The Border of Asakusa (Benimaru x Reader)

The Anniversary

Konro lifted the hallway phone off the hook and dialed the emergency contact number from your file. "Yes, Mr. L/n? This is Lieutenant Konro of the 7th... Your daughter is fine... Yes... Actually, I wanted to invite you and your daughters to dinner at the guardhouse for the anniversary. You see, Jewels was a well-known and well-respected woman in Asakusa, and we'd like to share in honoring her life... Yes sir... 6... See you then." Konro sighed in relief. That was an easier sell than he thought.

He set out on morning errands, only to pause at the soba shop where he worked so many years ago. He remembered her sitting there like it was yesterday. "We all miss you." He directed at her favorite seat.

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"Jewels! What brings you here so late?" Konro asked, as he popped his head out from behind the curtain.

"Long day. The usual?"

"Of course." She watched his strong steady hands begin her meal, which perhaps shouldn't have calmed her as much as it did.  "You wanna talk about it?" His voice, while naturally tender, was especially soothing to her now.

She slumped her body onto the bar with her fingers in her hair. This was the only place she felt she could really relax, outside the watchful eyes of the empire. "I found out today that I have another trip soon. They're calling me back to the Euro Empire next month. Which means I get to ask the Tokyo Empire a bunch of delicate questions for the 5th time and hope they keep their patience with me..."

Konro placed a cup of sake in front of her. "On the house. The Chief says you like it."

She thought about resisting the offer, but she took a slow slip. "I do."

"I don't think you realize how big of a deal it is that he shares sake with you." Konro's eyes continued to shift from hers to the food he was expertly preparing for her.

"Oh?" She looked down at her phone, and dismissed a notification that she would worry about tomorrow.

"Mhmm. It's a sign of trust and good faith here. Which is why I always look so devastated when you refuse my offers."

Jewels rolled her eyes. "Hmph. You don't usually give the trust and good faith vibe when you offer, Konro. But does that routine often work for you?" She teased. 

He raised his eyes slowly to meet hers. "All the time."

"... The ladies of Asakusa need to get out more." She knocked back her drink.

"Who says it's just in Asakusa?"

Jewels laughed for the first time that day "No wonder you drive the chief nuts. What good are his volunteer firefighters if they're chasing ass across town."

"Oh, so he talks shit about me to you. Great. Can't say I'm surprised." Krono chuckled too, before he looked past Jewels. He tipped his head to the side, and mouthed 'come back later'.

"Oh, is this one of them now? I can fuck off-" Jewels whispered before she turned around to see a small unkempt and malnourished boy with shaggy hair and green eyes. "Oh." He started to run off. "What?" She demanded at Konro.

"He's an orphan. When I'm working, I give him any leftovers we have at the end of the day."

She looked mortified. "Get him back here right now."

Konro raised an eyebrow. "Yes, ma'am."

He returned a few minutes later with the boy, who sat as far from Jewels as possible. He hadn't bathed, brushed his hair, changed his clothes in what looked like well over a week. "Give him anything he wants and put it on my tab. Indefinitely."