¢нαρтєя ѕιχ

✎ You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. It will always be yours.

 ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

ᴠɪᴠɪᴀ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏɴ his way to the train station when he saw Chizue. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see him, but Chizue spotted him and made the decision for him.

"Vivia, there you are," he said. "I was looking for you. Are you free today?"

He had some time before he had to leave, though he shouldn't abruptly leave with a quick explanation when the time came; Chizue didn't deserve that. "I have to leave Kanai Ward today."

"You do?" Other than shock, he wasn't showing much emotion, making it harder to know how to handle this.

"My work in Kanai Ward is done. I have to go on the next train back to the World Detective Organization and wait until I get my next case."

"I see..." Disappointment flooded his eyes.

He hated seeing him like that. "I can quit."

"Why?"

"Detective work is getting more demanding. It can be nice and it has its moments, but it's tiring..." He hesitated and added, "I also wouldn't mind staying in Kanai Ward and being with you..."

Chizue turned his head away, quiet for a second before saying, "You shouldn't quit your job if you like it..."

Vivia sighed. He would have said he wanted to die, but Chizue didn't like it when he said that. He shouldn't ruin the mood any further as well.

"Where is the World Detective Organization? Do they have a main building, multiple buildings?" Chizue eventually asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

"If it's near a city, maybe I can move somewhere near it. That way, we can see each other more often."

"Didn't you just find out you were a defective homunculus?"

"Amaterasu Corporation is starting to make coats for us that lets us go into the sun. I can order ramen packets when I get there, or maybe I can learn how to make them myself."

The new ramen shops around Kanai Ward were replacing the meat bun shops after residents found out what was inside them. The ramen had everything a defective homunculus needed to survive, but whether they could send delivery to places far from Kanai Ward was still unknown. The recipe for them wasn't shared yet as it was still fairly new, and the ingredients might be hard to find outside of Kanai Ward. It would be safer if Chizue stayed.

When telling him so, the disappointment in his eyes only grew. Vivia's skills at comforting we're near zero, but he couldn't leave Kanai Ward with him so sad. "We'll meet again someday. As a bird does—"

Vivia stopped talking. Chizue was crying.

"Do you have to leave now?" he mumbled. "You can't... You can't stay for a day longer? Not even an hour?"

Vivia couldn't think of anything comforting to say. "I...don't think I can..."

Chizue didn't respond, simply biting his lip and wiping away tears falling from his eyes. Vivia tried wrapping his arm around his shoulders, remembering how a hug seemed to help him when discovering he was a homunculus.

After a few minutes of silence, Chizue muttered, "Sorry for this. You have to leave soon, so you shouldn't be here with me..."

"It's fine."

"We can still talk after you leave, won't we? Kanai Ward isn't isolated anymore."

"We can talk every day." He could plan a time when they could talk. It might change depending on whatever they have going on, but he would try his hardest to keep that time free.

Chizue smiled with less sadness in it than he expected. "It doesn't have to be every day. But if you want, I can free time for you."

Vivia smiled. He would like that a lot.

Chizue pulled himself away. "You should head for the train. It should leave soon, right?"

It would, unfortunately. He should have made time for him earlier so what could be their last moment together in person wasn't so rushed.

Seeming to sense what he felt, Chizue took his hand. He squeezed it before kissing the back of it, his smile wider. "I'll miss you, Vivia, but even if we don't see each other a lot, I wish you the best of luck. If you need me, I'll always be right here in Kanai Ward."

Vivia's mind wasn't working, too focused on Chizue himself. He should have been thinking of something to respond with, but he was focused on remembering his smile, his voice, and the feeling of his lips on the back of his hand.

Chizue let go. "I'll see you later, Vivia."

"I'll make sure it's soon, Chizue." Vivia smiled one last time before heading to the train station. While many people were around him now, all he could do was remember Chizue. It might take a while for them to see each other again, but simply knowing he was right there in Kanai Ward whenever he needed was enough to motivate him to do his job.

Someday, they would meet again, but for now, they would have to go their separate ways.