Idle Chat

Date: September 11

Place: Kyoto Headquarters

[Cedrick]

I knocked at the huge facility door and some personnel opened it the second I stepped away from the door.

"Your ID and purpose of visit please," a small and silly smile showed as I was taken aback at how they asked my reason for showing up. What is this, an airport?

I reached into my pocket and handed them what they asked and verbally stated my intention. After just a few minutes, another person guided me to an empty room with a coffee table and chairs in the middle.

A room for people to talk about their businesses.

"Please wait for a moment," the man left the room in a polite manner as I sat at one of the chairs.

I hear the creak of my chair as I swing and rock it back and forth, the thin air makes me sweat a bit. I used the collar of my shirt as a fan to ease the silence in my ear until the door knob's click made me sit up tight.

The opening of it got my attention, I ran towards the familiar stance and ditched my chair as it fell with a slight thud.

"Haru!" I jumped into his arms as he beamed a huge smile and ruffled my hair.

"Ced! How are you?" he asked as soon as we broke the hug.

"Totally buried in files!" my weak arms attempted a comforting hug as I slid down to his stomach. "And you?" he comforted my back with little pats.

I gasped, retracting my question as I stood up straight and grabbed his cheeks tight. "What happened to you?!" I inspected his big and dark circles one by one. "The last time I saw you like this was when we did our finals and defense back in university," I took a few steps back to stare at his horrible posture and fatigued body.

"The requests kept filing up," my hands automatically caught his collapsing body, knowing I'd safely catch him. I guided his weak body to one of the chairs and made himself comfortable as I walked behind him.

I rolled my sleeves and cracked my fingers, laying them on his shoulders as my fingers went to work. I slowly kneaded it, gently but firmly.

His groans kept ringing in my ears as my hands traveled from his shoulders to his neck up to his cheeks then forehead. I'm far from experienced but his every sigh of relief suggested otherwise as I kept applying force while my palm and fingers went through every part of his upper body.

"Have you been practicing?" Haru complimented me, his head resting on the chair's top railing as he looked at me.

I poked his eyes out of reflex and apologized immediately as he just flinched and accepted the assault as his eyes shut closed and watered. "Not really," I softly massaged his shoulders as an apology.

"But enough about that, why did you call for me," I retracted our conversation as he just sat there in silence.

"My eyes still sting," he complained and let out some fake cries.

"What? You want me to kiss your boo-boo away?" I chuckled.

"I mean—" I poked his eyes once more as soon as he gave me a teasing look and a big smirk. "Cedrick Dior!" He shouted and hid his whole face in his palms.

After a few whines and soft kneading on his arms, "The team has been developing new gadgets," both of his hands slowly arose from guarding his face and guided my hands to the back of his neck. "There," he inhales.

I just kept rubbing the spot he wanted in a rhythm, "God, you're so good," he exhaled.

"And?" I sneaked in a little pinch which he reacted to but brushed it aside.

"They need some sample data if they want to improve it, that's where you come in," he says as he whispers to lower my palm to his upper back. "They're trying to find some Assault group to collaborate with and test their babies out."

He let out a small sigh as my hands crawled back to the back of his neck and slid inside his shirt to massage around his front neck down to his collarbones.

"It'll be just honest feedback of the items, nothing too difficult," he explained while he whispered, "More, there," from time to time as he let out satisfied moans and reached out for his pocket.

"Sure, we'll do it"

"You haven't even confirmed with Rei though?" he finally fluttered open his closed eyes since the earlier commotion.

"You're talking to the second-in-command in one of the higher-ranked Assault groups," I boasted as his doubtful eyes softened and sighed. "It's fine, she'll have no reason to refuse anyway," I added, massaging his temples as my final service.

"Thanks, I'll let the others know right away and deliver it to your lounge," he stood up, pushing invisible weights up, his clothes following his posture, his belly button showing defenseless as he stretched his newly massaged body.

"You don't have to, I'll go get it on my way back before I leave for a mission," I offered and he happily gave me a thumbs up then returned the phone to his pockets before holding his shoulder, rotating his arm slowly back and forth to exercise those biceps.

"Have you ever considered switching to the Support Division?" My eyebrows jumped up at his unexpected curiosity. "Why don't you open a massage therapy session, I'm sure everyone would come banging on your door," his serious expression made him sound genuine at his offer.

"I'm revolted at the thought of touching other's skin," just imagining putting my hands on some sweaty and smelly people makes me want to hurl. "So, I harshly decline," We both chuckled as I sat down on an open chair and so did he.

We chatted and caught up for a few more minutes, from showing me the new gadgets that he was also asked to test to how he complained about his relationship with Misaki that was growing a bit distant.

He escorted me to the lab while still chatting and helped me pack everything they wanted us to collect data from. But time kept moving and we had to part ways

My next destination was to hand in a request to restore some of our weapons and hopefully get new ones for our new recruit.

After that, I was taking my time, inhaling in the fresh air from every hallway that I was passing by until I coincidentally spotted Rei from a distance.