#and also that Hyde’s lines are the messier of the two

[paris-in-space]

The drawings are a bit rough but… Jekyll and Hyde designs >:)

[pocket-luv101]

Spellbound by the Music || Chapter 4

Fandom: Servamp Characters: Mahiru, Kuro, Licht, Hyde, Snow Lily Pairings: KuroMahi (main), LawLicht (side)

Summary: Mahiru came to Kuro with an offer. He would help reduce his prison sentence if he solved a mystery with him. They have to work together to catch a serial killer. {Detective AU}

Ch.1 || Ch.2 || Ch.3 || (Ch.4) ||

“I’m sorry about my brother.” Kuro said as they drove back to the station. His brother approached Licht for his sake but Kuro doubted he could explain everything to Mahiru. He still felt the need to apologize to him though. He couldn’t help but think of how pale Mahiru became when he thought his cousin was in danger. Also, Mahiru gave him a chance to see his family again.

“I have to apologize for Licht’s behaviour as well. Your brother was probably there to interview someone for his job but Licht attacked him. If I remember right, he’s a journalist.” He nodded in answer. Kuro was thankful that Mahiru’s assumption was much better than the truth. He had to wonder if Mahiru believed his own words when he added. “It’s remarkable that Hyde knew that Licht and I were related. We don’t have much of a family resemblance.”

“The world is full of coincidences.” Kuro shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant about the encounter. He didn’t want Mahiru to discover that his family was involved in the robberies as well. The entire reason he turned himself in was because he wanted to protect his siblings. “You’ve met my family so you know we don’t look anything alike.”

“I’m an only child but I was a little jealous of others with big families. I already mentioned that we should arrange a dinner with them. Just make sure not to talk about the investigation or that Licht might be a target. We don’t want private information to reach the public and the killer.” He warned. Kuro realized that Mahiru earlier words weren’t him suspecting Hyde of anything. He was more worried about his investigation than anything. He was reminded of how Mahiru was a dedicated detective.

His phone rang and Mahiru searched for a place he could pull over. Unfortunately, all of the spots were taken. When he drove to Licht’s hotel, he took his own car instead of a police vehicle so he didn’t have a radio to answer the call either. “Kuro, can you reach into my right pocket and get my work phone? Put it on speaker too. It might be something important about the investigation.”

“You can’t break a law as simple as ‘don’t text and drive’?” Even as he asked that, Kuro leaned towards him and slipped his hand into his pants’ pocket. He couldn’t find his phone so he moved closer to search in his other pocket.

“Wait, Kuro, I meant my jacket’s right pocket.” Mahiru quickly correct him and blushed. Kuro didn’t know why seeing him flustered made him feel the same. He hid how he felt though. He found his phone quickly enough and answered it for Mahiru. After he clicked speaker, he held it close to Mahiru. From the angry voice he heard, he doubted he needed to put it on speaker.

“Mahiru, where are you? I didn’t authorize for you to leave the station.” He went out because he thought Licht was in danger. Mahiru doubted his boss would accept that as an answer though. He knew that it was rather selfish of him to let his personal feelings affect the investigation.

Mahiru bit his lip and composed himself. “I’m sorry, chief. I received a call and I thought it was connected with the serial killer. It was a dead end though. I’m on my way back to the station right now. Did something come up while I was gone?”

“Something? There was another murder. You’re lucky you’re one of our best detectives. We need you to go to the location. At least you’re on the road already.” His chief gave him the address and Kuro typed it into the GPS with his free hand. As he did that, he could see Mahiru’s face tense. He could guess what was going through his mind.

When the call ended, Kuro said: “If I was in your shoes and I got that text from my siblings, I would’ve done the same thing. You couldn’t have known that something would happen either so don’t make that guilty face. Isn’t this the time you would say something like: ‘We need to work hard and solve this case so everyone will be safe’?”

“You make me sound like one of those shonen protagonists who preaches too much.” Mahiru pouted but he had to smile after a moment. He knew that Kuro was trying to encourage him even though he was a little ungraceful with his words. He switched lanes and said, “We better go to the crime scene quickly and solve this case.”

“That’s a classic shonen protagonist line right there.” Kuro smirked at Mahiru’s reaction to his teasing. In the short time he knew Mahiru, he was able to understand the person he was. He was simple but that wasn’t a negative to Kuro.

“One more comment like that and I’m going to make you help me with paperwork when we get home.”

“You went from a hero to a housewife in two sentences.”

Mahiru stepped out of his car and looked over the gated home. He was already assessing the scene as he moved to stand next to Kuro. He took off his uniform jacket and held it out to him. “Wear this, Kuro. Most of the officers already know that you’re my partner on the case but this should help you blend in more. We can’t go in until the crime photographers finish. Do you have any questions while we wait?”

“Can I stay in the car while you work? I missed a few hours of sleep last night so I would like to catch up on them.” Kuro asked as he leaned against the car. He slipped off his jacket and wore the one Mahiru gave him, assuming that Mahiru would say no. His answer surprised him though.

“You can sleep in the car. I would’ve liked a fresh perspective but I understand if this entire situation makes you uncomfortable. You’re a normal citizen, after all. I would never make you look at the body. My only intention was for you to listen to me interview the person who found the body.” Mahiru took out his keys from his pocket. “If you get hot, turn on the AC. I need to talk to the first responders.”

He started to walk towards the uniformed men but he was surprised to see Kuro follow behind him. He smiled encouragingly to him and continued to walk away. As they approached the officers, Kuro could feel stares stabbing his back. He decided to stay with Mahiru since he defended him from the other detectives and made him feel comfortable.

Mahiru waved to one of the officers on duty. He also took out his badge so the officer wouldn’t assume he was a civilian since Kuro was wearing his uniformed jacket. “Hello, I am Detective Shirota and this is my partner, Kuro Ash. It’s rather early but can you tell me what you have so far?”

“The victim’s name is Emi Igawa. Her manager found the body when he came to drive her to an interview. She was killed in the living room. It looks like another gunshot but we need to wait for the autopsy to be certain.” The officer told him and Mahiru nodded. He went to write a few notes in a small book he usually kept in his pocket. Mahiru realized that Kuro had his notebook since he gave him his jacket.

“I want to look over the crime scene before I interview her manager. That should give him more time to process everything. Tell me if anything else comes up.” When he would’ve asked Kuro to give him his notebook, he found him surveying the front yard. He wondered if something caught his attention. Kuro was standing in front of a large window and looking into the house.

His attention was only pulled away when Mahiru waved a pair of gloves in him. “You might want to put these on or else you’ll get your fingerprints everywhere and compromise the crime scene. Is there something here, Kuro? I can have this window dusted for prints.”

“I don’t think the person would use this window to enter the house since it faces the street.” Kuro said as he pulled on the gloves. The window looked into the kitchen but the open layout of the house let him see partially into the living room. While he could see the police inside the house, he couldn’t see the body. He glanced from the window to the gate behind them. “But maybe someone walking by saw something through this window.”

“It would be great if we can find a witness. Are there any other places the killer might’ve overlook?” Mahiru asked and Kuro scanned the front of the house. The thoughtful expression he had was surprisingly attractive. He had strong features but Mahiru hadn’t noticed before because Kuro usually had a disinterested expression. He walked around him and looked over the area himself.

“The other crime scenes didn’t have forced entry and it looks like this house is the same. Igawa must’ve let them in. There’s a camera pointing at the front door. We can review it later tonight. Hopefully, it caught the criminal on tape and we can narrow down the suspect list.” It saddened Mahiru that the victim was possibly killed by someone she trusted.

“If I was robbing this place, I would avoid this front yard like the plague. There are too many chances someone or a camera would catch me. Does the side entrance have a camera as well?” Kuro pointed to the door he could see through the window. “She was smart enough to have a camera watching the front door but it doesn’t look like there are any insides.”

“Not many people think to instal cameras, especially when they live on a quiet street like this.” Mahiru sighed. He walked around the house to the door Kuro pointed to earlier. He made sure to put on gloves before he opened the glass door and entered the kitchen. “If the killer knew to avoid the front door’s camera, we should have every entry point dusted. Please wait here in the kitchen.”

After he gave him the instruction, Mahiru walked through the foyer to the living room. While he never said it, Kuro knew that Mahiru was going to examine the body and wanted to shield him from it.

Mahiru’s stomach turned when he saw the body. He had seen messier and bloodier crime scenes but death would always upset him. Once the crime photographers put away their cameras, Mahiru knelt next to the body. He lifted her limp hand to see if there were any defense wounds. “It doesn’t appear like there was much of a struggle. There’s an exit wound so we need to find the bullet. That will help us know where the killer was standing when he shot her.”

He backed away from the body so they could take it to be examined. He searched the area near the body for anything that was out of place. Mahiru discovered a small mark on the wall and the bullet beneath it. He had a photographer take pictures of it before he picked it up. There were etching on the bullet so he knew that a silencer was used.

“Kuro, can you tell me when you’re able to see me?” Mahiru asked Kuro in the kitchen. He followed the path the bullet would’ve taken until Kuro called his name. “This spot isn’t too far from the body. I think you’re right about the window. We have a lot of people to interview. They took away the body so can you come in and help me?”

He walked into the room and the first thing he noticed was Mahiru’s sad eyes. Mahiru continued with his search and collected anything that could be used for forensic evidence. Kuro didn’t know what he could do to help him so he trailed behind him. He spotted a framed newspaper article and read the headline. “A promising, new star has appear. Destined to take the music industry to new heights.”

“I’m certain that was true. Every time I interview friends and family of the musicians killed, they would say something similar. It’s a shame they never had a chance to make an impact on the world.” Mahiru worried his lower lip. He was drawn to the piano and the small table next to it. There was a colourful planner resting among the music sheets.

“Let’s see if she was planning to meet anyone today or last night. We don’t know when she died exactly.” Mahiru flipped through the pages. Kuro looked over his shoulder to read the planner as well. It was obvious that Emi was very dedicated to her piano because most of her days were filled with rehearsals. “Oh, she had lunch with her friends yesterday. We should interview them and ask if they noticed anything strange or someone following Emi.”

“So, we have to interview her manager, neighbours, anyone who might’ve passed by the house and her friends. That’s a long list. I don’t know how you can manage all of this. I know I can’t.” Kuro said and Mahiru smiled wearily.

“Being a detective isn’t as glamorous as movies portray it. There are more interviews and paperwork than car chases. But I love my job.” Mahiru sealed the journal into a bag and labeled it. “I think you are doing very well in your new job. You have an eye for detail.”

At his honest compliment, Kuro blushed a little. He didn’t know if Mahiru was merely being kind or not. He never thought the skills he developed as a thief would help him outside of crimes, let alone be commended by a detective. Then again, Mahiru was nothing like the other detectives he knew.

Kuro laid in his futon but he couldn’t sleep. There was a lot on his mind and he had to wonder if he could help Mahiru as much as he wanted. While he listen to him interview people, he felt awkward and out of place. He wasn’t the best when it came to people and analyzing their behaviour. He had trouble talking with people as well.

The other reason he couldn’t fall asleep was because Mahiru was working in the futon next to his. It was late and staring at the dim screen must’ve hurt his eyes. Yet, Mahiru continued to type on his laptop. Kuro rolled onto his side and examined his face. Even with only the laptop’s screen, he could see the intense focus he had. “Are you typing up the notes you made today? You know you can do that tomorrow, right?”

“Oh, you’re awake, Kuro?” Mahiru was taken aback a little when he heard his voice. He assumed that he was asleep already. He dimmed the brightness of his screen as he said, “Am I stopping you from sleeping? I’m sorry. I wanted to organize everything we found today. Thinking simply, that should give us a clearer picture of everything and make sure we don’t overlook stuff. Do you want me to build a wall of pillows between us to block the light?”

Kuro had to chuckle when he pictured it. “Why do all your simple solutions seem to involve more work? I’m fine. My siblings love to tell the story of how I slept through a tornado. You’re the one who should worry about sleeping. Haven’t your uncle ever lectured you about staying up too late on your laptop? Then again, you seem like one of those goody-two-shoes kids.”

“Hey, I’ve broken a rule before so no name calling.” Mahiru insisted and Kuro raised a brow at him. He was both intrigued and curious by the admission. He couldn’t picture Mahiru getting into trouble.

“What did you do?”

“Promise not to tell anyone?” He whispered and Kuro nodded. Mahiru shifted closer to the edge of the futon and spoke in a soft voice. “It was when I was a teenager—seventeen, I think. Licht’s father were performing in a casino nearby so he was going to stay at our house for the night. Licht really wanted to watch him but it was past our curfew and we were underaged. He looked really sad so I decided to help him sneak in. You should’ve been there when we were caught!”

“Wait, did you drink, gamble or use a fake ID?”

“No, we only wanted to watch the performance. My senpai worked at the casino and he let us through the back door.” He explained. Kuro started to laugh and he had to hug his stomach. Mahiru crawled out of his futon and leaned over Kuro. He pouted down at him. “Why are you laughing? We got into a lot of trouble that night.”

“Mahiru, you can barely call that a rebellious childhood. The worst you could’ve been charged with was a misdemeanor for trespassing. Moreover, your goal was to help Licht.” His laughter faded but a small grin lingered on his face. Mahiru leaned back but he didn’t return to his futon. He sat next to him and hugged his knees to his chest.

“Your wish to help the poor was good too, Kuro. You just went about it the wrong way. I understand that morality is complicated and everyone has their own definition of justice. It’s rarely black and white. My job is to give justice to the victim and everyone involved.” Mahiru returned to his futon and picked up his notebook. “We have another packed day tomorrow so you should go to sleep. I’m almost finished so the light won’t bother you for much longer. Goodnight, Kuro.”

“Night.” He doubted he could convince Mahiru to sleep as well when he was focused on his work. Kuro heard him yawn and he glanced back to him. He found that he was asleep. Exhaustion must’ve caught up to him. “I can’t believe I’m handcuffed to a workaholic like you. You don’t even know your limits. Can’t deal.”

He moved to kneel next to him and he adjusted the blanket over Mahiru. Kuro saw the peaceful expression he had while he slept and he thought of all the different faces he had. He pulled himself away to save the document Mahiru was working on and shut down his laptop. He returned to his futon and laid down. The sound of Mahiru’s even breathing was surprisingly calming and Kuro found himself drifting off as well.

Licht knocked on his manager’s door. He received a call earlier and Kranz wanted to talk to him. Shortly after he knocked, the door opened but it wasn’t Kranz who answered it. He was shocked to see Hyde and he had to question why he was there. He didn’t bother to ask him why he was in the room before he went to kick him.

“I knew you were a demon, Shit Rat!” He yelled. It irritated Licht that Hyde was easily able to dodge his attack. He ran after him to kick him again. “Get back here so I can fight you! You might’ve tricked Mahiru yesterday but I’m going to drag you back to him. You’re going to jail.”

“No one is going to jail.” Kranz came between them and grabbed their arms. Reluctantly and angrily, Licht stopped and backed away from him. He watched Hyde distrustfully with the intent of fighting him again once Kranz was gone. “I’m glad you’re here, Licht. It seems like you two already know each other and that makes this much easier. Licht, Hyde will be your new bodyguard.”

“My what?”

“Your bodyguard, Angel Cakes.” Hyde ruffled his hair in a teasing gesture that quickly led to Licht kicking him.