Up in Flames (Fire Force fanfic)

Chapter Twenty Two: Pictures

It's another day at work in the guardhouse; filing housing deductibles for buildings Benimaru destroyed, writing in statements and quotas for insurance on buildings Benimaru destroyed, etc. If Benimaru wanted to quit his day job he could get into work as an arsonist. I reach over for another envelope to discover that I had already used my last one.

"Hey Konro, I ran out of envelopes for the insurances quotas." I call the man over from his tea break.

"Shit. I don't have any at my desk. Come with me we can look for some in storage."

I follow Konro to the shed in the backyard. He opens the dusty door and lights a candle in the corner of the room. "You can take the front, I'll search in the back."

"Ok." I open cardboard boxes searching through their contents.

I come upon a cardboard box that has Hibachi Shinmon written on the side. Out of curiosity I open the box and see a group photo of what I assume to be the old fire brigade. Front and center is a tiny Benimaru with his usual gloomy deadpan expression.

"Yeah he was always like that in case you were wondering."

I flinch and turn to see Konro holding two boxes of envelopes. "Which one was his dad?"

Konro squints in the candle light and runs his finger along the picture till it meets with an old man with antler tattoos. "That's his adoptive father, Hibachi Shinmon."

"Makes sense." I say looking at the stern expression on the old captain's face. "Is that one you?" I point to a younger looking Konro without a scar on his face and no bandages.

"Yeah that's me. And next to me is my little sister."

"Aw she has a little pout. Even tiny Benimaru with that gloomy expression is adorable."

"You think so? Maybe it's because I had to take care of the brat back then."

"Was he a handful?"

"He was a smart ass and every bit of destructive as he is now."

"Oi, what're you two doing hanging out in the shed?" Benimaru calls out from the doorway.

"Nothing! Totally not looking at anything private." I rush out without thinking.

Konro elbows my side to shut up. Benimaru walks over to me, "What's behind your back Clarisse?"

"Envelopes." Konro rushes out before I could say anything that would give us away.

"Konro go back to your desk, I'm going to continue interrogating our nun."

Konro looks back at me with a look of apology before ditching me to my fate. I'm gonna get that coward back for this!! Mark my words.

Benimaru pins me against the wall of the shed with his arm that is blocking my escape to the door. "Tell me what you're hiding."

I sigh, "I found this photograph of your old brigade. Konro was telling me about it." I hand him the picture.

"Why'd you lie about this?" He asks.

"Because I felt like I was intruding on your privacy and being nosy."

"Too late for that...besides at this point I welcome it."

I smile in the dim light of the storage room, "You were a cute kid even with that gloomy expression on your face."

"Probably the first person to think so. Did Konro show you which one was my dad?"

"Yeah the guy with the stern expression and antler tattoos. He sort of looks like how I imagined him."

"He'd probably take that as a compliment. Anyways...get back to your desk before I decide to shorten your lunch break."

"Hard ass!" I run off leaving Benimaru in the shed with the picture.

🦌Benimaru's POV🦌

Clarisse runs out of the shed back to her paperwork. I glance down at the photo of my old man and the brigade he used to run. I can't help but wonder what would he think about my leadership now? Would he be mad at me for taking in someone from the church? I'd like to think that he and Clarisse would get along, but he's also the man who raised me to loathe the church.

That doesn't matter right now. Here in the present you have Clarisse and your old man can fuck off if he didn't like it.

I open the box that is filled with Hibachi's items. His kiseru and tobacco box. I remember when Wakana got in trouble for using it when she was fourteen years old. I open the tobacco box to find musky expired smoking tobacco. Then I spot it...the picture of Hibachi and his late wife.

Could that ever happen with Clarisse? Why am I like this? We barely started dating, this isn't a thought to be having.

I feel my cheeks heat up and I decide then that I am done looking at the past.

🥡🥡🥡Clarisse's POV🥡🥡🥡

"We're gonna get fat on take out." I groan after finishing a large order of chicken lo mein.

"Seems like most of it goes to your boobs and butt so I'm not complaining." Benimaru remarks while pinching my butt.

"Lecher." I tease.

"Lewd nun." He snarks.

"You were out in the shed for a bit."

"Yeah I was feeling nostalgic. Found some expired tobacco while out there and more photos."

"I wish I had more pictures..."

He pulls the blankets around us, "Maybe your uncle could you more? He seemed willing to."

"I just wouldn't want to make him part with anything important on my behalf...another part of me isn't emotionally ready to see a time where I had a family. It just feels so distant from who I am now. It's like looking at a stranger."

"I guess I can understand that...but I think you would feel better if you saw more of your family."

"You're probably right...strange how we're not getting as many alarms."

"Usually there's a calm before the storm." He says distantly.

"I hope not. I don't want more reimbursement forms and insurance statements on my desk."

"Well you better go to sleep if you wanna get caught up on your work."

"Glad you're not showing nepotism."

"God no. If my old man taught me anything it was to never show favoritism." 

"Goodnight hard ass." I kiss his cheek and sink into form next to him.

He holds me as he uses his second generation powers to shut out the lamp, "Night Clarisse."