Old Flames Reunite

Honestly, could he blame her?

They had months of tension that bordered between sexual and honest friendship before they consummated it within a night. He couldn't just call her emotional and say that was it. Most women he bailed on usually ignored him or treated him like shit, which he deserved, but he wasn't ever going to say he expected anyone to be friendly with him. Some knew what it was and some just couldn't be bothered when business was on the line. Most of his 'romantic' prospects were just that.

Prospects that became sexual and nothing more.

And yet that all came crashing down when someone as brash and stubborn as this woman came into his life. He had told himself, he had genuinely told himself, that it was another fling and that was it. That when he spent the night with her, he took it slow because he wanted to make a lasting memory. He told that to himself day in and day out.

Not because he wanted to make her feel special.

He could lie to the world and his current little student, but he couldn't lie to himself, could he?

His grip loosened, but it didn't take Tsukiko long before she slipped out of his grip and faced him eye-to-eye. He didn't flinch away from her. His eyes were soft compared to before. He wasn't as confident and if he was half as suave as before, he'd be lying. He was being honest with her and he wasn't going to lie about things either.

She stepped closer and gave him her answer.

It was honest and warm. Just like her. Tsukiko was as brash as they came and she was probably the most stubborn person alive with an attitude to boot. People always thought she was a badass who didn't feel anything, but that was the biggest problem nobody seemed to realize. The man paused briefly when she pointed toward his heart right before she tapped his forehead once.

What could he say?

Something profound? Something deep?

'Tsu...'

The thought plagued him once and the memories rushed into his mind yet again. He could still remember the night. They were drunk and celebrating. It was a simple little thing. Another job well done and another case closed shut for Tsukiko yet again. It was never meant to be anything more than a fling in his mind if it happened.

A possibility that, for all intents and purposes, was meant to be sex.

Instead, he found that the night he spent with her was the one that left him warm. He didn't want to rush it. He didn't want to see her frown or pout. He preferred to stay free and loose. Nobody to tie him down and tether him away, but...

It was different.

"...You still thought of me?"

Unlike before, the smile on his face wasn't arrogant or even confident. He looked sheepish as he peered into her eyes before reaching out and slinging an arm around her waist. His eyes had softened and he left himself vulnerable. He wasn't trying to hide behind a mask or even bothering with a sense of crazy profoundly cheesy one-liner barring something stupid to remind her that he was the person she knew before.

But that...

"You're right. I should start listening to that part of me. I should've listened to it a long time ago instead of trying to ignore it. I don't know what the hell the future's got in store for us, but I don't want you to think I never cared. Tsukiko, I've had flings before, I've had wives before, and I've probably done more illegal things than I wanna admit," and he honestly wasn't going to explain half of those since he was pretty sure she kept a record on some of the things he did. "But you were never a fling to me. You weren't some random bimbo I was trying to honey up just so I could roll in the hay with. You were somebody else. You meant something. You still do."

He leaned down and his breath was upon hers in a second. His eyes were focused and for once he didn't want to make some stupid joke or just try and use sexual tension as an excuse. He thought it wasn't much to flirt around. Ignore the feelings from long ago and leave it at that. It should've been as simple as that, but Tsukiko had a point.

Maybe he just needed to start feeling rather than thinking.

"Tsu... I...," and for once he just wanted to show her instead of saying it. Just an inch more...

"...I believe,” A sharp click was heard from behind his head. “-I said the next time I saw you, I’d make a new hole between your eyes, Roman.”

Should Tsukiko take a look behind her, she’d notice the unattended holster she’d left at the ring corner was suddenly empty.

Past the dark shade of Roman’s hair was the violet glow of Sae Yamamoto’s pupil focused on the vulnerable, malleable portion of skull and the barrel of Tsukiko’s firearm she pressed firmly into it. Her finger was tight against the trigger, her knuckles white as her grip tightened around the handle. Her other hand was kept casually inside her pants pockets.

Chief Yamamoto:

In her youthful days as a gumshoe on Tokyo neon streets, the security chief of AFW had learned to blend in with the shadows. Criminals were much bolder back then, when forensics and crime scene technology was still imperfect science. Thugs did their dealings and went about their business in plain view, hustling whatever goods and information they could get their hands on. It was easier to close your case when you got the jump on them first. Nimble feet alone were responsible for half the apprehensions across her career.

Not the least of which was the loudmouth in front of her. Roman was far from the worst of the long list of offenders that had crossed her desk, but he was certainly one of the most memorable. If only because his voice seemed to drown out all the competition. “Did you think your name wouldn't be vetted or did you just not give a damn?"

Her pistol nudged closer into his head, forcing him to bend his head forward. Just enough for him to face the floor and reveal her face fully to the white-haired woman across from them. Sae locked eyes, feeling a familiar anxiety that only one woman in the world could give her. "Not that you were ever one to keep intelligent company, Probie."

Call it her investigative instincts as a senior detective in her precinct, female intuition, or the byproduct of conducting hundreds of interviews within cigarette smoke-filled interrogation rooms...but Tsukiko knew genuine feelings when she saw them. You just don't spend this long behind a badge without learning how to catch all of the subtle nuances that come with bold-faced lies, and Roman here was exhibiting all the telltale signs of a lunkheaded horndog who knew when he fucked up and was trying his earnest best to mend fences. It kinda reminded her of an apologetic and droopy-eyed puppy. However, Tsu's guard still remained up considering she didn't want to let her swooning emotions and heartfelt memories of one magical night get the better of her judgment again. I mean one of them had to be the adult in this situation, and she wasn't a complete moron. She knew Roman had other romantic prospects in his life. But being back in his arms was always a more comfortable position than hyper-extending one of them in an armbar. Smiling up at him and feeling warmth of his words on her lips, a part of her started to wonder if-

Tsukiko whispered these observations underneath her breath, but only scrunching her distraught face when recognizing the identity of the assailant behind Roman. One evident clue to her identity being that Tsu customized the safety on her firearm so that only she knew how to unlock it...and her partner. The sinking feeling in her stomach stemming from how Sae routinely chastised her for how brazenly careless Tsu could be with her firearm along with how Tsu would openly fraternize with perps she thought were cute. Sae catching her old partner red-handed in both regards, now sheepishly peeking her head over Roman's shoulder. "Heeeey, partner~...Fancy meetin' you here~..." Sae smiling anxiously before beginning to separate herself from Roman, flustered and straightening out her white top as if she were a highschooler caught making out with her boyfriend. "I see you remember Roman. He was just tellin' me all about how he's turned over a new leaf. Trainin fighters here. Gettin cozy, with that Winter bimbo. Why he's a regular reformed citizen on the straight and narrow now...RIGHT?" Tsukiko gnashing her teeth when addressing him, intent on making sure he wasn't making a liar out of her.

"That's definitely your gun."

Yep, he recognized the distinct click of a gun anywhere, mainly when it belonged to Tsukiko's respective weapon. He honestly thought that that stupid valley idiot had come back and picked up a gun. It wouldn't have surprised him if she did, but sadly, it was not that. Instead, it was someone else who was ALSO quite familiar with him.

Granted, it wasn't sexual, but just because a female wasn't familiar with him from a sexual experience didn't mean it was a good experience regardless. His expression thinned and a flat look graced the man's features. In every essence of the word, Roman's face was comically calm as he blankly stared at the shorter woman standing before him with a bead of sweat dripping down the corner of his brow.

And one gun barrel pressed into his skull firmly, the man hoisting his hands up and offering his 'surrender'. He might've done a lot of crazy things, but trying to mess with anyone at gunpoint was just stupid. Even he wasn't...

Alright, he was that stupid, but this was different.

"W-Well, I figured nobody here would know me. I mean, to be honest, does anyone think they'd meet somebody in an organization dedicated to fighting and all sorts of sexual tensions?" Seriously, was he just unlucky, or was it something related to his bloodline? Did his grandfather screw over God? Did someone in his ancestral line piss off Lady Luck?

He bent his head forward and quietly glanced at Tsukiko.

"This? This is why I had to convince my mom I wasn't a crazed gunman with all the people around me."

Yeah, talking to your mom about being a mercenary wasn't very simple, much less telling them you quit and became a hired assassin at some point.

"M-Mom... No, I'm... I'm not a crazed gunman, mom, I'm an assassin... What's the diff... Mom, one's a job, the other's a mental sickness."

It wasn't a very fun conversation. Regardless, Roman coughed quietly before taking a quiet step forward and slowly turning around, his hands in the air. A gun pointed straight at him, he offered Sae a sheepish grin before promptly shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"Sae, you look as... Well, I wanted to say old, but maybe that's a bit too out there. So, how's life going besides us meeting again? Are you still angry at me?"

Honestly, he forgot what exactly he did, but considering this involved law enforcement? He had either escaped her clutches once and thrown a bowl of soup at her face, or he either insulted her in the crudest way possible or the worst option.

He probably just did something stupid.

And Tsukiko was already trying to make an out. The fluster on his cheeks vanishing as quickly as it had come before, he waved his hands gently and chuckled. "R-Right... I've got a training gig going on now. Got me a fighter and... Are you still angry about Wi... R-Right! Yeah, getting to know the owner too. Hell, I haven't done ANYTHING illegal at all since I've been here."

Well, besides catfishing someone.

Then maybe snagging too many bagels in a break room.

And MAYBE he had slept at the gym a couple of times because he was too laz...

Right, maybe he should keep those to himself, huh?

"Tsu and I were just catching up on old times. You know how us buds do, right? Just... Going over the good times. Got a quick spar in. Worked up a slight sweat, you know?"

It was supposed to be a routine day for her. Security checks, meetings with shareholders, reviewing reports from the office, making sure Winterbourne hadn’t put herself in danger. The last thing she needed was a distraction. It was only typical that the universe had something much worse in store for her.

Sae had seen her from a distance roaming the halls. There was no mistaking that ashen hair and the cocksure gait in her stride that once sauntered the offices of her former precinct. The Security Chief’s curiosity got the better of her at that moment and opted to follow the familiar woman. Her path led her to the gym, which led them all to this touching reunion.

“Is that so?” Sae didn’t attempt to hide the derision in her voice. A long and painful second life amidst the worst of the Japanese underworld hadn’t done wonders for her cynicism. She sincerely doubted that most people could ‘change’ just like that. She was inclined to believe it slightly less when it came from a certain ex-officers mouth.

Tsukiko Shirogane. The worst partner Sae had ever had.

And the best detective she'd ever known.

Yet, somehow, still a horrible judge of character.

All this time and Roman hadn’t figured out how to make sure his brain and his mouth were on the same page. Two fundamental rules could have prevented what was about to happen: 1) Don’t piss off the person holding the gun. 2) Don’t talk about a woman’s age.  

She felt her brow twitch as she reared her leg back and threw a kick up between his legs, scoring a soccer kick into the family jewels. She drew her pistol back and releaxed it against her shoulder, looking down at Roman with a hand on her hip. “Then I’m happy for both of you. In the spirit of forgiveness and moving on, consider yourself lucky that I’m no longer an officer.”

The younger version of herself would have acted on the impulses going on in her head. The inexperienced, brash Sae Yamamoto eager to do anything to rise the ranks. The aggressive hot-headed agent couldn’t decipher between the useful lowlifes and the dangerous ones. The woman she was before they got a few calluses, healed a few scars, and…met a certain partner.

Sae stepped over Roman’s back, stomping on his head as she brought herself face-to-face with her former colleague. “Care to explain what you’re doing away from your desk and chasing tail in a professional wrestling league, Detective Shirogane?”

*Was it the Takagi case? Or maybe it was the Hashimoto murder file? The way that one ended always left a bad taste in Sae's mouth...* Ascertaining the reason as to why Sae was currently headhunting Roman would have probably taken longer than the scant few seconds Sae had whilst straightening her out top. Back during their gang-busting days as hard-boiled detectives sharing a squad car together, Roman ended up being an effective informant once provided convincing enough incentive. Although in spite of all the crimes solved and accommodations given there were always certain cases that either didn't pan out or always felt like culprits were being tipped off about our investigation. Obviously they never attained any proof that Roman was ratting them out (Hell Tsukiko would have shot him herself if they ever did) but Sae nevertheless always had her crosshairs aimed at Roman should he ever slip up and give her a reason to pull the trigger. Metaphorically speaking, although today quite literal. Fortunately for him Sae was feeling generous today and let him off with a warning/kick to his junk. Tsu feeling simultaneously sympathetic considering how much punishment Roman had taken today already...but also jealous that Sae punted him down there before she got an opportunity to.

Tsu balked from now being in the line of fire and was now accosted by her old partner after Roman's righteous punishment was administered, inwardly hoping that Roman was the only one in trouble today. Adapting a sagging posture with her arms flaccidly dangling as she fluidly swayed left and right. "Awwww come on Sae...Yer starting to sound just like the chief in your old a-...your, peak detective years. You know I'm no good behind a deeeeesk. I always do my best sleuthin' when I'm out in the field and hitting the streets. I was gonna report back to you right after I scoped out the facility, scout's honor." Tsu perked up from her sullen stature when remembering how she can explain that today wasn't a total loss. "Besides, since I found Roman here, who knows how much intel he can get us as to the criminal element around here. Somethin I wouldn't have been able to arrange if I'd been parked behind a desk." Whether or not Roman agreed to this, Sae would continue onward in terms of getting back in her partner's good graces. Strolling up beside Sae and innocently situating her chin on her partner's shoulder. "Ya see, this is what made us one of the most heralded teams on the force. You do the paperwork, I...create the paperwork. OH, do you have any more pics of your little girl? Come on, show Auntie Tsu~..."

Roman expected many things in this encounter.

Getting punched in the face? Yeah, he was about ready for it. Getting slugged in the gut? Absolutely prepared for that. Maybe getting whipped by a pistol and having to deal with a broken nose? Police brutality and he honestly wouldn't blame the woman in front of him for doing it. Nevertheless, he expected many things from this near-violent encounter and he didn't expect to get away without a few injuries aside from the ones Tsu had given his arms.

He just didn't exactly have enough time to process the boot that found a home against his groin.

Right against the family jewels.

He froze in but a second as all manner of thought went through his mind. Families, men, women, and children alike, a flower growing off the side of a cliff in the vast regions of Asia, and numerous memories from his youth. Roman Foster blankly stared ahead, moments before the pain finally found a home in his mind, his eyes glazed as he went through what could only be described as a brief memory in his youth.

"Hey, dad?"

"Yes, Roman?"

"Whaddya do when you get kicked in the boing loings?"

"Ha... Son, are you listening closely now?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Good. What you do when you get kicked right in the crotch is pray to God and hope that you're gonna be able to have children. Because, when you mess with the wrong person..."

And before Roman knew it, he was dragged right from his memories and plopped to his knees and onto the floor with widened eyes and drool seeping from the corner of his lip. He had gotten kicked so hard that he couldn't even finish a near-death experience either. The thought didn't escape him as a boot stomped onto his face and pushed him into the canvas floor once more as he whimpered silently. To be more exact, he was whimpering in a pitch that only certain animals could hear.

"S-Should've... Just bit the bullet..."

While he lay there, Tsukiko got to talking above and involved him once more in shenanigans he didn't think he'd find himself in again. The only reason he was here was that he owed a colleague a favor and wanted to do right by the old bat trying to help the fighter that was Sabrina Anderson make a name for herself and carve it into the skies.

Besides, criminal activity around here? If he got involved, that just meant he was screwed over once he got wrangled into some situation. Seriously, was there that much of a criminal element about this place? He knew about a few potential people, but he wasn't about that life as much and he didn't go around doing wetwork any longer.

Though, he always did seem to stir up trouble, didn't he?

Crawling to his hands and knees, he huffed and slowly pulled himself back to his feet.

"Putting her behind a d-desk is probably the worst mistake you'd get. She'd never finish the paperwork and it's more than likely she's gonna find a way to botch that up too... Ah, God... You missed them the first time. Now? Now you got 'em the second time... Fuck!"