#Hospital Flower Delivery To Nearby Areas | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

keilemlucent · 4 years ago

Text

lavender latte: v

(T (for now!))

hawks | takami keigo x reader

ao3

chapter 1 || chapter 2 || chapter 3 || chapter 4 || chapter 6 ||

word count: ~4k

coming to terms now, are we?

warnings: descriptions of medical settings, discussion of surgery and injury but nothing graphic, god fluff, nasty big fluff

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wow. halfway through y’all. thank you to each and every ONE of you who have given this story a chance. enjoy some fluff and get ready for next week 👀 once again, beta-ed by the wuv @keiqos !!

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Exhaustion had long since clawed a hole in your skull.

It was one of the many forms of malefactum that came from your fucking quirk, damn it to hell. The days following any sort of intense overstimulation episode of yours were always hellish. Constant fatigue, burning migraines, dry eyes, and confusion always waited for you by the time you rolled out whatever pushed you over the edge.

The villain attack was probably the worst episode you’d had, ever.

The entire trip to the hospital had been sort of a nightmare. There were so many people that needed treatment after the attack, so many of them worse off than yourself. You were lucky enough to get into a dark hospital room fairly quickly, allowing some of your symptoms to dull.

You were just coherent and aware enough to deal with everyone you needed to, paperwork and legalities of your visit sorted. You even managed to send a few texts to your parents and work groupchat to confirm that you were safe.

After a myriad of late-night tests and exams, it was confirmed that the next morning, you’d have a procedure to mend your leg.

...

Fixing the internal damage to your leg caused by the tearing of the glass was a fairly quick affair, according to your kind-smiled surgeon.

“I know it seemed abrupt, to do it so quickly,” The surgeon stuffed her hands in the pocket of her scrubs. “But, we’ve flown in extra medical personnel to help deal with injuries from the attack and well, you’re an easy fix.”

You smiled, the best you could, groggy with the anesthetic, “I’m glad it isn’t too bad.”

“Nope! Not at all,” She laughed, far too pleasant for all the chaos just outside your dimly lit hospital room. “We’ll keep you here tonight, and you should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. You’ll need to keep weight off of that leg for about three weeks. We’ll have a follow-up appointment then, and make sure you’re healing alright. Sound good?”

You nodded, some tension releasing from your chest.

The procedure left you with a heavy plastic boot, clasped up to your knee. Not to mention your body ached with fatigue.

Most of the rest of that day was spent spinning in and out of sleep, only waking for basic checks and a delivery of flowers you received from the teashop’s owners complete with a passive-aggressive reminder that ‘this had nothing to do with us, you can’t sue <3.’

Your constant company was Hawks’s scarlet feather. As you moved through the bends of your quirk and post-surgical recovery, you held onto it like a lifeline. With each stroke of the soft filaments, your heart rate monitor would beep slower and slower towards a relaxed rhythm.

It made you think of him, and how he felt with your quirk activated.

Despite how shitty the circumstances were, really feeling Keigo with your quirk was heavenly. Feeling him in general, physically was a fucking blessing. You spent a lot of time that night and first day at the hospital fantasizing about how the beat of his heart felt like amber drops on your tongue and orange-bound warmth in your chest.

You wanted more of it.

Keigo stayed around to help deal with the mess, for once in his career. It was weird for him to spend the following day after the attack helping out on the scene. It was even weirder for the other Pros around that were aware of his reputation of simply not doing that.

It was out of character for him.

But, then again, Keigo hadn’t ever spent as much time at someplace he enjoyed like the teashop. Hell, the whole street. He’d patrolled plenty of areas for long stretches of time, but he’d never grown attached.

You were, obviously, a big part of that.

Seeing you hurt left him frazzled and fucked, and staying behind to help pick up the mess and provide aid made him feel a hell of a lot better. Sure, it was different, having local Pros look to him for guidance when he had to purely rely on his training from the Commission as opposed to his professional experience. He did well, he knew, especially based on the way the scene calmed even when he simply flew around.

Keigo had the power to bring people ease, even if he struggled with it himself.

The idea made him think back to you, undoubtedly still in pain, but more than likely entirely fine. He ignored the urge to text you anxiously as he was still parsing over the very sweet interaction the two of you had, even if it was in such a bad circumstance.

Your sweetness at the end was his constant reminder that you would be okay.

The implication and Keigo’s knowledge post- ‘the miel incident,’ as he was calling it, was obvious, and god, he wanted to fucking drown in it. The thought of having you so close that he could hear your heartbeat and feel the drum of your voice against your chest made him weak.

He was so fucking weak for you.

It was distracting, as it always was. It seemed fairly unavoidable especially as anxiety chewed at him. The one thing that lulled him was the far off feeling of the feather he had tucked in your hand. It had to be close to you still, the beat of your heart sending him shudders if he focused on it hard enough.

It became too much, thinking of you.

As his feathers swept piles of rubble, he pulled out his phone, the sun beginning to sink in the evening sky.

You had spent most of your recovery time in and out of consciousness, enjoying the time to rest and sleep.

A short buzz from your phone forced you into a half-wakeful state. You reached to the table next to the hospital bed, grappling for your phone.

[birdboy]: hey r u alive,

[birdboy]: how r u feeling

[birdboy]: speak 2 me

You cracked a sleepy smile.

[you]: alive, tired, surgery-ied.

You took a quick snap of your booted, propped up foot.

[you]: getting discharged tomorrow babyyyy

[birdboy]: oh fuck what happened?

[birdboy]: u sure ur good

The feather against your collarbone twitched, filaments waving. You thought little of it.

[you]: i tore some shit in my leg

[you]: and yes, just tired as fuck and want to be home

[you]: hospitals SUCK

[birdboy]: true, true

[birdboy]: would u...

[birdboy]: like a visit perhaps?

[you]: u sure??

[you]: i know ur busy and i dont wanna use up ur freetime

There was a pause in Keigo’s nearly instant responses.

[birdboy]: dove.

Your breath stuttered in your chest. That was newer; you only remembered it vaguely from the . It felt far more intimate than just ‘angel,’ and it made you shiver as you read it.

[birdboy]: busy schedule??

[birdboy]: i’ll make the time angel

[birdboy]: i’d love to come visit u

You couldn’t help the smitten expression that burst across your face.

[you]: and i’d love to see you

You wished you could’ve continued the conversation, but your night nurse knocked to offer you pain medication and sedatives and you couldn’t say no to more rest. Your mind and body needed it.

As quickly as it was administered, you were out again.

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You were exhausted. Still.

When you heard voices just outside of your door, you couldn’t help cracking open your dry eyes. It seemed far too early for them to collect your vitals. The room was still dark, large windows only showing a trace of the dawn’s light stretching from the east.

Your sleep-addled mind stretched to listen:

“Thank you so much for the autograph! My son is such a huge fan of yours.”

“Oh, really! Tell him I say hi! I really adore my fans.”

Giggling.

“Is she a fan?”

“Sort of, more of a friend of mine.”

He... said it again.

A shaft of light sprayed into the room, your quirk firing at the sudden intrusion. You groan, pawing at your eye with your fist, the feather held between your fingers blocking some of the light.

Even with your diminished vision and tired mind, you still caught it when he laughed at your reaction, stepping into the room.

Honey, softness, cream and heat that made your chest thrum like embers.

“H-Hawks?” Your voice was still itchy with sleep.

“That’s me.” His laugh rolled over you as your quirk receded, palms thrumming with the silkenness of his voice, “It’s good to see you, dove.”

“S’nice to see you too,” Your chest thrummed with his words and you couldn’t restrain the smile that spread across your face, “‘Ya know, you woke me up, just now.”

Hawks gave you a little chuckle, moseying his way to a chair nearby the bed and window, “Sorry about that. I had to sneak in here before official visiting hours so I didn’t cause a ‘scene’.”

You snorted.

“You, causing a scene?” You asked, raising your eyebrows at him, “Hawks? Never. Not once.”

He stifled a laugh, dragging the thinly-padded chair closer to the bed and leaning back into it, “Glad to see you’re in good spirits, considering you’re still here and all.”

“From what I can tell, it could be a lot worse, especially compared to other people that were there,” The end of your sentence turned sullen, your expression darkening.

Hawks let out a little sigh, “It wasn’t pretty, that’s for sure. But, you’re safe, and most folks are safe. Bright side.”

“Bright side.” You repeated, softer, looking up from the plain sheets to meet his gaze.

You took him in, quickly.

He looked a bit worse for wear, the exhaustion from the days before still visible on his features. The dark circles under his eyes almost looked worse, perhaps uncovered and deeper since the attack. His wings weren’t even visible from your angle, plucked too short and sparse to be of much use.

But, Hawks was, undoubtedly, still stunning.

It was almost distracting, how unavoidable mentally eating him up was. You’d felt what he was like during the attack and that had apparently broken some mental dam for you. Holding back just how much you liked him seemed futile, at least mentally.

You would let yourself be honest, at least with yourself, as a treat.

What probably also pushed you over the edge was the fact that he wasn’t in his hero uniform, for once. You’d only ever seen him in his tan and black get up before. Seeing him casually dressed was shocking and very hot.

Hawks wore a simple black long sleeve with a long, wool jacket over it, black jeans, nothing seemingly extravagant except for the nicer looking chunky sneakers he wore and the fat gold watch on his wrist. It was all designer, knowing his paycheck. Without all of his normal regalia, you could better see that his pierced ears carried some light yellow stones that played off his eyes.

His feathery golden waves were messy, falling over his forehead and temples. The curves and angles of his jaw looked accented by the rising dawn light that was just beginning to filter into the room. There was the smallest quirk in his plump lips, but it hardly detracted from how stunning he was.

He was remarkably gorgeous, naturally, and you let yourself think about it freely.

Keigo felt a bit bad, seeing you in your state.

He tried to be subtle, looking you up and down, heart-thumping his chest as the feather in your hand-picked up your own pulse. It had sped up when he entered the room, even more so when you started to beam at him despite your state.

You looked like a bit of a mess, and with anyone else, Keigo might’ve indulged himself in being a little bit of sarcastic shit about it, but he didn’t with you. It didn’t seem right.

Your booted foot was propped up, a hospital gown askew over your collarbones under some thin blankets you were nested underneath. Your dark circles could’ve been worse, but your eyes were shining and alert, all directed on him it made him ache all over in the best way.

The feather twitched in your hand, your gaze darting to it. Heat spread across your cheeks.

“Oh, uh, shit,” You stretched your arm to pass the feather back to him. “Here’s this back. Sorry, I’ve kinda been holding on to it... a lot.”

“It’s alright, that’s why I gave it to you,” Hawks assured you, the feather whisking from your hand on its own and back to the downy stubs that Hawks had left. “Just a little reminder that good ol’ Number Two is looking out for you.”

You hardly needed a reminder. Thoughts of Hawks had been filling your head since it had stopped from swirling from your quirk. The thought of him leaving a bit of him with you only warmed your insides.

“How could I ever forget?” You leaned back into your pillows, releasing a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. “Thank you, Hawks.”

Hawks blinked at you, reaching down to rustle something down by his feet, “For?”

“You know, saving my ass.”

“That’s my job, angel.”

“Still. You thank me every time I make you your drinks, right?” You shrugged at his wide-eyed expression. “Same principle. Except, your life isn’t on the line when I make you lattes.”

“Oh, angel,” Hawks drawled and deflected. “That is a false statement. I rely on those. They’re my lifeblood.”

A little realization dawned on you.

You gave him a sad little smile, rubbing your own knuckles for some semblance of comfort, “It’s gonna be a while until I can provide anything life-giving, then.”

The teashop was destroyed and who knew how long I’d be until they reopened. Not to mention that your leg was post opt and you couldn’t exactly work on it.

Practicality aside, what saddened you most was that Hawks didn’t have much of a reason to see you without the shop.

As much as you had feared it at the beginning of your friendship, you had gotten comfortable with Hawks’s presence in the shop and in your life.

Too comfortable, and now it was biting you in the ass.

Thorns stabbed in your chest.

Keigo noticed your slow-falling expression and frowned, “What’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing, just, uh...” You shook your head, blinking up at him,

Your voice cut off as your gaze refused to settle on him, Keigo clearly seeing your discomfort.

“Without the teashop, you know...” Then, with that honesty that scared him, you finally met his eyes, gripping the sheets of your hospital bed, “I’m gonna miss seeing you.”

The principle made Keigo’s mind swirl.

You missing him.

His thoughts slipped back to ‘the miel incident’, and your mutual feelings that you very obviously didn’t fucking know about. If you did, he was sure you’d know that he would be missing you a lot without your normal interactions.

This certainly wasn’t the setting to tell you, you were still stuck with an IV and probably somewhat traumatized by the event, even if you seemed in good spirits.

But, he could help assuage your fears. Subtly. Let himself use his honed arts to comfort rather than connive.

“Dove, it’s alright,” He gave the softest smile he could, shreds of real vulnerability in it coaxed out by you without you even being aware of it. “Just because the teashop isn’t around right now doesn’t mean I don’t want to see you.”

The stunned expression on your face would’ve been cute if it didn’t make Keigo’s heart stutter painfully in his chest.

“You... You do?” Your voice was so soft, you surprised yourself.

Hawks was a busy, busy man. Why the fuck would he bother with you? There was no cute coffee shop aesthetic in your foreseeable future. Maybe some decent drinks, but you wouldn’t be very mobile. You had some supplies and gear to make teas and some drinks at your apartment, but nothing as expansive as was destroyed at the shop. If it was flirty banter keeping him near, there were certainly other people he could go to for some natural chemistry, right?

He doesn’t need you.

Why the fuck would he bother with you, outside of what you could offer him?

“Dove,” Hawks’s voice shook you from your thoughts. “I’m here right now, aren’t I?”

“Uh,” You stuttered, mind catching up to the very obvious conclusion that, yes, Hawks does like having you around. “I guess, yeah.”

He frowned, leaning back in his chair as one of his smaller feathers whisked to your forehead, patting it a few times, “(Y/N), I like spending time with you. I care about you.”

Oh.

That was a little more vulnerability and truth than either of you expected.

Your eyes darted up to meet his, seeing a hint of unbearable fear before it was wiped away.

You didn’t know it, but it was just you that pushed that fear off Keigo’s face.

He forced his shaking hands to be still, mouth drying after saying words that he wasn’t sure he was ready to say yet. God, they were true, but were they okay? For him, or you?

And then you gave him the gooiest, biggest smile you’d ever graced him with, “I care about you too, Hawks. Thank you.”

It made both of your guts turn to mush.

In a stunned moment of silence, both of your breaths stuck in each of your throats. Neither of you could tear your gazes away from each other.

You both tightened your grip on your respective fabrics, your heart rate monitor beeping faster as you swallowed.

Hawks opened his mouth, inhaling, but he was quickly interrupted by a knock on the door. A head poked in, the same nurse as before.

“Hey, sweetheart, we need to take your vitals quick,” She came in, waving to Hawks gleefully.

Hawks’s softened eyes were gone, you realized. Torn away from the moment and now speaking comfortably with the nurse as she checked what she needed to.

Your hands shook.

Keigo noticed it, too, his own trembling as well.

The idle chat between Hawks and the nurse fell on your ears, though you didn’t process any of it. You were far too busy mentally coming to terms with the fact that Hawks cared about you. And, based on his tone and that familiar (but usually hidden) adoration in his eyes, it was a bit deeper than you expected and knew how to swallow.

You took a slow breath as the nurse left, Hawks waving with a wide smile plastered on his face.

When the door shut once more, there was a lull of silence that settled over the room. More early morning sunlight was beginning to slant into the room, throwing gold over the otherwise drab and lifeless greys and whites of the room.

The intense mood had been thoroughly interrupted by the nurse, but perhaps it was a hidden blessing.

Both of you were terrified, but so deeply yearning. You both were a bit too raw.

Maybe it would be better to let the fear fade, just a bit more.

“Oh, shit, I nearly forgot,” Hawks reached down next to him, pulling out a bag you hadn’t realized he had brought him. He set it on the edge of the bed. “I got you something.”

“Hawks.” You groaned, shaking your head and running your hands down your face. “You need to stop being so nice.”

“Can’t do that, (Y/N). I’ll be as nice as I want,” You could see that his grin was shit-eating through the space between your fingers. “Besides, you haven’t even looked at it yet.”

You took the bag into your lap, noticing the ruffles of tissue paper that puffed from the top.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” You told him, albeit still pulling the paper from the top to reveal a small, wrapped, fluffy object.

Hawks hummed, leaning forward to set his elbows on his knees, “You’re right. I didn’t have to. But, I wanted to.”

As carefully as you could, somewhat suspicious, you peeled back to the paper.

Your eyes widened.

It was a plushie, round and soft with a filling that made it feel like a marshmallow in your arms. The design was familiar, a character from one of your favorite cartoons, but you’d never talked about it with Hawks.

“I figured you could use a little pick me up after all this,” Hawks tilted his head and winked. “Did I get the character right?”

Your mouth fell open, blinking, “How did you... know? That I liked this one?”

“The little pins on your apron,” Hawks tapped his chest. “I figured you must be pretty fond of this one, since you had a couple of buttons for them, right?”

You wanted to give you a coherent, thankful statement to Hawks. Really, you did. Instead, you stared down at the doughy, round-eyed plushie. Maybe a few overwhelmed tears gathered in your eyes, which you promptly sucked down and shook your head.

“Thank you, really,” You rubbed at your eyes with the back of your hand. “But, fuck, Hawks—”

For a moment, Keigo thought you were upset with him. Based on the slight contorting of your face, and the wetness in your eyes, his heart seized up. His fingers twitched from where they cupped his chin, wanting to shoot out and comfort you somehow.

However, Keigo stayed put as you turned back towards him, plushie carefully gathered in your arms and hugged snugly and perfectly to your chest.

“You gotta stop being so fucking nice,” You sighed, pressing your face into the soft fabric of the gift. Your words were muffled, but Keigo heard each one perfectly. “I’m gonna start getting ideas, you know.”

Sure, Keigo could’ve pushed some of your buttons and fluffed himself up for some fun, flirty banter that would be undoubtedly lovely, but it wasn’t the time. You’d had a very long and tiring few days, and Keigo could see and imagine that you were in all sorts of disrepair.

Keigo stood slowly, moving just next to your bed where you turned your head upwards to look at him. Carefully, he placed a worn hand on your shoulder, feeling the small bit of bare skin exposed by the thin gown.

“Don’t worry about that right now, dove, okay?” Keigo let his voice go soft, quiet, and gentle as he could make it. Without thinking, he squeezed your shoulder, rubbing his thumb just under your collarbone.

It was too much, maybe. But neither of you would complain.

Keigo could see and feel the way you relaxed, eyes going half-lidded and leaning into his touch, even putting the slightest amount of your weight into it.

It was probably the most precious and sweet gesture he’d ever experienced.

He made it his goal to make more like it.

(Anything to see you so instantly mushy.)

“I saw a coffee machine when I was coming in,” Hawks voice was a hum, hand on your shoulder not moving. You didn’t want it to. The heat pressing against your skin made you melt. “Want me to grab us some? I know I need it.”

You managed to giggle, craning your neck to fully look up at Hawks. You swore you could see the slightest quiver in his bottom lip.

“I’d love some.”

“You sure you can stomach shitty coffee?” The thumb rubbed over your collarbone, Keigo’s pretty eyes searching your face, portraying far more than your words. “That’s my territory, angel.”

“I guess I’ll stoop to your taste,” You gave him a smirk like sweet lightning and tentatively, carefully, reached your hand up to wrap around his own, squeezing. “I take my coffee black.”

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taglist: @thepandapopo @sinclairsamess

#lavender latte #salem writes #hawks x reader #hawks x y/n #hawks x you #takami keigo x reader #takami keigo x you #takami keigo x y/n #hawks fluff #hawks fanfiction #this is a transition chapter shhh y'all are getting spoiled the next few chapters #enjoy a lil preview of the sweetness :'^)#hawks mha #takami keigo

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iaintyourbro · 4 years ago

Note

What’s your take on Cloud’s depression during AC? People on twitter are suddenly talking about this, again. This matter was brought up by those antis saying that we Clotis should accept the fact that Tifa wasn’t the one who “healed” Cloud and that she was also being mean and not considerate whatsoever. The funny thing is that, they also accused us of denying his depression and not understanding it. TF. Let’s be real, Tifa played a major part, in fact she gave him morale thx to her “scolding” lol

Hey anon..

Yeah, Twitter has me depressed today. I think it started last night. I was enjoying it for a bit, but the last week or two have been so bad over there with bullshit that I’m about to just take a break from the entire fandom.

My Take on AC Cloud:

I watched AC when it first came out, and I barely remember it. I remember I didn’t like what they did. Why was Cloud so depressed and brooding? Oh Aerith is in this? Interesting. I felt like it was disjointed and removed a lot of the great progress Cloud made in OG. They kept this depressed, brooding guy in KH as well... It just didn’t seem right to me. I was young, too.

At this point we also didn’t have On the Way to a Smile, Crisis Core, or anything else, really.. None of the Ultimanias were in English at this point. I also was not interested enough in going online. It was a weird time when I was playing other things and was meh on FF7 for a while. I was always a FF8 fangirl, so was jealous of FF7 at times hahaha. It got so much more attention and love.

It took me a long time to watch it again. I remember my husband watching it before Remake came out and I felt mad or sad. It was like an emotion from memory, and I didn’t know why. I can’t describe it. I saw it on the TV and was like why is this on here...

After playing Remake, I bit the bullet and ordered AC Complete, which had things tweaked and added. I also am now in my 30′s and have a lot more life experience.

Antis like to say Cloud is depressed solely because Aerith is dead and he wants to be with her. This may be one of the reasons I didn’t like AC, because when I did happen to come across some FF7 thing online, I’d see this shit and be like whatever, that makes no sense.

I enjoyed ACC. My heart was actually pounding and I was nervous/intrigued by what was going on even though I knew the story. I haven’t read all of CoT yet, but I’ve seen the excerpts online, so I know the general gist of things.

Based strictly on ACC:

Cloud is really upset that Denzel is sick. He’s obsessively looking up medical stuff to figure out how to cure it - this is shown with everything all over his desk. He’s closed in on himself to do this. I did the same shit when my dad had cancer. I did it for three fucking years while he was alive - from the time he got diagnosed to the day he was dying. Every damn day I looked up articles, research, and theories. It’s not healthy. It’s depressing and I closed myself off from the world half the time and didn’t realize it. Thank God my husband is a patient saint.

Cloud does care a lot about Tifa. His reaction alone at seeing her knocked out in the church is heart wrenching. When they’re brought back to Seventh Heaven, Cloud pops right up when he sees Tifa there. He then stays with her until she wakes up. This is a pretty good amount of time. The sun is up when he’s looking over her, and when she wakes up, it’s dark outside. He could have slipped out again without her noticing if he really wanted to. I’m sure he may have contemplated it.

She calls his ass out on how he’s acting. She knows he’s sick at this point. This was huge for Tifa who’s not confrontational. He clearly doesn’t want to completely disconnect, or he would have gotten rid of his cell phone voluntarily. He doesn’t. They actually show him checking his messages.

Ultimately Cloud leaves because he ends up with Geostigma. That’s the last straw. He can’t face the fact that he’s going to die and what it’ll do to his family, so he leaves. Listen, I think the only reason my dad didn’t try to leave when he was diagnosed was because he had nowhere to go and by time he started verbalizing wanting to leave, he was physically unable to. Yes, I remember him being angry because he was hospitalized again and he told my mom he was going to get an apartment by himself so she didn’t know when he was getting bad. It’s very hurtful to even think it, and even worse when you know they don’t actually mean it... They do it because they don’t want to see their family hurt.

The setup he has at the church as his “living” area is super depressing. It looks like something a homeless person sets up. He legit was going to wait to die. He had a lot of knowledge about this, so he figured there was nothing he could do.

Marlene calls Cloud out on his bullshit too. Cloud admits to her he doesn’t think he can take care of anybody. Marlene Barrret quotes him and it’s cute. I think Cloud appreciated it and I think it made him think.

In ACC, Cloud has a short conversation with Aerith. Aerith seems almost annoyed with him like “wtf is your deal, dude” kind of attitude. Zack shows up when he’s bloody and half dead fighting Sephiroth to encourage him. There are scenes with him talking at Zack’s grave and saying he couldn’t keep his promise to him. He flat out tells Aerith he wants to be forgiven. He doesn’t say I miss you, I want to be with you, none of that happens. In fact, it’s mainly her telling him HE needs to start doing some forgiving - ultimately to himself.

When Cloud is in limbo - between living and dying - Cloud says “Mom.” Very romantic, I know. Then Zack and Aerith have a conversation very similar to a couple that’s going to adopt a child and they tell Cloud he’s too big for them. This is the “I see the light” and the person on the other side is like “nah bro go back, not your time yet.”

He wakes up, Tifa and crew is there, he smiles at Tifa... and it’s a happy ending. He sees both Zack AND Aerith at the end, and they walk off in to the light together all cute and shit.

Adding in Things from the Novels/Interviews/Thoughts:

The devs have said Cloud was happy with his family and that scared him. The happier he got, the more scared he got. We know he cherishes everything. He especially cherishes the family he has.

Cloud’s depression spiral started from the high anxiety of having a happy life and Elmyra asking him to deliver flowers to Aerith’s grave. Now, I have my feelings about this, but when I look at it logically, I don’t think Elmyra ultimately does this out of spite. I actually don’t think Elmyra thinks Cloud and Aerith were a thing - so it wasn’t that either. I think she knew Cloud was friends with her and maybe he’d want to deliver some flowers - to give him some business.

This flower delivery reminds Cloud of what he thinks is his failure to protect somebody else. At this point he has his memories of what happened to Nibelheim, his mother, Tifa, and Zack. The Sector 7 plate drop and Aerith are the most recent “failures”. So this brings up Aerith.

Then Denzel comes along and he’s an orphan because his parents were... yeah... killed during the Sector 7 plate collapse. Double ouch. But Cloud and Tifa are going to take care of him.

Tifa herself has a lot of guilt because of the same reasons, she just deals with it very differently. Tifa tells Cloud to bring Denzel right home. She can make amends by adopting him in to her family and caring for him. Cloud thinks Aerith brought Denzel to him (Tifa corrects him). This is a Cloud thing, it’s not romantic. Cloud doesn’t know the guilt Tifa feels. He legit thinks all of this is his fault. Tifa’s guilt stems from the fact that Shinra drops the plate because Avalanche was in Sector 7 - she was in Avalanche. She feels guilty about Aerith because she thinks its her fault Aerith followed them to Don Corneo’s mansion. The thing is, Aerith doesn’t blame EITHER of them - I just wish they’d cover a Tifa/Aerith conversation about this as well...

Cloud and Tifa do have fights in the novels from what I understand, but it’s because he’s acting weird. He feels bad hiding the fact that he’s been going to the church a lot, and I think that does turn in to a whole LTD debate. So you can take this as Tifa is jealous that he’s going to the church all the time or she’s upset that he is hiding from her.

In the novels, Tifa has a breakdown when they go see the church after they defeat Sephiroth. This is where you get to see how badly Aerith’s death impacted her. So my thought is... Cloud thinks bringing her to the church hurts her because of her feelings, not because she’s jealous. I think Cloud is oblivious to the jealousy thing, honestly. Don’t think it’s a thought in his mind.

I honestly don’t know the real reason why he goes to the church to hide. I think this is another point of fight with both sides. My personal take is there was nowhere else he could go and be alone. Most of the stuff had been destroyed. It was still close by, so he could still do his work and keep an eye on things/be nearby.

There is a quote that is taken to be literal, but I think it’s just a way to say it wouldn’t have mattered who Cloud was “with.” Yes, Tifa and Cloud have issues, and I believe the quote goes “Perhaps it would have gone better with Aerith, but I think her responsibility is too great. Maybe the children will help them with their issues.” This isn’t exact, but it’s the jist of what they said. The children do help them - that’s the point of the scenes with Marlene, to slap him silly with reality.

“Oh but he sees Aerith when the building is falling.” Yes, you know why? Because he thinks that’s going to happen to Tifa. This is a “NO I’M NOT LETTING THIS HAPPEN.” moment. On top of it, I don’t think anybody would be right again if they saw this happen. If my neighbor was impaled by a large sword in their back, I’d be messed up from it. I don’t really know my neighbors. He’s not replaying this death scene in his head cuz he misses Aerith, he’s playing it in his head because it’s traumatic and he doesn't want to see this happen to Tifa. Especially Tifa.

It’s been put in Ultimanias time and time again that Cloud’s feelings are for Tifa. I went through my Ultimania - which only covers OG - and it doesn’t say anything about Cloud’s side of the CA argument. It does say how he feels about Tifa in the Lifestream, though.

The “He wants to die for her, see, that’s why he’s going to the church and waiting.” No, he doesn’t want to die or else he wouldn’t be so depressed. Just thinking this is fucked up on so many levels. If he really wanted to die and be with her, he’d be happy he got an incurable illness, I’d think... Cloud leaves Tifa and them because he doesn’t want to hurt him with him dying and not being able to stop it.

The other thing that would be... weird... Zack is in the Lifestream with Aerith. They walk off together for a reason. I don’t think she’s going to just drop Zack for Cloud since the whole reason she was initially interested in Cloud was because of the similarities to Zack. He had the same sword, the same clothes, and in OG had some of the same mannerisms. I noticed the dropped the squatting in Remake - the random squatting.

The ending of ACC implies that now that Geostigma is cured and Sephiroth is (hopefully) gone for good, Cloud can be happy. I’m not saying that his smile fixes everything. I’m sure that him and Tifa had to work on things, but you can see in DoC that things seem to be much better - he’s more upbeat and happy. He’s more dorky, like he should be.

Sorry this is long. I have a lot of feelings about all this stuff today. I’ve been seeing the fights over on Twitter about it and.. yeah. Cloud is depressed because of the fact he’s dying, his kid is dying, and he can’t seem to do anything right in his mind.

Thanks for the ask.

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jackmansfson · 3 years ago

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Jackman's Flower Shop

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historymortician97 · 5 years ago

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Green House Bistro (Legitimate Review)

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Green residence bistro review

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writing-royza · 6 years ago

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Tainted Blood, Tainted Soul: Chapter Sixteen - Apaavan

A/N: Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm sorry for the delay; this is getting into a busy timeof year for me. This weekend, I helped my husband host a public trivia night on Saturday and then Sunday we played D&D with friends and it ran late. Since then, I’ve just been trying to get enough sleep and unwind where I can. So please enjoy this chapter, even if it is a little late!

I do not own FMA.

Chapter Sixteen - Apaavan

EAST CITY MILITARY HOSPITAL

1743 HOURS, APRIL 21

As soon as the man entered the main lobby of the hospital, once he was out of the infernal sun, he felt the irritating weakness in his limbs fade. It wasn't entirely gone, not while the sun remained above the horizon, but as long as he wasn't directly within its beams, he would manage.

He was careful to carry his bouquet of flowers upright, so that the canvas bag folded in amongst the stems wouldn't fall and draw unnecessary attention. Just a man visiting an ill friend, he thought to himself. Or perhaps my wife just gave birth to our child. That would certainly garner more sympathy, if any staff become too nosy….

Pausing in front of the directory board mounted across from the entry, he let his eyes skim over unnecessary departments such as Obstetrics, Podiatry, Emergency…. Ah, there.

'Phlebotomy Clinic.'

Perhaps the Emergency department would make a good exit once he was finished; it appeared to be located the closest to the hospital's blood donor facility. And why not? If the blood was to be used on incoming patients anyway, why should it travel farther than it needed to?

Starting off down the corridor, he kept his pace measured and his expression neutral. He passed mostly nurses and orderlies who were too absorbed in their duties to pay much attention, visitors or patients looking for specific rooms, the occasional doctor in the white coats that identified their positions, and once, a cheery, pink-pinstriped candy striper with her small cart.

Unfortunately, of all those he passed, he made eye contact with her.

The girl couldn't have been older than 17, and she was nearly impossible to ignore. Between her curly blonde hair, wide blue eyes, and dazzling broad smile, she drew attention like iron filings to a magnet. The man began to feel the weakness returning, brought on by nothing but an overly sunny disposition.

"Good evening, sir!" she chirped, her tone oozing friendliness and the pep of three dozen pep rallies. "Can I interest you in anything for the person you're visiting? Nothing gets somebody back on their feet like a good pick-me-up!" She giggled at her own joke.

"That would be rather difficult," the man said, making his voice as bland and bleak as possible. "My friend was in a rather unfortunate accident and appears to be in a coma."

The smile dropped off the girl's face so quickly that it was nearly comical. "Oh my gosh… that's terrible!" Those blue eyes swam with emotion and what appeared to be the very beginnings of tears. "I hope they come out of it soon. In fact, I'm sure they will — East City has some of the best doctors!"

"Yes, I'm aware." Stepping past her, he continued down the hall, reimagining the moment the annoyingly bright smile had vanished. "Please, excuse me."

"Sir, one moment!"

Annoyance washed over him like high tide, and he took a deep breath before turning to face her. It wouldn't do to snap and draw the stares of onlookers; even the excuse of an ailing friend could only support so much blame. When he turned, the girl was so close, it felt that she was practically nose to nose with him. Taking one of his hands in both of hers, she pressed something into it with that same cheerful smile.

"Here, sir. Perhaps your friend might not need anything, but here's something to keep you going in the meantime. Got to keep your strength up!" Turning, she bounced back to her cart and set off along the hall with a wave. "Take care, now!"

Looking down at the cookie in his hand, the man grimaced at the icing smile drawn across the oatmeal chocolate chip surface. With his teeth gritted, he glanced about to make sure he was unobserved before shoving the thing into the nearest waste bin and stalking off down the hall.

He followed the relevant signs to the phlebotomy clinic, using the time to regain his composure. When he finally reached it, he stood, ostensibly examining another directory board, but watching from the corner of his eye through the open clinic door. Two donors sat in the tiny waiting area, a petite female orderly behind the check-in desk. This woman got up as a male nurse escorted a third donor into the waiting area, and presented him with a cookie and a small paper cup of juice. The nurse disappeared back into the depths of the clinic after an exchange of a few words, taking one of the waiting donors with him.

The man pasted a friendly smile on his face — dim, compared to the candy striper — and headed inside.

"Hello there," he greeted the orderly as she returned to the desk. "I have a flower delivery here for the clinic manager."

"For Mr. Lanceton?" The girl looked puzzled. "I didn't know he liked flowers…. I'm sorry, he's already left for the day. If you like, you can leave them here and he can pick them up first thing in the morning."

The man's smile turned knowing. "It's kind of the idea that he left before I got here. The customer asked specifically that we deliver them after he left at five, so that they would be on his desk first thing tomorrow morning. A nice sort of surprise to start the day, you know?" Leaning over the counter, he gave the girl a wink. "Are you sure you can't let me in there? Just for a minute?"

The girl blushed prettily, looking away. "Well… okay. He usually leaves his office door unlocked, just in case any of us need files or anything after he leaves." She pointed back over her shoulder. "Go ahead – third door on the left. Just be quick, okay?"

"As quick as I can, so that I can get back here and see that cute smile again," he promised, before passing the desk and heading off down the hall.

The right side was apparently devoted entirely to exam rooms, with the left side being reserved for offices… and the cold storage lab. Bypassing the manager's office, the man glanced briefly over his shoulder before hurrying to the lab and slipping inside.

A cool draft pervaded the room, spiralling off the glass-fronted coolers that lined one wall. With it being after five, the lab techs had all gone home for the day, leaving the room empty and dimly lit.

Taking the folded bag from inside the flower bouquet, he dropped the bundle on the floor and kicked it aside, scattering petals and leaves. It had served its purpose. He shook the bag out, his tongue running over gleaming white teeth as he approached the coolers and the life-filled glass bottles stored within. They were lined up in neat rows, their labels showing that they were grouped by type and date.

The man reached in, taking three bottles at random. A, B, O, AB… none of that mattered to him; he was swallowing the stuff, not taking it intravenously. Arranging the bottles in the bag, he selected two more, nestling them alongside the others. His long fingers were just brushing against the sixth and seventh selections when the silence of the lab was shattered.

"What are you doing?!"

When he looked back, the male nurse from earlier was standing in the doorway, a bottle of fresh blood in his hand. One hand rested on the doorknob, his mouth slightly open and eyes wide in surprise.

The man smiled, letting his pointed canine teeth show. "Inventory inspection. For… quality control."

He gripped the open bag in his fist, keeping any of the stolen bottles from spilling out, and launched himself across the room at the nurse. The other saw him coming and took a surprised half-step back before the intruder landed against his chest and forced him to the floor.

Leaning back, the man raised his free hand and brought a newly-formed fist crashing against the nurse's temple. The unfortunate man had time for a single violent twitch, before sharp teeth were buried in his throat. He gasped once, dazed eyes open wide, the sound turning into a wet gurgle as the piercing teeth ripped.

The man didn't wait to see the life drain out of his victim; a shame, really. He enjoyed that part. Taking the bag, he glanced down once at his suit: the chest and entire left arm were covered in a spray of bright red arterial blood, more still coming from the choking, dying man on the floor. There was no way to explain this, no way to calmly walk out of the hospital like nothing was wrong….

Hugging the bag of blood-filled bottles to his chest, the man broke into a run.

The exclamations, when he dashed through the reception area, were more surprised than horrified. Out the door, he turned right, toward the emergency room, hearing the shouts and surprise behind him turn horrified as they realized just what the red stuff on him was.

Patients, visitors, and staff alike pressed themselves out of his way as he hurtled through the halls, often crying out as he passed as they spotted the blood. One or two of them screamed, and an elderly man who had the misfortune to get a clear look at him stopped in his tracks before passing out in shock.

The man burst through the doors into the busy emergency room, skidding to a halt mere feet from the nearest set of chairs. The breath heaved in his chest, his head swivelling this way and that as he tried to locate the exit. A shocked hush fell over the scene, the only sound his own ragged breathing as he breathed in the scents of fear, antiseptic, sickness, and blood.

Two uniformed security guards stepped slowly from an adjacent hallway, their hands resting on the guns holstered at their hips. They paused, eyes taking in the blood on the man's suit and the wild look in the eyes that swung their way.

The man grinned, revealing blood-streaked, pointed white teeth. A woman nearby gasped and clutched her coughing child closer, shrinking away from the man as she did.

"All right, sir," the first guard said cautiously, one hand held out in a calming gesture. "Take it easy. You don't want to make things any worse for yourself than they already are."

"I'm relatively sure that's impossible," the man shot back, still grinning. It wasn't his usual assured, confident smile; his held more than a hint of manicness, betrayed how his brain was tilting toward imbalance… how the bloodlust had its hold and was keeping a firm grip. "At least… things can't get worse for me. You…. You might not be so lucky."

The guard frowned, puzzled. "And just what is that supposed to —"

His words disappeared in screams, both his own and those of the people around him as the man lunged forward. A hand fisted itself around the uniform's tie, dragging the unfortunate man close to where his attacker's teeth could sink into his throat. The man jerked his head back, twisting as he did so for maximum power, feeling the lacerations spread into shreds.

He shoved the dying guard back into his partner, then turned and bolted toward the wide doors across the room. He dodged walkers and canes, leapt empty seats, and pushed bodies from his path regardless of age or health. At one point, a man in dirt- and oil-smudged overalls stood up, a bloody rag wrapped around an injured hand, and attempted to catch the fleeing man in a bear hug. Had he been a fraction of a second faster, he would have succeeded, but the man ducked his would-be captor's arm and shot through the doors into the gathering dusk.

The sun hadn't been down long, probably only having slipped below the horizon a few minutes before. His limbs lacked their full strength to sustain his top running speed, and transferring to a less corporeal form wouldn't be possible until it was a good deal darker.

Slowing to an easy lope, the man headed off along back alleys and little-used streets, his arms wrapped tightly around the bottles of hunger-sating blood.

RECONSTRUCTION OUTPOST OFFICE, JADAD, ISHVAL

0723 HOURS, APRIL 22

He was waiting outside their office when they arrived to begin the work day. Roy stood with his back to the wall beside the front door, his arms folded and his expression entirely composed. Dark eyes watched the two men approaching from across the plaza, not missing the way they exchanged a glance before reaching him.

"You're up early, Colonel," Miles commented, once he and Scar were within earshot. "Did you sleep well?"

"Bold of you to assume I slept at all," was the acerbic answer. Roy shifted to stand straight, but otherwise held his ground. "Given that I was forcibly separated from my Lieutenant thirty seconds after she was screaming her head off for some reason I still don't know, and no one will tell me anything." Hard, dark eyes went from one man to the other and back again. "Nothing about what was wrong, nothing about where she was taken or who she was taken by, and nothing about when she might be back or when I can see her."

Grim-faced as ever, Scar stepped past him, unlocking the door and allowing it to swing open. "Come inside," he said tersely, entering and not bothering to see if he was followed. "You won't want to discuss this out in the open."

Roy couldn't help but glance around as he stepped inside what had once been a single-family house. The door opened into what had likely been a general family/living room, with an archway off to the right leading to what he could only assume was some sort of dining room. A doorway there permitted the barest glimpse of a kitchen area that Scar disappeared into. Stairs in the main room led to a second floor, and — one would assume — what had once been bedrooms.

And every direction he turned, every surface was covered in scrolls, maps, books, blank paper, and writing tools.

"Welcome to our newest outpost of the Reconstruction Office," Miles commented offhandedly. "Perhaps not as tidy as a military office, but it's a functional sort of chaos."

Roy didn't answer, watching as the Major closed the door and moved to kneel behind a low writing desk off to one side. "What's going on that you didn't want to discuss it outside?" he finally asked, moving to where he could see both Miles and Scar, the latter moving about inside the kitchen area to the clinking of earthenware cups.

The warrior priest spoke without looking over. "How long has your Lieutenant been apaavan?" he asked quietly.

"…Has she been…?"

"Apaavan," Miles repeated, already sorting through the books on his desk, apparently in search of one in particular. "It's our word for 'unclean' or 'unholy.'"

For a long moment, all Roy could do was stare at the other man. He was barely aware of Scar re-entering the room, automatically accepting the steaming cup of tea the warrior passed to him. Finally, when he found his voice, all he could think to say was, "…Why would you think she's that?"

"Her reaction to the blessed sand speaks for itself," Scar answered. He settled behind a second writing desk Roy hadn't noticed; the surface was piled so high with maps and scrolls that it was hard to recognize the furniture underneath. "You'll notice that you didn't react when it touched you, but —"

Roy gritted his teeth, cutting across the other man. "Let me get this straight. Lieutenant Hawkeye reacted so strangely because the sand was holy and she was… not?" His felt his fingers tighten on the cup and forced his grip to loosen before he shattered the thing. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"A very good question," Miles commented. Apparently finding the book he wanted, he looked up. "Please, sit, Colonel. Standing can't be that comfortable." He pointed to a cushion in front of his desk, and Roy sank reluctantly onto it. "To answer your good question, it's rather simple. Something the Lieutenant has done has, to oversimplify things, corrupted her soul. That which ties us to God."

Roy's mind flashed him the briefest of images: the way she'd thrown her head back in the back of the truck, literally screaming in pure, unadulterated pleasure —

"What sort of thing could she have done?" he said, forcing his mind back to the task at hand. Taking a cautious, thoughtful sip of tea, he added, "It can't be anything to do with our roles in the civil war, or else I'd be… apaavan?" He glanced at Scar, who nodded confirmation. "— as well. I would have reacted just as badly as she did."

"There can be several reasons a person is considered unclean," Miles assured him. "Things like… well, as Major General Armstrong said once or twice, if there were 'bears in the forest,' so to speak."

Roy lifted one eyebrow, waiting for the other to explain, before Scar quietly cleared his throat. "A woman being on her cycle is considered physically unclean," he clarified. Something in his usually unreadable mask of a face took an uncomfortable edge. "A reaction like the Lieutenant's points to unholiness of the soul, not the body."

"And that returns to the question of how she got that way." Taking another sip of the tea, Roy allowed himself to relax a little in posture; staying angry and uptight wouldn't help Riza any faster. "What causes corruption to a soul?"

Scar's shrug was about as expressive as the man ever got. "In our modern times, it's relegated mostly to what you would 'cardinal sins.' Things like murder, rape, adultery… things on that level. In times past, I would also include pacts with otherworldly beings, selling her soul to a demon, or unnatural creation at the hands of someone like the Homonculi's Father… but those would seem to be a bit farfetched."

Miles had the book open in front of him on the desk, skimming through it carefully. He paused on one page in particular, then looked up. "Possession," he suggested.

Roy went cold all over, seeing again the Central/East City serial killer forcing his blood down Riza’s throat.

Deep frown lines etched Scar's forehead as he thought. "I would consider it more likely than the other supernatural options," he said at last, "but still quite a reach."

"More likely how?" Roy took a sip of his tea to counteract the sudden dryness of his mouth.

The large man shrugged expressively. "There were millions of souls flying loose during the Promised Day," he answered. "If one lost its spiritual connection to its body, it stands to reason it might try and attach itself to another host. And if that host happened to be your Lieutenant, it would create a kind of corruption."

At least he doesn't suspect what I do…. Sitting straight, Roy glanced between the two men, putting his years of command into full play. "Regardless of whatever is causing the problem, I want to see her," he said firmly. "I won't stay separated from a member of my team when they need help."

"No one is saying you should, Colonel," Miles soothed. He gestured toward the stairs before looking back to his book. "We'll continue trying to find an explanation. Your Lieutenant spent the night upstairs, under observation."

It took most of what Roy had not to scramble for the stairs at top speed. He instead forced himself to calmly set down his cup and rise smoothly to his feet. His steps were purposeful but unhurried as he ascended to the second floor, finding Scar's master sitting cross-legged on the floor outside a closed wooden door.

The older man smiled in a fatherlike way, getting to his feet and offering a small bow. "Good morning, Colonel," he said, quietly. "I told her you would be here before too long. I'm pleased to see I was right."

"Thank you for looking after her," he answered, just as quietly. "Is she awake?"

"I believe so, though she's been silent for some time." His expression turned solemn. "As to what happened yesterday at the temple…. Once the two of you have had a chance to catch up, I'd like to go over some of the options for your Lieutenant. On how to help her."

Roy inclined his head in an abbreviated bow. "Thank you. I'll let you know when she's ready. Now, if you don't mind?" He gestured to the door.

When it was opened for him, it was onto a severe interior. The walls and floor were bare, as was the lone window that looked out over the expanse of sandy dirt that was the small building's 'backyard.' The only light came from the window, and Roy stepped inside into shadows that only deepened as the door closed behind him.

"I didn't think you'd keep me waiting long."

His head turned as the voice came from a dark corner, his eyes taking a moment to fully see her as they adjusted to the gloom. Riza was just getting to her feet, one hand on the wall for balance, though she winced and pulled it away after a moment. She still wore the simple desert dress and sash, but the headscarf was gone, allowing her bangs to fall freely into her eyes.

"Hey, there you –"

He broke off, staring as exactly what he was seeing sank in. His feet had only taken a pair of steps in her direction before he froze in his tracks, mouth falling open. A long, loud silence fell before his voicebox remembered its function, although the only words his brain could muster were "…Holy shit."

Riza smiled wryly, though there wasn't much strength behind it. "That seems to be the sentiment of most people who have seen me," she replied, far more calmly than Roy would have thought. She held up her hands, palms out. "Though it's mostly in response to this."

On each palm where her hands had touched as they were cupped to receive the blessed sand was an angry red half-circle. Spreading out from that, as though each vein and capillary were traced in ink, was a network of fine, red lines. It looked like the web of some crazed spider, with the arachnid itself sitting large and menacing in the centre.

Carefully, he took her hands in his, bringing them closer for a better look. Her skin was cool, almost cold to the touch, and pale enough that the red stood out starkly even in the dim light. "Riza… are these burns?"

"Why do you think I screamed?" She tried to gently tug free of his grasp, but he didn't allow her to slip away. "It's all right; our… hosts gave me some salve to take the heat out of them. They're mostly just tender."

"Yeah. Our hosts." He glanced around the room, seeing the sleeping pallet in one corner, the small mirror on the wall, but no other furniture. "Are they treating you all right? Did they let you sleep?"

She was smiling, the expression fond, and tolerant of his worrying. "I've been left to my own devices since ten o'clock last night," she informed him. "The guard outside is for my own protection from any citizen that may have heard what happened, and to assist me if necessary." She shrugged. "He and I talked for a few hours. He's very nice."

His irritation was rising at her apparent disregard for her situation, and Roy had to grit his teeth to stop himself from saying anything too harsh. "Riza, do you know what happened after the blessing went south? Miles and Scar's Master pulled a disappearing act with you, while Scar himself pretty much pinned me to the floor so that I couldn't go after them."

Unable to hold himself back completely, he wrapped her in a fierce hug, burying his nose in the fall of her hair. "I've spent the last twenty hours replaying it all in my head, trying to figure out what happened, hoping you were all right, wondering where you were…. They wouldn't tell me anything, other than that you were in a safe place, that they were looking into it, that the best thing I could do was to keep a low profile and talk to them this morning." He hugged her tighter as her hands rested gently on his back. "Do you have any idea how hard that is?"

"I know. I'm sorry you were so worried." She pulled away just enough so that her hands cupped his face, lifting his head to where she could look him in the eye. "I'm all right. You're all right. Things are going to work out for the better."

But his dark eyes were tracking over her face, scrutinizing, trying to see that comforting shade of brown, but the colour hidden by the shadows. "Are you sure everything's okay with you?" Standing straight, he held her at arms' length for a better look. "You're white as a sheet, your hands are like ice…." His gaze went to the spots of bright colour in her cheeks, and he frowned. One hand lifted to press the back against her forehead, brushing her bangs aside. "You didn't have any problems stemming from those burns? No shock or anything?"

She shook her head, ducking away from his hand. "No, Roy, and I'm not feverish either."

"Okay, okay. I was just checking." The same hand touched her cheek, the gesture intimate rather than analytical, before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I have to make sure my Lieutenant is in top form. She knows I'd go under without her."

From the moment he walked in, she was biding her time. It hadn't taken Riza long to discover that even the faint light of morning was enough to kick off the feeling of weakness in her limbs if she stood in it directly. It was the sensation if a body preparing to fall unconscious, though the associated blackness never came.

So, Riza stayed in that shadows, out of the direct fall of sun. She was there when he found her, something inside her chest giving a happy leap at the sight of him. Even with his face in shadow, she could pick out the mixture of worry and relief when those dark eyes landed on her, could see the way the frown lines in his forehead deepened when it was obvious her hands were injured.

She almost pulled him close at the first touch, but forced herself to hold back. She couldn't appear too eager to see him, or risk alerting the Ishvalan outside her door to their illicit little affair. There was the chance that it would be interpreted as relief after being forcibly separated from him under strange circumstances, but until she had a better handle on the culture, it was better not to risk it.

Her eyes stayed on the marks on her hands as he examined them. "Riza, are these burns?"

"Why do you think I screamed?" She watched the neckline of his tunic pull away from his throat as he looked up, his pulse visible as the tiniest flutter of a vein beneath the skin. An overwhelming feeling of desire rose like thick fog in mind, and she tried to tug away from him before she could act upon it… but his hands held fast to hers. "It's all right; our… hosts gave me some salve to take the heat out of them. They're mostly just tender."

"Yeah. Our hosts." Riza's eyes started drifting back toward the side if his neck as his head turned, looking around the small room. "Are they treating you all right? Did they let you sleep?"

She could faintly hear his heartbeat, now that she was consciously listening for it; the sound drew a smile to her lips. "I've been left to my own devices since ten o'clock last night," she answered almost automatically. Her attention was taken up with the steady th-thump th-thump th-thump coming from his chest. "The guard outside is for my own protection from any citizen that may have heard what happened, and to assist me if necessary." She shrugged. "He and I talked for a few hours. He's very nice."

The sound of his teeth clenching carried over the sound of his pulse. When she met his gaze, it was full of frustration, worry, and something close to desperation. "Riza, do you know what happened after the blessing went south? Miles and Scar's Master pulled a disappearing act with you, while Scar himself pretty much pinned me to the floor so that I couldn't go after them."

Roy abruptly wrapped her in a tight hug, and though Riza tried to pay attention to what he said – he was concerned, that much was obvious – the sudden proximity of his heart drowned out the words. Her ear, so close against his neck, could hear nothing but a rushing roar of pumping muscle and flowing blood. Lifting her hands, she settled them on his back, holding hm closer so that she could keep listening to that sound….

And abruptly realized he had stopped speaking and was probably waiting for an answer. "I know. I'm sorry you were so worried." Easing herself away from him, so that she could hear, if nothing else, she cupped his face in both hands. "I'm all right. You're all right. Things are going to work out for the better."

He was watching her closely, brows slowly lowering into a frown. "Are you sure everything's okay with you? You're white as a sheet, your hands are like ice…." He stepped back as he spoke, giving her a brief once-over before reaching up to press the back of one hand against her forehead. "You didn't have any problems stemming from those burns? No shock or anything?"

Ducking away from his hand before he could notice how her eyes looked, she played the evasion off with a smile. She couldn't let him see her eyes just yet; she had seen them in the mirror, but thanks to the dim lighting, he had yet to notice. "No, Roy, and I'm not feverish either."

"Okay, okay. I was just checking." His fingers brushed down one cheek, before he leaned in to press a kiss to the other. "I have to make sure my Lieutenant is in top form. She knows I'd go under without her."

The roar of his pulse sounded briefly again in her ears, and Riza unconsciously moistened her lips with a flick of her tongue. Roy stepped away as suddenly as he had moved closer, heading toward the lone window and leaving her in the centre of the room.

"I have to say, this has taken a turn from how I pictured our return to Ishval," he commented. Riza watched his hands reach reflexively for pockets that weren't there, instead folding behind his back. "But with any luck, we can move past this and get down to business in the next day or two."

Her mind was beginning to drift away from her, most reasoning fading into the background as what felt like mental white noise took over. Her muscles felt loose and lithe, her body moving with more ease of movement than she ever remembered having before.

"Hey." Roy glanced back over his shoulder when she spoke, finding her with her arms held out to him. "I think you and I have some business of our own that needs attending to."

He glanced briefly toward the door, weighing his options; Riza waited. She could wait forever if she needed to… but she knew he wouldn't last long before giving in. After the stresses of the day before, she was the tall drink of cool water for the man just emerging from the desert, and he would not resist her.

When he stepped into her embrace, his arms settling comfortably around her, he was smiling. "Sorry, I thought we were done with this…." He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Though the way you've been going the last few weeks, I shouldn't be surprised."

She smiled, watching the way his eyes dropped toward her lips… and then widened at the sight of her teeth. "I suppose I have been a little… demanding, haven't I."

The takedown happened as though she were dancing with an inordinately clumsy partner. Her arms still around him, Riza twisted sharply on the spot, throwing him off-balance. Roy gave a surprised yell as he started to fall, and she braced herself as his hold on her dragged her along.

He hit the floorboards on his back, with her hugged to his chest. Riza pressed both hands to the floor and pushed herself up, keeping herself astride his chest to ensure he would stay where he was. "Sir, if you keep making noise like that, it's going to be very hard to explain to our hosts," she commented mildly.

"Riza, what the hell –"

"Sshhhhh." She leaned over him, one finger pressed to his lips, though it was a needless gesture. His eyes flitted from her eyes, to her teeth, and back again. "Language, sir, there's a lady present."

Sitting straight, trailed the finger from his lips, down his throat, and to the centre of his chest with feathery lightness. She shook the half-concealing bangs from her eyes, allowing the slit-pupiled amethyst purple to show, her smile hinting at the pointed canine teeth he had already noticed.

"Besides, you've never fought me before. Why start now?"

#fma #fmab #Roy Mustang #Riza Hawkeye #royza #royai #fma fanfiction #royai fanfiction #tainted blood

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blooms12 · 2 years ago

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5 Florists That Deliver Flowers in Blackburn Melbourne

Petals Florist Network

Petals Florist Network can help you to send flowers anywhere in Australia, including Blackburn. This online florist network allows you to order flowers with a few clicks, and the arrangements will be delivered right to your recipient's doorstep. You can even get same day flower delivery blackburn Melbourne when you order flowers through Petals Florist Network.

Petals Florist Network has over 1,600 member florists throughout Australia. Many of them offer same day flower delivery and a large variety of floral arrangements. Many florists also offer custom arrangements and potted plants. You can even send a flower arrangement to a friend or family member. The Antaeus Flowers shop in Melbourne has daily flower delivery service. The shop also specializes in wedding and corporate event flowers.

Box Hill Flowers

Box Hill Flowers is a florist that offers same-day flower delivery throughout

Melbourne. They also offer same-day deliveries to Box Hill Hospital and Epworth Eastern Hospital. Box Hill Flowers is a Melbourne florist that specializes in marketfresh flowers. Order today to receive a beautiful gift, right on time for your loved one.

With over 255 reviews on Yelp, Box Hill Flowers has a great rating. Not only do they have excellent customer service, but they also deliver flowers and plants right to their customers. Their delivery services include flower deliveries to homes, offices, hospitals, botanical gardens, aged care facilities, and retail stores.

Lily's Florist Bayswater

Lily's Florist offers flower delivery in Bayswater, a diverse suburb in Melbourne,

Australia. You can order fresh flowers online and have them delivered by a

Bayswater florist the same day. This florist also provides corporate flower delivery.

The florist has an impressive collection of flowers to choose from. You can also opt for same-day flower delivery for your special someone. The website allows you to shop for the right flowers by price, occasion, and quantity. You can also send flowers to a hospital or care facility.

Antaeus Flowers

The South Yarra Florist provides fresh cut flowers daily and delivers in most metropolitan areas. They offer a variety of flower bouquets, arrangements, and corporate gifts for all occasions. They also deliver flowers for funerals and new babies. If you want to send flowers to a funeral, South Yarra Florist is a great place to order them.

This South Yarra florist has a long history of providing exceptional corporate service, as well as loyal private clients. The South Yarra Florist also offers flower delivery for corporate events, funerals, and restaurants.

Florist Blackburn North

Florist Blackburn North is an economically thriving suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. With a strong economy and a diverse selection of shops, this suburb has plenty to offer. From beautiful flower arrangements for every occasion to same-day flower delivery in the Blackburn North area, you're sure to find what you're looking for.

Aside from beautiful flowers, this shop also sells homewares and gifts. You can find lavish floral arrangements for any occasion from birthdays to anniversaries. You can also order baby gift baskets and gourmet hampers, and they offer same-day delivery.

Florist Floraison Flowers

Florist Floraison Flowers Blackburn Melbourne is a locally owned and operated florist. They offer a wide selection of beautiful bouquets, flower arrangements and more. They also provide floral services for weddings, corporate events and other special occasions. They deliver throughout the Melbourne Metropolitan area. They specialize in creating unique and beautiful floral arrangements.

Their website has a convenient, streamlined ordering process that is easy to use. Simply choose the occasion and bouquet you would like, enter your payment details and then select a date for delivery. Floraison Flowers will then deliver your chosen bouquet to the recipient's door or to a nearby address within Blackburn.

#flower delivery blackburn melbourne #flower delivery mitcham #florist heathmont #wheelers hill florist #Florist delivery Blackburn #florist delivery blackburn north #flower delivery in blackburn

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floristusa · 2 years ago

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Flower Delivery to Knoxville, TN Hospitals | Petal Pushers Florist

Send flowers with same-day delivery to local hospitals around Knoxville , West Knoxville, Farragut, Bearden, Karens, Harden Valley, Concord, TN. Petal Pushers Florist offer a wide selection of bright and cheerful get well flowers ready to lift the spirits of your loved one under the weather! We also have a great variety of flowers and gifts great for greeting a new baby and congratulating the happy parents. Best of all, we ensure your floral product is delivered right to their room.

#Hospital Flowers Delivery in Knoxville TN #Shop Flowers for Hospitals #Same-day Delivery Service in Knoxville TN #Florist Delivers Flowers to Knoxville TN #Hospital Flower Delivery To Nearby Areas

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poppiesandamber · 3 years ago

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Berrylicious Florist

When it comes to flower delivery, you can't go wrong with a bouquet from Berrylicious Florist. This arrangement includes an array of colorful blooms wrapped beautifully, and is sure to delight any recipient. Whether it is for a birthday, anniversary, or any special occasion, you'll find a beautiful bouquet to match! Choose from several different flower types, and you can even order chocolates to accompany the flowers!

Berrylicious

A fusion of bright blooms and beautiful packaging will make anyone happy, and the Berrylicious is no exception. This gift will delight your loved one in more ways than one. Available in a variety of sizes, this bouquet is sure to impress. The types of flowers used will vary according to season, and out-of-season varieties such as Dahlia and Hydrangea may be substituted. The gift can also be sent with chocolates, for a sweet treat that is sure to impress!

Towers Flowers Florist & Flower Delivery

The Original Towers Flowers is a family business founded by Pete and Jane McBride. In addition to providing quality flower arrangements and gifts for all occasions, they also specialize in gift baskets. The McBrides' experience in the flower industry has allowed them to offer the most personalized service for every recipient. Their flower baskets are hand-delivered to all locations, and they have a long history in the local community.

To send a beautiful flower arrangement in West Islip, NY, Towers Flowers is here to help. They deliver fresh flowers to doorsteps throughout West Islip and nearby areas. To receive a free quote, simply fill out the form below. It will then be delivered to the recipient's door within one business day. To order a gift basket, choose the quantity and type of flowers you want.

Towers Flowers

The Original Towers Flowers has been providing beautiful floral arrangements for over 35 years. The original business was founded by Jane and Pete McBride. Now, Towers is a popular and reliable floral delivery service in the Denver Metro area. Their passion for providing quality and affordable flowers has resulted in many happy customers. Their staff is courteous and always ready to make your floral order a memorable one. At Original Towers, you can always count on a personal touch.

You can also count on same-day flower delivery in the Nesconset area from Towers Flowers. They also craft sympathy funeral flower arrangements and deliver them to local cemeteries and funeral homes. Towers Flowers also delivers get-well flowers to area hospitals. They will be happy to meet all of your floral needs, no matter the occasion! To place an order, visit their website or call their friendly customer service representatives.

Sweeten's

If you're looking for a florist that offers same day flower delivery in Woodbury, you have come to the right place! They specialize in the freshest flower arrangements and have the best customer service in the floral industry. With a passion for customer service, you'll have a memorable flower buying experience from Sweeten's Berrylicious Florist. Whether you're sending a bouquet or a bunch of flowers, Sweeten's is sure to meet your needs!

The nutrient-packed fruit used in the Berrylicious smoothie are Elderberries, which are natural fighters of allergies and autoimmune diseases. Red and black currants are full of vitamin C and antioxidants, and will boost your energy levels and help keep your skin looking young and vibrant. The berrylicious smoothie also contains rosehip, which is rich in vitamin C and flavonoids and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Poppies and Amber is a bespoke florist, homeware and giftware shop based in the heart of Manly. It is born out of our innate love for beautiful flowers and floral creations, a passion passed down through generations of flower lovers. Such is our love for charming and unique pieces for the home as well.

#florist manly vale #everlasting bouquet #just poppies #poppys florist #flower delivery northern beaches #berrylicious #balgowlah florist #florist balgowlah #flower delivery sydney northern beaches #potted orchid delivery sydney

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mountolivetflowershop1 · 4 years ago

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Mount Olivet Flower Shop

Mount Olivet Flower Shop, Fort Worth is a local florist with the finest-quality floral designs and fast same-day delivery services in Texas We are open Mondays-Fridays 8:00 am-3:00 pm.

As a long-time trusted florist in Fort Worth, we know how vital is to ensure our clients' happiness. We work hard to give you only the best-quality arrangements with each and every order you place. That's why we guarantee that you always get the most gorgeous bouquet or floral gift that will impress you and your loved ones!

We offer a large inventory of all your beloved fresh flowers! Classic roses, precious daisies, delicate hydrangeas - we've got them all! We also carry a vast range of beautiful and distinct plants. Feel free to select from lush green plants, tropicals, succulents, or dish gardens!

At Mount Olivet Flower Shop, we believe there's no better way to show your love and care than with a heartwarming gift. Choose from our impressive line of delightful and one-of-a-kind gifts to send to your loved ones!

Whether you need a sweet birthday gift basket, a romantic anniversary bouquet, or a gracious sympathy gift, we've got you covered!

Let us help you make the most ideal floral arrangements and gifts for your needs! Drop by our shop or go to our website to explore our pre-made bouquets and baskets.

Shopping for something more special? No worries! Our team of florists will be happy to offer you their time and talents to create a wonderful personalized bouquet.

Whatever your tastes, style, or budget is, we're here to help you find exactly what you need. We give you great customer service alongside top-notch floral products. We make sure you'll get the most awe-inspiring bouquets that display the beauty and wonder of flowers!

We also recognize that in times of trouble, you need to extend your encouragement to loved ones. That's why we offer same-day delivery to hospitals and funeral homes across Fort Worth and nearby areas around Texas. So if you need a last-minute gift, you can count on us for punctual and hassle-free delivery for your lovely gifts!

Ready to place your order? Want to learn more about our products and services? Call us at (817) 838-5732 or email us at [email protected]. You can also check out our website at https://www.mountolivetflowershop.net/.

#Mount Olivet Flowers #Florist #Flowershop #Flower delivery #florists #local florist

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waitingfortherightpartner · 7 years ago

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Special Delivery

Based on Anonymous Prompt: Hey there! Love your work, it's so well written ^_^ Just wondering if I could request a fic about Steve and Reader, where reader volunteers at the hospital gift shop and they meet after Steve takes Sam there after a fight or something? I just happen to volunteer in a hospital gift shop myself ( ;P ) and sometimes we deliver flowers to patients so maybe that could be a thing in it? I don't know, you're just really good at writing so I won't ask too much <3

A/N: Sorry for my absences, I’m working three jobs and there just aren’t enough hours in the day! But I actually got sick and am low-key super contagious and I have to stay in my room and not hang out with anyone, plus I just finished my midterms, aka the perfect conditions for writing. Gonna try and write more (I sound like a broken record), but I actually have an idea for a series that I have to flesh out, but if it ends up happening, I think it’ll be kinda cool. Anyways, hope y’all like this one and I’ll keep chipping away at my prompt list (some of these are like, a year or two old, so I’m sorry for that)

Tagging @pleasecallmecaptain @mattymattymerduck @writingbarnes @kissofvenom922 @b-orderline @shamvictoria11 @callingmrsbarnes @barnes-and-noble-girl @coley0823 @redstarstan @badassbaker @phoebe-21-blog @marvelgoateecollection @palaiasaurus64 @melconnor2007

You’re in the middle of filling out an inventory form when you hear the bell on the top of the door jingle, letting you know someone’s entered the hospital gift shop you volunteer in.

“Can I help you with anything?” you ask automatically, finishing the last line of the form before you look up. Your eyes widen as you find Captain America standing in front of you.

His eyes are bloodshot, and a myriad of cuts and bruises pepper his face, but he still manages a smile that sends butterflies shooting through your body.

“Any chance I can get a cup of coffee?” he asks. “I know this is the gift shop, but the machine in the cafeteria is broken.”

“Of course,” you say, reaching below the counter to grab the coffee pot and pouring him a mug. “This is better anyways, the cafeteria has terrible coffee.” You hand it to him and immediately wince as you see that you handed him your well-worn Captain America mug.

He looks it over and quirks his eyebrow up, just the tiniest bit.

“Unintentional,” you say immediately and he shakes his head.

“Wasn’t judging,” he smiles, taking a swig of the coffee. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Says the actual superhero,” you grin. “Anything else I can help you with this morning?”

“I think I’ll grab a few magazines?” he says, looking around. “Or any books you want to recommend? I’ll be here a while.”

You smile and drift over to the book section, humming to yourself as you pick out a few of your favorites. You turn back to Steve, who’s finishing the coffee with a smile on his face and offer them to him.

“Any of these look interesting?” you ask.

“I’ll take all of them,” he says and your eyes widen. “I feel like you have good taste in books.”

“Well, I hope I don’t steer you wrong,” you smile, ringing him up at the register. “That’ll be $25.32.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, offering you a credit card. You run it through the machine, waiting for the receipt.

“Well thanks for stopping by, Captain America,” you say.

“Please call me Steve,” he says and you nod.

“Steve,” you repeat. “Nice to meet you, my name’s (Y/N).”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N),” he says. “Thank you for the coffee and the books.” He sets the mug down and takes the stack of books, and just like that he’s gone.

As soon as he leaves, you feel yourself deflate, just a little, wishing you had some way of being able to see him again. It’s then that you notice his wallet, sitting on the edge of the counter. You try to ignore the feeling of excitement as you pick it up and head out of the store, determined to return it to its owner.

After you spend ten minutes convincing the front desk to give you any information on Avengers checked into the hospital, you find yourself heading up to 950C, a room belonging to Sam Wilson.

As you step out of the elevator, you suddenly feel a wave of nervousness. What if you’ve made a serious miscalculation? You could just turn around and take the wallet to Lost and Found. You nod and press the elevator button to take you back down.

“(Y/N)?”

You look up and spot Steve, sitting in the room across from the elevator. You sigh and hop off as the doors close behind you.

“Hey!” you say, trying to sound as breezy as possible as you enter the room. “You left your wallet.”

“Woah, Rogers, who’s the friend?”

You glance over to the bed and recognize the Falcon. He’s got his leg in a cast, and one eyes is swollen shut, but he manages to raise an eyebrow in interrogation.

“Hi, I’m (Y/N),” you say quickly. “I work in the gift shop downstairs.”

“I’m Sam, “ he replies. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but the stitches are making it a little difficult to move. You came all the way up here to bring back my friend’s wallet?”

“I had to deliver flowers to someone in this wing,” you lie. "So I was in the area.”

“So when are my flowers coming in?” Sam jokes. “I should be getting a really big, really fancy, really expensive arrangement, courtesy of Stark Industries. Among many others.”

“They must’ve called the wrong number,” you tease. “Absolutely no flower orders in your name.”

“I’ll have to start making calls,” Sam says and you grin.

“You do that,” you say. “Hope you start to recover soon. Good seeing you again, Steve.”

You walk out the door and push the elevator button, only to realize you’re still stupidly holding the wallet. You dash back into the room, doing your best to ignore Sam’s smirk, and head back out, hopping onto the elevator.

As soon as the doors close behind you, Sam turns to Steve.

“I see you, Rogers,” Sam grins, Steve’s faint blush and silence only egging him on more. “You left that wallet there on purpose. Now hand me my phone, I have some damn calls to make.”

You’re absolutely flabbergasted by the number of flower orders that flood in for Sam Wilson. You’d joke that it’s like the entire Avengers team sent flowers, but in all seriousness, the entire Avengers team did send flowers.

Even Thor, who sent some weird space plant that oozes. But hey, you’re not about to judge.

You manage to find a cart to help take all of the arrangements up to Sam’s room, but it still doesn’t hold everything. You end up in the elevator, precariously balancing two vases in your arms as you attempt to keep the cart steady.

The elevator dings as you reach the floor and you sigh, slowly inching out of the elevator, trying not to drop anything.

“Need some help?”

You yelp at the proximity of the voice, throwing the two vases you’re holding up into the air. The cart propels itself away from you and you reach out to grab it just before it crashes into a nearby gurney.

You turn around to find a sheepish-looking Steve, holding the two vases you dropped.

“Glad you caught those,” you say breathlessly. “I startle easily.”

“I noticed,” Steve offers a smile. “Sorry about that.”

“As long as Sam’s precious flowers are okay,” you shrug, tugging the cart into his room only to find Sam fast asleep on the bed. “And of course he’s not even awake to see all of my hard work.”

“I’ll make sure and let him know,” Steve says, placing the two vases down on a table before starting to help you unload the rest of the well-wishers’ gifts. “Unless you want to wait around until he wakes up, so he can thank you himself?”

Your heart skips a beat at the note of hope you hear in his voice. Maybe your crush isn’t as unrequited and ridiculous as you thought.

“I’d love to,” you grin, grabbing a paper towel to wipe the slime from the space plant off of your hands. “Unfortunately, I do have to get back to the gift shop. I’m the only one on shift today.”

“Of course,” Steve says, and you could almost swear you see him deflate a little. It breaks your heart, and suddenly, you find the words tumbling out of your mouth.

“My shift ends in two hours though, so I could come back then?” you offer. “Or if he’s still asleep and you don’t mind leaving him, we could get coffee or something?” The smile on Steve’s face makes your stomach flip again and you can’t help but smile back.

“As long as it’s not the coffee in the cafeteria, I’m in,” he grins.

“There’s a shop across the street that has really good muffins,” you offer, internally wincing at how dumb that sounds. Steve doesn’t seem to notice, his smile only growing wider.

“Sounds perfect,” he says and the two of you just stand there, staring at each other. After a few moments, you clear your throat and look away.

“Well, I’ll see you later then,” you say, backing away towards the elevator and pressing the button. The doors spring open and you curse them for not giving you a few more seconds with Steve. “Should I...Oh shit, I should get your...” The doors start to close and you fumble for the door open button, unable to tear your gaze away from Steve’s face. “I guess I’ll meet you here?”

The doors close and you sigh, cursing your awkwardness. But then you remember the look on his face when he said yes, and you can’t help but feel content at your small victory.

On the other side of the door, Steve smiles at the closed doors, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“Rogers!”

Steve whirls around to find Sam grinning at him, a smirk on his face.

“You heard the whole thing?” Steve asks.

“You didn’t think I was really sleeping, did you?” Sam asks. “No need to thank me.”

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gadgetsgalorexip · 4 years ago

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silverfootstepswrites · 7 years ago

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title Tell Me summary Let’s go back pairing Itasaku

“Don’t come in tomorrow,” was what she had told the staff at the hostess club earlier that night. A cheer had risen, of course. Christmas in Japan was a day for couples. Romantic walks and kisses on the bridge lit up by string lights.

Sakura grimaced at the mere thought.

She watched the bills blur through the money counter. Licking her thumb, she flipped through a stack of uncounted bills. Glancing back, she peeled off several bills and pushed them into Sai’s hand.

“Go buy something for us to eat,” she ordered, typing up fresh numbers into the spreadsheet.

“Got it, Boss,” he replied, grabbing his coat.

When the door opened, she could suddenly hear all the chatter from the club downstairs. Someone let out a cheer, laughter chasing after it. And then the door swung shut and it quieted again. Smoke pouring from her mouth, Sakura packaged the counted bills into a neat little envelope.

“Alright, Charlie. Your numbers line up,” she declared, straightening her back.

“Don’t know why they wouldn’t,” Chojuro replied. He slid off the back of the sofa. He fumbled to catch the wad of bills that she tossed over her shoulder at him.

“Thank you, Aunt Cheng,” he gasped. Sakura didn’t respond, busy reloading the counting machine. She was like a smokestack, exhaling plumes into the air as she worked. She pressed her palms to the desk, cigarette held between her lips.

“Need anything else from me, Boss?” asked Chojuro.

“Have you found out anything about Ghost?” she questioned in return, her gaze fixed on the desk.

“No, Boss. Still looking- I swear,” he replied.

“Then no.”

“Alright. Good night, Boss,” Chojuro greeted her. Pulling on his hat, he made his way out of the room. The sounds of the club floated up for another brief moment. Faded again.

Sakura clenched her hands until her knuckles turned white. The flap of the bills running through the machine blurring out all other sounds. She closed her eyes, teeth biting into the cigarette just a bit. Until the bitter taste touched the tip of her tongue. She let out a deep breath, emptying her lungs until it almost hurt her chest.

Sai returned a little while later with takeout from the nearby izakaya. He held up a bouquet of red roses.

“Were you expecting a delivery, Mama?” he asked, letting the door shut behind him. She looked over her shoulder at him. She held out her hand. The clear plastic outside the flowers crinkled when she took it. Turning the flowers over, she couldn’t find a card.

“Someone had it delivered to the bar for you. Ayu said she didn’t bring it up because she didn’t want to disturb you,” Sai explained. He pointed his thumb toward the door. There was a little sign hung up outside that read “Calculating the bills. Please don’t disturb.” It only went up once a month, so the girls knew not to barge in just then.

“Huh.... strange,” she simply said. She ran her fingers over the soft petals before she set the bouquet down. She picked up the freshly-counted stack of bills to stuff them into a fresh envelope. Sai set down the takeout. He pulled out a pair of chopsticks, snapping them apart.

“They ran out of chicken so I got you kushikatsu instead. Sorry, Auntie,” he said, holding out the chopsticks. Sakura sealed the envelope and placed it on the pile before she accepted the chopsticks.

“That’s fine,” she answered. And then took the box he handed over. Sai didn’t release the box right away. He studied her expression.

“Is everything alright, Aunt Cheng?” questioned Sai. Ever the vigilant and loyal foot soldier. She offered him a smile.

“Of course. Come on. Let’s eat before the food gets cold,” she insisted. Sai didn’t ask anything else as he snapped apart another set of chopsticks. They leaned against the back of the sofa, digging into the still-warm takeout. Outside, snow fell in wispy flakes on top of the city.

At the end of the night, Sakura took the roses home with her. She set them beside her on the back seat of the car. Eyeing them, she considered the possibilities. She picked them up, examining each stem for a wire or a bug. Finding nothing, she tossed them back on the seat.

She said good night to Chouji when he dropped her off in front of her apartment.

“Have a nice Christmas, Aunt Cheng,” he called out the passenger side window. She raised a hand as she stepped into the lobby. Flowers in her arms. She stared down at the spiraling petals of the flowers for a long time as she rode the elevator up to her apartment. And when she stepped inside, she kicked her shoes off and shoved them off to the side. She placed the bouquet on her kitchen island with a little more care as she continued to consider them.

Her phone rang from inside the pocket of her fur coat. She held it up to her ear.

“Yeah.”

“I need to stay in Yokohama for a few days,” Tobirama stated.

“Oh?”

“You remember York Ng?” he asked.

Sakura leaned against the counter. She prodded at the roses with her pointer finger.

“Sure. His stuff is always pretty pure. His English is shit though,” she recalled. Tobirama clicked his tongue.

“I got the feeling he’s been double-dipping into his own stash because he’s been falling behind on his payments lately.”

Sakura’s eyebrows rose. “York? Huh. Thought he was smarter than that.”

“I know. Anyway, fucker’s disappeared. Heard rumors he might be hiding out in Yokohama. Didn’t want you shooting at me if you saw me there,” he concluded. Sakura laughed.

“Pok gaai, when have I ever shot at you?” she challenged.

“Just in case,” he insisted. Still smiling, she looked down at the flowers one last time.

“Did you happen to send me flowers?” she queried.

“Hah? You dipping into York’s supply too?” retorted Tobirama.

“Fine. Come next week. And if you end up finding Ng, try not to kill him there. It’ll be a pain if I have to pay off the cops there. They’re not as easy to deal with as the cops up here in Tokyo,” she warned.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

He hung up. Sakura shoved the flowers off the counter, into the trash can. They fell with a thud against the metal bottom.

The following night, there was a bouquet of purple irises. It sat on the doorstep of the club- the petals frozen solid. Sakura brushed snow off them with the toe of her shoe. Delivery on a holiday couldn’t have been cheap. The same as the roses from the night before, there was no card. No frills. Just flowers in clear plastic, tied together with a thick ribbon.

Hands in her pockets, Sakura glanced around. Of course, the streets were mostly empty. There were a few people staggering around. This was Ginza, after all. Apparently some of the other clubs in the area had had the same idea as her- closing on the holiday to give the hostesses a break. But there were still a few bars and places open, their neon signs blinking against the black sky.

Sakura scooped up the flowers before she unlocked the door to the club. The interior was dark and smelled a little sterile. The boys must have cleaned up thoroughly the night before. She flicked on a few lights in the bar as she made her way through.

As she walked up the steps to her office, a thought occurred to her. Setting the bouquet down on the table, she untied the ribbon. And underneath was a little rectangular card.

For Cheng Jing-Mei. From Uchiha Itachi.

Sakura squinted down at the card. She did a thorough check of the flowers again. No wire. No bug. Nothing suspicious. She dropped them into the dumpster on her way out later that night. Just to be safe.

The next night, the club was open. Ayu walked up the stairs with a bouquet of bright pink carnations held in her arms. Her eyebrows waggling.

“Ooh, Mama, I knew it! You do have a boyfriend!” she squealed, setting the bouquet on the desk. Sakura said nothing. She undid the ribbon to find the same card with the same words. Just her name and his.

“Did you get a look at the delivery boy?” asked Sakura. Ayu thought back, finger on her lip.

“Hmm...just a regular guy, Mama,” she simply said.

The following night was lilies in soft purples and pinks.

And then the fourth night the oyabun himself showed up with gerbera daisies. The sight of the pink flowers blooming in his arms almost made Tenten drop a very expensive bottle of vodka. Sakura stared at him, her glass of champagne almost to her lips. He took off his hat, holding it to his chest.

“My apologies. Have I come at a bad time, Mama?” he asked.

Sakura’s eyes darted around. She could feel all the stares. The curiosity hanging in the air like a stench. Sakura lifted her hand.

“My table.”

“Yes, Mama!”

A few minutes later, they sat at her table in the back, hidden behind the white curtain. Away from the prying eyes and wandering ears. Itachi presented the flowers to her. She took them, glaring first at the flowers and then at him.

“What’re you getting at, Kumicho?” she demanded, her voice low so that it wouldn’t carry.

“Not a daisy person?” he asked, looking down at the bouquet.

Sighing, she held her hands out. Looking like a smug schoolboy, he handed the flowers over. They were so bright- the colors almost garish. She glared down at them, touching her finger to one of the petals. When she looked up, she almost flinched. Itachi was watching her, fist under his chin. He smiled when he met her gaze.

“I don’t really have much for you yet, if that’s what you’re here for. Unless you want me to pay Tommy’s hospital bill?” she said, slowly. Itachi raised his eyebrows. He crossed his arms across his chest. She noticed that his suit wasn’t black this time. It was more of a dark grey- matching blue pocket square and necktie.

“No. None of that. Just here to see you. Since you were kind enough to visit me at the hospital, Mama,” he replied. And then he picked up a menu off the table. Scanning through the list, he pointed with his left hand.

“How do you feel about Syrah, Mama?” he then asked.

“...I’m not opposed to it,” she replied, still eyeing him. And occasionally the flowers that she had left sitting between them on the table.

But the kumicho did leave after just a drink. No other questions. Just pleasant conversation. And as he stood, she did too.

“How’s the arm?” she asked as they walked to the door.

“Healing. Although I’m learning how to use chopsticks with my left hand in the meantime,” he replied.

“Hm.”

She helped him pull on his coat, fixing the lapel with her palm. Their eyes met. Her hand rested on his chest.

“Take care, Kumicho. Don’t need you getting shot again,” she quietly said.

“Of course not. I wouldn’t want to make you worry,” he answered.

Sakura stood in the foyer as he left. Arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Had there really been no other purpose to his visit? She had never thought Uchiha Itachi a man to waste her time. Tenten leaned across the bar to hand her a glass of wine.

“What do you think he wanted, Mama?” she asked. Sakura glared at nothing in particular.

“I don’t know. And I don’t like it,” answered Sakura.

The flowers continued to come every day. A different variety each time. Or if she’d gotten those before, they were at least in a different color. It began to feel a little wasteful to simply dump them in the trash- especially since they were good quality. She had one of the boys run out to get a vase and left them on the edge of the bar.

Itachi came back the following week. An armful of calla lilies cradled in his left arm. He saw the English roses from two days ago sitting on the bar. Smiled at them.

“Are you ever going to get bored of this game, Kumicho?” she asked, still accepting the flowers. Itachi looked surprised as he shed his coat.

“It’s not a game, Mama,” he answered, still smiling.

“Then what is this?” demanded Sakura in return. She almost pulled away when he took her hand.

“Do you really not remember how we met?”

To be fair, they had known about each other for several months before meeting each other.

“Gumi?” Sai repeated the word, his tongue rolling awkwardly.

“Gu-mi,” Sakura said one more time, enunciating each syllable. Crisp and precise. Sai mouthed the sounds, leaning back in the folding chair.

“It’s a word for ‘group’. But you really only use it for yakuza groups. So don’t go around calling groups of little old ladies gumi,” Tenten warned, spreading out several headshots on the floor in front of them.

The office on the second floor was still in the middle of renovations. It smelled like sawdust and glue. The walls had been sanded but not painted yet. Pencil marks indicated where to install sconces. There was still a big hole in the ceiling with wires poking out.

“Uchiha Fugaku. Goes by ‘The Hammer’. The Uchiha-gumi’s fourth head. Out of the 23 wards of Tokyo, the Uchiha’s control six. That includes this one,” Tenten explained, opening a folding chair and sitting in it. Together, they formed a horseshoe around the photos.

“The Inuzuka-kai control four just to the north of here. They don’t have as many men, but they buy arms from the Russians, so that’s going to be a pain in the ass,” said Sakura, lighting up a cigarette. She cupped her hands around it until the paper sizzled. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled away from the two of them. She gestured toward the photo of the young man with the goatee. Tenten tilted her head.

“He’s kind of cute,” she remarked. Sai let out a noise of disgust.

But then Sakura looked at the photo closer too. She took another drag on her and blew out. Cigarette between her teeth.

“I don’t know. I’d fuck him,” Sakura agreed.

She exchanged smirks with Tenten.

“Ugh. Be serious, please. Who’s this guy?” Sai quickly redirected the conversation, pointing to the third photo. This man was the youngest out of the three. He almost looked scholarly with his neat black hair tied back.

“Uchiha Itachi. Eldest son of the Hammer. He’s one of the executives of the Uchiha-gumi,” Tenten reported.

Sakura gazed down at the photo, thinking. He had a handsome face too, but it was nothing notable. He could just as easily be replaced by someone else in a suit. She tapped her cigarette against the back of the chair. Letting the ash fall on top of his face.

“He’s not so important right now. We bought this building under a shell corporation so the Uchiha-gumi won’t figure it out right away. If they come knocking, we’ll figure out how to handle them then,” she decided. And then she got out of her chair.

“Let’s head down toward Kawasaki. I want to shake up the local small fries to see what’s up with this area,” she added.

“Sure, Boss,” Tenten replied, following her with her eyes. Sai nodded too.

They took to the streets of Ginza, in the industrial areas bordering Kawasaki. Away from the upscale clubs and the high-end boutiques. She hefted a steel pipe in her hand, jacket hanging from her elbows. Some of the local troublemakers eyed her but didn’t calling out to her. She wasn’t an unfamiliar face in the area by now. The smarter ones knew to keep their mouths shut. Those triads from Hong Kong are a different level of crazy, they said.

Unfortunately, some people took that as a challenge and not a warning.

“Hey, onee-chan, what’s a pretty girl like you doing wandering around here? Looking for someone to play with?” a group of men called out. One of them waggled his tongue at her. Another made an even more lewd gesture with his fingers.

“Pok gaai, I’m-” Sai growled, already taking a step. Tenten grabbed his arm.

“Don’t get in the way. Boss loves this,” she warned.

They hung back, watching the swish of Sakura’s hips as she advanced toward the men. The pipe held behind her, hiding in the shadows of the night.

All of them lounged around a single streetlight. One of them leaned on a bike. Some of them might have still been teenagers. A bunch of what could barely be called men sharing a couple bottles of alcohol. The stink of cheap cigarettes and arrogance wafting off of them. It made her gag a little.

“Oh, look at that. She wants to play! I knew it!” the one who had hollered at her cackled. His friends guffawed with him, smacking each other on the shoulders.

At first they didn’t react when she raised the pipe. The crack of it hitting his skull rose like a single wisp of incense smoke into the air. The group fell silent. And then as the blood pooled, wetting the bottoms of their sneakers, emotions started to creep back into their faces.

“Y-you bitch!”

It was laughable how quickly she took them down with that pipe. The metal bashing into them. The strangled cries of pain that erupted with each blow. And once they were all down, she dropped the pipe and resorted to kicking instead. The heavy point of her boot digging into their sides. Until high keens rose from them. Begging for mercy.

When Tenten and Sai finally approached, there was blood flecked across her thighs and calves. Some of it had even sprayed across her face. Tenten stooped to pick up the pipe. She handed it off to Sai, one end glistening wetly in the dark. And then she looked crouched beside Sakura. She picked out one of the least-bloodied boys and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket to make him sit up. She shook him.

“If you pretend to be unconscious, I’m going to drown you in that river,” she threatened. And he cracked one eye open. The other already swelling and turning purple. Tenten shifted him so that he was facing more towards Sakura.

Sakura stretched her arms high over her head, sighing.

“Ah, that was refreshing,” she declared, smiling like she had just come back from a yoga class. Then she crouched in front of the boy, still grinning.

“Okay. I’m going to ask you some questions. And if you lie to me, I really will let her drown you,” Sakura said. Through his swollen eye, he spotted the burgundy tattoo of a phoenix on her left arm. And then the cherry blossoms running up her right bicep.

“You’re yakuza! I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” he began to hyperventilate. Sakura leaned in closer, eyes narrowing into slits.

“Not quite. You’d be luckier if I was, sik si gau. Now let me ask my questions before you really piss me off,” she replied, grabbing his chin.

Through his shaking and crying, he continued swearing that they didn’t know anything. He did point her towards someone who might know something.

“And if the police ask?” she questioned one more time.

“I didn’t see a face! I don’t remember anything!” he insisted, trembling and snot running down his upper lip.

Sakura nodded to Tenten, who tossed the boy back on top of his friends.

“We should go, boss,” Tenten reminded her. Nodding, Sakura patted her pockets until she found a carton of cigarettes. She pulled a fresh one out, rubbing her fingers over the smooth paper. As she placed it in her mouth, she saw that the boy was still watching her. She reached into the box for another one and then placed that in his mouth.

“Listen, kid,” Sakura said. She pulled out her lighter. Cupping her hand around the cigarette, she let the flame burn the tip. Waiting until it glowed red. She sucked down a deep breath, the taste of ash filling her mouth.

“Little boys shouldn’t be hanging around in places like this. Don’t you have a mom or dad to worry about you?” she asked. And then, leaning forward, she touched the end of her cigarette to his until it began to smolder. He didn’t move.

“I have no interest in killing kids. I don’t want to see you around here again,” she warned. Only then did he seem to remember how to use his muscles. He gave a little nod.

“Good. Glad we could chat,” concluded Sakura. She got to her feet, pretending not to see the dark puddle forming around him as he pissed himself. When she turned, Sai was still holding onto the pipe. She took it from him, swinging it once to test it.

“Sai, the car. We’re heading north. Apparently there should be a pachinko parlor near the Shinagawa Aquarium,” Sakura ordered. As they passed under streetlights, orange light flooded and faded from the inside of the car. Sai glanced up at Sakura through the rearview mirror. She wiped blood off her face with a lacy white handkerchief. And then she mopped it off the side of her throat.

“Think that kid’ll keep his mouth shut? There aren’t too many people with pink hair running around at night, Aunt Cheng,” Tenten queried. Sakura clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth.

“We’ll worry about that later. Tonight’s for making messes. The clean-up comes after,” Sakura assured her.

When they arrived at the pachinko parlor, Sakura led, dragging the steel pipe against the dirty laminate as she strode in. Some people glanced up at her, but most were engrossed in their gambling. The entire room was hazy and stank of old beer. As Sakura made her way to the back, a huge man with diamonds in both ears stood to stop her. His blue hair was spiked up high- adding unnecessary height to his already huge frame.

“Can’t go in there,” he grunted. And then looked at her pipe. “Especially not with that.”

Sakura snapped her fingers. Tenten produced a thick wad of bills tied with a rubber band.

“Either you take this and we can be friends. Or you can refuse and...” Sakura trailed off. But she ground the edge of her pipe against the floor. It scraped against the laminate, leaving a streak of dark red.

The man looked her over. Stared her in the eyes. Sighing, he held his hand out for the money.

“The guys in there are paying protection money to a big guy in the area. I hope you know what you’re doing, lady,” he warned, rifling through the bills. His eyes grew huge. He flipped through one more time, counting one more time.

“Oh....I know,” replied Sakura, beaming. Patting him on the shoulder once, she walked into the back room. It was even smokier- if that was remotely possible. Four men sat around on the beat-up leather couches.

“Who the fuck let you in, bitch?” one of them growled. The three other men whipped their heads around. One of them reached inside his cheap suit jacket to pull out a knife. Another moved around to the desk in the back of the room, rifling through the drawers.

Sakura lifted the pipe, letting it rest against her shoulder.

“I’m here to send a message. Can you be good and send it yourselves?” she asked.

“Fuck you,” the yakuza at the desk growled. He finally found a gun hidden in one of the drawers. He fumbled with the safety, nearly dropping the weapon. Before he could really figure the firearm out, Sakura reached back. Tucked into her waistband was a shining gold Desert Eagle. Her name was engraved into the side in sweeping characters.

In one sweeping motion, she pulled her gun out and fired one bullet straight into the armed man’s forehead. His brains splattered against the window behind him. He collapsed against the desk, blood oozing out onto the tabletop. One of the other yakuza immediately turned his head to vomit.

“Anyone else want to try me?” she asked, smile gone.

It didn’t take long for the Uchiha-gumi to notice them after that. In the meantime, Sakura and her underlings kept busy. They set up their headquarters in the back of a little strip club in the heart of Ginza. Of course, by name it was simply an adult theater. It was lit up with hot pink lights and the pounding music assaulted people as soon as they walked in. But the back room was quiet in comparison. After a little threatening, the owner had agreed to let them conduct their business from there.

The deeper they dug, the more businesses and lands they found were really owned by the yakuza. It was almost impressive, in a way. Sakura and her people smashed up a few stores under the Uchiha’s protection, extorted a fair amount of cash out of some of the more prosperous businesses. It was all standard procedure, in a way. Poking the beast until it woke.

The only truly interesting encounters were when they ventured too far west into Shibuya. The Inuzuka-kai had heard rumors of the new troublemaker in the city. They were prepared and well-armed.

Between the three of them, they had pulled through. But it wasn’t without taking a fair number of hits. Sakura and Tenten laughed as they disinfected each other’s wounds. Sai was in too much pain to laugh, nursing the nasty bruise on his side with bags of ice bought from the nearby convenience store.

“This really takes me back,” remarked Sakura. Tenten nodded.

“Remember, Boss? When Kabuto tried to take over your minibus route?” she laughed. Sakura chuckled too, wincing as it strained her split lip.

“I ran that bus into his building. Ended up exposing an illegal cockfighting ring. The HKPD had a field day with that,” recalled Sakura. She flinched when Tenten dabbed particularly hard at a cut on her temple. Sai lifted his head.

“I remember hearing about that. Didn’t you burst a fire hydrant?” he asked.

Sakura and Tenten laughed again, immediately hissing in pain at their various injuries.

Still, they continued to clash with the Inuzuka-kai. Partly because they had been disrespected and couldn’t afford to lose face- but mostly for the hell of it. Because why not? Bashing their weapons into the faces of unnamed goons. Listening to the chatter as the Inuzuka-kai grew angrier and angrier. All the while, waiting for the Uchiha-gumi to take the bait.

When the Uchiha-gumi finally managed to find them, the oyabun didn’t send some disposable underling. His son arrived, Tokyo University-educated and wearing a name brand suit. The two boys guarding the door already knew to let him in when he arrived.

Sakura sat, bathed in the hot pink light that filled the entire strip joint. With the faint sounds of the techno music blasting outside, Uchiha Itachi entered the room. She held her gold gun in one hand, the other holding an ice pack to her knee. Her forearm and white tank top were flecked with blood. The jacket she had worn on top was filthy and torn beyond use. It sat abandoned on an empty chair.

Sakura lifted her head at his entrance. Three men followed him in, dressed in similar black suits.

“Shit, look at these lun yeung. Was it twin day at the office today?” Tenten jeered in Cantonese. Sai looked away to avoid smiling.

“Haruno Sakura?” Itachi asked. When she didn’t say anything, he reached into his jacket. She raised her gun. He continued reaching. And then pulled out a business card, which presented with two hands. Sakura eyed him before she took it out of his fingers. She held it up, squinting.

“Uchiha Itachi,” she read the kanji. He dipped his head. She lowered her gun, resting it on her thigh.

“That’s all you brought to fight me? I was hoping your old man was smarter than that,” she commented, adjusting her ice pack. Then she stared into his eyes. He didn’t flinch away from her stare, which was impressive enough in itself. And she could feel him looking her over. At the bruises and cuts dotting her arms and face.

“Well I heard rumors that you were so tough. But it looks like you took a beating instead. Then we both assumed wrong,” he retorted.

“Pok gaai,” Tenten growled. Sakura held a hand up before her subordinate could jump. Still holding Itachi’s gaze.

“I’ll tell you this. Out of those ten men, probably four had to go to the hospital. Context is key here,” Sakura responded, finally cracking a smile. Itachi didn’t say anything in return. She settled back in the chair, listening to the cheap metal creak beneath her.

“Fine. What’s the big man’s message? Speak, Hachiko,” she taunted. it was remarkable how his expression didn’t shift at all.

“The kumicho is feeling generous. Clear out of this territory. Whatever you own stays here and we take it. In exchange, you can run back down to Yokohama where you started and we won’t retaliate,” Itachi laid out for her.

Sakura raised her gun. Aimed. Released a bullet just above his head. They heard faint shrieks from outside. One of the guards standing outside slammed the door open to see if everything was okay. At the same time, Itachi’s men drew their own weapons, aiming them directly at Sakura. And she calmly blew the smoke from the barrel of her gun.

“Close the door, idiot,” she drawled. The guard’s eyes darted around. When Tenten nodded, he reluctantly returned to his post. When the door shut it dampened the sounds of the throbbing music outside again.

All the while, Sakura and Itachi didn’t tear their eyes from one another.

“So that’s a ‘no’,” Itachi guessed.

“What a smart boy,” she sneered in return.

“What part of ‘generous’ are you not understanding? This is Uchiha territory. You can’t be so foolish as to not realize that,” Itachi wondered out loud. And Sakura matched his condescending tone perfectly.

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? If the big guy wants to make a deal, he can come see me himself,” replied Sakura. And then she pointed her gun at him.

“Now get the fuck out,” she added. Teeth baring in a grin.

And just because the whole encounter annoyed her, she sent Sai and Tenten out into the night to send a message. Just enough bloodshed to make the cops mad in the morning. While they worked, she went out on her own to get into her own mischief. And the night culminated in her throwing one of the Uchiha-gumi’s members off a bridge, into the Sumida River with a dagger in his back. Just standard Hong Kong procedure.

Despite all these clear messages, the fourth head of the Uchiha-gumi was apparently hard of hearing. He sent his son a second time, this time with a different proposition, several more men, and what looked like kevlar under his jacket judging from the bulkiness.

“We’ll temporarily join hands with you to help you take over Shibuya. It’s profitable. Since it looks like you’re having trouble dealing with the Inuzuka-kai, you should accept our aid,” Itachi declared.

She unleashed four bullets. Four men fell. Two on his left. Two on his right.

“Fuck you. I know that the Uchiha-gumi hates the Inuzuka-kai. I won’t be used as a pawn in your territorial pissing contest,” she retorted, keeping the gun focused on him now. But then she paused.

“Also, I think you’re mistaken about something, Itachi-san. I’m not having trouble with the Inuzuka-kai. I’m having so much fun with them,” she corrected him. Because if she wanted, she could bring over some real firepower from Hong Kong. And these little disputes with the Inuzuka-kai would be over in a month or two. But it was interesting to see how they reacted. The hot temper of their young leader was never completely predictable. It was like a very volatile game of chess.

Something shifted in Itachi’s gaze.

“Then you’re not trying to take over our territory. What’re you really aiming for?” he questioned. Sakura’s eyebrows rose. She considered him as she lowered her gun.

“Hm... your father couldn’t figure that out but you could. Maybe you’re not as boring as I thought,” she remarked. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I want autonomy. It’s too much of a hassle for me to bring in the big guns and stage a hostile takeover. I don’t feel like replacing any of the yakuza here. You can keep all your land and whatever else you have set up here. But in exchange, I’ll buy up a couple places. Have my own little projects. Just let me have my fun,” Sakura listed. She watched Itachi process. Watched him frown as he wondered and considered. And then he shook his head.

“That won’t work,” he decided.

“The triads have connections that you yakuza could never dream of making. We can make shipments undetected since the police won’t be looking for us. And I guarantee that you want me over some of the other triads who might consider moving in here. You stand to gain a lot if I’m around,” she countered. To her surprise, Itachi nodded at all these things.

“I see your point, but my father will never approve,” Itachi explained. And then Sakura scoffed.

“Why does that matter? Then make him change his mind.”

Itachi frowned. “He’s quite stubborn. It’s not that simple.”

“Then you should be in charge. And your word will be law. That’s what I did,” Sakura replied.

“Why does that matter, suddenly? Are you holding a grudge for all those times I shot at you?” Sakura asked, keeping her voice low to avoid being overheard. Still she glanced around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping. Only Tenten drying a glass behind the bar was close enough to hear.

“Technically, you really only shot at me once,” Itachi mused, suddenly looking thoughtful.

“What’s your point?” she sighed, finding her patience running thin.

“It’s been two years since my father died. Now I’m the one in charge,” declared Itachi. A little needlessly, considering that these were two facts that she was well aware of even without him saying so.

“And?” she sighed.

“So now I’m doing whatever I want. Including sending you flowers,” concluded Itachi. Sakura didn’t know what to call the look in his eyes. It wasn’t exactly threatening; nor was it pleasant. Whatever it was, she let him buy another bottle of Dom Perignon. After all, as long as he bought her time, she didn’t have much to complain about.

#eastern suns #itasaku #writing #triad!sakura x yakuza!itachi #my heart hurts #everything hurts #jesus take the wheel #take the whole damn car #i'm going on vacation for the next several days #might not get a chance to update #so here's a longer chapter to hold y'all over #triad!au

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