realpolitik | Mitsuhide | Kiki

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Mitsuhide | Kiki | 059

[Kiki's injury had really been a matter of bad luck more than anything. She was too skilled for anything else, and Mitsuhide still felt a little bad to see her with that broken arm; it just seemed rather unfair that of all people, someone like Kiki would end up with it.

(There's also the fact that he hates to see her in any sort of pain, of course, but that's a given.)

Still, broken arm or not, Mitsuhide's not surprised to see that Kiki still intends to do plenty of work, though he has to draw the line when he sees her fumbling with her hair clip, walking over to gently pull it from her fingers.

Honestly.]

You don't mind if I help out, right, Kiki?

[There is no answer that will get Kiki out of this.]

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[ The actual answer is yes, she minds, but she happens to know her partner a lot better than that. In the end, Mitsuhide will smile and help her with it anyway, regardless of how many glares he receives in the process. So, with that in mind, and not in enough of a mood to argue when her arm is still aching, she sighs. ]

Do as you like.

[He knows she minds. Still...it's not as if he could ever let her continue to struggle to pin up her hair with one arm. That's just too cruel.

Instead, gently, he starts to slowly gather her hair. For someone with short hair, he's gotten rather good at this--but then, that's to be expected with a partner like Kiki, maybe.

But his response is just cheery as always--]

Thank you.

[and then he's focusing on pinning up her hair properly so none of it will slip and get in her way when she's working. Please hold.]

[ Having shorter hair has been nice, even if, on occasion, it's still long enough to get in her way. And that's when it's even nicer to have a partner. Kiki stays still to let him work, although after a minute, she'll add, softer: ]

Thank you.

[ In return. ]

[Honestly, it warms his heart to hear, quiet as it is. He knows just how important it is to get something like that from Kiki. It's pretty rare all around, but knowing that he's lucky enough to be in this position...well, lucky is the right word for it, isn't it?

So his smile softens a bit at that, even as he finishes gathering her hair up and clips it into place with a practiced movement.

Though his hands linger there for a moment anyway. Kiki's hair really is soft, isn't it? And he really is lucky to always get to be this close to her, as her partner. And then he gathers himself and drops his hands, nodding, satisfied.]

There. That should help a bit. It's not too tight, is it?

[ With an experimental tilt of the head to test that he's got the longer strands taken care of, Kiki nods and meets his eyes. ]

It's fine. I'm not planning on smacking into anything hard enough for it to fall out, anyway.

[...It's fine then. He's quiet for a moment longer--and then, as if moving instinctively and on a whim, he tilts his head forward to gently press his lips to the top of Kiki's head.

...Brazen, really, and he's realizing that a moment later, pulling back and laughing it off, responding to what she said before--]

I definitely hope not. You have to recover as soon as possible, Zen said.

[ It's not a pressure Kiki fails to notice, and because it's Kiki, and because she knows that Mitsuhide will never mention it if she lets it go, she casually lifts an eyebrow. ]

I plan to. Were you hoping you'd be able to kiss me better, Mitsuhide?

[HRK.]

[And then, more sheepishly--]

I would if I could, honestly. I'd do anything to make your injury better.

[sap.]

[ ... Sometimes it astounds her, what he can admit to without turning as red as he used to. ]

If you're going to, then not in the hallway. [ come on, now. ]

But I understand that it won't--

[Okay now he's turning red KIKI NO....]

...W-What? What?!

Or we could get back to work.

[ She's not going to repeat herself, but she's not going to look away either. Your call, partner. ]

[Give him a moment. There's a lot going through his head right now. For one thing, they should get back to work. They always have tasks to do. Zen's always counting on them.

But at the same time, Zen had told Mitsuhide to try to get Kiki to take a break however he possibly could.

Does this count... and isn't this too scandalous to even consider?

Then again, it's Kiki. And she's looking at him and not backing down and he doesn't really want to back down either, and so as sheepish as he looks, after a moment, he squares his shoulders and takes a deep breath and--]

Not in the hallway, then.

[HE'S NOT GIVING UP YET.]

[ It's a firm reminder of just why Kiki is so fond of him. Because Mitsuhide, when most people least expected it, had an incredibly strong will once he'd made up his mind. For a minute, she's back to five years ago, staring up at him as he'd insisted that he would protect her. A sentiment Kiki didn't usually cherish, but from Mitsuhide, she'd understood even then that he wasn't asking her to simply stand there and watch him. He was asking her to realize that she no longer had to fight alone.

So she smiles now. ]

Lead the way.

[It's perhaps ironic that she would think of them fighting when their intentions are the distinct opposite, but... well, maybe it's not so strange when so much of their relationship is built precisely on that. Mitsuhide isn't sure what he's gotten himself into here, admittedly, but he doesn't intend to back down now. Not when it's something so very important on the line--and not when Kiki is more or less encouraging him.

(There are no lengths he would not go to for that mile, admittedly.)

So he will lead the way--out of the hallway, towards one of the scarcely used meeting rooms. A bedroom would be much too intimate, a closet would be way too cliche and panache--no, this will work better, he thinks. They probably won't be interrupted here.

Though what they would be interrupted from he's still not entirely certain, yet. Still, he doesn't intend to let that stop him--so when they're both there, he just offers Kiki a smile, fond as he ever is, and as considerate as always:]

Does this work for you as well?

[ She knows the meeting rooms as well as she knows her own, the location of the window, the cushioned sill, the long table in the middle, the walls lined with books. It's familiar, and she nods to herself, before she answers Mitsuhide.

It's a bit odd, to be seeking out somewhere more private, but this really should be something between the two of them. ]

This should do nicely.

[It's private, and it's quiet, and Kiki is right there, and Mitsuhide still doesn't really know what he's doing, but...he supposes if Kiki is going to give him this, he's going to accept it as her choice.

It's a little funny, actually, now that he thinks about it. He's been too embarrassed to even think about kissing Kiki for the longest time, but now that they're here...well, it's easy to gently reach out to cup her cheek with a hand, smiling. Because it's Kiki, and the small smile on her face is so familiar, and when she's looking at him like that, he doesn't know what he's been afraid of.

He doesn't know what took him so long.

So there isn't any more hesitation, as he quietly closes the gap between them. It's slowly, so Kiki can change her mind, or do what she'd like, because Kiki is Kiki, and he'd never take away her agency in any instance--but nonetheless, he'll move forward to press their lips together.]

[ There's no trace of impatience or longing as Kiki regards him, allowing him to move in closer, to touch, when normally she'd maintain a steady distance or smack a hand away. But this isn't anyone, and it isn't Mitsuhide under the influence of a drug, it's her partner as himself, and that makes all the difference.

It's why she doesn't so much as flinch when he leans in, and when his mouth meets hers, she's already pressing forward a bit, her free hand clutching at his shoulder-- for balance, ostensibly, but because he might need the reassurance that she's not harboring any doubts about this.

They've both waited far too long for this. ]

[They really have waited far too long for this, and Mitsuhide thinks that this moment is perfect regardless--it's an abandoned meeting room, but nonetheless it's perfect. Somehow, it's perfect because of that, in fact--because this is a place they know, because it's a place they're familiar with and have worked in many times.

But it's all the reassurance he needs.

So while he doesn't take it any further than that, he does linger for a moment; it's everything he could have ever hoped for, really, and having her this close is perfect.

And then he pulls back, breaking the kiss, though his hand remains gently on her cheek, and quietly but happily, he smiles. But because he's Mitsuhide, what escapes his mouth first is--]

...Is that okay?

[ Mitsuhide... is what her eyes are saying, exasperated (but fondly so, if he looks closely enough). But she's also sighing. And leaning her cheek into his palm, just a bit. ]

I'm sure you know me well enough to know that if I'd had a problem with any of this, I would have made it abundantly clear before we even stepped foot in here.

[And he hums quietly at that, acknowledging her point. Of course she would. She's Kiki. Kiki can take care of herself.

But--]

I know that for sure. But...maybe it's nice to actually hear it.

[That Kiki is just fine with this, and that...well, basically that everything he's ever wanted is really happening.]

I'll only say it once. [ but she'll state the obvious, if he needs to hear it. ]

[...Oh.

Mitsuhide pauses for a moment at that. It would be nice to hear, but--]

Only if you want to. I think I understand well enough, if you don't.

Mitsuhide.

[ a pause, only long enough for her to take a breath. ]

I only want this kind of behavior from you. Am I understood?

[...Really, it's exactly what he wanted to hear, said in exactly Kiki's way. And so he moves on instinct, leaning forward to press their lips together again briefly, and then he pulls back just far enough to meet her eyes, and--]

Understood.

[Then this--this everything--is just fine.]

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