Pinned Together (7) [Ayato Kirishima x Reader]

“Maybe I shouldn’t stay around him so much…” you suggest to yourself as you lay back on your bed, hand covering your face. “This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t just stay away because I don’t know how to deal with my own emotions.”

With a confident nod, you settle on continuing to hang around Ayato, regardless of your interesting new feelings. You don’t to ruin the “friendship”—you aren’t sure if Ayato would acknowledge that—established between the two of you. At least, now you’re beginning to change your mind. Maybe it would be better to spend more time with him, in preparation for the worst possibility that you let your feelings slip out, and Ayato doesn’t quite reciprocate them.

“Should I ask him if he wants to get coffee right now?” you contemplate, uttering the words almost noiselessly to yourself. “I don’t think there’s anything planned during the day, and it’s only ten…”

Slumping back on a few pillows, you whip your phone out from your pocket and scroll through the list of contacts that you have. Truthfully, you aren’t one to text Ayato much, because you fear the reprisal for ineloquent messages. You exchange a few calls although usually only for the resolve of communicating during missions or “night-work” escapades. As of late, however, you’ve been hoping to call him just for scheduling an outing during your vacant hours. Gathering some bravery, you press the button to initiate a call and hope for the best as you dangle your phone near your ear.

“Hello?” He sounds somewhat derisive, his voice lacking enthusiasm for the upcoming conversation. You hope that he hadn’t checked who was calling him and didn’t actually want to greet you like that.

“Hi, Ayato-kun, it’s [Name],” you speak, “I was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee with me today?”

As if he hadn’t anticipated your call, there’s silence on the other end. With an optimistic outlook on your invitation, you patiently wait on Ayato’s response. You don’t dare to talk or to question if he’s still on the line because you know you’ll be in for a fiery retort.

“Why,” Ayato merely says, the underlying demand in his interrogative evident.

You quirk a brow at his response, and you snort through your nose. “‘Why’?” you repeat. “Because I just want to spend some more time with you! We’re always doing work on missions, and I thought it would be—”

“Okay, okay, frikkin’ geez, don’t go spewing your whole life’s story at me, I’ll go with you,” rudely interrupts Ayato. For some reason, you smile at his rough answer. Knowing him, he doesn’t want to flat-out accept (even if he wanted to), and therefore, he searches for some other way to consent to your offer.

“All right, Ayato-kun, where are you right now? We can go when you’re ready.” Springing off your bed, you land on your feet. Unhurriedly, you start to walk towards your restroom to fix your crumpled shirt and shorts and probably splash some water on your face.

“Yeah, I’m ready, whatever. Just meet me down at the front.” Without another word, he hangs up.

Placing your phone into your shorts’ pocket again, you continue to the restroom. While you are gently plodding across the tiled floor near the door, you hear another set of footsteps against the ground right outside. Curious, you tilt your head to the side. Cracking the door ajar a few centimeters, you peek at the ghoul who had been passing by your room.

You only sight a fluttering red and gray scarf, but know well enough who it is.

Ayato had been there for a while, hadn’t he? Maybe that’s why he didn’t answer your question of where he had been.

You wonder if he had been intending to stop by to talk to you in person.

Nah, he couldn’t have.

A couple minutes later, and you’re walking beside Ayato, out of the Aogiri base. He dons his characteristic ebony clothing and boots, topped off with the scarf you had bought him. It brings a smile to your face, and Ayato comments snippily, “What?”

“Nothing really,” you chuckle, “it’s just that you’re wearing the scarf.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he replies matter-of-factly, a light “tsk” following his seemingly rhetorical question.

Regardless, you supply him with an answer. “Hah, I don’t know why. If you didn’t like me, then I guess you wouldn’t wear it.” You’re hoping Ayato doesn’t take that the wrong way.

“It’s because I feel like it.” Ayato shrugs and brushes aside your reason as if it had been a result of false reasoning.

You laugh.

“What’s so fucking funny?”

“You always say, ‘Because I feel like it’ as a reason. It’s kind of cute. I’d give your logic an A plus. It’s impeccable, you know,” you publicize heartily, refusing to cease laughing at your own well-delivered sarcasm.

“Just shut up and walk,” complains Ayato, neglecting to comment on your reflection about him.

Snickering to yourself and knowing that you’ve bested him, you agree willingly, “Yeah, sure!”

He and you are both quiet for a moment, but Ayato unpredictably speaks up, “Hey, idiot, where exactly are we going?”

“To… a coffee shop,” you state deliberately as you turn your gaze on Ayato in confusion.

“I know that, dumbass! I just don’t want to go to some shitty place with shitty coffee,” explains Ayato touchily.

You resist another laugh. “Well, we’re not going somewhere bad, obviously. We could go to any coffee shop and expect decent coffee. They wouldn’t be in business if their coffee sucked. And, I’m sure”—you daringly rumple Ayato’s hair, to which he swats your hand away—“that you’d probably tell them that, hah.

“Hey. Your coffee is like crap.” With an intense amount of vigor, you knit your brows together and draw your lip back in a snarl. Before Ayato can question your strange behavior, you laugh and allow your facial features to soften. “That’s exactly how you’d be like!”

“Wha—what!” Ayato’s cheeks flush in the slightest; he thinks it’s kind of cute how you imitated him. He isn’t about to let you know that though, so he rejects your theory entirely. “That is not what I look or sound like.”

Grinning childishly, you prod his side with a thumb and chirp, “Whatever you say, Ayato-kun!”

Face still lightened with a few dabs of pink here and there, Ayato grumpily saunters along beside you. He doesn’t know how you’re doing it, but you’ve been able to flit your way into his life, without being annoying. When you reach out to hold his hand, he doesn’t say anything, but he just allows you to gently weave your fingers between his. You notice his particularly compliant behavior for the moment, but you choose not to challenge it.

In just a little over five minutes, you and Ayato are standing near the counter of the coffee shop. Cheerfully, you inform the employee on what coffee you’d like, and Ayato hastily chips in after you, which lets her know that the both of you are ordering together. He seems to be somewhat lost in thought, and you’re vaguely worried about him. Maybe you’d poke at the issue later.

The coffee shop, “Wisps of Simplicity”, isn’t quite busy, so your coffees arrive fairly quickly. After handing you your drinks, the waitress sets a receipt onto the marbled table you’re sitting at, and you peer at the text printed on it. Under the coffee that you had ordered is Ayato’s, and you note—for future reference—that he likes his straight-up black. Impishly, you smile and reach for Ayato’s coffee. Unsuspectingly swiping it from his hold, you press your lips to the cup and drink some of the coffee, the bitterness on your tongue somewhat satisfying. Just after you set the cup back down on the table, it’s seized from your grasp, and you’re met with an impudent look on Ayato’s face.

“What?” The smile on your face broadens. “It’s payback for the coffee that you drank last time.”

Ayato frowns and then scoffs. “Stupid idiot.”

Watching Ayato somewhat protectively cage his coffee between his two hands, you chuckle and sip your own drink.

It’s then that your phone vibrates, and you retrieve the device from your pocket. Swiping and unlocking your phone, your eyes widen when you notice the message written across the screen.

“What are you looking at?” pointedly queries Ayato, his hand loosely framing his coffee cup. Although he’s staring at you with half-lidded eyes, you can tell that he’s mandating you to reveal what you’re reading.

“Ah, well, Uta-san… sent me a text that he’s finished my mask,” you quietly stutter out, hoping that Ayato won’t be too upset. You know precisely why he would be; you never gave Uta your number in the first place.

Ayato’s reaction is the ordinary one you’re not quite ready to face. His face hardens, and he subconsciously leans over the table somewhat, his hand pushing aside his coffee. Instinctively, your own hands curl around your own coffee cup, and you’re dreading the angry voice with which he’ll be addressing you.

“How the hell did he get your number?” Ayato rasps out ferociously. “I fucking knew it. Can’t trust that guy at all.”

“It’s okay, Ayato-kun. I don’t think he’s going to try and contact me any further. There’s no point in him talking to me anyway,” you precariously try to reassure him. In a more hushed manner, you add on somewhat embarrassedly, “I mean, you made your presence pretty much known to him last time…”

“That guy better not try to pull any shit,” mutters Ayato ominously, sighing and snatching his coffee again. With a matching sigh, you lean back into you chair. At least Ayato kept his voice down, so that no one else would be suspicious of the two of you.

Letting Ayato know that Uta texted you seems to have made him more restless, which you can deduce by his constant peering out the window or cracking of his knuckles. Grasping your coffee cup firmly, you stand up and declare, “Ayato-kun, since it looks like you can’t sit still anymore, let’s go and get my mask.”

He almost splutters at your boldness—audacity, almost—and shoots you a glare. Turning his head to the side, Ayato consents, “Fine.”

Together, you and Ayato leave the coffee shop and head to Uta’s studio. Contrary to your last visit to his shop, you and Ayato catch a bullet train to the Fourth Ward since you don’t feel like legging the journey there. On the train, he seats himself right beside you, and your body becomes rigid in a second. Evidently, you seem to mind the fact that your right leg is leaning against his left, and his hand is almost touching your knee, but he doesn’t quite appear to mind. Though you know Ayato despises being surrounded by a bunch of humans, albeit some other ghouls as well, the moment is peaceful for you. There’s a little idle chatter between some of the passengers, but other than that, the scenery you’re being whisked through is only a blur of blues, greens, grays, and browns. Somehow, it’s relaxing, and in the midst of it all, you’re surprised by Ayato, who rests his head on your shoulder.

“Ayato-kun,” you start tentatively. “What are you doing?”

In response, he only snorts mockingly and closes his blue optics. Nearly silent, Ayato mumbles to you, “Duh, idiot. I’m going to go to sleep, ‘cause I’m tired from dealing with stupid shit. Wake me up when we get there.”

“Okay, Ayato-kun,” you affirm softly.

As you feel his breath on your neck, your heart beats a smidge faster. You really begin to ponder about what you and Ayato truly are. Ayato wouldn’t go this far for anyone else; he wouldn’t accompany them on a passing whim. He does do a lot for you, you think. Then, you find yourself recalling all the instances when Ayato would be there, beside you in a fight or just being with you (though, the latter hadn’t occurred quite as often before these past few months). What you recognize is that it’s nice to have Ayato concerned for you, even if he really is terrible at showing it. That’s what makes it cute to you.