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“I hate it.”
Gou Shijima tugs again at the sleeves of the deep blue dinner jacket. The stiff-collared shirt he has on underneath feels how he imagines those cones they put on cats at the vet do. It’s too stifling for any of his usual acrobatics, even if Kiriko hadn’t already insisted he wasn’t allowed to do them in this ensemble.
The jacket, though, isn’t even the worst part of the whole thing. On the other side of the dressing room a little too small for four people stands Chase, his partner for this latest mission. Chase, though, seems far less discomfited by the formal attire, for all the worrying Kiriko is doing over what color of necktie he should be wearing. She’s even pulled Shinnosuke into it, expert of ties that he is, so Gou’s moping is going completely unnoticed.
The case was this: A series of couples-only events gone wrong. Whole groups of people left unconscious, with abnormally high, nearly toxic levels of alcohol in their systems. Even though such inebriation doesn’t guarantee memory loss, every attendee the police had interviewed stated no recollection of the events that led to them passing out. Heavy Distortion had been recorded at every scene, so it was almost certainly a case of Roidmude intervention, and that put the Special Investigations Unit on deck for the investigation.
There were two different events scheduled for that evening which fit the M.O. of the other crashed parties. While Kiriko and Shinnosuke were already set to attend one, Rinna and Detective Otta both had responsibilities, meaning they couldn’t play the second couple for this particular occasion. It fell to the pair of “consultants” with more than enough free time to attend the other event. Gou had been less than pleased about the whole thing, to say the least, but he had to begrudgingly accept it was probably a good plan to send Riders to a Roidmude party. Acting half the couple with Chase, though... Gou was just going to avoid thinking about it until they were at the party. Admittedly, Chase didn’t look half bad in a suit. Maybe it was because he was naturally so stiff. Or his shoulders looked good shaped by the angles of the suit. Maybe it was just the novelty of seeing him out of his usual chains and tight pants getup.
Kiriko is finally finished fussing over Chase, but Gou wouldn’t know that from paying close attention or anything. Shinnosuke is teaching Chase how to tie his tie, which would be kinda fun to watch if it wasn’t for the way Gou’s sister has just fixed her attention on him.
Kiriko grabs him by the shoulders, and manages to shake him down with only her eyes. She brushes dust that Gou is 90% was never there from the lapels of his jacket, then nods, satisfied. “Good.”
Gou hasn’t gone to great lengths to fix his sour expression from before. “Is it?”
Kiriko fixes him with a look that only an older sister can manage, and she spins Gou around so he’s facing the mirror with his frown instead of her. “Look. It’s a good color on you.”
Gou tugs at the sleeves again. “I think I look better in white, y’know?”
“It isn’t the kind of party where a white jacket would be appropriate, Gou.”
“I know, I know!” Gou makes a dismissive gesture, “It was a joke. Listen, why can’t I just–”
“Masquerade as a freelance cameraman and go to the party by yourself? I know you asked Chief Honganji the same thing.” The disapproval is more than apparent in Kiriko’s voice.
“‘Cause it would be easier, wouldn’t it? You guys don’t even think the Roidmude is going to be at the party you’re sending us to, so I don’t see why I can’t just go by myself.”
“But we don’t know for sure, and you wouldn’t be able to handle an advanced type on your own.”
“I might be able to! I’ve been fine before!” Gou isn’t that confident, and he knows he can’t really argue with his sister, but he’s opened his mouth and now he has to follow through.
Kiriko shakes her head. “This isn’t the kind of situation you walk into without your buddy, Gou. It’s the same reason officer Tomari and I are going together.”
“This is different than you two! You like Shinnosuke!”
Kiriko lifts one eyebrow, her expression deadly calm. “Is it really that different?”
Something spikes like a thunderbolt through Gou’s chest. He rakes a hand through his hair, can’t keep the exasperation out of his voice. “Yes!”
Kiriko searches his eyes for a moment, but he can’t tell what she’s looking for. Her gaze shifts to a clock on the wall of the dressing room. “Well, it’s time to get going.”
Gou follows the look across to the other side of the dressing room. Shinnosuke is pulling the knot a little tighter on Chase’s tie, but otherwise it looks like the Roidmude has managed to get the steps down fairly well. Shinnosuke catches onto Kiriko’s silent signal and straightens out his own suit one last time. He gestures to the door, and Kiriko gives an affirmative nod. Gou’s attention drifts back to Chase, who has been following the exchange with such focus that he’s left his tie hanging like the stain of a spilled drink down the front of his jacket.
It’s making Gou’s hands itch. He crosses the distance between them at a half-jog. Gou grabs the end of Chase’s tie and waves it at him, then feeds it behind the buttoned front of the suit jacket and pulls it so it lies flat. “Like that.” Gou has decided that he’s not going to think about how quick he was to put a hand up Chase’s jacket. The misplaced tie was bothering him, that’s all.
Kiriko insists on driving them over in one of the Special Investigation Unit vans, rather than Gou and Chase taking their bikes to the party. Gou feels like he’s 12 years old again, sitting in the backseat with Chase. The sun is just setting, Gou tracks its progress across the skyline as a distraction from the way Chase’s leg every so often brushes against his. It’s silent in the car except for the wind outside the window. Gou doesn’t like it, but that middle school sensation isn’t exactly putting him in a talkative mood.
Shinnosuke, riding in the passenger seat, turns to look at the back. “So, have you thought of a cover story yet?”
“Cover... story?” Chase leans forward.
Shinnosuke nods. “It’s an undercover operation, and you wouldn’t want the other party guests panicking because a Roidmude might show up. So you need a cover story.”
“Would the party guests not be reassured by the presence of Kamen Riders?” Chase isn’t big on deception, being an ultimate justice machine and everything.
“Sure, but if you told that to the Roidmude it wouldn’t stick around for dessert, and then more people might end up getting hurt. So it’s worth fibbing a little.” It’s obvious this is something Shinnosuke’s thought about, too, how you could lie to someone and still help them.
But it’s getting a little too stuffy and noble for Gou’s tastes. “You don’t have to worry about it! I’ll do the talking.”
Shinnosuke gives him a look that’s all too older brotherly. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”
Gou opens his mouth, but his tongue fails to find a comeback, so he closes it again, and keeps it that way for the rest of the drive.
***
The party venue is a ballroom attached to a huge house, which reminds Gou of the long-ago case of Professor Rinna’s woes and the Voice Roidmude. This house is a little more inviting, though, lights adorn the front and a row of windows look over the street. The brightest lights are on the far right wing of the building, which is circularly shaped enough to imply the location of the ballroom. Kiriko pulls the van up just in front of the stairs that lead to the main entrance of the house and parks so she and Shinnosuke can see Gou and Chase off. Gou wants to insist they don’t, he’s done this sort of solo mission before, but he knows why she’s worried. She straightens out his jacket again, tries to smooth his hair into a more presentable shape.
“No emergency room,” Kiriko makes the statement with all its silent implications, though primarily don’t do anything stupid. “You could try to have fun, you know.”
Gou rolls his eyes. “Yeah, maybe when I’m not busy chaperoning the Roidmude.” He glances over to where Chase is getting his own pep talk from Shinnosuke, which is probably a very different and maybe very boring conversation.
“Gou,” Kiriko’s voice has that serious edge to it, like she’s about to use his full name, “Chase is a good partner.”
“Sure, right until he runs out of battery or goes back to being evil or whatever,” Gou knows he’s not saying the right thing, but there’s a hot and unignorable itch to keep talking, “Dunno what you see in him, really!”
Kiriko gives his lapels one last firm tug. “Maybe you’ll figure it out while you’re playing his boyfriend.” She spins Gou around and pushes him a few steps forward, “Well, off you go!”
Gou tries to get in one last remark but Kiriko and Shinnosuke have sped up their departure and are already pulling away. Chase stands a little ways off looking as befuddled as he can, given his usual lack of expression. Gou takes two half-jogging steps over to him. “Alright, partner, shall we go inside?”
Chase gives a quick affirmative nod, and then grabs Gou by the hand.
Gou tries to shake his hand free, but Chase’s grip doesn’t loosen in the slightest. “Huh? What the hell?”
“Shinnosuke said this was customary for couples at a social engagement,” Chase’s eyes narrow fractionally, “He also said that you may attempt going off on your own. I am preventing you from doing so.”
Before Gou has a chance to complain more or even question the fact that he’s being detained from the get-go, Chase starts up the stairs. Given the Roidmude’s indomitable grip, there’s a chance Gou is going to get his shoulder dislocated if he doesn’t keep up.
It’s going to be a long night.
***
The inside of the building is just as opulent as the front, all chandeliers and sconces in the hallway that leads to the ballroom. The ballroom itself has a high ceiling and a well-stocked bar along the left wall. It’s a bookshelf of vintages above a mahogany counter with half a dozen stools on the side that faces the ballroom, only about three of them occupied. On the other side is a raised platform with a banner hanging above it. Music is playing from a speaker system near the platform, and there are two tables of food against the farthest wall with a chocolate fountain as it’s centerpiece. Gou can’t see much more than that, because Chase has dragged only as far as the doorway before stopping statue-still.
“Chase,” Gou nudges him with an elbow, “You’re blocking the door.” Both of them are blocking the door, really. But it’s Chase’s fault.
Chase seems to be stuck processing all the stimuli of a party. Gou has to pull him out of the doorway and over near the bar. It’s a temporary solution to Chase being so overwhelmed, but at least they’re both out of traffic for now. Gou manages to shake his hand loose of Chase’s grip.
“Hey,” Gou tries to get Chase’s attention, “You ok?”
Chase nods slowly. His gaze drifts away from the rest of the room to focus on Gou. “All parties... are like this?” Chase notices finally that he isn’t holding Gou’s hand anymore, and reaches for it again with intention.
Gou, catlike, bats his hand away. “I’m not gonna run off, alright?”
Chase gives Gou a look barely different than his normal expression that still manages to convey the entirety of his disbelief. He reaches for Gou’s hand again.
“No!” Gou swats Chase’s hand again, “We’ll start the investigation over there, ok?” Gou makes a gesture toward the bar.
Chase seems to deliberate on if he should go for Gou’s hand again before giving a monosyllabic grunt of agreement.
Gou makes his way to one of the stools at the bar counter and makes a performance of sitting on it. Chase takes the stool next to him far more stiffly. Still, it seems like having his back to the room makes the situation less overwhelming on his Roidmude brain. Gou finds, a little to his surprise, that he’s glad. Maybe it’s just the fact that dragging a befuddled Chase around the party would be a major pain. Whatever. He tries to flag down the bartender. “What do you want to drink?” He addresses the question to Chase.
Chase takes a minute to decide. “Sparkling water.”
“Woah,” Gou says, “Getting wild tonight.”
Chase looks at him, completely serious. “It is a party.”
Gou can’t help the smile that sneaks its way onto his lips. He turns away from Chase to hide it, trying again to get the attention of the bartender. “Hey! Can we get two sparkling waters over here?” He shrugs at Chase, “I’m underage.”
The bartender is a tall man with his hair shaved on both sides. He has a gracefulness about the way he handles the cups, scooping ice into them and drizzling the water on top. He slides two coasters in front of Gou and Chase, then places the drinks. “Your first time at one of these parties?”
Gou takes a sip of the sparkling water. It’s about as unpleasant as he knew it would be. “Yeah, it is. How’d you know?”
“I’ve been working this sort of gig for a while,” The bartender half-smiles, “It’s easy enough, recognizing new faces.”
Gou gets both elbows up on the countertop and leans forward. “Oh? You know anything about those rumors with all the people passing out?”
The bartender’s eyes go wide for a second. “Where’d you hear about that?”
“Oh, I didn’t! My–” Gou’s tongue gets stuck for an instant, “My boyfriend heard about it on the net.” He looks in Chase’s direction and finds the Roidmude enraptured with the bubbles in his glass of sparkling water. “I don’t really believe in that supernatural event stuff or whatever, but he’s totally into it.”
The bartender shoots a look down the rest of the counter, then leans in closer to speak to Gou. “I don’t know much about the rumors, but maybe it’s a lesson in being more responsible, you know?”
“Huh,” Gou leans back, “I didn’t think about it that way.” He doesn’t get a chance to continue the conversation, though. Someone down the bar is calling for a drink.
Gou turns to Chase, “Let’s check out the food next?”
For a second as they’re walking away, Gou loses track of the bartender even though he couldn’t have gone anywhere. He stops and takes a second look. There the man is, idly cleaning glasses behind the countertop. Gou doesn’t have time to really think about it, though. Chase has caught sight of the chocolate fountain. Gou can read the way the Roidmude looks the fountain up and down, follows the cord all the way to the wall.
Gou positions himself next to Chase. “Like this,” He pulls a toothpick out of a bowl next to the fountain and skewers half a strawberry on a plate adjacent. With a flourish, Gou spins the strawberry under the chocolate and pops it into his mouth. He gets the impression it’s pretty high-quality stuff.
Chase watches the whole thing with wide-eyed interest. He follows the steps Gou just demonstrated, though a little slower. He comes to a full stop once his strawberry is fully dipped. Chase speaks in a small voice, so only Gou can hear him. “Roidmude cannot process solid food.” He almost sounds remorseful.
“Oh,” Gou pauses. He’d completely forgotten that. “Well, you can just give to me.”
Chase points the skewer and strawberry like a weapon at Gou’s face. “Open your mouth.”
Gou, flabbergasted for a second, nevertheless obliges. Chase’s aim is off just slightly, and chocolate smears across his cheek before the strawberry ends up in his mouth. Still, the fruit to chocolate ratio is perfect.
Chase’s mouth parts into an “o.” He retrieves a cocktail napkin and dips it into his cup of sparkling water. He rubs it against Gou’s cheek with a tenderness that leaves a fluttering somewhere in the hollow of Gou’s ribcage. Who taught you how to do that?
“Hey, how are you enjoying the party?” Gou startles to attention. Across from him stands two men, one tall, with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. The other has lighter hair, close-cropped and curly. The realization that they’re a couple sends his chest buzzing again. He’s not sure why, though. Somehow, he can taste possibility in the way his throat catches before he speaks.
“It’s great! I love the venue. Picture perfect.” Gou sets his cup on the buffet table and tucks his hands into his pockets.
“Isn’t it?” The shorter of the two laughs, “I didn’t think we’d be able to book it!”
“The chocolate fountain is great, too,” Gou dips another strawberry, and keeps talking around it in his mouth, “I haven’t seen one of these in ages.”
Chase is still following the motion of the chocolate with intense fascination. “I have never seen one before.” Gou sort of elbows him.
Both of the other two men seem to find it an endearing exchange, though, and smile.
“Where’d you two meet?” The taller one speaks up.
It’s a dark tree-lined street. Chase’s eyes still burn with a grim reaper’s flame. Gou has the Zenrin Shooter aimed at his head.
“Oh,” Gou says, “It was through my sister, actually.”
“Kiriko,” Chase adds, accurately but unhelpfully.
“She introduced us because we have some hobbies in common,” Is being a Kamen Rider a hobby? Gou supposes it is, since it doesn’t pay. “Though we really didn’t hit it off right away, y’know?”
“Aw, really?” The shorter of the two stifles a laugh, “You certainly seem to be getting along well now.”
“Ah,” Heat rises to Gou’s cheeks, but he’s saved from responding further by his’s phone vibrateing urgently in the breast pocket of his jacket. He flips it into the air and makes a show of catching it before checking the message. It’s from Shinnosuke.
“Sorry, gotta take this.” Gou thumbs it open.
We have updated testimony from one of the other victims. Gou is about to send him a single “?” by way of asking for more information, but Shinnosuke’s second message has just taken some extra time to go through.
Looks like there was Roidmude activity immediately following a public display of affection at the last party. Maybe it just has no luck with romance, huh?
Usually, Gou would be quick with a response to such a totally lame text, but he can see Shinnosuke typing again, and he has a terrible feeling about what the next message is going to say.
Kiriko and I are going to try making a scene. Think you can do something like that too? Keep me posted!
Gou sends him an ok hand in response, because he’s playing it cool and adaptable. Public display of affection with Chase. No problem.
“Hey,” Gou tugs on Chase’s sleeve, then tilts his head in the direction of the door, “Come with me for a second?”
Chase nods his understanding, and the two of them exit the ballroom, finding a quiet alcove halfway down the external hallway. Gou shows him the contents of the message from Shinnosuke. Chase has to hold the phone to look at the screen, which Gou finds even more frustrating after it takes far more time than it should have for Chase to read everything and hand it back.
“Public display of affection?” Is the first question off the Roidmude’s lips.
“Yeah,” Gou runs a hand through his hair, “Like when you see two people really going at it in a crowded train station.” Admittedly, it was a thing Gou saw way more often while he was in America.
Chase tilts his head. “Going at it?”
“Y’know. Kissing. Or something.”
Chase doesn’t seem any less confused.
Gou heaves a sigh. “Ok. When we go back in there, we’re going to try and get the Roidmude to reveal itself so we can take it down before it hurts anyone, yeah?”
Chase un-tilts his head. “Yes. That is the mission.”
“Right,” Gou takes a deep breath, “And the Roidmude doesn’t like public displays of affection, so we’re gonna do our best to piss it off.”
“How?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet.” Gou has thought of several possibilities, but he doesn’t want to admit them to himself or Chase or anyone else.
“You mentioned kissing as an example of a public display of affection.” Chase, at least, seems to be handling this rationally, “If the victim’s testimony is correct, that would be very effective at drawing out the Roidmude.”
“Yeah, but we’d have to get everyone’s attention with it,” Gou’s mouth feels suddenly very dry, and he regrets not bringing his drink into the hallway, “It’s a couple’s party, so I don’t think we could just hope for the best.”
“The raised platform offers a strategic advantage for visibility on both sides. If we carried out a public display of affection there, it would not go unnoticed.”
“Chase,” Gou’s heart is starting to pick up speed, “You’re saying we should go out there and kiss on the stage?”
The corners of Chase’s mouth quirk downward, an almost-frown. “Would that not be the most efficient method?”
Gou’s mouth, for once, completely fails him. “I... Are you really alright with kissing me?”
Chase nods firmly and without hesitation. “Of course. It is for the sake of the mission. I am completely prepared.” He starts back toward the ballroom. Gou doesn’t exactly have a choice but to follow.
Back inside, Gou can finally relate to how overwhelmed Chase was when they first arrived. The party is in full swing, loud and bright. The laughter and the clink of glasses and the sounds of silverware hitting plates blends together, a symphony of deafening sensation. He has to keep his eyes on Chase, who strides with intention to the raised platform. Chase takes the steps onto the platform, but Gou’s nervous energy propels him up the level with one bouncing stride. The party attendees are already starting to look their direction in anticipation.
Gou reaches with both hands, entangling them with Chase’s hair, so his thumbs rest on the Roidmude’s cheeks. Chase is unflinching, but Gou could almost swear he can feel a pulse against his fingertips, faster, faster. Gou’s heart, for its part, is tapping out a mach speed beat in his chest. Chase’s skin is warm. He didn’t expect that. Somehow he’d always assumed the Roidmude were cold as machinery. Clearly, a statement to be amended.
“Gou,” Chase’s eyes are at once so bright and dark, Gou almost loses track of the situation looking at them. The whisper only accentuates the finer points of Chase’s voice, but it still snaps Gou back to attention. “Gou. We have achieved drawing their attention.”
“Chase, I thought you were totally prepared!” Gou taps the Roidmude’s cheeks with his thumbs, “You gotta follow through with a set-up like this. It’s half the show!” He’s trying not to talk too loudly, but the nervousness has infiltrated his vocal cords, “Listen, I know you said you were ok with it before, but I can spin the script if you’re not feeling up to it. Make a scene, whatever.”
“No.” And Chase is deadly serious. With a suddenness that sends a shockwave up and down Gou’s spine, he puts his hands on Gou’s hips. “For the sake of the mission. Follow through.”
So Gou slides one hand even further back, to pull Chase forward by the back of his neck. At the same time, Gou leans in to close the distance. Chase’s lips are so soft he could scream about it. And maybe, maybe, he drags the kiss out just a little longer than necessary. But it’s for the sake of the mission. He’s just thinking on his feet. The kiss ends both too slowly, and too quickly.
Gou lets one hand drop, but keeps the other where it’s been, snug against Chase’s cheek. “What’s our status?” His heart’s gone into burst mode but it’s fine, he’s sure it doesn’t mean anything. They’re putting on a performance, that’s the whole explanation for his adrenaline. That’s all it is. That’s all it is.
Chase doesn’t respond. Instead, he maneuvers one hand up Gou’s back, between his shoulder blades, and kisses him again. Chase catches him off guard, but that’s why he positioned his hands in such a way. It’s a longer kiss, Gou can’t help but lean into it, really lean into it. His brain’s been put through a blender, retaining only the sensation that is the press of Chase’s lips on his. Time seems to move so slowly it’s like someone’s just set off a Heavy Acceleration field.
The chime of the signal bike goes off like a cartoon light bulb denoting a truly bright idea. Chase hears it at the same time. They have to disentangle themselves, but maybe not in such a hurry; even though the Heavy Acceleration is in effect, whatever caused it hasn’t made itself known. It gives Gou a chance for another revelation. With all his kisses, all the American ones at least, given one exception, the urge to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand or sleeve was almost impossible to ignore. And yet, after kissing Chase twice, he’s not feeling at it all. Probably just the adrenaline. It’s not relevant to battle, anyway, and he’s way better at thinking about that.
Something shatters on the left side of the ballroom, by the bar. Behind the bar? Gou wants to tell Shinnosuke to straighten his tie, but there isn’t exactly time to shoot him a text that it’s all come together. Over the heads of the other couples, Gou can see the bartender shed his human form much like a discarded dinner jacket. And he was so nice, too.
“Chase!” Gou waves his signal bike, “Let’s–”
But Chase is infuriatingly ahead of the game, the mach driver already tight around his waist. It’s wrinkling the suit he’s been wearing rather significantly. Gou finally figures out why Shinnosuke is so particular about keeping his belt under his jacket. What a nightmare of ironing.
“Gou,” Chase slaps a combat-ready hand down on Gou’s shoulder, startling his train of thought off the rails, “I will engage the enemy. Please evacuate the non-combatants.”
Gou supposes the “please” makes it better than Chase just ordering him around, but he can’t help still being a little ticked off about it. “Yeah, yeah, I was going to do that anyway!” He brushes Chase’s hand off his shoulder and lets his driver click into place around his waist, wrinkling his dinner jacket too, no doubt.
“Tracking! Eradicating! Both done at mach speed!” Gou’s catchphrase comes out in fragments, each uttered after he’s shuttled a gaggle of slowed people from the ballroom and out of the area affected by the Heavy Acceleration. He sees the couple from the chocolate fountain, wide-eyed with the terror the Heaviness never fails to instill. He feels a stab of remorse, for a moment, that he can’t stick around to reassure them. He tries to give them an affirmative wave, but something crashes in the ballroom and Gou’s legs are already running him back to the battlefield.
Where’s Chase? Something like panic flutters its wings in Gou’s chest for an instant as soon as he’s back in the ballroom, the double doors slamming behind him. The bar is in ruins, with only a few bottles holding their ranks on the shelves behind a mess of wood so shattered it would be the highest flattery to call it a countertop. Something squirms with intention from underneath the banner that used to be hanging above the raised platform by the windows of the ballroom. A silver and purple hand pushes its way out, followed by an unmistakable pair of orange eyes and the plume of antennae that crown the top of Kamen Rider Chaser’s head. Gou couldn’t be caught admitting just how relieved he is, and the feeling is gone in an instant. Chase has the Brake Gunner pointed right at his head.
Gou knows there’s a version of him that would’ve revved up his Zenrin Shooter then and there, and charged at Chase with all the anger he could manage. And sure, they’re still not exactly friends, but he has the sense at least now to take the motion as a signal rather than a threat. Gou ducks to one side and Chase fires over his head. Gou can hear the sparks that cascade off the Roidmude, and whirls around for to slash at it with the wheel of his own weapon. As the Roidmude stumbles back with the damage from their two-hit combo, the memory of kissing Chase flashes across his thoughts. He tries to physically shake it out of his head.
“Be careful,” Chase appears at Gou’s shoulder, “The enemy has advanced camouflage capability.” Another shot out of the Brake Gunner sends the Roidmude back further.
Gou is finally getting a good look at it now that’s not a fire hazard. Fittingly enough for a bartender, its shoulders resemble bottles of champagne freshly popped but frozen in time, the white foam permanently stuck in its eruption. The head is a grotesque amalgam of more bottles and empty glasses, twisted together like a symbolic piece of modern art. Despite this, there’s a point of charm in the bowtie still around the monster’s neck. It’s not a particularly beefy Roidmude, but Gou does notice that the pointer finger on each of its hands seems different from the rest. One is a nasty looking corkscrew, and the other is larger and round like it could be a more powerful adaptation of the base Roidmude handgun apparatus. Something to watch out for, in all likelihood.
“Advanced camouflage?” Gou ducks under Chase’s extended arm and hits the Roidmude with another frontwheel uppercut, “Like invisibility? That’s nothing new.”
“Not invisibility like number 106,” Chase pauses his assault to clarify, but doesn’t expand upon the statement.
“Huh?” Gou pauses for too long of an instant, the shaking Roidmude has jammed the rounder of its modified fingers against his chest. Before he can swear in his very best English, Gou finds himself tangled in the fallen banner halfway across the room.
“Gou?” The concern in Chase’s voice is almost amplified by the roundness of the orange eyes. Gou catches himself thinking about what’s underneath that helmet, the intensity of Chase’s gaze earlier right before they–
“ Shit! ” Gou doesn’t know the Roidmude managed it, but there’s no sign of the enemy. It couldn’t have escaped, though, given the lack of silent exits in the ballroom. This must be what Chase meant by advanced camouflage. Gou scrambles to his feet. Something moves in the corner of his vision, but when he spins to look at it the space is empty. How the hell did Chase figure out where it was earlier?
Movement again. Instead of turning his whole body this time, Gou swaps his signal bikes and sets his weapon for long ranged combat. He sends a scattershot in the direction of what he’s fairly certain he saw, and is rewarded with another shower of sparks and the Roidmude visible again.
“Not a fan of being the center of attention, huh?” Gou swaps bikes again as the Roidmude lifts the same modified hand as before. The shot Gou fires leaves the Roidmude stuck in place, STOP! written across its chest. “Can’t say I relate.”
Chase has swapped his weapons, too. He hefts the Signal Axe, pressing the button halfway down its length. “PLEASE WAIT!” the weapon announces, helpfully. Gou can only hear this happening, because he figures even with the help of his signal change the enemy will vanish again if he loses focus. The signal effect will last until Gou swaps bikes again, so he can’t attack again while he’s waiting on that second auditory cue from Chase’s end. It’s a stiff couple of minutes. Finally, the chime comes. “YOU MAY GO!”
Chase has the axe in both hands when he’s back in Gou’s field of vision. He cleaves the Roidmude horizontally, then finishes it with a vertical strike. The body of the monster bursts and its core lasts only a moment in the open air before it burns away into nothingness as well.
Gou detransforms and shakes out his wrists, taking a quick visual tour of the wreckage that is the ballroom. “Kiriko didn’t tell us not to break anything, right?”
Chase is looking human again, too. “No. That was not a set expectation.”
Gou is only half-listening, though, looking at Chase’s lips.
***
(epilogue)
Kiriko and Shinnosuke are late.
Maybe late isn’t exactly the right way to phrase it. Their team of two is staying at the other party, just in case there’s a second Roidmude involved in the case. Gou has his doubts about that. He’s pretty sure it’s just an excuse for the two of them to stay at the event, but he’s not going deny his sister a chance to relax a little. Still, without their bikes, he and Chase are stuck in the ballroom mostly alone. Only mostly, because some of the catering staff were still in the kitchen when the fighting was going down and are trying now to clean up a little. It really wasn’t a clean battle, though, even if by some good fortune the chocolate fountain made it through unscathed.
Chase is helping with the clean-up, because of course he is. Gou isn’t sure how he ends up holding an industrially sized dustpan for Chase to sweep glass into, but he’s been crouched like some sort of high-class gargoyle for a while. It’s quiet for now, except for the rustle of the broom bristles and the occasional tinkle of the glass shards as they bump against one another. Gou sort of figures something as menial as a task like this will get his mind off the kiss, but it lingers like a cobweb in his brain. A sticky reminder that draws his eyes to Chase’s lips every time he thinks he’s forgotten the sensation of that unexpected warmth. He stifles a yawn.
Chase pauses at the sound, then goes back to making perfectly even piles of debris. He stops again once a little time has passed. “Gou,” he says, and there’s an unfamiliar something in Chase’s voice.
“Hmm?” Gou has his eyes closed for what he’s promised is going to only be a second.
There’s the rustle of the broom again. “No. It’s nothing.”
Gou is half dozing when Chase speaks again, so he doesn’t exactly hear what the Roidmude says. He blinks a couple of times, tries to shake some of the sleepiness out of his head. “Huh? What was that?”
“I said,” Chase’s voice is perfectly level, “That I cannot stop thinking about earlier.”
“Oh, the fight? Yeah, I was wondering about that, too, y’know?” Gou’s been wondering if it was the Rider system that prevented them from passing out like the guests at the other parties, or if the monster just didn’t use whatever power made that happen before. Maybe their public display/disruption really messed up its plans for a subtle knockout like before.
“No. Before that.” Chase’s tone hasn’t changed, but Gou’s heart is starting to pick up speed again, “The kiss.”
“What, do you want me to evaluate your follow through?” Gou gets to his feet, which is a mistake because of the tv static status of his circulation deprived legs. Half a step sends him stumbling, but in some feat of quick reflexes Chase tosses the broom to the side and catches him by the shoulders. Gou finds himself less affronted by the contact than he expected. Even if he could get his legs to move without them objecting, he might even be alright with staying still.
“Gou,” Chase’s gaze has an intensity Gou only halfway recognizes, “What does it mean? That I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.”
What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to figure out this whole time? The thought races across Gou’s mind. He’s too close to Chase to be having this conversation. “Well,” Gou manages to get his tongue unstuck, “Did you... Did you like it?”
Chase frowns. “You’re asking me to evaluate your performance?”
Gou clears his throat. “Yeah. Sure.”
Hesitation before Chase speaks again. “I believe my positive impression requires further data.”
“Chase,” Gou wonders for a moment if he’s just dreaming this exchange and he’ll wake up crouched on the floor with no feeling in his legs, “Are you asking me to kiss you again?”
“Yes.” Chase doesn’t pause for a moment this time. And then, unexpectedly, he moves one of the hands he’s holding Gou’s shoulder with down the length of his arm. He takes Gou’s hand and lifts it to his cheek. “Like before. Again.”
“I guess I do owe you for finishing of that Roidmude earlier,” There’s no audience this time, but Gou’s no less nervous, no less electrified. He brings his other hand up so he has one on each of Chase’s cheeks, just like before. “We can just call this ‘further data’ thanks for that, yeah?” That way it doesn’t have to mean anything.
Chase readjusts his hands to their earlier position on Gou’s hips. “Understood.”
“Oh, and don’t tell Kiriko.”
“Kiriko? Why–”
Gou doesn’t give him a chance to finish the question.
✿