Buddy Daddies | FF | Kazuki x Rei

Their first enocunter

**contains spoiler up until episode 8**

I love them so much! XDD

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Kazuki

The familiar ring of the doorbell felt off when Kazuki entered the Yadorigi café, but Kazuki knew that it wasn't the bell that had changed. It's been one month since the accident and whatever he had told himself during the last days and hours, he wasn't ready.
He wasn't ready to go back to work. To go back to live his life, like nothing happened. To forget and start over as if she never existed.

"Welcome." The calm voice of Kyu-chan couldn't drive away the memories, but it still helped Kazuki to finally step inside the shop and close the door behind him.
The usual scent of fresh coffee filled the room, but beneath it Kazuki noticed something else. It smelled like a wet dog had taken a bath in an ashtray, and Kazuki hestitated again, halfway to the counter. He didn't want the last stable place in his life to change. Even though this place was related to the work that took her from him... But no. It had not been the work. It had been his fault. His fault alone.

"Have a seat", Kyu-chan said, his tone steady. He must have read Kazukis feelings right from his face.
"Yeah", Kazuki murmured and forced himself to set one foot in front of the other. "Sure."

It was just when Kazuki reached the counter that he finally noticed the guy sitting there, and a cold shiver ran down his spine. He hadn't notice him at all, which was... frightening. After all those years in the job he had thought that no one could easily hide his presence from him.
But then, he had been wrong about so many things.

"Hi", he mumbled, but there was no reaction. Kazuki narrowed his eyes in slight anger and slowly sank on one of the stools, deliberately leaving one seat empty between him and the stranger. This was a place of the organization after all, and its people valued their distance. On top of that, Kazuki now was pretty sure that the unpleasant smell originated right from this guy.
"It's been a while", Kyu-chan said and put the glass he was polishing aside. "How can I serve you?"
"The usual", Kazuki answered and it still felt wrong. Nothing was as usual. Everything had changed and he couldn't bear it. It tore him apart and he knew that whatever had broken in him could never be healed again.

While Kyu-chan prepared his drink, Kazuki dared to take a closer look of the guy beside him. He still hadn't said a word, had not even lifted his gaze from the untouched drink in front of him. His black hair, half-heartedly tied to a ponytail, was a complete mess, and obviously he hadn't bother to shave or – telling from the smell – to shower. Most people in the organization whom Kazuki had met were somewhat broken. But this guy... the look in his dark eyes seemed empty, almost like a zombie.
He looked as dead as Kazuki felt inside.
"Your drink is ready", Kyu-chan said and placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of him. Kazuki thanked him and put his fingers around the cup, tensely. It was hot, but he didn't mind the pain. Not this kind of pain.

When he looked up after a while, he noticed that Kyu-chan had been staring at him. But his eyes were hidden behind the mirroring glass of his spectacles, and even without them Kazuki knew that he could never guess what Kyutaro was thinking.
"I believe you two haven't met before", Kyu-chan said while casually reaching for the cloth again, as if he didn't really attribute his words much weight. Kazuki rose one eyebrow, skeptical. The owner of the Yadorigi had never bothered to encourage contact between the members of the organization. On the contrary, actually. The less you knew, the better it usually was.
That's why Kyu-chans next words surprised Kazuki even more: "Why don't you introduce each other?"

Kazuki glimpsed at the guy next to him, but he seemed to not have heard Kyu-chans words, or he just didn't care. Kazuki leaned over the counter and lowered his voice, just in case.
"What are you doing, Kyu-chan?"
But the owner of the Yadorigi ignored him, turned around and took a suspiciously clean looking glass from the cupboard to polish it with a completely straight face.