Eros. (Benimaru Shinmon)

四十四❊

And there it stood, Company 7 guardhouse. I took another deep breath and pushed the Noren to the side to see Company 8 standing with their back turns.

"It's fine. This is the least we could do," Obi responded, "Especially since we might have been the ones who started this mess in the first place."

"Doesn't matter," Benimaru answered with that typical tone and facial expression as always, "The Evangelist goons were already hiding here, you just brought them out and all the human combustion our town has suffered, it might've been their group's doing all along but now we could put that behind us."

"That's exactly what we can do..." I thought as I glanced towards Ichijiro and Akira's heads, "I don't know about them, but being here was painful for me..."

"Konro, bring it here," Benimaru said.

"Yes, sir." Konro obliged as he turned around to walk towards the back while Akitaru turned around and quirked an eyebrow as I gave him a small smile at his curiosity.

"What's "it"?" he questioned.

"Do you remember when you first came to my house officially as my boyfriend and Akira brought a bottle of very expensive Sake?" I asked back.

"Yeah," Akitaru pondered, "That was some really good sake."

I chuckled at his recollection of the moment, "It was a commemoration to a new friendship with him. You are celebrating a new friendship with Company 7 so Benimaru is getting sake-it's Asakusa tradition."

"Oh..."Akitaru mumbled causing me to chuckle again.

"So that's your relationship huh?" Benimaru questioned as he gave a hard look at Akitaru, borderline glare but again why-his children were right beside him and he did have a wife so why did he care, "I was wondering how close you two were.

"You never told us, anything Captain," his lieutenant noted causing Akitaru to twitch an eyebrow at the slight annoyance of everyone besides Akira and Ichijiro now questioning his love life causing me to glance towards Akira and Ichijiro again sees they both turned their direction towards me.

"Two captains dating," another member of his team questioned.

"Ready?" I questioned ignoring the many questions these people had.

"Yeah, being here brings nothing but terrible memories" Akira answered while Ichijiro nodded as they turned towards the Noren and began to head out as I turned and followed, "I just want to go back home."

"Wait-" Konro yelled out as I stopped and turned back towards him to see him holding three cups and a bottle of sake, "Inori, please stay and share a cup of sake with us."

"Sorry Konro," I replied and respectfully bowed, "But I don't drink with people I am not comfortable around."

"You're not comfortable around us?" Konro questioned a bit somberly as he watched me walk through the Noren and follow my team and sighed.

It wasn't that I wasn't comfortable around Konro but I was definitely uncomfortable around Benimaru. He wasn't even supposed to find out I was here or alive, I sure as hell didn't want to socialize with him and commemorate a friendship. We aren't friends nor did I want to be his friend.

"Finally, I can zip this down!" Akira yelled as he zipped his jacket down and took it off, showing off his muscular tone with his large colorful tattoo across his back. The girls in the area were blushing profusely as their eyes couldn't tear from his muscles, elders looked at him in disgust for the tattoos he wore but he couldn't care less and neither could I.

"Did you get enough data?" Ichijiro asked as he walked around to my side and held my hand causing me to smile.

"I did," I replied, "But we will talk when we get home especially since I know you did some snooping yourself, but, for now, let's just enjoy our walk there."

"Inori!"

I glanced back towards the person who called me to see the big brute of a recent-ex come running my way and look towards me a bit seriously. Odd that he was giving me such a stare.

"Yes, Akitaru?" I questioned.

"You really think I was going to let you guys walk home?" Akitaru questioned, "I mean, can you at least wait around until I finish things here?"

"No," I responded, "I wasn't even supposed to blow my cover here and I did and now the person who I was hiding from knows I am alive, I have become a target with the White-Clads, and you expect me to sit around and wait for you, my ex-boyfriend, to finish your cup of sake with the very man who was  also my ex-boyfriend-you got balls Akitaru."

He flinched at my tone and scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. I turned my full attention towards him curious to know what the next words would be to come out of his mouth as he flinched once again.

"U-um, yeah...and I hmm...when you put it like that-" Akitaru tried to start.

"Exactly," I responded, "I will send a report over to you about our findings of the white-clad. While you were dealing with Benimaru and the attacks at Asakusa, Ichijiro was able to go to that company that had a connection with the evangelist you told us about prior to it being burned down and he gained some intel."

"Always a step ahead," Akitaru answered with a small smirk.

"They were investigating you while you were investigating them but adding us as factors in your plan was something they didn't anticipate which is why they were attempting to take me out in secret with some powerful infernals."

"Hm," he questioned whild holding his chin in question, "I rather discuss this more at your house, so let me finish things here so I can bring you, Akira, and Ichijiro home."

I gave a small laugh at his little tactic and it was quite cute but we ended things for a reason and we needed to keep it that way for both our sakes and for our team's sake. 

"Sorry ~taru but I'm taking the scenic route and that's final," I replied as I turned around and walked towards the entrance of district seven. I was leaving Asakusa again and this time everyone was watching me leave rather than sneaking out. But even though everything happened, I didn't regret Benimaru finding out I was alive.

"The reason you couldn't save your father," Benimaru continued, ignoring Akira's glares, "was because you lacked the strength." We stopped and stared at Benimaru, shooting him glares and holding back what we wanted to say, even though we wanted to unleash on the heartless man."

It was rich that after that event and the same events that had followed, we were able to prove him wrong...because now was able to see how much all three of us have grown...how mucb I have grown and how strong I have become.