KAT MY LOVE !!! I'm always thinking of you and hope you're doing well 💕💕💕☕☕ sending hugs and all the flowers in the world 💐💐💐💐💋💋💋
HIII JELLY MY LOVEEEE💜💜💜 aww you're so sweet and you're always in my thoughts as well🥹🥹I'm not doing great but we try everyday. How are YOU instead??? I miss you a lot🫂🥹
Syn: Some people are not meant for love. Choso knows this...
He has lived it...through blood, through grief, through a life shaped by violence and control. And yet… Every night, like a curse he can’t resist to, he returns:
To the club, to the lights, to you. The unsettling girl nextdoor who just moved in. Student by day, serving drinks here at the Queen of the Night by night.
He looks from afar… Because the closer he gets, the clearer it becomes:
if he gives in and reaches for you, he might destroy your light. But staying away?
That might ruin him first… Because once you got in his blood…
there’s no going back.
18+ ONLY_Mature content, read responsibly_ Graphic description of violence, sexual content, alchool and smoke, toxic relationships (previous), dark themes (insights into Choso's backstory and Kenjaku's return). Slow-burn, yearning, lots of angst (it ends well though), fluff and smut.
☽Chapter 4 from the Queen of the Night series
☽Syn: Noritoshi Kamo is back in search of vengeance... and he's dangerously close to discovering his eldest son's new weakness
☽Tw: mature language, graphic description of violence, Kenjaku
☽ChapterSoundtrack: Ride or Die pt 2 by Sevdaliza, Tokischa, Villano Antillano
☽Taglist(open): @chuiisi @gradmacoco @bloodmoonkitty
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Choso’s pov
I never thought a single night could change so much.
Waking up today, I felt the need for a fresh start. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I realize I’ve opened my window and let the vibrant sunlight flood my room-or better, the room Yuji assigned me when I moved in with him almost two years ago. I’ve never known a home before him, to be honest. This window has never been open… at least not by me, I notice.
Pressing my palms on my knees, I stand up from the bed and head to the kitchen. Yuji is still sleeping. I could hear him snoring soundly when I passed by his bedroom door… Maybe I should prepare him some breakfast. Passing the kitchen’s threshold, I find out that the epidemic nature of daylight has already reached and infected this side of the apartment too: golden reflections lighting up everything around me, dazzling my eyes at first. I still have to get used to this… all of this. Mornings following nights, the so-called circadian rhythms and similars…Living instead of merely existing. I squint my eyes and brace myself for that uncomfortable feeling invading them whenever they meet those golden rays. Warm, burning… My brothers and I-we’ve never been creatures of the sun, we belonged to dust, to shadows, to dim spaces where time didn’t move forward… only rotted in place. We rarely met sunrise in the dusty warehouse we used to call home before… everything.
Sunlight feels uncomfortable at first. It highlights differences. Sunlight exposes things. Differences, flaws, secrets… And yet…the warmth lingers: it seeps into my skin despite my resistance, making my fingers twitch at my sides.. Last night. Her. Again. I close my eyes and the warmth returns-but not from the sun this time… From memories. Last night plays back in fragments-her voice, low and unguarded; the quiet rhythm of her footsteps beside mine; the way she looked at me without flinching, without suspicion… without fear. I guess I’m haunted but she didn't notice. I can still see her walking beside me, her silhouette softened by the last stretch of night, her voice weaving through silence like something alive. There’s beauty in the way that she is. She illuminates as a star, shines a little light on my solitude. She spoke so easily, like the world hadn’t carved pieces out of her. Even after everything she told me… loneliness is something binding together. Guess she’s haunted,too… but in such a different way. She offered friendship… ‘When I’m all alone I can call on you’ she said. Of course she can.
I don’t understand that…it’s unavoidable…I look down at my hands: these hands have only ever known how to tear, to protect through destruction. Even now, purple veins pulse faintly beneath my skin, carrying something that was never meant to coexist with gentleness. Something embedded in my blood. And yet…There’s this strange need… I want her to touch me again. No…. I want to learn her touch. To understand it,to memorize it, to deserve it. My throat feels tight. Pathetic. The word comes naturally but the feeling doesn’t leave. If something, it spreads and deepens again. Becomes something heavier and dangerous. I want her closer… Closer than what’s safe…closer than what I’m allowed. Ride or die. If she ever called me… if something touched her, if something even tried to make her feel sad again…My expression darkens…There would be nothing left of it. Nothing.
…
Shadows come quietly tonight, my room bathes into silence. The kind of silence that feels wrong before anything even happens. My eyes snap open even though I was already awake, sleep has never come easily. In a second I’m out of bed, grabbing a discarded shirt from the ground. The shift in the air is immediate: cursed energy floods the space like something rotten seeping through cracks.
Next door…Her. The sudden realization isn’t conscious—it’s pure instinct. I’m already moving, but the door slides open behind me.
“Choso?” Yuji’s voice is also on alert now.
“I feel it too.” That’s all I say, we don’t need to hesitate further. Slipping in the barely-lit landing of our floor. The landing that leads us exactly to the door in front of ours.
We don’t knock…The door gives in under force, splintering open into darkness thick with something foul. The air already feels charged with electricity. Three cursed spirits reveal themselves in the living room, their forms twitching, unstable, their indistinct noises cutting through the tense atmosphere. My blood answers before I do: a thin stream slips from my fingertip, hovering midair, trembling with restrained violence. “Stay back,” I murmur, shielding Yuji with my own body. The first one lunges. Piercing Blood. It tears through it instantly-but something’s wrong. The impact feels… incomplete. The others move in unnatural patterns, jerking mid-motion, their forms distorting as if controlled by something unseen. A second one charges-I slice it apart, blood hardening into a blade mid-air. Yuji takes down the third with a couple of well-assessed punches. I finish the work.
And then…Silence crashes down abruptly. We freeze. They didn’t dissipate.They just…
“…vanished?” Yuji mutters. No… removed. Cursed spirits manipulation? My body goes rigid because I feel it distinctly now. That presence: cold, violating…familiar.
“Choso…” That voice slithers through the air behind me. It can’t be. My entire body locks, fury takes hold of me, ready to snap. I turn slowly: he stands there. Not the same face, not the same body. But the same voice… the stitches across his forehead…they remain like a signature carved into flesh.
“…Noritoshi Kamo.”
His smile spreads slowly, deliberately. Pleased, twisted, cruel.
“Oh, how I’ve missed the way you say my name,” he murmurs, voice soft with mock affection. “There’s always so much hatred in it.”
My blood trembles violently around me. I instinctively turn my back at the corridor that probably leads to the bedrooms. I secretly hope the girls are out having fun tonight. I clap my hands together, ready to let another deadly blow of highly-compressed blood pierce straight into his sick brain, the origin of so many people’s sufferings. But I catch his culling eyes drift. Past me,toward the hallway, towards her… That familiar spark and the talent to spot the weakest spots of a situation are back. Fuck, I’ve been too transparent.
And I move instantly. Blocking him with all of my strength. Eyes in the eyes, his gaze sharpens—just for a second….And then his smirk widens. There it is: recognition.
“…Ah,” he exhales softly. “Now, this is interesting.”
My jaw tightens. “What do you want?” I mutter through gritted teeth, reminding him this is a matter that needs to be settled between us and us alone. A centuries-old matter. I shoot a glance at Yuji from the corner of my eye. Stay away. This is my battle. There’s no way I’d also endanger him in such a situation. This is a question of vengeance. Mine versus his.
He ignores me, of course he does.
Instead, he takes a slow step forward, not toward me- towards one of the bedrooms. My blood lashes out instantly, stopping inches from his throat.
“Take another step,” I say, voice low, unsteady with something far darker than anger, “and I will blow your precious brains out.” A pause. Then…
He laughs… a laugh that could send chills down anyone’s spine…Quiet. Satisfied. This is exactly what he wanted.
“Who’s in that room Choso?” My chest tightens painfully. My nerves falter…his eyes flick down briefly to my hand, now trembling ever so slightly, then back up to my face. I fucked up.
“Seems like your brother taught you how to make friends Choso…how sweet of you” The word lands like a blade twisting deeper. It’s not the mockery, it’s the meaning behind them. He cannot know. His head tilts, studying me like a specimen. He sees it in the way I stand. The way my body is angled. More towards the bedrooms than to Yuji. Something I didn’t notice either. The way everything in me is positioned between him… and the person in the room.
His smile softens into something almost gentle, which is even worse. He’s calculating again… His eyes light up instantly. “Tell me Choso,” he murmurs, voice lowering. “is your friend a boy or a girl?” My breath catches. “I’d say the latter by the amount of girly stuff in this apartment… One, maybe even two girls live here…am I wrong?”.
My chest feels tight. “Tell me…do you crave it?” he continues softly, each word deliberate, surgical. “The warmth, the softness, the companionship?” Too tight. “Does it make you forget what you are?” he whispers, his rotting breath hitting my face makes me want to throw up.
“Enough.” I growl, my blood now pointed at his head like a gun ready to go off. But he doesn’t stop, ignoring limits and testing boundaries at any cost has always been in his sick nature. “Or does it make you remember?” he continues, voice dipping lower, crueler “of the fleeting softness of the body which birthed you?”. Body. Birthed. My mother, me. We’ve always been objects to him. Nothing but puppets.
Silence, heavy, suffocating. He smiles, ready for another blow.
“Aren’t they delicate things? Fragile creatures…” he notes quietly “I could break them both without even touching them. In their sleep. Even you could… break, stain, ruin… That was originally your purpose, did you forget?”
My hands tremble…he’s right after all. These words feel like exposure, like being flayed open. “Choso-” I can barely register Yuji’s voice, but something inside me snaps: my blood surges violently…but he moves first. Quickly. Another ace up his sleeve. Not to attack….to destroy: flames erupt without warning, devouring the apartment in an instant. Not natural fire- this burns too fast, too hungry, like it’s alive.
“Let’s see,” he says softly, stepping back into shadow, “if you can protect them from something as simple and human as this.”
My heart stops…her room…I move before the thought finishes forming: the door explodes inward, smoke floods my lungs instantly, heat wraps around everything.
“See you soon Choso…” She’s there… sleeping, unaware, too still…too vulnerable. For a moment everything else disappears. This was probably his plan to escape. And the unbearable realization of how easily she could be taken from me.
“Wake up,” I say, my voice breaking slightly despite myself. No response. The smoke thickens. I need to act. I step closer…hesitantly…I have to do it.
I touch her.…her bare shoulder. Soft. The contact sends something violent through me- something that isn’t destruction. Something worse, need.
My fingers tense, terrified of pressing too hard. “…Cho-so…” My name, also soft, even if unconscious. It destroys what little restraint I have left: “I already told you… you cannot hide from me, I see you. We got hooked, it was just the preview. I had a taste and now I can’t leave you” I don't know much but I feel you. There. Deep inside of me…Something tells me that it’s right. I lift her immediately, careful, like she might disappear if I’m not gentle enough.
“Yuji!” He appears from the other room, already carrying Shizuru.
We move fast, through the smoke, through the heat. Yuji crashes the glass, grabs the fire extinguisher. Out. Safe… But my chest doesn’t loosen, because I can still hear his voice in my head.
Weakness. I’m all in to take it further now. I’ll take responsibility for her… despite my feelings… This is love, I finally can see it, I detect it. No one said it’s gonna be perfect. This is toxic, I admit… Like the blood in my veins…I cast a spell on the people I love, I infect them.
…
The time of the discovery arrives. Shizuru wakes first in the hallway, and her anger quickly follows. Her eyes shift from Yuji, the fire extinguisher, just to land on me. It’s clear: she already has her own version of the story. It’s etched on her features.
“What the…YOU FREAK, what the hell did you do this time? What were YOU doing in OUR … MY apartment?" Yuji scrambles for an explanation…something about faulty wiring, electricity, anything that sounds human. His explanation falls deaf in front of the loud noise of her stereotypes. She hates me. She always had. But her venomous glance is not my focus at this moment: a light cough, unfocused eyes. She’s awake. I let my gaze linger on her waking form one more time. I turn on my heels and I fulfill Shizuru’s wish: I disappear in the welcoming darkness of our apartment. Back to where I belong.
Your pov
It comes back in fragments: smoke, heat….fire. Something wrong in the dark. Flushes of red coming from the kitchen and living room area. My breathing is uneven as I sit there, wrapped in a blanket that doesn’t feel like enough. Not after that warm unknown touch… Yuji’s voice fills the space… rushed, forced. Excuses, a bunch of them… Shallow explanations. They don’t even reach me. I remember… not clearly, not completely, but enough.
My eyes fluttering open, smoke filling my lungs, shadows moving where they shouldn’t, something breaking. Him: broad shoulders, an oversized shirt, big strong hands… a little Too strong… Choso…battling against something I cannot distinguish…flames? An intruder?
Where is he now? Shizuru’s high-pitched screams woke me up from my unconsciousness. She is wrong. Choso wasn’t the threat. He was something else entirely, something that stepped into the fire without hesitation. For us both.
“…he didn’t do it,” I whisper under my breath, unnoticed.
Even if I don’t understand how or what happened…I know he came because of it: right on time, like he felt it…too perfectly, too strong, too fast. My thoughts falter, I cannot distinguish reality from hallucination anymore. And yet… My heartbeat slows, something unfamiliar settling deep inside me.
Synopsis: With the emergence of highly intelligent and evolved kaiju, Hoshina has his hands full after being tasked with heading a newly formed investigative unit.
Complex and twisted as these cases turn out to be, your role as the team’s assigned forensic analyst is a crucial one … along with concealing your growing infatuation with the charming Vice Captain under a polished and professional exterior.
Contents: Mystery, investigation, suspense, romance, humour, fluff, canon-typical violence, possible depictions of sex, multi-part.
Dividers by: @uzmacchiato
Part 7 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6)
The glass-fronted town hall, with its rock gardens and careful caretaking, seemed to be a point of pride to the citizens.
As they pulled up in the large parking lot, Reno was glad to see that Superintendent Kitagawa had cordoned off a parking space for them close to the entrance, as the place was filling up at a decent rate.
Stepping out of the vehicle, Reno took a moment to shake off the discomfort from the weighted stares they were receiving. It wasn’t that they were hostile (at least, not yet), but this was certainly different from what he was accustomed to.
As an officer of the JAKDF, there was a quality of unquestionable authority that the uniform gave, the unspoken knowledge that one was qualified to kill kaiju, and that this was what one would do best, with no opposition.
Roadways were cleared, civilians stowed safely away in shelters, the shattered architecture of the cityscape an open battlefield on which to take down the foe.
He was beginning to see the inherent privilege that came with such a job, one that was often ignored in the face of how dangerous each mission was. Here, there was no such wall of assumed anonymity, and the crowd waiting for them was undeterred in the absence of gas masks rendering one faceless, or the most powerful weapons and tech their suppliers had to offer.
He chanced a glance sideways at his companions.
Kafka looked as ill at ease as he did, a little more transparently so. That didn’t stop him from turning to give Reno a wide grin, and a thumbs-up, even as sweat dampened his hairline.
Smiling slightly in return, Reno followed the others into the cool interior of the hall, where a table and podium had been set up, press conference-style, on the raised stage across one wall.
This was obviously where they were to be situated, and he adjusted the collar of his pale blue button up shirt as the lights cast their team in a bright glow.
Blinking once, twice, he allowed his eyes to adjust, scanning the hall carefully as the crowd outside filtered in and took their seats, the hum of voices mingling with the occasional raised clarity of a greeting or laugh.
The front rows consisted mostly of the older residents, given first preference in seating out of deference to their age, or affluence perhaps. There were certainly some well-dressed citizens present.
Behind them, the younger cohort of the townsfolk. Here he could see some familiar sentiments, in the brighter gazes, hissed whispers and blatant pointing, unusual for a formal setting, but considering the fact that the majority of the KIU had been in the papers and all over the internet for the past few months, it was hardly surprising.
Reno didn’t doubt that they might receive some questions entirely unrelated to their investigation.
The group that gradually arrested his attention, though, was located close to the entryway, never moving further in beyond the glass doors. A motley crew they were, of seemingly all ages and occupations, but there seemed to be one man who they gravitated around, muttering close-lipped speculation to him, and to each other.
Even though he didn’t have much experience in such settings, Reno could sniff out the brand of ‘troublemaker’ as well as anyone who cared to observe closely.
Turning his head, he caught Hoshina’s eye.
The Vice-Captain had maintained his signature, inscrutably pleasant smile, and this didn’t falter, even as a flash of guileful awareness passed over his gaze, and he gave Reno a small nod.
So, he had seen it too.
The thought gave Reno a small boost of confidence, and he continued to scan the hall, allowing his glance to pass evenly over the crowd, even as he paid closer attention to the group milling about the entrance.
Superintendent Kitagawa stepped forward to the podium, after giving each of them a brief, firm handshake.
“Greetings to all present. If we’d all take our seats, we can begin today’s proceedings.”
Even though there were empty seats available, the group at the back of the hall remained mutinously standing, arms folded, appearing as a solid front.
Kitagawa ignored them with the air of one accustomed to dealing with such, easing into the agenda of the meeting and introducing each member of the KIU.
Eventually he stood aside for Hoshina, and another round of murmurs went around the hall. Some even sat closer to the edge of their seats to get a better view.
Hoshina’s greeting was even, his voice confident and melodious, the distinctive Kansai accent lending a personable tone as always. Reno did note that behind the easy charm, he made no effort to disguise the steely, military inflection, the clipped edge of each sentence that never failed to straighten the spine of any officer who heard it.
By his voice alone, Hoshina was laying the foundation for their future interactions with civilians; polite, helpful and competent, all while maintaining a firm boundary of professionalism that should only be crossed at their own peril.
Wondering if that would be enough to deter the potential rabble-rousers, Reno brought his attention back to the Vice-Captain’s speech.
“… intentions here are purely for public interest. The KIU is a newly formed unit, as I’m sure you’re all aware, but our officers have more than distinguished themselves in our ongoing fight against kaiju. We’re here to ensure that any potential threat is thoroughly analysed and dealt with. We hope that we have your full co-operation throughout our investigation.”
Kitagawa cleared his throat and stepped forward once more.
“Thank you, Vice-Captain Hoshina. I’ll now open up the floor for any community concerns and questions.”
As expected, it took a while for any in the audience to speak up. Most were discussing amongst each other, slowly gaining the momentum to ask what they needed to.
Hoshina’s clear directive and self-assured style had obviously had the intended effect.
Reno kept his eye trained on the suspect group at the back as the first few hands in the audience began to raise.
The questions that came at first spoke to the heart of the issues troubling the community. One bespectacled man, who had arrived with his wife and young daughter, asked what many had evidently been wondering.
“Vice-Captain, just how worried should we be? Since the two incidents six months ago, there hasn’t been anything else. Is it possible that whatever has done this has left the area?”
“It’s entirely possible. The fact remains that the murders occurred in this area, and no clear answer has been reached. We’ll continue our operations here until that time.”
“If you do clear the town, does this mean that the mine might re-open?”
“That can only be established by Hasegawa Inc. It is not within the rights of the JAKDF or the KIU to speak on their behalf. I can say, however, that no further mining operations can occur as long as this investigation is ongoing.”
Glancing around, Reno took a moment to marvel at how easily and innocuously Hoshina had laid his trap.
On the one hand, all citizens should want an end to the investigation to restore peace and to continue living in the ideal of safety. It also would cast any who impeded the investigation in a poor light, even if they claimed to want an end to the mining operation.
It would, more importantly, give Hoshina the grounds to investigate those individuals should he deem them suspicious enough.
Finally, after a round of queries that Hoshina fielded with ease, one echoed over from the back of the hall.
“Isn’t Hasegawa Inc. affiliated with Izumo Tech?”
Heads turned, whispers relayed in hushed anonymity.
Hoshina nodded amiably.
“That’s true.”
The speaker stepped forward from the crowd, obviously unafraid of exposing himself.
Reno made out an elderly man, features wizened by the outdoors, face half-shaded by a flat cap. The greying hair at his temples was neatly trimmed, as was the goatee that adorned his chin. His cheeks were gaunt, eyes red-rimmed and focused on them with a laser-like stare.
“And isn’t Izumo Tech the main supplier of the JAKDF?”
Again, Hoshina tipped his chin in acknowledgement.
“Of course.”
“So, it’d be fair to say that you’re here to further your own interests, no? The faster the mines are cleared, the more materials Izumo Tech gets hold of to make you those fancy suits, right?”
More voices swept the hall, and this time, some were raised in protest.
“For shame!”
“Shut up, Usano! We’ve had enough of you!”
“The suits that keep us safe, you moron!”
Usano sneered in return.
“Brainwashed, the lot of you. You know what kills a town like this faster than a kaiju? Pollution of the water sources. That’s all those mines are good for. And now we’re supposed to sit back and watch while these posers march in, waving their big guns around, intimidating us into silence? Well, I won’t be intimidated.”
Even as Reno felt his hackles raise at the belligerent attitude of the man, Hoshina lifted a hand, quelling the tumult that Usano had started.
He spoke into the silence, still pleasantly measured.
“Those’re all valid concerns. Really, they are. But I’m gonna have to correct you on one point.”
He raised a cheerful finger of admonishment, one all his officers had learned to fear above any other signal.
“There’s not much that can kill faster than a kaiju. Unless we’re talkin’ a matter of seconds here. And as for our fancy suits, they won’t save, or bring back the officers who have died in the line o’ duty.”
The reminder was stark, cutting through the hall like one of Hoshina’s blades, but he didn’t stop there.
“My intention is not to compare one struggle to another. I’m simply emphasizing that the danger to your town, and the people that live here, is very real if kaiju presence is involved. Our team would like to eliminate that possibility, along with the kaiju, and then move on to where the public requires our services next.”
He tilted his head, and to anyone sitting in the audience, the implicit statement was clear. As personable as Hoshina was, he was not the kind of leader to back down from a challenge, nor would he be cowed from performing his duty by public disfavour or bureaucracy.
More murmuring came from the back of the hall, and Reno watched carefully as the man named Usano took a step back into the ranks of his own unofficial ‘resistance’.
Hoshina’s words had, once again, laid out a course of action that was not unreasonable to the ears of anyone listening objectively. As all such meetings were matters of public record, Usano and his ilk might only cast themselves in an unfavourable light if they pursued such a protest further.
As Superintendant Kitagawa wrapped up the meeting with clear relief writ on his features, it was evident to Reno that their problems were far from over.
The fact that Usano had allowed for a tactical retreat from a confrontation only meant that his group might interfere with the investigation on other fronts later.
Reno turned to Hoshina, who had stepped back from the podium. Meeting the Vice-Captain’s gaze, he experienced a moment of clarity in terms of the weight that his role as ‘community liaison’ carried.
He’d have to be the one to keep an eye on things here in town, talk to the citizens, walk among them, and keep a finger on the pulse of events. Without that kind of presence, the investigation might meet unnecessary obstacles which might slow everyone down and lose them valuable time.
To a JAKDF officer, whether in the field, or in a new form of unit like this one, time was always of the essence.
Straightening, you eased the tension from your back, eyeing the cold cup of coffee at your elbow with distaste.
Time to make a fresh one, but not before –
“Anythin’ new come in?”
The door to the lab swung open and Hoshina strolled in, looking as if he’d just attended a picnic, rather than a tense public hearing.
Granted, one did not don military formal wear to relax on a blanket outdoors, and you couldn’t help but admire the way the tailored suit sat on his trim form. Unlike standard uniforms, the gilt badges and epaulettes indicating his position as Vice-Captain looked singularly impressive.
In the hope that you hadn’t been staring too long and hard, you cleared your throat.
“Ichikawa and Furuhashi’s medical reports are in, but … how did everything go over there?”
He shrugged, a small smile in place, as always.
“As good as we could have expected, I think. Most folks ‘round here are just worried about the risk of kaiju activity, but there’s some who might try to put a spanner in the works, if you catch my drift.”
Frowning, you gestured at the door leading to the outer rooms.
“I’m sure they know our base of operations by now. Should we be worried?”
He grinned and stepped forward, one hand dropping with easy familiarity to the top of your head.
“Now don’t you fret about that. One of us’ll always be around to make sure you’re safe.”
“Sir! That’s not what I – “
Embarrassment flooded you as Hoshina doubled over, his laughter clear and ringing.
“Oh man, I gotta stop by the lab more often.”
“Vice-Captain.”
“Fine, fine. What’s in those reports?”
Huffing out a put-upon sigh, you swivelled to face the screen of your laptop, pulling up the two medical summaries that you’d spent the better part of the morning analysing.
“So, from what I see here, Number Nine’s attacks were pretty extreme. It condensed energy in short, high-impact bursts, mimicking the firing of bullets from a rifle. But here is where the issue is.”
You traced out the pathway of the wounds that had laced the torsos of the two young officers, imaged clearly on the attached scans. Hoshina leaned over your shoulder, eyes trained on the screen.
“Hmm. Looks like clean exits on all of ‘em.”
“That’s because Nine’s energy attacks copied a standard firearm in the truest sense. Unlike the effect of some our own special rounds, it didn’t cause explosive force and outward trauma.”
“Like the head wounds on our victims?”
“Exactly. I looked it up further, and most kaiju that are able to emit energy attacks like this rely on high frequency vibration of particles within specialised chambers in their bodies. They create a massive amount of energy all at once. It’s something that Nine honed down to a precise form. Based on that mechanism, though, something like this wouldn’t be able to create the kind of wounds found on the victims. If it is a kaiju, it’s evolved some other way to kill.”
“And the additional knife marks?”
“Look, this is just a hypothesis sir, but I think that whoever took a knife to the victims was trying to conceal something. Possibly, the way they actually died.”
“In other words, covering up the method the kaiju might have used to kill them?”
“Right. Implying that – “
“A human agent found victims of kaiju attacks, and removed vital evidence from the bodies.”
You glanced up briefly, noting the grim set of his jaw.
For an officer like Hoshina, this must have been a first. The idea that one of the people he’d fought so hard to protect could be actively participating in a case like this, as a perpetrator no less, must have been a hard pill to swallow.
Tentatively, you placed a hand on his sleeve.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, sir. Don’t worry.”
He looked down at you, and even as difficult as he was to read at most times, there was an element of surprise in his expression, one that morphed to something softer before he stepped back, gently placing distance between you once more.
“Of course we will. Now, don’t let me keep you from your duties.”
You had to wonder at the mental fortitude it took to occupy a position like his. Hoshina was clearly not accustomed to receiving reassurance from someone else, especially a subordinate.
Nodding, you shot him an encouraging smile.
“On it.”
In the doorway, he paused, fingers tapping out a steady rhythm on the metal frame. You watched him attentively.
“Vice-Captain?”
He turned, brow furrowed.
“Hey, can you check somethin’ for me? It’s just … what that guy in the town hall meeting said. It’s been buggin’ me ever since I heard it. Can you do an analysis of water quality from sources around the town centre? Maybe from the areas surrounding the original mining operation?”
Well, this was an odd request.
Obviously, the earlier meeting had set him on some scent.
“Of course. I’ll identify sites to sample and head out there myself.”
“Take Kafka with you. You’re not goin’ anywhere alone.”
This time, there was no air of amusement surrounding his statement.
If it hadn’t been evident before, it certainly was now. Hoshina took the safety of his team, and by extension, you, with a great deal of gravity.
Haruichi settled into the comfortable chair at his station, taking a sip of the mineral water Reno had brought him earlier. Arms outstretched, he cracked his knuckles, taking some satisfaction from the sound.
His father had always found the habit distasteful. He’d often reminded Haruichi that hard work didn’t have to be announced by pointless gestures.
Since joining the JAKDF, Haruichi had been engaging in such small acts of rebellion more often. Meaningless as they were, they brought him comfort, a reminder of the purpose he’d constructed for himself away from the influence of his family.
Since Kafka had headed out with their new analyst to help collect samples, he’d taken on the task of contacting the former residents of the compound himself.
Accessing one of his saved contacts, he turned the speaker up to maximum volume and placed the phone beside him, using his own high-priority login to access Izumo Tech’s employee database.
“Sir?”
The voice that answered was a familiar one, bringing a smile to his face.
Sakuchi Endo had been one of the most efficient project managers in weapons development at Izumo Tech. Haruichi’s father had seen fit to appoint him as a mentor of sorts for a few years, in order to teach him the rudiments of the sector he’d someday hoped to hand over.
“No need for the formalities, Endo.”
“Well, I – it’s nice to hear from you. It’s been a while.”
“No need to sound so surprised.”
“You haven’t called in – “
“Seven months. I know.”
The silence on the other end threatened to grow heavy, and Haruichi sighed.
“Look, you know this new unit I’m part of?”
“The KIU?”
Endo’s voice carried an air of pride, in spite of it all.
“Yeah. So, we’re working a case that involves Hasegawa Inc. I’m pulling up the personnel files right now, but I need specific details of the site. Who was allocated housing and which homes they occupied according to the site plan.”
Haruichi could hear the faint sound of Endo’s fingers on the keyboard.
“Hmm. Can do. Is this about that kaiju case from a few months back?”
“Yeah.”
There was a pause.
“Does he know? That you’re working on this case, I mean?”
“Dad? Nope. He might figure it out sooner or later.”
“Oh, he will.”
Huffing out a short laugh, Haruichi leaned back in his seat.
“Has that ever stopped you from helping a guy out?”
“It hasn’t before, and it won’t now. I’m too valuable, and he knows it. Anyway, I’ll have the files sent over in a few hours.”
“Thanks. Owe you one.”
“And Haruichi?”
“Hmm?”
“How is it over there? They treating you well?”
No doubt, this was the fear that most from his former life had harboured when he’d chosen to join the force. It was dangerous work, and gruelling, a far cry from the privilege and power that had been promised to him if he’d followed his father’s wishes.
Eyeing the half-empty water bottle on the desk which Reno had absently placed there for him earlier, the haphazard stickers that Kafka had adorned the files with, the formal coat draped neatly over the back of a chair while Hoshina hummed a light tune somewhere nearby, Haruichi grinned.
Synopsis: With the emergence of highly intelligent and evolved kaiju, Hoshina has his hands full after being tasked with heading a newly formed investigative unit.
Complex and twisted as these cases turn out to be, your role as the team’s assigned forensic analyst is a crucial one … along with concealing your growing infatuation with the charming Vice Captain under a polished and professional exterior.
Contents: Mystery, investigation, suspense, romance, humour, fluff, canon-typical violence, possible depictions of sex, multi-part.
Dividers by: @uzmacchiato
Part 7 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6)
The glass-fronted town hall, with its rock gardens and careful caretaking, seemed to be a point of pride to the citizens.
As they pulled up in the large parking lot, Reno was glad to see that Superintendent Kitagawa had cordoned off a parking space for them close to the entrance, as the place was filling up at a decent rate.
Stepping out of the vehicle, Reno took a moment to shake off the discomfort from the weighted stares they were receiving. It wasn’t that they were hostile (at least, not yet), but this was certainly different from what he was accustomed to.
As an officer of the JAKDF, there was a quality of unquestionable authority that the uniform gave, the unspoken knowledge that one was qualified to kill kaiju, and that this was what one would do best, with no opposition.
Roadways were cleared, civilians stowed safely away in shelters, the shattered architecture of the cityscape an open battlefield on which to take down the foe.
He was beginning to see the inherent privilege that came with such a job, one that was often ignored in the face of how dangerous each mission was. Here, there was no such wall of assumed anonymity, and the crowd waiting for them was undeterred in the absence of gas masks rendering one faceless, or the most powerful weapons and tech their suppliers had to offer.
He chanced a glance sideways at his companions.
Kafka looked as ill at ease as he did, a little more transparently so. That didn’t stop him from turning to give Reno a wide grin, and a thumbs-up, even as sweat dampened his hairline.
Smiling slightly in return, Reno followed the others into the cool interior of the hall, where a table and podium had been set up, press conference-style, on the raised stage across one wall.
This was obviously where they were to be situated, and he adjusted the collar of his pale blue button up shirt as the lights cast their team in a bright glow.
Blinking once, twice, he allowed his eyes to adjust, scanning the hall carefully as the crowd outside filtered in and took their seats, the hum of voices mingling with the occasional raised clarity of a greeting or laugh.
The front rows consisted mostly of the older residents, given first preference in seating out of deference to their age, or affluence perhaps. There were certainly some well-dressed citizens present.
Behind them, the younger cohort of the townsfolk. Here he could see some familiar sentiments, in the brighter gazes, hissed whispers and blatant pointing, unusual for a formal setting, but considering the fact that the majority of the KIU had been in the papers and all over the internet for the past few months, it was hardly surprising.
Reno didn’t doubt that they might receive some questions entirely unrelated to their investigation.
The group that gradually arrested his attention, though, was located close to the entryway, never moving further in beyond the glass doors. A motley crew they were, of seemingly all ages and occupations, but there seemed to be one man who they gravitated around, muttering close-lipped speculation to him, and to each other.
Even though he didn’t have much experience in such settings, Reno could sniff out the brand of ‘troublemaker’ as well as anyone who cared to observe closely.
Turning his head, he caught Hoshina’s eye.
The Vice-Captain had maintained his signature, inscrutably pleasant smile, and this didn’t falter, even as a flash of guileful awareness passed over his gaze, and he gave Reno a small nod.
So, he had seen it too.
The thought gave Reno a small boost of confidence, and he continued to scan the hall, allowing his glance to pass evenly over the crowd, even as he paid closer attention to the group milling about the entrance.
Superintendent Kitagawa stepped forward to the podium, after giving each of them a brief, firm handshake.
“Greetings to all present. If we’d all take our seats, we can begin today’s proceedings.”
Even though there were empty seats available, the group at the back of the hall remained mutinously standing, arms folded, appearing as a solid front.
Kitagawa ignored them with the air of one accustomed to dealing with such, easing into the agenda of the meeting and introducing each member of the KIU.
Eventually he stood aside for Hoshina, and another round of murmurs went around the hall. Some even sat closer to the edge of their seats to get a better view.
Hoshina’s greeting was even, his voice confident and melodious, the distinctive Kansai accent lending a personable tone as always. Reno did note that behind the easy charm, he made no effort to disguise the steely, military inflection, the clipped edge of each sentence that never failed to straighten the spine of any officer who heard it.
By his voice alone, Hoshina was laying the foundation for their future interactions with civilians; polite, helpful and competent, all while maintaining a firm boundary of professionalism that should only be crossed at their own peril.
Wondering if that would be enough to deter the potential rabble-rousers, Reno brought his attention back to the Vice-Captain’s speech.
“… intentions here are purely for public interest. The KIU is a newly formed unit, as I’m sure you’re all aware, but our officers have more than distinguished themselves in our ongoing fight against kaiju. We’re here to ensure that any potential threat is thoroughly analysed and dealt with. We hope that we have your full co-operation throughout our investigation.”
Kitagawa cleared his throat and stepped forward once more.
“Thank you, Vice-Captain Hoshina. I’ll now open up the floor for any community concerns and questions.”
As expected, it took a while for any in the audience to speak up. Most were discussing amongst each other, slowly gaining the momentum to ask what they needed to.
Hoshina’s clear directive and self-assured style had obviously had the intended effect.
Reno kept his eye trained on the suspect group at the back as the first few hands in the audience began to raise.
The questions that came at first spoke to the heart of the issues troubling the community. One bespectacled man, who had arrived with his wife and young daughter, asked what many had evidently been wondering.
“Vice-Captain, just how worried should we be? Since the two incidents six months ago, there hasn’t been anything else. Is it possible that whatever has done this has left the area?”
“It’s entirely possible. The fact remains that the murders occurred in this area, and no clear answer has been reached. We’ll continue our operations here until that time.”
“If you do clear the town, does this mean that the mine might re-open?”
“That can only be established by Hasegawa Inc. It is not within the rights of the JAKDF or the KIU to speak on their behalf. I can say, however, that no further mining operations can occur as long as this investigation is ongoing.”
Glancing around, Reno took a moment to marvel at how easily and innocuously Hoshina had laid his trap.
On the one hand, all citizens should want an end to the investigation to restore peace and to continue living in the ideal of safety. It also would cast any who impeded the investigation in a poor light, even if they claimed to want an end to the mining operation.
It would, more importantly, give Hoshina the grounds to investigate those individuals should he deem them suspicious enough.
Finally, after a round of queries that Hoshina fielded with ease, one echoed over from the back of the hall.
“Isn’t Hasegawa Inc. affiliated with Izumo Tech?”
Heads turned, whispers relayed in hushed anonymity.
Hoshina nodded amiably.
“That’s true.”
The speaker stepped forward from the crowd, obviously unafraid of exposing himself.
Reno made out an elderly man, features wizened by the outdoors, face half-shaded by a flat cap. The greying hair at his temples was neatly trimmed, as was the goatee that adorned his chin. His cheeks were gaunt, eyes red-rimmed and focused on them with a laser-like stare.
“And isn’t Izumo Tech the main supplier of the JAKDF?”
Again, Hoshina tipped his chin in acknowledgement.
“Of course.”
“So, it’d be fair to say that you’re here to further your own interests, no? The faster the mines are cleared, the more materials Izumo Tech gets hold of to make you those fancy suits, right?”
More voices swept the hall, and this time, some were raised in protest.
“For shame!”
“Shut up, Usano! We’ve had enough of you!”
“The suits that keep us safe, you moron!”
Usano sneered in return.
“Brainwashed, the lot of you. You know what kills a town like this faster than a kaiju? Pollution of the water sources. That’s all those mines are good for. And now we’re supposed to sit back and watch while these posers march in, waving their big guns around, intimidating us into silence? Well, I won’t be intimidated.”
Even as Reno felt his hackles raise at the belligerent attitude of the man, Hoshina lifted a hand, quelling the tumult that Usano had started.
He spoke into the silence, still pleasantly measured.
“Those’re all valid concerns. Really, they are. But I’m gonna have to correct you on one point.”
He raised a cheerful finger of admonishment, one all his officers had learned to fear above any other signal.
“There’s not much that can kill faster than a kaiju. Unless we’re talkin’ a matter of seconds here. And as for our fancy suits, they won’t save, or bring back the officers who have died in the line o’ duty.”
The reminder was stark, cutting through the hall like one of Hoshina’s blades, but he didn’t stop there.
“My intention is not to compare one struggle to another. I’m simply emphasizing that the danger to your town, and the people that live here, is very real if kaiju presence is involved. Our team would like to eliminate that possibility, along with the kaiju, and then move on to where the public requires our services next.”
He tilted his head, and to anyone sitting in the audience, the implicit statement was clear. As personable as Hoshina was, he was not the kind of leader to back down from a challenge, nor would he be cowed from performing his duty by public disfavour or bureaucracy.
More murmuring came from the back of the hall, and Reno watched carefully as the man named Usano took a step back into the ranks of his own unofficial ‘resistance’.
Hoshina’s words had, once again, laid out a course of action that was not unreasonable to the ears of anyone listening objectively. As all such meetings were matters of public record, Usano and his ilk might only cast themselves in an unfavourable light if they pursued such a protest further.
As Superintendant Kitagawa wrapped up the meeting with clear relief writ on his features, it was evident to Reno that their problems were far from over.
The fact that Usano had allowed for a tactical retreat from a confrontation only meant that his group might interfere with the investigation on other fronts later.
Reno turned to Hoshina, who had stepped back from the podium. Meeting the Vice-Captain’s gaze, he experienced a moment of clarity in terms of the weight that his role as ‘community liaison’ carried.
He’d have to be the one to keep an eye on things here in town, talk to the citizens, walk among them, and keep a finger on the pulse of events. Without that kind of presence, the investigation might meet unnecessary obstacles which might slow everyone down and lose them valuable time.
To a JAKDF officer, whether in the field, or in a new form of unit like this one, time was always of the essence.
Straightening, you eased the tension from your back, eyeing the cold cup of coffee at your elbow with distaste.
Time to make a fresh one, but not before –
“Anythin’ new come in?”
The door to the lab swung open and Hoshina strolled in, looking as if he’d just attended a picnic, rather than a tense public hearing.
Granted, one did not don military formal wear to relax on a blanket outdoors, and you couldn’t help but admire the way the tailored suit sat on his trim form. Unlike standard uniforms, the gilt badges and epaulettes indicating his position as Vice-Captain looked singularly impressive.
In the hope that you hadn’t been staring too long and hard, you cleared your throat.
“Ichikawa and Furuhashi’s medical reports are in, but … how did everything go over there?”
He shrugged, a small smile in place, as always.
“As good as we could have expected, I think. Most folks ‘round here are just worried about the risk of kaiju activity, but there’s some who might try to put a spanner in the works, if you catch my drift.”
Frowning, you gestured at the door leading to the outer rooms.
“I’m sure they know our base of operations by now. Should we be worried?”
He grinned and stepped forward, one hand dropping with easy familiarity to the top of your head.
“Now don’t you fret about that. One of us’ll always be around to make sure you’re safe.”
“Sir! That’s not what I – “
Embarrassment flooded you as Hoshina doubled over, his laughter clear and ringing.
“Oh man, I gotta stop by the lab more often.”
“Vice-Captain.”
“Fine, fine. What’s in those reports?”
Huffing out a put-upon sigh, you swivelled to face the screen of your laptop, pulling up the two medical summaries that you’d spent the better part of the morning analysing.
“So, from what I see here, Number Nine’s attacks were pretty extreme. It condensed energy in short, high-impact bursts, mimicking the firing of bullets from a rifle. But here is where the issue is.”
You traced out the pathway of the wounds that had laced the torsos of the two young officers, imaged clearly on the attached scans. Hoshina leaned over your shoulder, eyes trained on the screen.
“Hmm. Looks like clean exits on all of ‘em.”
“That’s because Nine’s energy attacks copied a standard firearm in the truest sense. Unlike the effect of some our own special rounds, it didn’t cause explosive force and outward trauma.”
“Like the head wounds on our victims?”
“Exactly. I looked it up further, and most kaiju that are able to emit energy attacks like this rely on high frequency vibration of particles within specialised chambers in their bodies. They create a massive amount of energy all at once. It’s something that Nine honed down to a precise form. Based on that mechanism, though, something like this wouldn’t be able to create the kind of wounds found on the victims. If it is a kaiju, it’s evolved some other way to kill.”
“And the additional knife marks?”
“Look, this is just a hypothesis sir, but I think that whoever took a knife to the victims was trying to conceal something. Possibly, the way they actually died.”
“In other words, covering up the method the kaiju might have used to kill them?”
“Right. Implying that – “
“A human agent found victims of kaiju attacks, and removed vital evidence from the bodies.”
You glanced up briefly, noting the grim set of his jaw.
For an officer like Hoshina, this must have been a first. The idea that one of the people he’d fought so hard to protect could be actively participating in a case like this, as a perpetrator no less, must have been a hard pill to swallow.
Tentatively, you placed a hand on his sleeve.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, sir. Don’t worry.”
He looked down at you, and even as difficult as he was to read at most times, there was an element of surprise in his expression, one that morphed to something softer before he stepped back, gently placing distance between you once more.
“Of course we will. Now, don’t let me keep you from your duties.”
You had to wonder at the mental fortitude it took to occupy a position like his. Hoshina was clearly not accustomed to receiving reassurance from someone else, especially a subordinate.
Nodding, you shot him an encouraging smile.
“On it.”
In the doorway, he paused, fingers tapping out a steady rhythm on the metal frame. You watched him attentively.
“Vice-Captain?”
He turned, brow furrowed.
“Hey, can you check somethin’ for me? It’s just … what that guy in the town hall meeting said. It’s been buggin’ me ever since I heard it. Can you do an analysis of water quality from sources around the town centre? Maybe from the areas surrounding the original mining operation?”
Well, this was an odd request.
Obviously, the earlier meeting had set him on some scent.
“Of course. I’ll identify sites to sample and head out there myself.”
“Take Kafka with you. You’re not goin’ anywhere alone.”
This time, there was no air of amusement surrounding his statement.
If it hadn’t been evident before, it certainly was now. Hoshina took the safety of his team, and by extension, you, with a great deal of gravity.
Haruichi settled into the comfortable chair at his station, taking a sip of the mineral water Reno had brought him earlier. Arms outstretched, he cracked his knuckles, taking some satisfaction from the sound.
His father had always found the habit distasteful. He’d often reminded Haruichi that hard work didn’t have to be announced by pointless gestures.
Since joining the JAKDF, Haruichi had been engaging in such small acts of rebellion more often. Meaningless as they were, they brought him comfort, a reminder of the purpose he’d constructed for himself away from the influence of his family.
Since Kafka had headed out with their new analyst to help collect samples, he’d taken on the task of contacting the former residents of the compound himself.
Accessing one of his saved contacts, he turned the speaker up to maximum volume and placed the phone beside him, using his own high-priority login to access Izumo Tech’s employee database.
“Sir?”
The voice that answered was a familiar one, bringing a smile to his face.
Sakuchi Endo had been one of the most efficient project managers in weapons development at Izumo Tech. Haruichi’s father had seen fit to appoint him as a mentor of sorts for a few years, in order to teach him the rudiments of the sector he’d someday hoped to hand over.
“No need for the formalities, Endo.”
“Well, I – it’s nice to hear from you. It’s been a while.”
“No need to sound so surprised.”
“You haven’t called in – “
“Seven months. I know.”
The silence on the other end threatened to grow heavy, and Haruichi sighed.
“Look, you know this new unit I’m part of?”
“The KIU?”
Endo’s voice carried an air of pride, in spite of it all.
“Yeah. So, we’re working a case that involves Hasegawa Inc. I’m pulling up the personnel files right now, but I need specific details of the site. Who was allocated housing and which homes they occupied according to the site plan.”
Haruichi could hear the faint sound of Endo’s fingers on the keyboard.
“Hmm. Can do. Is this about that kaiju case from a few months back?”
“Yeah.”
There was a pause.
“Does he know? That you’re working on this case, I mean?”
“Dad? Nope. He might figure it out sooner or later.”
“Oh, he will.”
Huffing out a short laugh, Haruichi leaned back in his seat.
“Has that ever stopped you from helping a guy out?”
“It hasn’t before, and it won’t now. I’m too valuable, and he knows it. Anyway, I’ll have the files sent over in a few hours.”
“Thanks. Owe you one.”
“And Haruichi?”
“Hmm?”
“How is it over there? They treating you well?”
No doubt, this was the fear that most from his former life had harboured when he’d chosen to join the force. It was dangerous work, and gruelling, a far cry from the privilege and power that had been promised to him if he’d followed his father’s wishes.
Eyeing the half-empty water bottle on the desk which Reno had absently placed there for him earlier, the haphazard stickers that Kafka had adorned the files with, the formal coat draped neatly over the back of a chair while Hoshina hummed a light tune somewhere nearby, Haruichi grinned.
hii lovelies! 🌸 Spring finally hit me with a wave of inspiration and I’m diving into this blog’s fics again and I’ve missed it more than I can say tbh.
first up: a brand new chapter of Queen of the Night dropping later today and maybe… a little restyling of the whole series too (no promises but it’s brewing)...also, tiny apology in advance if I spam-post a bit 🙈Taglist is still open btw! since updates have been kinda slow (thank you for sticking around ), I’m keeping it open for the entire life of the series-so feel free to lmk in comments etc and jump in anytime.
I’m also wrapping up a collab, a request, and some older projects I teased before. Also, my inbox is open for ideas atm, especially Choso-related ones👀 … you know the vibes, come yap to me :))
syn: (continuation of pt.1) what happened after Choso's overwhelmed reaction to the news of your pregnancy? (Angst to fluff with an insight into Cho's backstory)
TW: pregnancy and motherhood, suggestive language if you really squint.
A/N: thanks a lot to everyone who supported this blog in these months of hiatus <33 hope you'll enjoy this one!
Taglist: @reihimbo
Two lines. A radiant smile slowly dying on your lips. That word… father.
That was all that echoed in Choso’s skull for hours-a cruel, relentless movie he had no choice but to watch on repeat. He had stormed out of the room, seized by a sudden, suffocating need for air, his lungs burning as though they might burst. The city air outside was cold, biting even-but he barely registered it. Inside, he was ablaze.
He wandered the streets all night like a stray dog, aimless, restless, hollow. Now, seated on an abandoned platform in the most secluded corner of the station-his usual place of refuge-he finally lets his mind loosen its grip on that merciless sequence of images. Slowly, the mechanisms in his mind begin to turn again. His breathing,heavy and uneven ever since that moment, starts to steady; his frantic heartbeat gradually settles into something slower, something… bearable.
In the silence of his solitude, he is left alone with his thoughts.And with you… The memory of how vividly you had described those moments of sacred intimacy between you. Your smile. Your scent lingering between the sheets, awakening his senses even before his eyelids could flutter open. The softness of your skin against his, the warmth of your body wrapped around him. No barriers, no distance, nothing held him back. The incipit of the current situation.
A shiver crawls through his bones. Was there a chance you regretted it now? Had he ruined everything? Was there still a way back to you? Did he even deserve to want one, now that everything was about to change? Yes. The answer had always been yes. He would always come back to you. No matter the cost. No matter the circumstances.
He had fucked up. Badly. And he was painfully aware of it. But how was he supposed to face what came next? A part of him recoiled at the thought of ever sharing you with anyone else. Never. That was out of question. The mere idea clawed at something deep and possessive inside him.
And then… that word. Pregnancy. The echo alone made something cold settle in his chest. Pregnancies were…terrifying: even as nothing more than a fetus himself, he could still remember his mother’s suffering-the way her body had been pushed and reshaped, the pain that overtook her each time she brought one of his brothers into the world. He had suffered alongside her, his heightened senses absorbing every ounce of that agony long before he could understand it.
Later, he learned. He learned what pain truly was when he gained a human body. With every battle, every wound, every loss, he became intimately aware of how fragile flesh and bone could be. And now…the thought of you, your beautiful body, your temple-the altar he worshiped every single day-enduring the violence of labor made his stomach twist violently.
But there was something worse. Something darker. The thought that had wiped his mind clean and driven him out the door without a second thought. His mother’s fate. He could still recall, with terrifying clarity, the exact moment her presence vanished from his senses. One second she was there-and the next, she wasn’t. Forever gone. She had died giving birth to Shoso, the last of his siblings.
And the void she left behind had never truly closed. It felt like a blade twisting deep in his gut. Because neither of you could predict how this would end. Half of the blood in his veins was cursed. Poisonous, deadly. A poison that could kill you.
That thing growing inside you could become something monstrous. A parasite. Feeding off your strength day after day, draining you until nothing remained but the fragile shell of who you once were. His teeth sank harshly into his lower lip, splitting the skin as he fought to suppress the sound clawing its way up his throat. The broken cry that escaped anyway was raw, guttural-like that of a wounded animal on the verge of collapse. If anything happened to you- the woman who had taught him what it meant to be human. He would be done. There would be no reason to keep going. No reason to face another sunrise in a world that no longer held you in it.
But you had been so clear. You wanted this. You were choosing willingly to share your body with something unknown, something uncertain, something that could change everything…a deadly seed he planted in you. You were brave. Your choice was. And still, his mind unraveled again, the world around him blurring into nothing. Tears streamed freely down his face now as he curled in on himself, clutching his legs to his chest like he could somehow hold onto the ghost of you.
His phone remained silent in his pocket. You hadn’t even tried to reach him.
…
Choso spent nearly three months grieving you. He moved back into Yuji’s place and did everything he could to reach you. Messages. Calls. Voice notes-hundreds of them, each one more desperate than the last. He missed you constantly-day bleeding into night, night into day. And somewhere deep within him, a terrifying realization began to take root: he was starting to get used to a world without you. A world stripped of color... of sleep…of meaning.
Until the day Yuji dragged him out of his room, fear written plainly across his face at the thought that his older brother might simply… fade away into those empty white walls. He didn’t give him a choice-just hauled him outside and forced him into something as mundane as grocery shopping.
And then… standing in line at the cashier, Choso found himself staring at something that felt almost cruel in its timing. A woman sat quietly on a bench near the entrance, holding something close to her chest as though it were sacred. Her jumper was lifted slightly, one sleeve carefully shielding her breast and the tiny life she cradled from the outside world.
But it wasn’t the act that drew his attention. It was her face. Fierce. Protective. Unyielding. Overflowing with a kind of love so pure it was almost overwhelming to witness. The man standing ahead of them finished paying and moved quickly toward her. Without hesitation, he cupped her face gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead-then another to the baby’s tiny feet as they peeked out from her embrace.
The way they looked at that child, like it was everything. Was that what fatherhood meant? Was that what a family felt like? Something deep inside Choso simply shifted. He saw it clearly now. That small, fragile bundle wasn’t something to fear- it was something born from love. A living testament to connection. To unity. To two lives intertwining into something entirely new.
Yes, it had come with pain. But the woman’s expression now. It wasn’t suffering. It was peace. Fulfillment. Love. So different from the unnatural torment his mother had endured. For a fleeting moment, his hands tingled with an unfamiliar urge…to reach out, to believe, to hope.
He could almost see himself reflected in that man. And in the woman…He saw you. Clear as day. And then everything clicked. He had been a fool. He hadn’t just run away, he had abandoned the two most important parts of his existence. You. And the child. His child. Blood of his blood.
He had failed you…not only as a partner, but as a man. He had sworn to make you happy, to stand by you no matter what. If raising a child together was part of that happiness, then how could he have turned his back on it? On you?
And if the worst really had happened-if your body couldn’t withstand it… How could he have even thought of leaving behind the last piece of you? No. That wasn’t who he was.
It was his duty to protect you. To protect what you had created together. To protect the life growing inside you- even if it will cost him everything. Even if fate chose to be cruel once again. He would endure it, he always had. That was what he was made for. Protecting.
…
That night, his message didn’t go through. Sent. Not delivered. Had you blocked him? Had he already lost you? That wasn’t an option. Adrenaline surged through his body as he grabbed the nearest hoodie and bolted out into the night, ignoring Yuji’s voice calling after him.
This time, he wasn’t running away from the unknown future. He was running towards it. Towards you.
…
When the door cracked opened, the world fell silent, the darkness of the landing he stood on instantly got flooded with your light. His light….There you were. He wasn’t prepared for the sight in front of him: a sleepy, vulnerable you, wrapped in a long, thin grey nightgown, one hand rubbing at your eyes, the other resting instinctively over the soft curve of your swelling belly. Radiant. More beautiful than he had ever seen you.
You froze the moment you recognized him. He looked thinner. More worn. The purple shadows under his hazel eyes heavier than ever.
“Cho-” You didn’t get the chance to finish. His arms wrapped around you as he dropped to his knees, clinging to you, his tears soaking into the fabric stretched over your belly. “This… this is because of us?” he choked out. “This is… beautiful.” Something inside you gave way.
“Yes, Cho… this is ours.” And just like that, whatever fragile composure he had left shattered completely. You sank down with him, your hands cradling his face as he sobbed, his voice breaking with every word. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… can you forgive me?”
You couldn’t deny him- not like this, not when he stood before you so open, so raw, so painfully human. Your lips met his in a long, trembling kiss- deep, aching, full of everything that had gone unsaid for months. This time, the love between you wasn’t just yours alone.
It was shared.
…
Later, after he scooped your curvier form in his arms and laid you down gently on your still unmade bed, wrapped together in the quiet warmth of your bed, his hand resting protectively over your belly, everything finally felt… whole again.
Like something lost had found its way back home. Your head lay against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath your ear, grounding you both. As sleep slowly began to pull you under, his voice broke the silence, low, soft, rougher than usual and sleepy…
“Baby…” he murmured, the word gentle, unfamiliar yet already so full of meaning. “We should start getting things ready… I saw a couple today- they had one of those small carts… a stroller, right? And a bag… and one of those carriers…”
His hand shifted slightly, as if unconsciously shielding you.
“Would you mind if I carried them when we go out? I just… I want to keep them close. I want to see them… all the time.”
You wanted to ask him a hundred questions. But in that fragile, perfect moment, exhaustion overtook you. Your thoughts faded. Your body relaxed. Sleep claimed you before you could say another word. Choso followed not long after, his mind drifting somewhere between baby bottles, tiny clothes, and a future he was no longer afraid to face.
You were here in his arms. Home was back. And this time- He wasn’t letting it slip away again.
syn: (continuation of pt.1) what happened after Choso's overwhelmed reaction to the news of your pregnancy? (Angst to fluff with an insight into Cho's backstory)
TW: pregnancy and motherhood, suggestive language if you really squint.
A/N: thanks a lot to everyone who supported this blog in these months of hiatus <33 hope you'll enjoy this one!
Taglist: @reihimbo
Two lines. A radiant smile slowly dying on your lips. That word… father.
That was all that echoed in Choso’s skull for hours-a cruel, relentless movie he had no choice but to watch on repeat. He had stormed out of the room, seized by a sudden, suffocating need for air, his lungs burning as though they might burst. The city air outside was cold, biting even-but he barely registered it. Inside, he was ablaze.
He wandered the streets all night like a stray dog, aimless, restless, hollow. Now, seated on an abandoned platform in the most secluded corner of the station-his usual place of refuge-he finally lets his mind loosen its grip on that merciless sequence of images. Slowly, the mechanisms in his mind begin to turn again. His breathing,heavy and uneven ever since that moment, starts to steady; his frantic heartbeat gradually settles into something slower, something… bearable.
In the silence of his solitude, he is left alone with his thoughts.And with you… The memory of how vividly you had described those moments of sacred intimacy between you. Your smile. Your scent lingering between the sheets, awakening his senses even before his eyelids could flutter open. The softness of your skin against his, the warmth of your body wrapped around him. No barriers, no distance, nothing held him back. The incipit of the current situation.
A shiver crawls through his bones. Was there a chance you regretted it now? Had he ruined everything? Was there still a way back to you? Did he even deserve to want one, now that everything was about to change? Yes. The answer had always been yes. He would always come back to you. No matter the cost. No matter the circumstances.
He had fucked up. Badly. And he was painfully aware of it. But how was he supposed to face what came next? A part of him recoiled at the thought of ever sharing you with anyone else. Never. That was out of question. The mere idea clawed at something deep and possessive inside him.
And then… that word. Pregnancy. The echo alone made something cold settle in his chest. Pregnancies were…terrifying: even as nothing more than a fetus himself, he could still remember his mother’s suffering-the way her body had been pushed and reshaped, the pain that overtook her each time she brought one of his brothers into the world. He had suffered alongside her, his heightened senses absorbing every ounce of that agony long before he could understand it.
Later, he learned. He learned what pain truly was when he gained a human body. With every battle, every wound, every loss, he became intimately aware of how fragile flesh and bone could be. And now…the thought of you, your beautiful body, your temple-the altar he worshiped every single day-enduring the violence of labor made his stomach twist violently.
But there was something worse. Something darker. The thought that had wiped his mind clean and driven him out the door without a second thought. His mother’s fate. He could still recall, with terrifying clarity, the exact moment her presence vanished from his senses. One second she was there-and the next, she wasn’t. Forever gone. She had died giving birth to Shoso, the last of his siblings.
And the void she left behind had never truly closed. It felt like a blade twisting deep in his gut. Because neither of you could predict how this would end. Half of the blood in his veins was cursed. Poisonous, deadly. A poison that could kill you.
That thing growing inside you could become something monstrous. A parasite. Feeding off your strength day after day, draining you until nothing remained but the fragile shell of who you once were. His teeth sank harshly into his lower lip, splitting the skin as he fought to suppress the sound clawing its way up his throat. The broken cry that escaped anyway was raw, guttural-like that of a wounded animal on the verge of collapse. If anything happened to you- the woman who had taught him what it meant to be human. He would be done. There would be no reason to keep going. No reason to face another sunrise in a world that no longer held you in it.
But you had been so clear. You wanted this. You were choosing willingly to share your body with something unknown, something uncertain, something that could change everything…a deadly seed he planted in you. You were brave. Your choice was. And still, his mind unraveled again, the world around him blurring into nothing. Tears streamed freely down his face now as he curled in on himself, clutching his legs to his chest like he could somehow hold onto the ghost of you.
His phone remained silent in his pocket. You hadn’t even tried to reach him.
…
Choso spent nearly three months grieving you. He moved back into Yuji’s place and did everything he could to reach you. Messages. Calls. Voice notes-hundreds of them, each one more desperate than the last. He missed you constantly-day bleeding into night, night into day. And somewhere deep within him, a terrifying realization began to take root: he was starting to get used to a world without you. A world stripped of color... of sleep…of meaning.
Until the day Yuji dragged him out of his room, fear written plainly across his face at the thought that his older brother might simply… fade away into those empty white walls. He didn’t give him a choice-just hauled him outside and forced him into something as mundane as grocery shopping.
And then… standing in line at the cashier, Choso found himself staring at something that felt almost cruel in its timing. A woman sat quietly on a bench near the entrance, holding something close to her chest as though it were sacred. Her jumper was lifted slightly, one sleeve carefully shielding her breast and the tiny life she cradled from the outside world.
But it wasn’t the act that drew his attention. It was her face. Fierce. Protective. Unyielding. Overflowing with a kind of love so pure it was almost overwhelming to witness. The man standing ahead of them finished paying and moved quickly toward her. Without hesitation, he cupped her face gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead-then another to the baby’s tiny feet as they peeked out from her embrace.
The way they looked at that child, like it was everything. Was that what fatherhood meant? Was that what a family felt like? Something deep inside Choso simply shifted. He saw it clearly now. That small, fragile bundle wasn’t something to fear- it was something born from love. A living testament to connection. To unity. To two lives intertwining into something entirely new.
Yes, it had come with pain. But the woman’s expression now. It wasn’t suffering. It was peace. Fulfillment. Love. So different from the unnatural torment his mother had endured. For a fleeting moment, his hands tingled with an unfamiliar urge…to reach out, to believe, to hope.
He could almost see himself reflected in that man. And in the woman…He saw you. Clear as day. And then everything clicked. He had been a fool. He hadn’t just run away, he had abandoned the two most important parts of his existence. You. And the child. His child. Blood of his blood.
He had failed you…not only as a partner, but as a man. He had sworn to make you happy, to stand by you no matter what. If raising a child together was part of that happiness, then how could he have turned his back on it? On you?
And if the worst really had happened-if your body couldn’t withstand it… How could he have even thought of leaving behind the last piece of you? No. That wasn’t who he was.
It was his duty to protect you. To protect what you had created together. To protect the life growing inside you- even if it will cost him everything. Even if fate chose to be cruel once again. He would endure it, he always had. That was what he was made for. Protecting.
…
That night, his message didn’t go through. Sent. Not delivered. Had you blocked him? Had he already lost you? That wasn’t an option. Adrenaline surged through his body as he grabbed the nearest hoodie and bolted out into the night, ignoring Yuji’s voice calling after him.
This time, he wasn’t running away from the unknown future. He was running towards it. Towards you.
…
When the door cracked opened, the world fell silent, the darkness of the landing he stood on instantly got flooded with your light. His light….There you were. He wasn’t prepared for the sight in front of him: a sleepy, vulnerable you, wrapped in a long, thin grey nightgown, one hand rubbing at your eyes, the other resting instinctively over the soft curve of your swelling belly. Radiant. More beautiful than he had ever seen you.
You froze the moment you recognized him. He looked thinner. More worn. The purple shadows under his hazel eyes heavier than ever.
“Cho-” You didn’t get the chance to finish. His arms wrapped around you as he dropped to his knees, clinging to you, his tears soaking into the fabric stretched over your belly. “This… this is because of us?” he choked out. “This is… beautiful.” Something inside you gave way.
“Yes, Cho… this is ours.” And just like that, whatever fragile composure he had left shattered completely. You sank down with him, your hands cradling his face as he sobbed, his voice breaking with every word. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… can you forgive me?”
You couldn’t deny him- not like this, not when he stood before you so open, so raw, so painfully human. Your lips met his in a long, trembling kiss- deep, aching, full of everything that had gone unsaid for months. This time, the love between you wasn’t just yours alone.
It was shared.
…
Later, after he scooped your curvier form in his arms and laid you down gently on your still unmade bed, wrapped together in the quiet warmth of your bed, his hand resting protectively over your belly, everything finally felt… whole again.
Like something lost had found its way back home. Your head lay against his chest, his heartbeat steady beneath your ear, grounding you both. As sleep slowly began to pull you under, his voice broke the silence, low, soft, rougher than usual and sleepy…
“Baby…” he murmured, the word gentle, unfamiliar yet already so full of meaning. “We should start getting things ready… I saw a couple today- they had one of those small carts… a stroller, right? And a bag… and one of those carriers…”
His hand shifted slightly, as if unconsciously shielding you.
“Would you mind if I carried them when we go out? I just… I want to keep them close. I want to see them… all the time.”
You wanted to ask him a hundred questions. But in that fragile, perfect moment, exhaustion overtook you. Your thoughts faded. Your body relaxed. Sleep claimed you before you could say another word. Choso followed not long after, his mind drifting somewhere between baby bottles, tiny clothes, and a future he was no longer afraid to face.
You were here in his arms. Home was back. And this time- He wasn’t letting it slip away again.
I hate to bother you but if u don’t mind me asking, will we still be getting an unintended part 2?? Regardless of what the answer to the question is, I hope ur doing well and also happy new years!!✨
hellooooo dearest nonnieeee<333
sorry for the super long unannounced hiatus... I'm finally back with a Choso fic after AGES... I hope it's not too late tbh :*( Thanks for waiting on pt.2, I'm so moved by all the love shown to Unintended <3
How are you? How is everyone? I've missed interacting with my mooties and nonnies sooooooooo muchhhhh<3
here you'll find Unintended pt 2... hope you'll enjoy it.<3
Why does life have to take so much from you? Why do I always have to feel pulled here and there like a puppet? Isn't it cruel to let you taste something you cannot even reach? It's frustrating and disappointing. Fighting and fighting against all odds just to realise how useless it was in the first place.
I wish I could just give up sometimes. Lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and exist without feeling for a while. Thriving and working hard for a goal is not everything that matters apparently. Going to sleep feels difficult but I need to force myself.
theartofmadeline
stormborns
areudirty
kaledo-art
