Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ A Perfect Circle ❯ The Package ( Chapter 14 )

Clever got me this far
Then tricky got me in
Eye on what I'm after
I don't need another friend
Smile and drop the cliché
'Till you think I'm listening
I take just what I came for
Then I'm out the door again (1)

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"There is nothing to worry about. All I have to do is make an appearance to Subaru-kun, and he will be straightened back out. This nonsense will stop. Really, I should have kept better tabs on him. I have been busy lately. This problem never would have arisen."

"So, you are admitting a preference for a human being?"

"No." Seishirou sipped his tea and set it back in its saucer. "Once prey has been marked by the Sakurazukamori, the prey is his to guard. It is a matter of honor. Possessiveness is an… inclination acceptable to the Sakurazukamori. I can indulge in it safely."

"Safely, huh?" Fuuma was watching Seishirou levelly over his circular sunglasses with his chin resting on steepled hands. "Indulging in any other sort of 'inclination' would not at all be dangerous to a man who truly had no emotions."

"Your crepe is probably getting cold. It would be a shame to waste it."

"Stop dodging. I would say that in the past seven years, you have become a bit unhinged."

"I was being methodically unhinged from birth. The effects of such… 'inclinations' do enough to people who are well-hinged to begin with."

"You are being frank all of a sudden. I bet you have never opened this much with anybody."

"…I've finally grown up." Seishirou took a long sip of tea and pushed his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose with a gloved forefinger. "I am aware of my shortcomings and am trying to patch them. And, while I am being brutally frank and before I get my head back, I have never had a true confidant in my life."

"You think stalking Subaru is going to help you quell off love or something?"

Seishirou flinched. Fuuma smiled. "What, you're still skirting around that idea? I thought you said you had grown up and become self-aware, or something."

"I do not love."

"Right." Fuuma snorted and started laughing. Seishirou took a silent, calming breath through his nose and drank the rest of his tea. His smile had evaporated.

"What?" said Fuuma. "I'm sure people have accused you of that before. Why the long face? Are you losing your edge, old man? Have seven years to think about your defeat made you sit up and realize what you are for the first time? You're a human, Sakurazuka Seishirou, and merciless and cold though you may be, you do see somebody as more than an object. This isn't news to you, either. You've known all along. You even had to end the bet a few days early-"

"I didn't know your tabs were so immaculate." Seishirou summoned years of practice to smooth his face into a smile and absently smeared ice cream around the crust of his crepe with the back of his spoon, clenching his opposite fist painfully beneath the table. "And you are incorrect."

"Desire to protect honor is very much an arbitrary and illogical emotion in itself, you know." Fuuma snorted and licked ice cream off of his spoon. "…pathetic. Still protesting and running to this very day. You're defeated, old man. You're a coward and a fake."

Seishirou smiled across the table and fantasized on ripping Fuuma's guts out. Fuuma stopped with the spoon's basin fully in his mouth and tapped the table with his opposite hand. "Ah, yes," he said around the spoon. He pulled it out. "I was going to say that you are henceforth forbidden to see, talk to, or otherwise have any contact with Sumeragi Subaru ever again, under the pain of his death." He lifted the crust of his crepe and examined its contents. "I didn't ask for strawberries…"

-------------------

Time to feed the monster
I don't need another friend
Comfort is a mystery
Crawling out of my own skin
Just give me what I came for

Then I'm out the door again (1)

-------------------------------

"…what?"

------------------

The breakfast table was unusually subdued and tense that morning. Kamui had not returned, and Subaru was sleeping uncharacteristically late. Fuuma ladled miso soup into his bowl from the communal pot and slurped, listening to Yuzuriha, Arashi, and Sorata talk, all of them dressed for school with their bags by their chairs. His senses were surprisingly acute given how much he had to think about at the moment.

"Segawa might know where he got to," said Sorata.

Inuki looked at his mistress, who suddenly appeared uncomfortable. Yuzuriha shrugged and looked down at the rice cooker over which she was leaning. "…he might."

"Yuzu-chan, is something going on with you and Segawa? I've heard some stuff…"

Arashi whacked Sorata on the arm, the latter of whom yelped. Yuzuriha shook her head and spooned white rice into a bowl. "Nothing. I don't know, maybe Subaru-san knows where he went."

"Subaru's still sleeping. Oi, Fuuma? Do you know where Kamui got to?"

Fuuma shrugged dully and ladled more soup into his bowl. "He said that he had some errands to run. He should be back soon."

"God, that early? Hope he won't ditch class again."

Inuki's ears pricked up. A few seconds later, Subaru walked down the stairs, still in rumpled nightclothes, and sat down heavily at the far end of the table. Fuuma looked up. Subaru looked horrible; he appeared to have been crying, and he smelled of smoke. Inuki sniffed the air and barked sharply. Yuzuriha looked up and sniffed.

"…SUBARU-SAAN!" Yuzuriha scrabbled out of her chair and knelt down next to him. He dully pulled one of the set bowls toward himself and stood to ladle rice. "You were smoking up there!"

"Subaru!" Sorata dropped his spoon. "No, man! Come on! You were doing so good! Come on, throw the packs out and keep with it! …wow, you look like hell. Did something happen?"

Arashi glared at Sorata, then turned back to Subaru. "What's wrong, Subaru-san?"

He must have hurt himself with his eye again. Subaru sat down silently and picked at his rice with his chopsticks. Fuuma frowned, forgetting Kamui for a moment. No wonder he's been so sour with me lately. I can't blame him. Great, this makes me feel just wonderful.

"Hey, Subaru-sempai," Fuuma said quietly. "I-um…"

Subaru froze and glared straight down at his rice. Fuuma swallowed. He had apologized profusely before, but found himself unable to stop no matter how many times Subaru told  him not to feel at fault. "I… um… I'm very sorry. Yeah. I… uh…"

Subaru set his chopsticks across his bowl, stood, and took his breakfast onto the patio, brushing past Yuzuriha. The screen door slammed behind him.

"…that's it." Yuzuriha stood and ran up the stairs. "I'm getting rid of all of his packs!"

"He's, um…" Sorata leaned back in his seat to look through the screen door. "…lighting up outside…"

Yuzuriha growled and dashed onto the patio, slamming the screen door on Inuki, who darted through after it bounced harmlessly against his flank. Fuuma listened to Yuzuriha scream at Subaru for a few moments, the latter of whom was not responding, before settling back down and picking at his rice.

I really should just leave…

-------------------------------

Peripheral long the package
Don't care to settle in
Time to feed the monster
I don't need another friend (1)

----------------------------

"… So, as you see, this will be upheld even after 'I' am gone. You know how unbreakable the conditions that permit that are. The Sakurazukamori does not have the power to challenge the upholding, and the moment you try, Sumeragi Subaru dies anyway. Any questions?"

Seishirou's face was drained. He was coming as close to gaping as he had in years.

"…no," he said quietly.

"Ah, so, this is what you are like when you lose control of a situation." Fuuma leaned back in his seat and watched sardonically over his glasses. "You learn a lot about who a man really is when you take away his upper hand."

"…heh." Seishirou summoned years of training and discipline to push his glasses back up his nose and smile, though the effect was weak. "Subaru-kun will always be the captive of the sakura."

"Do you really believe that? I think the person who was always the most confident of that was he, and even he is finding himself able to move on when you aren't always breathing down his neck."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Oh, yes. I knew you were going to ask that." Fuuma sat up and poured himself more tea. "Somebody wished it."

"…what? Wished what? Who?"

Fuuma clicked his tongue and wagged his finger. "Can't tell you. Let's just say that somebody's wish is for Subaru to be happy, and he as sure as hell cannot be happy as long as you are in his life. And since you are too much of a programmed coward to admit what you truly wish, deep, deep down, beneath all of that 'want to be killed by him' nonsense, this person's wish takes precedence over yours. Sorry. Your ticket is up. You are henceforth severed from the Sumeragi."

Seishirou quietly controlled his breathing and tapped his fingertips on the tabletop, forcing himself to think clearly. His own body was starting to betray him; his stomach had long since dropped out, and his heart was pounding. These are just adrenaline reactions. My hunt is about to take a twist, that is all. That is all. You're mine, Subaru, now and forever. You will pay for this. You know that you are mine. Oh, you bad, bad boy. I might not be able to see you right now, but I can leave my mark on everybody you know-

Seishirou stopped tapping abruptly and grasped the tail end of his thought. He thought for a few minutes as Fuuma finished his own crepe and took liberties with Seishirou's half-finished desert.

…that's it! Seishirou brought his attention back to the present and pushed Fuuma's hand away from his food. "…fine. All right. I know where my limits are. I will make no contact with the Sumeragi as long as the bar is valid."

"You're a smart boy."

"-not yet, anyway."

Fuuma blinked, flash-examined Seishirou's mind, and nodded, smiling. He sat back. "Ah, you found the back door. You are a smart boy."

"I know." Seishirou smirked and folded his gloved hands on the table, settling back in his seat and resting his ankle on the opposite knee. Hah, 'back door'. Funny. This should work out. No big deal. Just time to pull the bells out again. It's fine, Seishirou. It'll all be fine. "First, I need you do to me a favor..."

---------------------------------

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Shit-shit-shit-shit-you fucking IDIOT, Shirou, you blew it shit-shit-shit-shit-"

Kamui's phone beeped and buzzed against his hip. He lifted his head from his hands and blinked in the glaring noon sunlight. He had spent the entire day after kissing Fuuma and dashing from the house sitting in the furthest top corner of the campus stadium, well hidden from notice in the shadows and still in the rumpled uniform he had worn all day yesterday. He had not slept, changed, or eaten since dinner with Seishirou the previous evening. All morning, he had been halfheartedly watching the PE classes run laps (thankfully, none of the teachers wanted to run stadiums), brooding, and muttering mantras while pressing on his eyes. Thus far, both Yuzuriha and Sorata had tried to call him, both leaving messages asking where he had gone and why he was not in class, and Yuzuriha had sent him four text messages begging him to talk to her. Kamui had gone back and forth on Fuuma's lack of communication from the theory that he was just feeling understandably awkward to the idea that he was disgusted and wished never to talk to Kamui again.

Kamui sighed and pulled the phone off of his belt, smoothing his hair back out of his eyes.

1 new message -Subaru

"…oh, fucking hell."

Kamui sighed and pressed the option button marked as 'read' on the LCD screen with his thumb.

hey can we talk where are you?

Kamui stared at the message and thought. Subaru was the last person he wanted to see at the moment, especially until he had a chance to have a very long talk with Fuuma. He could predict what sorts of things Subaru would ask, and whether or not Kamui answered truthfully, things were going to end sourly.

"Yeah, that'd be fun," Kamui muttered. " 'Hey, Subaru, I know you were on the stairs last night; sorry about that, but I haven't had a chance to talk to Fuuma yet, and if things go well, I'd rather go with him than you. Yeah, you're second choice. Sorry for being the second person to make you feel worthless and break your heart, but you've been a real drag lately. I know you were hoping this would yank you out of your depression, but it didn't help. Sorry. How are you?' Jesus Christ, this is fucked up…"

Kamui sighed. A coach blew her whistle on the field below, and several girls started running around the track. He scanned the ranks of girls for Yuzuriha and Inuki, the latter of whom would sniff him out in an instant and bring his mistress running up the stadium, and sighed when he concluded that she was not in this PE class.

"Whatever. I'm getting out of here."

Kamui pressed the select button marked 'reply' right above on the screen and punched his reply with his thumb.

Sorry in class cant talk busy after school project ttyl sorry i saw you last night talk later im sorry

Kamui sent the message, clipped the phone back on his pants, and sighed heavily.

"God, I'm a coward." He stood and stretched out his back, wincing at the dull pain his shoulder was still giving every now and then. He dashed down the stadium stairs and walked to the nearby monorail station. Imonoyama had given Kamui clearance to leave the campus at any time without question, and had never lifted that clearance even with the end of the war.

There better be a fucking train to Shinjuku that isn't packed at this hour. Why the hell am I going back there, anyway?

---------------

Eye on what I'm after
I don't need another friend
Nod and watch your lips move
If you need me to pretend
Because clever got me this far
Then tricky got me in
I'll take just what I came for
Then I'm out the door again (1)

-----------------------------

"And will you be able to follow through with this without cracking?"

"Of course. It will be just like old times."

"I wouldn't use that as a good example." The corner of Seishirou's mouth twitched. "What? Subaru was different? Oh, there's preference once again. Either way, I have you nailed."

"This is merely a matter of honor and boredom. Insofar as Subaru himself is concerned, I am indifferent."

"You seem so eager to prove that. You do realize that nobody but Subaru believes you on that issue, don't you?"

"People are mistaken. I guess there is something satisfying out of fantasizing on the assassin falling for his prey, but they are sorely wrong in this case. People believe what they want to believe."

"And you of all people would know that best, wouldn't you?"

"Shut up."

"Have you lost your edge, old man? Can you play this game again without losing it? Or has your last experience scared you off?"

"Why not? It will keep things amusing. I have had no new games to play lately. Besides, I have nothing to be afraid of."

---------------------------

"He doth protest too much."

"He doth do it more than he did a month ago, anyway." Yuuto stretched the kinks out of his back and cracked his neck. "I always knew he was psychotic, but… damn. Now it's really showing."

"Well, you take away a man's ability to be aloof and hold the upper hand, and watch him crumble. Then you know what people really want."

"I swear to god I've heard that before."

"Here, in a sense." Satsuki cleaned her glasses on her uniform skirt. She and Yuuto were sitting at the same table in the crepe parlor at which Seishirou and Fuuma had sat just over a month ago, intentionally, of course. When they were watching retroactive satellite video feed of Seishirou's and Fuuma's conversation a few weeks after it had occurred, Yuuto had commented that the crepes looked good and that he wanted to try them someday. He also thought it would be just damn funny to sit at the same table, but Satsuki missed the humor.

"Why are we still watching and discussing all of this drama, anyway?"

"Because we have nothing better to do, and because Fuuma's relative sanity is kind of important to us, all things considered."

"I know. It was a rhetorical question." Satsuki tapped her forearm. Just ramble. Talk about something, anything. Don't think about Yuuto. "It's odd. I always had this image of Seishirou that… well, I knew that he was programmed and deluded, but I didn't know that he was so… I don't know… introspective. He doesn't seem that way at all." She sipped her tea. "This is excellent tea."

"Mine is better."

Satsuki suppressed a smile and tipped the cup over her mouth to hide the twitch. God, he looks good. Why does he always have to dress so well? It's distracting. "…I just thought he would be more… hedonistic. Sensory. I don't know, smoking and raping girls without a second thought, and still being incredibly self-possessed and convinced that he was an automaton. He's too smart. That's his problem. If only he were dumber, he would be more stable."

"Poor guy. I still think he's a complete idiot." Yuuto rapped his fingernails on the tabletop and looked around. "How long does it take to make crepes, anyway?"

"We've been here five minutes. Be patient."

"I've had people tell me that for twenty-three years, and nothing changes." Yuuto gave Satsuki an impish smile. Satsuki tipped her nearly-empty cup over her mouth again and pretended to drink deeply. Yuuto, god damn you, stop doing that. You look too good when you-no! Don't even think along those lines. Calm. He's just Kigai Yuuto, your co-worker. Well, no longer co-worker, but friend with whom you still talk and hang out with all the time for no reason.

She realized that Yuuto had been talking and looked up. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I said I wonder what Seishirou would be like if he hadn't been programmed from birth to be a sociopath. Do you think he would be like he's been acting lately around Kamui? Maybe that mask of his is really something suppressed."

"Very suppressed. Irreversibly suppressed. He'll never really be like that. You are just as much nurture as nature, Yuuto."

"Do you really think so?"

"You're just trying to annoy me now. Don't be daft."

"Sorry, sorry. It was just a thought." Yuuto interlocked his hands and leaned forward on his shoulders, forearms flat on the table. "We were here to talk about other things, weren't we?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. Oh, and something that I've always wanted to say to you and finally worked up the courage to ask."

…great. No. Not today. Finally, you get right to it. Satsuki took a deep breath and poured more tea, feigning cool ignorance. She had prepared herself for this moment several times, mentally playing it out so that when it actually occurred she would be able to act with complete indifference, but despite that, her heart rate was accelerating. "Oh, really? And what is that?"

"Do you want to go out with me?"

Yeah, called it. Satsuki set the teapot down, hard, and looked up. Yuuto had the most genuine, open, vulnerable look Satsuki had ever seen on his face, something she anticipated but skimmed over in her mental practice since the idea made her too fluttery for her liking. She blinked. So, that nonsense about your heart pounding and feeling your stomach drop out really is true. Damn it. Damn it. Damn you, Yuuto.

"What, like you couldn't tell that I'm in love with you?"

Yes, you daft fool. But… oh my god. Satsuki swallowed and thought of something to say. She took a shaking breath and a deep drink of tea, praying that she appeared far more stable and cool than she felt. I want him. I want-no! No, no! Satsuki, stop this. This isn't you. No, it's stupid to keep denying that I feel. It's just stupid. Grow up, Satsuki.-No! No! -are you a coward, or not? Yes! No-I'm not, calm down. Calm-She felt a familiar tremor in the building's electrical wiring and inwardly cursed. BEAST! I've had it with you-

"Satsuki-chan?"

"Yes?" This is your chance to be happy. Don't be a cowa - damn it, BEAST, that is enough! Satsuki sensed the air conditioner short out. Machinery atop the ceiling vents whined and shut down. I've had it, BEAST!-

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes."

Satsuki watched Yuuto's expression change to surprise, then joy, and realized what she had just said. She gaped in horror and covered her mouth. Shit! No! Oh no! Fuck! Goddamnit-

"You do? You really do?"

"…yes." Satsuki continued to mentally swear. The air conditioner control panel on the wall over Yuuto's shoulder crackled, and the lights flickered. Satsuki had barely focused on the panel and begun a new string of curses at BEAST when Yuuto stood and leaned over the table, blocking her view of the panel with his soft-brown-clad shoulder, overlapped by his jacket lapels, and traced her jaw-line with his fingertips. His hand was shaking.

BEAST, if you touch him, I'll-oh…god-

Satsuki backed into the booth and fought the urge to duck under the table. Yuuto withdrew his hands a bit, obviously wounded.

"No! I mean…" Yuuto dropped his hand, confused. "No, Yuuto, it's fine." It's VERY fine, honey. Perfectly fine. No, don't look like that, Yuuto. I'm sorry. "It's just… I mean… I… uh…" She watched Yuuto's open, wounded expression grow more confused. I feel sick. Oh god. I've really gotten myself into it. "It's…"

"Excuse me…" the waitress said. She was standing over the table with their crepes balanced on a circular tray. She set the deserts in front of them and walked off briskly with an odd expression the origin of which Satsuki knew not, but she was sure that it was linked to their actions somehow. Satsuki sighed and looked back at Yuuto.

"Satsuki… do you want to talk?" Yuuto asked quietly. For the first time Satsuki could remember, he was not smiling to mask himself. Satsuki swallowed.

God, he's pretty. All right…Okay.  I can't believe I'm going to do this. No, don't think. Just-do it.

"Satsuki?"

Go!

Satsuki stood, leaned over the table, and kissed Yuuto's lips quickly before sitting back down. Now Yuuto was gaping. Satsuki blinked and swallowed, realizing what she had just done.

Fully realizing what she had just done.

Oh my god. She covered her mouth again. I did not just-

The lights exploded, popping and showering sparks and glass everywhere. The thermostat controller fizzled and shorted out. Satsuki cursed and ducked under the table with Yuuto. Several people in the restaurant yelped or screamed in shock.

"BEAST! STOP IT!"

Yuuto shifted his kneeling position, gathered Satsuki into his arms, and kissed her again, this time, properly.

All of the power in Tokyo shorted out.

-----------------------

Lie to get what I came for
Lie to get just what I need
Lie to get what I crave
Lie and smile to get what's mine (1)

-----------------------

"…let's make a bet."

---------------------------

Kamui slumped down in the mahogany chair in Seishirou's office and tapped his phone against his thigh, waiting for it to vibrate and beep. The office was still well-lit with sunset oranges due to the open window behind Seishirou's desk, though the power had recently shorted out. Seishirou had rushed out on their conversation when the office's various lights had exploded and his laptop had burnt out, apologizing and saying something vague about starting backup power. Glass shards littered the floor, and the laptop was still smoking on its perch on the windowsill. Seishirou had mentioned in passing that the gas was poisonous and had originally left Kamui sitting right next to the smoldering wreck, but Kamui had moved the computer to its current location and himself to the opposite corner of the room.

I cannot believe I am doing this. Kamui looked at the neutral startup screen of his phone, half-hoping an arrived message had forgotten to announce itself. Okay, why the hell do I talk to this guy, and why the hell do I listen to him when he asks me not to talk to Fuuma or Subaru about him at all? I cannot believe I invited Fuuma out here. Shirou, you idiot. That's going to be a picnic. 'Hey, Fuuma, meet the guy that raped you. Cheers.' I should just tell him who the fuck this guy is-

Seishirou stuck his head in the door. "Hey, how far away was your friend when you last spoke to him?"

I've lost my mind. That's all there is to it. I have fucking lost my mind. "He was on the JR from the campus, just about here. Even if the JR went down he can walk here pretty fast." Kamui waved his phone. "I'm waiting for a reply."

"Assuming he gets out of the station alive. It's going to be a nightmare." Seishirou tapped his curled fingers on the flat of the door. "…I need help, and from both of you when he gets here, if he doesn't mind. One of our main aux power sources shorted. That was no blackout-that was a huge spike. It blew through all of the surge protectors. We're running the most critical patients on our last source, but the others need tending to. I'm understaffed right now, and we have a lot of cut and scared patients on our hands."

Kamui stared blankly. "…this is the weirdest day of my life."

"That just means… never mind." Seishirou held the door open wide. "Please, come. It won't be too hard. I would greatly appreciate it."

Kamui's phone vibrated and chimed an electronic scale-run. He checked the message and clicked his tongue. Seishirou continued to tap his fingers on the door.

"…he's out of the station. Should be here soon."

"Good. Come on. You like animals, don't you?"

---------------------

"All of the traffic lights are out. It's rush hour. Driving is going to be a nightmare."

"Yup."

"What are we doing again?"

"We're going to the Diet Building."

"Ah! I see." Yuuto looked around, standing guard over Satsuki on the sidewalk and trying not to glance up her skirt, the latter of whom was on her belly in the driver's side floorboard of the first car they had found on the street. Satsuki had decrypted the car's radio-frequency unlock code and had already unhooked all communication devices so that once the power restarted, hoping that no vestiges of information had already made it to battery-powered devices before the spike, it would not communicate with all of the haywire equipment in the city and learn of her treason. She was now in the hotwiring stage. Yuuto glanced around the sidewalk and waved casually to some curious bystanders before leaning down to follow what she was doing. He was still giddy and almost fluttery, a sensation he enjoyed. This is the best day of my life. This is so cool. I hope none of them goes to find a cop.

"Ah, we'll give our regards to Kanoe, then. Oh dear. I wonder how she's been doing."

"Probably terribly. We aren't going to make her any happier, either."

"No, we're not." Yuuto shrugged. Kanoe had a problem with anybody having a romantic connection that excluded her or that she did not manipulate for her own amusement. She also lusted after him. That always made things awkward.

"We're going to destroy BEAST," said Satsuki.

"…what?"

"He made himself vulnerable when he lost his temper and shorted out all of his power. The biggest blasts went to his own power sources, I'm sure, auxiliary and everything. Frankly, I'm surprised that his first move wasn't to kill you immediately; he's usually-" The car started. "-get in-far more efficient and logical."

"I don't know how to drive."

"Passenger side."

"…yes, ma'am." Yuuto grinned and nearly skipped around to the passenger's seat. Satsuki was already in and adjusting the seat to her height. "This is so exci~ting! Our first adventure as lovers, full of intrigue and danger and-"

"Shut up." Satsuki released the emergency brake, shifted into drive, and swerved into an alley. Yuuto braced himself against the door's armrest. "If we don't destroy BEAST before the power comes back up, you will die. You're lucky that you weren't ripped to rags by the wiring in that restaurant. He won't make the same mistake again."

"Jealousy really makes you do weird things, huh."

"BEAST is not a human."

"Then, why did he-"

"Never mind. It's hard to explain." Satsuki ran a red arrow and swerved into a main-street intersection, dangerously close to being broadsided by oncoming cars, whipped across the dashed turn curve as though her tail was the weighted end of a whip, smashed into a car's front light with her tail, and skidded off amid a cacophony of honks and breaks. Yuuto whistled and looked over his shoulder at the mess.

"Impressive, Miss. Wherever did you learn how to drive?"

"Find a map. There should be one somewhere in the car."

 "Yes, ma'am." Yuuto opened the glove compartment and found a map amid the driver's insurance papers and sundry manuals and guidebooks. "…you would kill BEAST for me?"

"What does it look like I am doing?"

"But you loved BEAST. I mean… loved BEAST."

"This is not the time for this. We'll talk later." Satsuki was swerving around cars and through lanes amid more honks and squealing breaks, constantly looking over either shoulder and in all mirrors. "Did you find that map?"

"I wonder how long it'll take the cops to get on us."

"Map?"

"Right, right. I know we're going the right general direction, but-"

"Yuuto!"

"Right. Sorry." Yuuto centered his weight as Satsuki violently swerved another car, and kissed her on the temple after he was able to steady himself. One of those persistent recently-resident butterflies fluttered in his stomach. She's mine. My Satsuki. She's killing BEAST for me. Yes. Yes yes yes-

"Directions?"

-my Satsuki. Mine! He spread the map across his lap and quickly traced their location with his forefinger, still grinning. "…we missed a left back there. It will take longer if we keep going, but-"

Satsuki whip-swerved over the turning lane, tires squealing, and smashed another car's front lights with her taillights. She sped off in the opposite direction, dragging her taillight by its chords and raking up sparks.

"Woooo! Yeah!"

"Which turn, Yuuto?"

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(1) A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step - "The Package"