But here's the thing: that shouldn't be true at the Hunting Dog's offices.

When he entered, there were four heartbeats, exactly as it should be. What was strange, however, was that one of them started to race like a freight train when he walked through the door.

"Welcome back," Teruko said cheerfully.

"I'm back," Saigiku said, his voice a little quiet as he pinpointed the owner of the nervous heart.

It couldn't be Teruko or Fukuzawa based on size, so that meant it was either Suehiro or Tachihara. He could hear Suehiro doing push-ups by the window, so that left him with Tachihara. The realization put him a bit on edge. Tachihara had betrayed one group already. Mission or no, Saigiku wasn't the sort to trust so easily. Figuring out why Tachihara was nervous became priority #1 on his list.

He approached Tachihara's desk silently. The man didn't suspect a thing or turn around until Saigiku spoke up behind him. "What can you tell me about Michael Ende?"

Even though he'd startled him on purpose, Tachihara's reaction was still a bit extreme. "Jouno! I-I didn’t know you were here." He clutched at his chest, rubbing at it as his heart-rate attempted to go back to normal. Saigiku merely lifted an eyebrow, waiting for Tachihara to answer his question.

The change of subject to something like Micheal Ende—a low-level ability user they'd been keeping tabs on since his entry into Japan—should've put a traitor's mind at ease. There was no way Tachihara could betray them on that front, and if Saigiku didn't immediately move onto a subject Tachihara were guilty of, he would've relaxed.

So what the Hell was wrong with him, then? "Tachihara," Saigiku paused the man took a sharp breath at the use of his name. Another strange response to add to the list. "Are you sick?"

It was a stupid question. Saigiku knew he wasn't. He could smell a cold from a mile away and feel a fever from farther than that. But, it would be another move away from any suspicious situation Tachihara might be in. If he was planning a betrayal of the Hunting Dogs, he should've calmed.

Instead, Tachihara's heart beat faster. That was dangerous, considering his heart already sounded like it might burst. "I'm fine," Tachihara said, obviously struggling to keep his tone even, "Didn't get much sleep last night."

As if to mock his obvious lie, Tachihara knocked a stack of papers from his desk. He cursed.

Saigiku rolled his eyes and was about to walk away—it was Tachihara's mess to clean up after all—but at the last second he came up with another hypothesis for Tachihara's nerves. A mischievous smile crept onto Saigiku's face as he bent down to help, kneeling uncomfortably close to Tachihara.

As expected, the moment their thighs brushed, Tachihara blushed hot enough for Saigiku to feel it. Without any sort of grace, Tachihara shifted away. A Hunting Dog should be better at disguising their emotions, but Saigiku set that aside for now. Instead, he set his sights on Tachihara's hand, slowly but surely inching their fingers closer and closer together until there was only a single page left on the ground. The moment Tachihara reached for it, Saigiku reached for it too. For just a second, their fingers brushed and that's all it took to get Tachihara to freeze up entirely. If Saigiku wasn't mistaken, his heart even literally skipped a beat.

Saigiku smiled to himself as he handed the paper over to Tachihara. He'd just gotten a fantastic piece of blackmail the next time Suehiro and Teruko needed babysitting.

Second: Gift

After Saigiku had noticed Tachihara's little crush, it was so blindingly obvious that he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed sooner.

Tachihara would find all sorts of excuses to go on partnered missions with Saigiku or bring him coffee in the morning even though Saigiku rarely touched it. Hell, once he'd even found an excuse to bring paperwork straight to Saigiku's dorm. It was ridiculous. Somehow, the rest of the office had remained blissfully unaware of the crush and of course, Saigiku didn't let on to his knowledge. He kept that little trump card in his pocket for when he really needed to play it. For now, he was more than happy to make Tachihara's life miserable.

Saigiku used every trick in the book to touch Tachihara. Without fail, it brought the man's heart rate up to a frankly concerning amount. If Saigiku was feeling particularly evil, he'd hit Tachihara with a real one-two punch: taking a hold of his shoulder then leaning in close enough to whisper in his ear with a seductively low voice. That was sure to turn Tachihara to a distracted mess in meetings, crime scenes, and anywhere else Saigiku had tried it.

It was hilarious.

However, when Tachihara turned down a group mission for the first time in months, Saigiku had to wonder if he'd taken it too far. A part of him didn't care. If Tachihara got over his emotions, then it'd make Saigiku's life easier. Another part of him was a little upset to have lost a valuable source of entertainment. It was an annoyance more than anything, but... Well, Saigiku had to admit he was a little slower on that mission than he should've been.

"What have you been doing‽" Teruko demanded when they returned to the office. She kicked Tachihara's chair hard enough that it skittered along the carpet just a bit. "Did you just skip work to lay around, you big lout‽"

It did seem Tachihara had spent his time at his desk eating snacks and folding paper airplanes. Saigiku had to wrinkle up his nose to the overwhelming smell of sugary candies. It was a miracle Tachihara didn't seem to have a stomach ache.

Saigiku listened to Teruko scold Tachihara with no small amount of amusement. She was only pacified when he gave her a bag of his candy. With the loss of their argument, there was nothing for Saigiku to do other than work on paperwork.

Like usual, it weighed on him. After a lifetime of blindness, filling out forms wasn't half as difficult as it could've been. However, he was always slower than his colleagues. Times like this put that in sharp focus. Fukuchi, Teruko, and Suehiro all trickled out at their own pace, calling out 'good-byes' over their shoulders. Then it was only him and Tachihara.

Tachihara remained just as obvious as usual. It was easy to tell he was staring at Saigiku as he worked.

"Haven't you got some bar to patronize?" Saigiku asked, a smile on his face but an edge to his voice.

Tachihara stiffened for only a second, then he sighed and stood. "No." He closed the distance between their two desks.

Inwardly, Saigiku groaned. He wasn't in the mood for his usual teasing. It was too much effort.

Tachihara's heart gave a nervous tick as he set something down on the desk. Saigiku turned his head towards the object, brow furrowing. "What's this?" he asked.

Tachihara shrugged. "Nothing."

"A bomb, then."

Tachihara let out a beleaguered sigh. "It's a birthday gift."

Birthday, huh? Saigiku raised an eyebrow. He supposed he must have one of those, although he didn't know why on Earth Tachihara knew the day. Maybe it was in his file. Saigiku reached out to touch the object, a small box of soft wood. He delicately traced the edges of the box with his fingers before finally picking it up and finding the seam. Tachihara held his breath.

Saigiku cracked open the box, then reached inside to pull out whatever object it was. A perfectly spherical object reached him, small but cold. He pinched it up in his fingers and rolled it around. "A marble?" he asked.

"A bullet," Tachihara corrected, "An old one. Found it once."

Saigiku wasn't sure how to react, which was a terribly disconcerting feeling. He should be able to come up with at least a fake response to such a situation. Instead, he let the bullet roll in the palm of his hand.

"Don't think of it as anything special. I only picked it up this morning on my way out of the house."

Saigiku heard the lie in Tachihara's voice, but for once he didn't correct it. If he did, Tachihara might realize Saigiku wasn't so clueless to his crush. "I don't have much of a need for presents," he said instead, "You should've kept it."

Tachihara shrugged again, but his disappointment was palpable. "Wasn't anything of worth to me. Toss it if you want."

To Saigiku's own shock, he felt a little guilty to have insulted him for a gift. In truth, it was the first birthday gift he remembered receiving. Before he could stop himself, he rushed to remedy the situation. "I'll accept it this once. It is quite nice."

Tachihara perked up again, although he clearly tried to hide it. "Yeah, whatever," he said and he turned toward the office door, "See you tomorrow, Jouno."

Saigiku rolled the bullet between his fingers, then between his hands. He relished in the weight of it in his hands, although he'd never admit it. An antique bullet never would've been on his mind as a gift and Hell if he knew what he was going to do with it, but he could admit he liked it. There was comfort in the object somehow... Which was stupid, he reminded himself. There was nothing comforting about a bullet and nothing important in a gift.

But Saigiku's mind was a traitor. It kept whispering over and over again how nice it was to receive a gift, how nice it was for Tachihara to look up his birthday, how nice it was to have someone remember his birthday for the first time in his life... 

Tachihara clearly had more than a crush.

Third: Injury

Saigiku practically threw his coat on the coatrack as soon as he entered. He'd have rather thrown it in the face of Teruko, but she didn't deserve his wrath. No, it was Fukuchi he was pissed at. He'd returned from a mission not even hours ago, but he was already being called back in. If he had another assignment, Saigiku was more than prepared to use a bit of manipulation to get himself out of it.

Saigiku took a quick tally of everyone in the room, as he often did. Fukuchi was in his office, of course, Teruko was at her desk, and Suehiro had somehow found himself on top of the refrigerator. Tachihara stood not far off, smelling of rubble and sweat, so he'd only just got done with a mission as well.

"Jouno," Tachihara said in greeting.

Saigiku scowled in response.

"Fukuchi's gotta be joking."

"All in a dog's work," Saigiku said.

Tachihara gave a small hum of agreement. Saigiku took a step towards Fukuchi's office.

Tachihara suddenly made a grab for Saigiku's hand. Saigiku twisted out of range just in time, but he still sent Tachihara an unambiguous look of disgust. Despite this, he made another move to grab it. Saigiku snatched up his wrist and squeezed it harshly.

"I just want to see your hand," Tachihara said in a slightly strained tone.

"My hand is my hand. It's none of your business." Saigiku would've let go of Tachihara, but he was still attempting to touch him.

"You're bleeding."

Saigiku frowned and, in a very rare instance, focused on his own body. His heart was beating a little fast, he smelled of sweat and wine, and... his hand did hurt now that he thought about it. He let go of Tachihara's wrist to gently touch the back of his hand. He let out a hiss as the pain hit him. The wound was a bit deep. How had he done that? How had he only just noticed it? Perhaps it would pay off to put a little attention on himself from time to time... 

"If you're not going to bandage it up, let me," Tachihara said.

Saigiku shook his head, pulling down his sleeve to cover up the injury. The fabric brushing against the cut almost made him wince. "After Fukuchi."

"You'll bleed all over the carpet," Tachihara said and he finally succeeded in taking hold of Saigiku's wrist.

It'd clearly been too long since he'd had non-professional interactions because Saigiku's heart leaped at the contact. Tachihara's fingers were soft and careful as he peeled off the ruined glove. Even he applied a burning disinfectant, he still seemed to be doing it with care, trying his best not to hurt Saigiku. It was almost embarrassing to be doted on. His ears were uncomfortably warm as he let Tachihara bandage him up. Saigiku had to admit, though, that Tachihara had probably done a better and quicker job than he would've done alone, all while being gentle.

Just how bad of a crush did Tachihara have?

Fourth: Truth

Missions like this had a tendency to make Saigiku's skin crawl. Being among so many rich, entitled assholes who only gave him the time of day because he wore the right things and spoke the right words was awful. Even one slip-up would cause all that hard work to go to waste. What an annoying, stupid, self-absorbed bunch. As important as information-gathering was, he wished there were better ways. It was a crying shame he was good at it.

Tachihara, on the other hand, was not good at parties. While Teruko, Fukuchi, and Suehiro all held their own at this to some degree, Tachihara was a fifth limb that kept Saigiku from truly getting his job done. He tripped, he spilled drinks, he stumbled over his words... Truly a walking disaster. It'd always been Saigiku's assumption that this was part of the act, an act that would trap the altruistic types who would pity such a man. Unfortunately, Saigiku had become hyper-aware of Tachihara's emotions since his discovery of the crush and now he knew better. For the first time, he noticed that Tachihara was nervous. Scratch that; Tachihara was panicking.

Despite the risk, Saigiku found himself making his way through the crowd to stand in front of Tachihara. He was against a wall, smiling politely at anyone who looked, but he seemed incapable of approaching anyone at this point. His breathing was shallow and fast, and his pulse was nothing to sneeze at. Instead of the thudding that it made when he was nervous around Saigiku, Tachihara's pulse was a screeching animal, begging to be free.

"You look a little lost," Saigiku said, flattery dripping from every inch of his voice.

Tachihara's breath hitched as his head snapped to face Saigiku. "I'm—I'm overwhelmed is all, sir," Tachihara said, doing his due diligence to appear unacquainted.

Saigiku smiled softly and hummed, placing a soft hand on Tachihara's arm, an open invitation for anyone watching to interpret his intentions incorrectly. "Unprepared for so many people?"

Saigiku heard Tachihara swallow. He could feel the other man's arm stiffen at his touch. Surely he understood this was an act for the mission? He couldn't be stupid enough to think he was actually showing some affection. Well, if he did think that... why did that bother Saigiku? "There's a lot more than I expected," Tachihara said after a long pause.

Saigiku smiled sinfully and leaned in close, letting his lips brush Tachihara's ear. "Let's get out of here then, shall we?"

Tachihara nodded and Saigiku gently lead him to one of the many private rooms afforded to guests. The moment the door clicked closed, Saigiku dropped Tachihara's hand unceremoniously. Tachihara collapsed into a chair and then began rubbing at his chest. "What's going on?" Tachihara asked, his voice a little hesitant. Hopeful actually, Saigiku noticed with a pang that shouldn't have felt.

"You should tell the Commander what missions you're going to be next to useless for," Saigiku said.

"Watch what you're saying."

"Because it hurts your feelings? Or because someone might be listening? There's no bugs, I would be able to hear them."

Tachihara seemed to have no answer to that. He focused on steadying his breathing, breath by breath, while Saigiku stood there. Now that he had completed his goal of separating Tachihara before he could do more damage, Saigiku really should leave. If he did that however, then it would be obvious that they're tryst had just been a ruse. Never know who might be watching at parties like these. With a sigh, Saigiku fell into the chair across from Tachihara and started to tug off his tie. When he reached for the top button fo his shirt, Tachihara sucked in a panicked breath.

"Wha—what are you doing?" he asked. His heart went started beating uncontrollably fast.

For once, Saigiku was not amused. "I'm hot. And I hate these things anywas." He draped the tie over the chair.

"O—oh." Although Tachihara said it a if he understood, Saigiku could still hear his heart racing.

He leaned over in his seat to ruffle up Tachihara's hair. He popped up his collar a bit, his fingers brushing against the exposed skin of Tachihara's neck for just a moment. They both took in a breath at once, a fact that Saigiku was determined to pretend didn't happen. Tachihara tried to shy away, but Saigiku took a firm grip of his hair. "It'll be more convincing if it at least look like we properly fucked."

Tachihara stopped breathing entirely, something that concerned Saigiku more than he cared to admit. Tachihara was already losing too much oxygen. Saigiku carefully withdrew, moving to muss his own hair instead.

"Why—" Tachihara started, and then he had to clear his throat before continuing, "Why'd you get me out of the ballroom anyway?"

"You clearly don't do well with crowds." Saigiku sat back before realizing that that wasn't a good reason. It was a personal one, having no logic behind it. "And you were jeopardizing the mission. I don't know why Fukuchi keeps letting you come with us."

Tachihara paused before answering. "Sorry..."

"Don't be 'sorry'. Just tell him so that I don't have to fight against you every step of the way."

"I'm more than capable—"

"I never said you weren't," Saigiku pointed out, "Everyone has a weak spot, Tachihara, which is why you leave the job for others."

Tachihara stood from his chair and walked in a small, angry circle. "I can handle it!"

Saigiku raised an eyebrow at Tachihara's tone. He'd felt him getting angry, but it was quite possibly the first time Tachihara had actually raised his voice at him. Saigiku was at a loss on how to react. "Don't take kindly to having weaknesses, Michizou?"

Tachihara definitely hesitated at the use of his given name, but he didn't calm like Saigiku had hoped he would. He still pushed on in his anger. "I fought my way here of my own merit. I get to decide what I'm capable of."

"So why'd you come in here for a break if you were so in control?"

"Because I wanted to!"

A smile turned up the corner of Saigiku's lip. Tachihara had just slipped up and Saigiku felt the very moment when he realized as much. All the anger went rushing out of Tachihara and his heart pounded loudly in his chest.

Some sick part of Saigiku couldn't help but push his luck. He wanted Tachihara to admit it out loud now. Hoarding the information all for himself suddenly didn't seem all the enticing. He stood with as much grace as he could manage, then took long, smooth strides towards Tachihara. In seconds, he had him pinned against the wall, their faces inches away. Tachihara's nervous breathing echoed in the now silent room. "Why? Something in here you like?"

Tachihara didn't even hesitate. Their teeth clicked as he roughly forced their mouths together, a sensation that caused Saigiku's head to ring. There was no ceremony or sentimentality behind the kiss. It was raw need swarming out of Tachihara as he fought with the emotions in his ribcage. Saigiku's eyes opened for the first time in years. His eyes stared blankly ahead, trying to process the strange feeling of another pair of lips against his own.

What was stranger, was that he didn't think he hated it. For one terrible second, Saigiku’s eyes closed and he pushed back, wanting to pull Tachihara closer.

Saigiku scowled and pushed their bodies apart hard enough that Tachihara's head hit the wall. He stumbled back, the two of them struggling to catch their breath. Saigiku rubbed the spit off the corner of his mouth. "What possessed you to fall for a man like me?" Saigiku asked, his voice full of disgust and amusement.

Tachihara didn't speak or move for a moment longer. Then, he strode across the room to put on his tie in one, flurried movement. "I don't know," he growls, "Hell, half the time I think I hate you."

"A much more reasonable response."

“I happen to know you're not as reasonable as you think," Tachihara said, hand on the doorknob, "and I also happen to know you didn't bring me in here because I was 'jeopardizing the mission'."

He was gone before Saigiku could even give a smart retort.

Fifth: Warning

"It's the single stupidest idea you've ever had," Saigiku said hurriedly.

"She clearly likes me," Tachihara snapped back, "I don't see how I can't use that to our advantage."

"She wants to kidnap you. There's a world of difference between that and 'liking' you."

"You would know."

Saigiku bristled. For no good reason, his heart stuttered in her chest. "No. I don't."

"You'll save me if I need saving," Tachihara said.

"You're being needlessly reckless."

Tachihara turned around in one fluid movement and shoved his finger accusingly towards Saigiku's chest. "And what do you care?"

There was a level of hurt to Tachihara's voice that made Saigiku swallow. His body stiffened involuntarily and he hated himself for it. His head was very certain he hated Tachihara, but unfortunately, his body didn't seem so sure. In defense, his tongue lashed out. "You sure take rejection poorly, don't you?"

"'Rejection'‽" Tachihara scoffs.

Saigiku acted like he hadn't spoken. "Think you're handsome enough to woo anyone you please? That's not going to work on me."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't get kidnapped and I'll believe you. For now, I'm still convinced you think more highly of me than you'll admit."

"A dead Hunting Dog's member is a hassle to replace." A sarcastic answer was all Saigiku could give. He was trapped in a corner. If he said anything more, it'd show his uncertainties. Anything less would be an agreement.

"I won't die and you know it," Tachihara picked up his suit jacket, heading for the door, "Not if you and the others do your job."

"There's other ways to get this info—"

"But it's the best way. I thought you of all people were all about efficiency, Saigiku."

The use of his name threw Saigiku so off balance that he couldn't even respond before Tachihara spoke again.

"I'll come back because I've got an offer for you after this mission's over. And I think you want to hear it."

He left the hotel room and all Saigiku could do was stand there and wonder. Why was he so against this? Tachihara was more than capable of taking care of himself and this woman didn't pose hardly any threat. It was the most efficient route to info, and that was the whole point of the mission. People who thought they had a pliable victim in their hands tended to be more loose-lipped.

And he also had to wonder... what kind of 'offer' did Tachihara mean? Saigiku had an idea—an idea that should've made his skin crawl. Instead, he got goosebumps as his heartbeat quickened.

It was complete idiocy. There was no universe in which Saigiku had any feelings for anyone—Tachihara least of all. It hadn't started until Saigiku had noticed his crush, so it must just be some sort of confirmation bias. His brain merely thought he had feelings for Tachihara. It was the only reasonable explanation. It was all fake.

It had to be.

Final: Fire

"Jouno, don't go in there!"

It was the first time in his life Saigiku had ignored an order. Against every instinct in his body, Saigiku raced deeper into the hotel, fighting against a panicked crowd. The acrid smell of smoke stuck in his nostrils stubbornly, but he knew the fire was a few floors off yet. He had time.

He took the stairs two at a time, cursing himself the whole way up. This had been their plan all along: burn down the hotel building, kill a Hunting Dog, escape in the ensuing chaos. And a part of Saigiku had known that. If only he'd gotten over his pride for a few seconds and admitted to himself and to Tachihara the truth, this all could've been avoided.

Don't go. I'm worried for you.

The fire had started on the floor Tachihara had gone to and as Saigiku burst onto the third floor, his senses were overwhelmed. There was too many noises, too many smells, and he struggled to find Tachihara's heartbeat among it all. Every so often, he thought he heard it only for it to be his own thundering pulse. Finally, there was a groan from a room and Saigiku took the chance. He kicked down the door that was already half coal. His hands went up defensively as a wave of heat hit his face.

"Tachihara!" he yelled.

There was no response. He stepped into the room gingerly, keeping his steps near silent as he tried to pick up signs of life separate from the crackling flames. Finally, he caught it—soft pounding in the far corner of the room. He rushed toward it, barreling through flames despite the blisters rising on his forearms.

He knelt next to Tachihara, feeling his neck for a pulse. It was there, but weak and growing weaker by the second. Saigiku missed the sound of the crack of a beam above him until it was too late. It slammed into his back. Stars erupted behind his eyes as he struggled to stay conscious. Breath hissed through his teeth at the ache in his spine. He moved to shove the beam off, his arms straining. Even after he had succeeded, it quickly became clear that the two of them had become trapped. If he had sight, he'd probably be able to find his way out quickly, but as it was he was going to lose valuable time trying to find his way out.

Despite the burns on his back, Saigiku hoisted Tachihara up before starting to feel with his hands for an opening in the wood. Flames licked his fingers and it took a lot of effort for him not to flinch away every time.

His hands felt numb by the time he found a place for him to squeeze out with Tachihara on his back and by then Tachihara's pulse was so faint he worried he might be dead already. Saigiku was struggling to breathe himself. He could practically feel the ash building up in his lungs. All his caution was thrown to the wind as he made a beeline for the door. It was lucky that there weren't any beams to trip over.

Unfortunately, the hall didn't provide relief. The entire floor was engulfed in smoke by now and flames kept getting uncomfortably close. The stairwell was largely clear, however, and Saigiku would've liked to have caught his breath for a moment, but Tachihara needed medical attention. Now.

The stairwell door wouldn't open at the bottom. He could only hope it was because of another fallen beam and not because the metal doorframe had melted, because if it had... He cut off the train of thought, propping Tachihara's limp body against the wall before bracing himself to ram his shoulder against the door. Hit after hit made his shoulder scream in agony, but after what felt like an eternity, it paid off. The door popped open and he only had to ram it twice more to make the opening wide enough to get him and Tachihara through. Saigiku scooped him up with far less ceremony than before and hurried through the door.

And there was another obstacle. Saigiku wasn't entirely certain what had happened, but there was clearly a wall of flames in front of them. His mind raced as he tried to remember the floor plan. There had to be a window nearby.

In the end, his panicked brain couldn't remember, but the sound of breaking glass saved their lives. His head snapped around at the sound and he ran toward it immediately. He cleared the remaining shards with his elbow as best as he could then shoved Tachihara through first. If there was only one of them who could survive this...

He jumped out after him and finally there was cool, fresh air to fill his lungs. Despite his better judgment, he lay in the grass, heaving in breath after breath before coughing uncontrollably. He flipped onto his stomach and retched, the foul smell making him vomit again.

The sound of more breaking glass urged him back into motion. He got to his unsteady feet and grabbed a hold of Tachihara's shoulders dragging him farther and farther away until his legs couldn't hold him up anymore.

He collapsed on his knees, placing Tachihara's head on his lap. Saigiku listened desperately for a pulse, holding his breath as he waited for the reassuring thrum.

It wasn't there.

Frustrated tears formed in Saigiku's eyes. Despite all of his effort, Tachihara had slipped through his fingers. It was so unfair. He hadn’t even heard his offer!

Tachihara suddenly burst to life, his breath raking through his lungs noisily as he turned to his side to cough it out. Saigiku was so relieved that he couldn't move. His hands hovered uselessly as Tachihara coughed and coughed. Eventually, he put his hand down to brush out the layers of ash in Tachihara’s hair.

"Saigiku...?" Tachihara croaked.

All Saigiku could do was nod numbly. A jolt of awareness went through him and he moved to shift Tachihara's head from his lap. "Cough more. I need to get a paramedic."

Tachihara's hand held tight to Saigiku's pant leg. "You could've died..."

"This isn't the time. You're hurt."

"You look worse."

"Your heart wasn't beating only seconds ago."

"Stay," Tachihara whispered, his hand holding tighter, "I can see the paramedics from here. They see us. There's just more major injuries to tend to." 

Saigiku held his breath as he listened. He'd been so preoccupied with Tachihara he hadn't stopped to pay attention to the world around them. Tachihara was right of course. He could hear the paramedics busy at work, one yelling to another 'the men in the grass'.

Saigiku relaxed almost against his will. He was tired, very tired. Every inch of his arms felt burned and his back ached. There was a lot of healing that was going to need to be done and Fukuchi wasn't going to be happy about it. Saigiku's hand came to a rest on Tachihara's chest, where he could feel his heart beating steady and strong beneath his palm.

"Did Fukuchi send you in?" Tachihara asked.

Saigiku would've lied if he hadn't known that Teruko would rat him out. The silence lingered a little too long before he admitted the truth. "No."

There was only dead silence for a moment, and then Tachihara slowly reached for Saigiku's cheek. The touch agitated a burn, but that wasn't why Saigiku shivered.

"What do you think of me, Saigiku?"

Saigiku tried to think. His mind was a muddled mess of emotions and feelings he was so unused to that he was struggling to pin them down. Tachihara was silent, letting Saigiku take his time. Had Tachihara struggled like this too?

Saigiku could never say that he didn't care for Tachihara at all anymore. He wouldn't have run into a burning building and risked his life for any other Hunting Dogs member. He held his breath, bracing himself for his response. "I think highly of you, Michizou," he said. It wasn't the whole truth, probably, but it was what he could say for now.

Tachihara took in a sharp breath at the sound of his first name. "Do you?" he asked, his voice cynical.

Saigiku moved his head to look down at Tachihara in his lap. He could hear his heart beating from here, fast and uncertain. After a moment, Saigiku realized it wasn't Tachihara's heart he was hearing, but his own.