping full nights for the first time in years.

"...I am."

He ruffled Sara's hair as he left the room, laughing at her offended shriek. He watched from the corner of his eye as she blew hair out of her face, trying to fix mussed braids.

Smiling, Keiji slipped a hand into his pocket and ran a thumb along the soft wool inside.

... I can move forward.