The Border of Asakusa (Benimaru x Reader)

Vic

In the early evening, Beni returned to your home from the garden with a basket of vegetables you requested to the unexpected smell of charred meat. Strange... You usually didn't cook meat. "Honey?" He stepped around the corner into the kitchen, where you'd collapsed to your knees. The basket fell to the floor. "What happened!? Are you alright?" He kneeled behind you, looking over your shoulder to your hands, which rested palms up on your thighs. Your right palm swelled red, with a glisten of a forming blister from a second degree burn. "Shit!" He hovered his hand over yours with a healing blue light to sooth it. He moved to kneel in front of you as your burn faded to a nearly invisible scar. "There... Does that feel any better?" His head finally raised to look at your face.

The smoldering char spread across half your face, engulfed in smoke, with a flickering red light bleeding through the cracks in what was once your skin, burning alive from within. "Beni-" You looked up at him in paralyzed fear. "What's- happening-"

He gasped awake with your arm around his waist, spooning him, your face nuzzled into his shoulder. He twisted in your arms to look at you, your eyes squinted half open "Beni? You okay?"

He bowed his head against yours, as his thumb brushed your soft cheek. "Sorry to wake you. Go back to sleep." He kissed your forehead and leaned back down to pull you onto his chest.

He laid there awake for the rest of the night, twisting and curling your hair through his fingers, feeling your chest rise and fall pressed against his, and trying to remember everything he'd ever heard about the pyrokinetic healing techniques. He'd never studied them, but it would be his obsession until he'd mastered every form that existed. He'd beg Gaku if he had to, for his undivided attention to train him. When he was sure you'd fallen back asleep, he whispered "I love you." ...It was so easy to tell you while you were sleeping. He'd done it for months now... but this was the first night you could have sworn you heard him say it.

His long pensive night ended with the sound of the bell. Squeezed tight to him, you woke up to his kiss on your cheek. He shifted to his hands and knees. You caught him before he stood. Where are you going so early? Come back to bed. His sad eyes gazed back at you as the bell finally registered in your half-conscious mind. He bowed to kiss you. "I'll be back soon. Rest."

"Be safe." You cooed up at him.

He nodded once. You watched him leave through the sliding door of his room, and heard him command the assembled volunteers outside.

You tried, but couldn't fall back asleep. You grabbed pots for breakfast as the fireworks began.

Despite the funeral commotion, you heard the front curtains flap open.

"Shinmon." A man called into the station.

You stepped out of the kitchen. "I'm sorry, he's out right now. Can I take a message?"

"I'm looking for a crotchety old man. Lives down the street from here. I was just in his house, but he wasn't there. He's clearly still alive, his dead wife's shit is still everywhere. Where can I find him?" He demanded down at you.

You crossed your arms and popped out a hip. "Who's asking?" Who the fuck do you think you are talking about Gaku like that?

"An old pupil of his. And you are?"

"I'm a lieutenant here."

He stood over you and examined your unpowered eyes before he let out a hearty condescending laugh. "Really? Is that what he calls you? I'm sure the captain has quite the collection of little unpowered pets like you." He reached to touch your face.

You caught his wrist before he could. "Don't fucking touch me."

His red eyes illuminated. "One glimpse of power yesterday and you forgot your place." He ignited his hand in your grasp. Gaku was between you in an instant. He forced Vic back with one hit, crashing him through the wall into the street, and immediately touched a blue flame to your burned palm. It all happened so fast that the pain subsided before you could scream.