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yuichi-ro · 2 years

Text

rindou x KantoExec!Reader

a/n: hiss cw: fem!Reader, hurt/comfort, pcos mention, cursing, unedited word count: 3.1k

The meeting felt empty when only one seat was vacant among many.

More than half a dozen glances over to the eldest Haitani meant nothing. Ran sat lazily disengaged through it all and more than a little oblivious to your shifting looks his way. Rindou's spot empty for the first time since joying this clusterfuck.

You'd seen the complacent cockroach the day before when you were out with Wakasa. Certain he saw you then because you made a comment from your side of the street. It did strike you odd that it happened to be the first time your bullying received silent treatment from the fool. Now it had you wondering a little more about his absence today.

"He really didn't become a no show because I called him a roach yesterday did he?" Meeting over and you came up to Ran with little tack to your words or tone.

Ran shifted to look over at you, "What?"

A gesture at his empty side, "That idiot."

Blond brow up Ran caught on what you meant but couldn't stop before the grin spread over his lips, "What? You worried about my little brother?"

An eyeroll followed before your words did, "Shut it Haitani."

"That's cute." Ran looked over as Koko came up to him with something to occupy his time with, "Too bad Rindou isn't here to know his little girlfriend cares about him."

"I should snap that giraffe neck of yours," You figured this was about as useful as he'd be. Both brother's irking you to no end but for the most part Rindou faced the brute of your torment. Ran was a target but not your favorite, "Useless ass can't even keep track of a cockroach."

Grinning with his hand on his hip Ran cupped his gloved hand and hollered after you as you left the meeting room, "You know where he is, only his cute little mean girlfriend would know that."

If Manjiro hadn't offered you something so sweet with this gang set up, Ran's mouth would have been tasting the ground under your boot then and there. Ample reason you hated those two so much. Making a note to yourself as you left in a huff that Ran should be facing more of your torment later on. He wouldn't get away with calling you Rindou's girlfriend in front of anyone. Even though, techinically, you knew exactly where Rindou probably was if that was the comment Ran made. Making you groan outwardly because anyone with two eyes could guess where you'd be heading to next.

Only about three months ago was when you found the little dip in the drainage canal. During the spring and summer months you decided it was quiet the nice retreat away from ‘work’ that didn’t draw too much attention from eyes you might have not wanted on you.

Sadly though as you were discovering a new place to smoke a cig or two in silence or enjoy a beer alone. Someone else had been coming there before you had. Why among all the stars in the sky did it have to be Rindou of all people though. For that cruel joke you cursed fate ten fold. Though now with Ran’s annoying tidbit after the meeting. You knew his stupid little brother probably told him about seeing you down the drainage ditch. That was really the only place you could assume Ran meant with what he said.

Like three months ago. That haven you thought would be full of solitude. Just so happened to have another inhabitant. Peering down the sidewalk section of the small concrete bridge that crossed it, you saw the tell tale blond bun of the missing Kanto executive.

Glancing down the sidewalk. Nearly empty at dusk anyways. You could probably keep walking and he’d never notice. But that left you to wonder why you even walked out this far in the first place. Who the hell wanted to go on evening walks anyways.

“Aye!” Hands cupped to your mouth to shout louder, “You live someplace that suits your name now Haitani!”

Expecting to see his dopey violet eyes turn up to your voice. Like a trained mutt to a master’s command. You found yourself tapping your foot impatiently when his figure didn’t even budge.

Shouting seemed like too much work. And either way down the sidewalk was a long walk. So the laziest option might have indeed be down the drainage ditch to where he was. With Rindou not even heeding your call. It left you wanting to give him a piece of your mind before leaving.

Down the slope you went. Careful to not trip as you slowed your quick walk to an amble with your hands shoved in your jacket. Coming closer Rindou was done up in his Kanto uniform. It literally just looked like he never made it to the meeting.

“Your looser of a brother forget where he put your short ass on the way to the meeting?” You popped off again like normal, “Or did your tiny little legs not carry you as fast?”

As your insults had gone unrecognized on the bridge. Now this close knowing he heard you unless there was cotton stuffed in his ears. Rindou was deliberately ignoring you. Something he had never done since meeting you. A weird mix of unfamiliar concern and anger washed over you. Bringing you to stand beside him with your hands stuffed in your pockets and a glare on your face when you looked down at him.

Eyes utterly open. Rindou wasn’t napping down here. Though you didn’t think that was the case with the way he was sitting up with his knees tucked under his chin. You still had a bone to pick with him for ignoring you. But at least before you opened your mouth again, Rindou made a noise.

“...where’s Waka?” Rindou mumbled with the lower part of his face covered by his crossed arms.

“Waka?” Confusion swiped the anger and indignance of being ignored right out from under your feet, “What the hell does Wakasa have to do with anything? You hit your head falling off that bridge you dunce?”

Oddly calm. No you wouldn’t exactly call it calm. He was quiet but not in a restful content way. Like he couldn’t really talk but why that seemed off for the quieter brother felt weird. If anything he popped off to you when you ran your mouth. To have your insults go unacknowledged felt too weird for you to know what to do with.

“...care to elaborate?” Your brow rose, “Was I supposed to bring Waka but Ran’s too stupid to use words?”

A mumble into his arms. One you couldn’t hear. And upon clearing your throat and telling him to use his words like a big boy. That jab couldn’t even draw much of a reaction from the man.

“You spend your time with him anyways,” Rindou sighed, laying his cheek against his arms and making his glasses crooked on his face without care, “Figured you brought your boyfriend with you everywhere.”

Now being the second time someone decided to pop off on your relationship status. Unlike Ran’s snide comment. Rindou’s left you confused for what the hell he was spouting off.

“Wakasa? Imaushi? Boyfriend? What?” You took a step in front of him so Rindou had no choice but to face you, “One woman? One woman in this god forsaken gang and is this some kind of betting pool on me? The shit that falls out of your mouths I should bash every tooth in your-”

“You were the one out with him-” Rindou lifted his head finally from his crossed arms, “No one cares, not like I care- You don’t like me anyways Wakasa can have you I just-”

Then came the blossoming realization in your mind. It honestly hadn’t dawned on you as all you did was spew venom in their direction. Rindou’s in particular because he took it so well unlike his twig of a brother. So in hindsight you never entertained the idea that of all the people you were forced to work with, Rindou might have actually saw more to your daily interactions than work place harassment.

“...Rindou,” You hadn’t actually used his name without morphing it into something mean since the first time were introduced, “...do you like me?”

For the amount of time it took him to respond. Anything he might say would sound astoundingly stupid. So Rindou remained silent and put his cheeks back against the crook of his elbow refusing to act or say anything else in front of you.

The twenty minute walk out of town hadn’t exactly prepared you for this. But at the same time you couldn’t ignore the fact that you had come all this way anyways. On your own accord. Without Ran actually telling you where his brother was. Embarrassingly so you knew where he was though. As each of those facts stacked onto you like a brick. Finally too much like a wall of realizations hit you. You yourself finally sunk down in the overgrown grass of the drainage ditch as well.

Leaning your torso into the incline of the hill as you stared down at your hands. Between them you pinched blades of grass just to rip them up. Reminding you what it felt like to be in primary school this time of year. Even if you were now in your twenties and certainly not the same person you were as a kid.

“...should I guess how long?” You breeched the reality of what Rindou said slowly. Resistant to say anything you slowly nodded as you tore at a clump of grass, “...Wakasa and I were grabbing some stuff for Koko. Not that matters or anything- We’re not dating ok.”

Rindou looked across at you with heavy lidded eyes. The rest of his expression neutral as always. You couldn’t even fish something up to lighten the mood short of pushing him in the drainage ditch. But even that, your limbs felt too heavy to really want to do that.

“I haven’t said a nice thing to you since the day we met,” You felt weird admitting it out loud. In your head and in the moment it never mattered. But here out in the dusk of a summer day it felt bad to say such things and yet for some reason you couldn’t stop when you looked at him, “Where you dropped on your head that much as a baby? Or does Ran use that stupid baton on more than just opponents?”

Something about making fun of him felt sour all of a sudden. A feeling you didn’t particularly care to feel. Getting up and leaving now though would make things too awkward at work. Each passing second rooting you in place in front of him as you didn’t know what to do.

“...you picked me over Ran,” Rindou spoke up, “I guess that made me feel special.”

“Picked you over? No I want to snap your brother’s neck more than I want Manjiro to pay me.”

Rindou finally lifted his face from his arms and stared across at you, “That’s not what I meant.”

“I mean...I thought I bullied you both equally...”

“Does this mean you don’t like me?” Rindou seemed so fragile in the moments after those words left you.

Just as the bricks had stacked themselves on you. Forcing you to sit down and dwell before him. When presented with such a question felt like the worst timing in the world. Even worse than when you brought your beer down here to have a quiet drink only to find out Rindou knew exactly where this place was. Now with the two of you back here. It made you wish you had a beer to negate this entire thinking about your feelings thing.

“We’re not some school yard kids.” You finally answer. But not really. Rindou can’t help but stare at you with his legs tucked up so tight under him. He really does look like an idiot. An idiot you could find a thousand things to pick apart on. And for each of those things you could tear from him, it would just take a single look at him for you to have a million more things about him to talk about. Each time you looked at him you took something away from it in a way that no one else could manage to make you do, “...if this is your way at getting back to me for teasing you then you can just knock it off.” Breaking eye contact with him as you looked back down at the green grass stains seeping into the dried parts of your hand, “...I don’t dislike you ok. I just- I’m not gonna like anyone ever because they just weaponize it. I refuse to be weak again. That’s something I’d think at least your pea brain could understand.”

Since your arrival down here Rindou finally lifted his head completely from his lap. Dropping his legs and staring at you in front of him. There was a vacancy to his stare that you couldn’t exactly make fun of after what you just said, “I could ask why you’re in a gang in the first place.”

“And I won’t answer.” You snapped, your turn to avoid eye contact.

Rindou dropped his gaze to his own hands in his lap. Unlike you though he wasn’t about to start plucking the grass smashed under his feet from however long he’d been siting out here, “...I just figured you’d stop eventually. I liked the attention. I liked it from you of all people.”

Refusing to look up at him you could feel your jaw twitch, “If you think talking your stupid feelings are going to get me to act like this is some nasty romcom then forget it.”

“No. I guess I don’t really know. I just didn’t really want to go to the meeting and see you with Wakasa.” Rindou rubbed a blade of grass between his fingers, “Guess I don’t have to worry about that now.”

“You can’t just say you like me and things go back to normal.” You looked up frowning at the man across from you, “That’s not how this works.”

“You’re the one who came out here,” Rindou met your gaze, “I didn’t even tell Ran where I was.”

Huffing and feeling from your neck up flush with warmth. Having those facts shoved back in your face didn’t sit right with you. Making you want to reach across and choke him in his uniform jacket. But what would that help? Fact was that some dirty laundry was being aired out even if you wanted to pretend it just got kicked elsewhere to be ignored.

“...I don’t,” You pursed your lips for a second, “To both of your questions. I don’t know if I like you and...I don’t really know why I’m in a gang. I just- I figured if I was mean first then- It’d save a lot of heart ache in the long run.” You gripped a wad of grass in your fist but stopped moments before pulling it, “When you grow up and your body decides to grow not like how its supposed to, then, you just deal with it.” You let go of the grass to reach up and touch your cheeks, “If you look different they make fun of you. And- I don’t think I’ve ever met any gangs yet that are meaner than school yard kids when you’re thirteen and growing a beard instead of bigger breasts ok.” You touch dropped from your cheek and you returned to lightly plucking at the grass in your lap, “If I was mean first, it helped. But then I just couldn’t stop being mean and well...I’m here.”

When there was no response to your words. Looking at him was the last thing you wanted to do. But it felt foolish to continue to sit here and pick at the blades of grass. Raising your head to find Rindou with the dopiest grin on his face and a look in his eyes you couldn’t quite place but it certainly made you want to slap him for it.

“What-” You snapped with your fist balling up.

“Will you continue to be mean to me?” Rindou said with his grin sticking to his lips.

“What-” You echoed but this time in a much different tone as your fist relaxed.

“You can keep being mean to me.” Rindou echoed, “Because it keeps you here with me.”

Feeling a flutter to your chest you didn’t appreciate feeling. Obviously whatever foolish notions he came down here with went into remission. It irked you but the goofy smile on his lips made you feel another way you didn’t know what to do with.

“You say any of this to anyone-” You began.

“My lips are sealed.” Rindou tugged an imaginary zipper over his lips.

“-that goes for your brother,” Your scowled, “I will make you wish whatever drops you had as a baby killed you instead of making you this stupid.”

As he promised his lips were in fact sealed. Rindou shook his head assuring you weren’t going to have to deal with anyone knowing your secret. Or that you perhaps weren’t as mean as you tried to be. Like an overgrown child he was making sure to be silent at your request. But he was much happier to be quiet this time than when you came down here.

Groaning you leaned into the incline of the hill. Right into him as you pressed a kiss to Rindou’s sun warm cheek, “You could have just asked me if I was dating anyone.”

Like a mime Rindou shook his head. Puffing out his chest almost triumphantly after that kiss. Making you groan a second time but now you rolled your eyes and got up. But before you turned away you offered him a hand. Yanking the younger Haitani up to stand with you. He didn’t let go of your hand until you scoffed in disgust and threw his hand down to turn around and leave.

“Thank you for picking me.” Rindou said with your back turned.

Refusing to turn around to look at him. Knowing he was probably smiling like a fool and making you regret the kiss already. All you had was a groan and remorse from coming down here. Wholeheartedly expecting by the next meeting that every member of Kanto would know you kissed Rindou’s cheek. Already lining up your insults for everyone dumb enough to bring it up to your face. And an extra insult for Rindou knowing he was going to ask for another kiss before the two of you even made it to the convenient store down the road where you’d insist he buy you a drink after wasting all your time.

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