Shall We Date One-Shots

Toya

The sun began a slow descent over the horizon, gifting Nagasaki with a fiery light encompassing the last vestiges of the blue winter sky. The streets were beginning to clear of the last citizens selling their wares on the side of the well tended but worn streets. They began a slow journey back to their homes after a long day of hard work in frigid temperatures. Their smiles were strained, not from temperature, but because of the rampant crime in Nagasaki caused by a merchant named Suetsugu. An evil and heartless man who caused the death of my brother Kaname. He didn't even regret it, and the thought had my fists clenching tightly. 

"Kaname?" a voice broke into my reverie and I looked up. Toya was a vigilante but part of a mysterious group called the Shadow vigilantes. He was undoubtedly a master of the long blade he wielded and he seemed kind, yet we didn't understand his motives therefore I could not afford to trust him. 

He noticed my scrutiny and apologized with a soft smile. "I'm sorry, you just seemed very distracted." Tonight we were supposed to patrol the streets and gather intel on the Ayashiko, a poisonous gas that forces people to experience horrible moments in which their deceased loved ones tormented them. I worried about seeing my brother but was confident my ninja skills were enough to keep me safe. I also had Toya as backup, and I was reasonably certain he wouldn't let harm come to me. Speaking of Toya, he was still glancing at me worriedly. 

"I'm a bit distracted, but I'll be alright." accompanied by a slightly dubious smile. He didn't appear wholly convinced but dropped the subject. I wasn't sure how I'd respond if I saw my brother and I didn't want him to have any reason to doubt my identity. 

As we began our patrol the streets cleared until they were almost completely void of other signs of life. The temperature was steadily dropping as we continued and I wished that my apparel was better suited for the nightly chill of  Nagasaki. The thin material allowed for a large arrangement of attacks and flexibility. My sickle required a high amount of maneuverability. Our quiet footfalls were the only audible sounds as we made our way down an alley near the warehouses. The warehouses were quiet and out of the way so many illegal business transactions occurred here and by the docks. It was disgusting that they so often thought only of their own profits, even at the cost of innocent citizens. At these times, I was especially glad I was a vigilante and could stop the corruption in its tracks. Tonight our priority was finding Ayashiko or its sellers. We had already encountered merchants selling Ayashiko in Nagasaki and sought to end the threat before it became a nationwide epidemic. We walked up and down the alleys and rooftops in the warehouse district and at the docks, finding nothing but a few drunken stragglers making their way home. They were of no interest to us and we let them be. We searched on ground and rooftop with an equal amount of success. It was well into the night by the time we decided to head back to Meiko Salon. The moon was high into the sky and I felt another tired morning coming. We had a long walk ahead of us and I was too busy shivering and crossing my arms for warmth to notice the beautiful night sky. The streets had completely emptied a few hours ago with Toya and I the only occupants. We had investigated in silence for hours despite his talkative personality, Toya was surprisingly quiet. Perhaps he had sensed my contemplative mood and decided to let me be. Given his considerate nature it was likely.  Or perhaps he was preoccupied with other matters, he had seemed worried about Gin and Haku lately. Nevertheless, the patrol was companionable and efficient. I was looking forward to returning to Meiko Salon and warming up. My hands and feet were numb and my lips were turning purple. 

I turned to Toya to ask about something when I felt a warmth fall on my shoulders and surround me. I lost my train of thought and looked down at a black leather jacket that was identical to the one Toya wore. Surprised, I glanced up at him to see him only encased in a collared shirt with his dark pants as he gazed down at me affectionately. 

"You've been cold this entire time. I've held back from offering because I thought you'd refuse. But now we're on our way back and you look like you're going to catch a cold if you don't warm up soon." His warm gaze pierced me and all the refusals I had conjured were beginning to disappear. I was cold after all...and it wouldn't hurt to keep it on for a few minutes. Even if it wasn't very manly.

He mouth quirked up as he realized I wasn't going to shrug it off and instead held it tighter. His jacket smelled of him, clean soap and a woodsy scent that was completely his own. The fact that he had given up his warm jacket because I was cold...my chest swelled with butterflies and it put a slight blush on my face as I continued walking forward, very aware of his presence next to me.