Chapter Text
“Stay behind me.”
Even in Kamurocho’s countless footsteps and chattering noise, Yagami’s voice whispered with such urgency. A whisper Mafuyu didn’t feel inclined to ignore.
Placed behind his body, the bulk of his torso obscured her view of the situation, but this angle didn’t hide the curve of his jaw. Muscles rippled underneath towering yellow street lights and illuminated neon club signs.
She shrunk further behind him, her pale fingers knotted at the bottom of his leather jacket. “Okay.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Through the thick material, his body radiated heat like a furnace that someone left on for far too long.
Soft tremors vibrated her fingers as he shook with built-up adrenaline. Either from his run, her text, or at the group ahead.
“Don’t you punks have anything better to do than to prowl on women?”
Yagami’s voice escaped as a hiss. Akin to the cats always perched on his windowsills whenever she swung by the office, teeth bared in warning.
“Get lost before I make you.”
A sour chortle rang. “That’s funny, gramps.”
Multiple passing civilians looked over and headed the other way immediately, muttering in low, panicked voices as they dove away from Nakamichi Street.
If Yagami hadn’t given such direct instruction, and most probably for the better, she would have joined them long ago.
Mafuyu peeked her head over Yagami’s shoulder.
Her offenders—a group of yakuza who had wrapped their arms around her mouth and waist, attempting to drag her into the alleyway—put up their fists. Their leery eyes sized the detective up. Although semi-better than them sizing her up because Yagami could defend himself, and with deadly efficiency, Mafuyu still shivered at the look.
Her forehead rested against his shoulder blades.
Frozen for only a second, Yagami released a long breath and reached back to intertwine their fingers.
“Do I have to tell you again? Leave.”
The main thug chuckled once more, fingers crooking in a come at me motion. Baggy clothing draped his form, sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose despite it being nighttime.
“You her white knight, man? That’s cute.”
His group cooed and awed at them. The muscles she rested against tightened.
“But,” the thug tsked, setting into a lowered position with his fists ready, “that only makes it double the fun.”
Yagami tilted his head, eyes narrowed into slits.
“Remember, this is my warning.”
Shoulders pulled tight, he turned back towards her, forcing a smile.
“I don’t want you to be collateral, Mafuyu. Could you step back?”
She nodded.
As soon as she let go, he sprang as if he were a cat in the midst of a pounce.
There was a yelp of surprise and a ‘what the hell?!’ when the “old” detective deftly slid underneath one thug, legs kicked out to nail the other in the chest. A tumble of bodies and outstretched limbs slammed into the concrete.
When the thug went to grab Yagami where he laid, he did a kip up, re-stanced, and jutted his palm into the man's gut.
Another one pulled out a knife, but Yagami disarmed him in a twist of a wrist and a slug to the jaw.
“Shit!” Another one, dressed in flashy purple and baggy yellow pants, piped, only to be tripped like the others by spinning legs and well-placed knuckles.
Eyes wide, Mafuyu couldn’t look away.
He fought like how water flowed. Seamlessly. Through rocks and rivers, but in his case, punches and kicks. Around trees and hills—guns and knives—and ending where a beach stretched; he ended when the battle was over.
She clutched her hands to her chest. The grace he moved with was effortless.
Although the violence, the fighting, the arguing and having to watch over your shoulder at night exhausted him to the bone, the awe had never worn off years later.
A thug brandished a gun, to which she gasped, her heart lunging up to her throat.
His back was to the muzzle, eyes trained on a panting thug.
“Yagami-kun!”
The detective in question snapped his head over, and at her point, re-focused. He grunted out a curse and rolled forward.
Opposite of Yagami, the thug pulled the trigger with panic, but the bullet bounced harmlessly off the pavement.
If possible, his face only paled further, lips agape with indecipherable noises tumbling out. “I need—”
A denim-clad leg hooked around his neck, and he swung to the floor. Yagami popped back up into a standing position and wrenched the gun from the floor. Separating the pieces, he tossed it yards away after separating the magazine away from the weapon.
Sighing with relief, Mafuyu rested against an electric box.
With that, Yagami stood victorious over them—they moaned in unison as they attempted to scrape one another off of trash-ridden concrete.
Somehow, it was impossible for him to not make a mess when he fought, Mafuyu noted. Bikes, trash, food, it all ended up everywhere.
“We’re—” the thug groaned, hand pressed against his ribs, “—real sorry, man. Won’t happen again.”
“I warned you,” Yagami said, thumb hooked away into the pocket of his jeans. Mafuyu smiled at the familiar quirk. Spinning on his heel, he called back over his shoulder, “Don’t try this again or I will find you.”
“Hgh, got it.”
They scampered away. Yagami approached with upturned lips. “Is everything all right?”
Dark eyes traveled down the length of her body. Mafuyu shifted where she stood, fingers gripping her bag strap tight. Surely he was checking for injuries, but heat still rose to her cheeks, tinting the tips of her ears pink.
“I’m fine, Yagami-kun,” she said. “Thanks to you, of course.”
Little crow’s feet appeared as he smiled, weight passing between his heels. “No need. Just another part of a day’s work. I’m glad you’re all right.”
So sincere. Warmth rushed through her chest, and she giggled. “I better get back home, though. I still have some paperwork to fill out, and this… took some of my time out. Thank you, again.”
He flapped his hand, turned sideways to where his eyes could roam over Cafe Alps. “No problem, seriously.”
Mafuyu bowed at the waist and turned to walk towards the taxi sitting at the end of Senryo Avenue.
Never had the idea of being at home with a glass of wine been so appealing.
“…Wait, Mafuyu.”
Expression pinched, she turned.
Still frozen on the pavement, his lips pursed tight together, eyebrows furrowed.
“Yagami-kun?”
Springing back to life, he turned and smoothed back the top of his hair, letting his palm slide to rest on his neck.
Nervous. He was nervous.
“Ultimately, it is up to you, but I, uh, don’t mind walking you home from the courthouse.”
Oh.
The thought of him waiting for her each night bloomed warmth in her heart. That he’d go that far for her, even though they weren’t even dating, much less casual friends outside of courthouse related proceedings.
Butterflies tumbled around in her stomach before she allowed a grin to appear.
“I’d like that.”
Few seconds passed while he processed, then he straightened. “Really ? Awesome.”
Had he expected she wouldn’t agree?
“We can start now, if you’re not busy.”
Yagami displayed that little smirk again and jogged to catch up with her. “Already ahead of you. Did you want to catch dinner beforehand?”
“I don’t mind.”
He whistled through his teeth a little tune. “I just got a paycheck, so why don’t we hit Kanrai?”
“Fancy tonight, are we, Yagami-kun?”
“Think of it as a start of a new deal, instead.” He winked.
Mafuyu realized, with Yagami’s towering form lingering, that this was the beginning of her downfall.