#interactive fic

scaramouche got a headache just thinking about it. he would've yelled at you, for sure, but was letting the culprit walk away any better?

he sighed, closing and rubbing his eyes. you had very little common sense. the common sense you did have was only given to you by your fears so it wasn't even common either.

"what, y/n?"

"are you mad at me?"

"very."

after his words, he just went back to writing his forms. you just sat there, at your desk, staring at him.

you frowned. you didn't really know your partner that well. he was always so rude and strict---it was hard to believe you actually liked the guy.

"like, really mad?"

scaramouche sighed again. loudly this time, so you could hear. "yes, i'm so angry. it's almost impossible to tell you how angry i am at you right now."

"is that... sarcasm or are you serious?" you sulk.

your partner set his pen down.

he stayed silent, collecting himself before turning to see you eye to eye. "are you seriously asking me this? what are you, twelve?"

you scoffed, looking away. you took your own pen in your hand, tapping your forms and trying to seem unbothered by his question. "jeez, it was just a question... you take things too literally."

the detective beside you gave you a side eye. he obviously didn't believe you. he didn't say anything however, merely going back to his work.

you also went back to your work, internally killing yourself over that embarrassing interaction. at least you initiated the conversation today!

the silence was okay until a fellow officer barged in with an entire group of guys in handcuffs.

the white-haired man sat all of them down while his black and green haired partner went to reception to call them in.

you watched in amazement as cyno handled them so effortlessly. scaramouche looked at your reaction and scoffed. "go back to doing your work, idiot. that'll never be you."

"rude." you mumble under your breath.

your partner rose an eyebrow. "what was that?"

"nothing."

after you had become an officer, you were involved in an incident. it was related to your mother but, unlike her, you survived.

you could do things like that, you knew. you had done things like that.

now, though?

you frowned at the thought of it.

your mother was a detective that worked in organized crime. she had a partner you still didn't know the name of. you only saw her at the funeral you hosted---being your mother's only family to host it.

she gave you a pat on the back and that was it. you never saw her again.

you sighed.

the group of handcuffed men spoke between themselves in hushed whispers. you had no clue what they were saying, their voices muffled by distance, but you saw cyno laugh.

you hadn't seen the guy laugh ever so it was a shock.

his partner, tighnari, came back and noticed. he sighed and shook his head.

"stop being so immature, man." tighnari groaned. he frowned, looking away from cyno before meeting eyes with someone.

he smiled, "hat-guy! i haven't seen you in a bit."

you saw your partner freeze in his seat and then grumble. "i told you not to call me that."

tighnari turned to cyno, "you do the paperwork." ignoring his partner's gasp, he walked over to you and scaramouche.

he had... gentle eyes.

"yes, yes, i know but consider it pay back." he joked.

your partner's frown grew but ultimately, he sighed. scaramouche leaned back in his chair, turning his attention to him. "alright, sure. what do you want then? you're not just walking up to me to say hello."

you watched the interaction in silence. you didn't know scaramouche knew these guys personally...

tighnari nodded, his smile still there. "you're right. i need a small favor."

"hell no." scaramouche scoffed immediately, crossing his arms. "i'm not helping your charity case."

the officer furrowed his eyebrows. "do you mean collei? no, i don't need help with her."

"then with what?"

tighnari took a small slip of paper from his jacket, handing it to scaramouche. "this. a station down in inazuma needs more officers to help in a case. me and cyno were requested to come but we already have commitments up here."

scaramouche frowned. he looked at the slip of paper, reading its details. you shifted in your chair to try to see what it said but your partner stuffed it in his coat pocket before you could read a word.

he glanced over your way, giving you a strange-looking face, before turning his attention back to tighnari. "can't. me and y/n are busy."

tighnari looked a little shocked. "y/n?" his eyes moved from scaramouche to you.

you immediately felt uneasy. you awkwardly waved, then---out of first hand embarrassment---turned to the side, pretending to go back to your work.

both your partner and tighnari gave each other a look before going back to their own conversation.

"i'm sure i could ask our captain to transfer your responsibilities onto one of us." the officer smiled.

scaramouche frowned. "i thought your plate was full."

tighnari's smile stayed on his face. he didn't budge at all, like he had some upper hand on your partner.

you felt scaramouche's pride fight internally before he eventually sighed, mumbling some curses under his breath. "fine. we'll get on it tomorrow."

"oh, actually, they need you both asap."

you both blink.

"w-what? like, now?" your eyes turn to the clock on your desk. it was currently 10:32 p.m..

tighnari nodded. "their station's really close to a hotel that does walk-in's." he turned to your partner. "unless someone has an objection?"

scaramouche gritted his teeth. you had the idea that he was going to start yelling and causing a scene like he normally would but instead he didn't.

he stood up and put his hands in his pocket. he turned to you, still seated at your chair, and frowned. "c'mon, get up. we're leaving."

you stayed quiet, trying to process this plot-twist. "h-huh? wait! don't we have to tell the captai--"

before you could finish your question, tighnari answered it. "oh, that's not a problem. i'll handle it."

scaramouche glared at tighnari for his interference but didn't say anything towards the guy. he looked back at you, grabbing your arm firmly.

"now, let's go." he pulled you out of your chair. "you're driving."

"what?!" you gasped. he pushed you away from your desk and tossed you your car keys.

tighnari watched you two interact, a faint smile on his face. he watched scaramouche push you to the exit and lingered a little while.

"are you usually this mean to them?" he sighed, crossing his arms.

scaramouche looked at tighnari and glared. "i'm not mean."

"sure, you aren't. you okay, though?"

the purple-haired guy scoffed. "stop interrogating me." he grabbed two coats and a coffee cup that definitely didn't belong to him, already on his way. "after this, i don't owe you anything."

tighnari smiled. "don't i decide that? you shot me, remember?"

scaramouche froze in his place. he groaned, glaring at the younger officer, "it was an accident. i apologized already."

"i haven't forgiven you yet."

your partner stayed quiet before scoffing and turning. "whatever. see ya'."

"later. come back intact."

you flinched as your partner slammed the car door shut. he threw his jackets in the back of your car and placed your coffee cup in your cup-holder.

your hands were sweaty on the steering wheel as an awkward presence filled the car.

scaramouche broke the silence first. "are you going to drive?"

you gulped. what did tighnari tell him that has him so aggravated?

"you... you don't have your seatbelt on." you whispered, tapping your finger on the wheel.

your partner stayed silent. he turned to you, slowly. "...are you serious?"

you took a deep breath and nodded. "yeah." you didn't dare look at him, instead 'fixing' your rearview mirror.

he was contemplating cussing you out. like, actually.

what kind of idiot are you?

scaramouche opened his mouth but shut it quickly.

he scoffed at himself for being so easy before tugging on the seatbelt on his right side. there was a rather loud 'click!', confirming his action.

you stayed quiet---you didn't actually think he'd do it. was he being kind?

"are you going to drive now?" he glared at you.

that bursted your bubble real quick.

"y-yeah..!" you said embarrassingly loud, voice cracking as you fumbled with the gearshift.

oh brother.

the ride was quiet. with you anxiously driving and scaramouche scrolling on his phone, there wasn't a lot to talk about.

you still tried, though.

"so..." you started. "can i ask why you were so adamant on saying no?"

"mind your business."

"right."

your lips turned into a thin line. you figured he just didn't want to talk about it but you didn't know why and that was killing you.

your attention turned to him instead of the road once again when he yawned. "oh, are you tired?"

he put his phone in his pocket and frowned at you. "i'm tired of your voice."

ah.

that... definitely hurt your ego but you prevailed. "you can drink some of my coffee if you need to." you smiled.

your partner's frown deepened.

he looked away at the view outside of the window. you two had been on the road for an hour and fifteen-ish minutes so it was dark. the trees and streets were illuminated by the lights of cars passing by on the road.

"worry about the road rather than me, y/n."

"r-right!" you sat up straight, eyes directly on the road.

he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, leaning back onto his seat. he had a small smile on his face.

you didn't notice.

you stayed up, continuing to drive where your gps told you to go until you hit a border checkpoint.

there was a long line of cars coming in and out. there were some officers there, wearing a different uniform than you and scaramouche had to wear during your rookie days.

you hadn't been in inazuma in a while due to personal reasons and just seeing the familiar place made your heart drop. your hands trembled, gripping tighter onto the steering wheel as the cars in front of you moved forward.

it was eventually your turn.

an officer tapped on your window's glass. you rolled it down, trying not to seem awkward and smiled.

the officer didn't give you one back. "what's the purpose for this visit?"

they seemed cranky. probably because they were working at mid-night instead of sleeping.

you brush past it. "oh, me and my partner here got called to work with the tenryou commission." you point to scaramouche, hoping that the officer won't think he's dead or that you kidnapped him because he's asleep.

you squint as the officer turns on a flashlight and shines it in both of your faces. scaramouche's nose scrunches and he shifts in his sleep, turning his head towards his window.

the officer's eyebrows rose. they looked shocked for some reason.

they turned their flashlight off, putting it back in a holster or something. they tipped their hat faintly, looking away. "sorry for disturbing you two."

you shake your head, smiling. "it's fine."

the officer just nodded at your reassurance. they stood there as you started driving, watching your car leave.

you felt free, knowing that the officers don't remember you.

even though you still remembered the incident, the city had forgotten. you doubt anyone remembered, actually.

you kept your window down, letting the cold breeze of the night brush against your face.

staying up always felt better than not being able to go to sleep.

you contemplated turning the radio on but scaramouche was asleep---he'd kill you for waking him up.

you smile a little, thinking about your partner.

you yawned. you grabbed your coffee cup, drinking the rest of the now-cold caffeine.

placing the cup back in your cup-holder, you glanced at the gps.

you two were close to the hotel and the station.

you smiled. you're glad that the location hadn't changed. much of inazuma hadn't changed from when you last lived there.

it looked entirely the same.

you looked at your dashboard. your car also needed gas.

you sulk. you hadn't expected a trip out of your nation so you hadn't filled up on your tank.

the hotel was really close by but could you make it in time?

notes: i lwk forgot about this draft until today so sorry if it seems rushed ! also, every action adds or subtracts your life - you'll find out which option does what every new chapter 😚 some chapters will have instakill options though, so watch out ! taglist: @breathlessasphyxia, @akiyodesu