Sosuke awoke to the sound of shattering glass. It cracked through the quiet like a whip. He flinched, groaning, and rubbed his eyes before sitting upright.
December 28th
"What the hell…" His voice rasped as he dragged a hand through his hair.
"Oh, you're awake." Rin's head appeared around the doorway, eyes bright and unapologetic. "Heh, don't worry about that. I'm sure it wasn't important. You just relax." She flashed a grin before vanishing again.
"Hey, wait!"
Her head popped back out. "Hm?"
"What's going on?" he asked, blinking the sleep from his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making you breakfast. What else?" she said, smiling like it was obvious.
He opened his mouth to question further, but she was already gone again.
Sosuke sighed and climbed out of bed, the wooden floor cool beneath his bare feet. They were at his apartment now, quiet and private. It was better this way.
He followed the smell of sizzling eggs into the kitchen. "All that noise for this?" A single plate waited on the dining table, steam curling from a perfectly folded omelet.
Rin turned with a proud tilt of her head. "Because it's almost your birthday. I thought I'd do something nice."
He blinked, surprised. "Oh. Thank you." His voice softened as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just not a morning person, sorry. Wait, my birthday?"
Rin tilted her head, pretending innocence but failing to hide her grin. "I may have… snooped a little. You never told me when it was, so I took the liberty of finding out. January first, right?"
"Hm. You might have to trust your instincts." Sosuke leaned back in his chair with mock seriousness.
"You're cruel." She crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "What's wrong with celebrating your birthday?"
"It's nothing." He picked up his fork and prodded the omelet. "I'm just not a birthday kind of person."
"Sosuke?" Her voice softened.
He exhaled slowly. "The only times I ever celebrated were with my father. That's all. Besides…" He poked at the omelette. "I don't want to remember I'm turning twenty-four."
"Oh…" She sat down across from him, resting her elbows on the table. "I think your dad would want you to celebrate with the people who matter to you. Especially now. After everything you've done to restore peace."
Sosuke smiled faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Don't remind me. I'm hardly a hero."
"You're still on that?" Rin leaned forward, exasperated. "Come on."
He shook his head. "It just doesn't feel like it."
Rin sighed, her expression easing. "Let's not make every conversation a sad one. Change the topic."
"Yeah. Probably best."
The kitchen quieted, filled only by the scrape of silverware and the faint pop of cooling oil on the stove.
Then Rin cleared her throat. "I heard you've been poking around Lyra and Reid a little too much lately."
Sosuke froze mid-bite. "W-what?"
"Reid told me," she said simply. "You're lucky Lyra hasn't caught on. I'm a little hurt, you told him before me."
"I—what are you—" He gave up halfway through the denial and sighed. "Gabriel ordered me to keep an eye on Lyra. To gather information on her clan."
"I knew it!" Rin shot upright, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. "But still, you're using her for information? That's low, even for you."
"She's a friend, Rin. I just—" Sosuke's tone dropped, steady and tired. "It's my job. Someone has to keep tabs on the elite clans, and who else do I even know that's connected?"
Rin pointed at herself. "Me."
He blinked. "You're serious?"
"Sosuke." She folded her arms, calm but sharp. "I'm a war hero now. My clan's bound to take notice. They'll want to reel me back in, polish their image with a convenient success story. The Sakurai aren't exactly winning any popularity contests these days."
Sosuke frowned, thinking it over. "True… The Valcrest and Hayes clans are the big players right now. But are you saying you'd actually do that for me?"
Rin rested her chin on her hand, her voice thoughtful. "If it means preventing a war, maybe. You're not doing it for greed or power. You're doing it to stop something worse. That's enough reason."
He rubbed his forehead, uneasy. "I don't want you getting involved just because of me. Especially with them."
Rin's lips curved into a quiet smile. "Really? You think I'd pass up a chance to make the family that abandoned me regret it?" A soft laugh escaped her. "You have much to learn, Estrella."
"Then teach me, master."
"You'll learn in time."
"Is that the secret to your wisdom?"
"You're older than me!"
Sosuke smirked. "Not with that kind of knowledge."
Rin threw a dishtowel at him, laughing despite herself. The sound filled the small kitchen. Sosuke paused, fingertips brushing along his jaw as a thought formed.
"Rin."
Her laughter faded into a soft hum. "What?"
"What's Arthur been up to lately?" His voice carried an absent tone, like his mind was already halfway elsewhere.
Rin blinked, thinking for a moment before replying. "Arthur? I'm not too sure. Last I heard, he became an instructor somewhere. Why?"
"Really?" Sosuke gave a short breath that was half a laugh. "That sounds like him. I was wondering if he might end up involved in the clan disputes. He's always had that quiet hunger for power. He'd use this mess to climb higher."
Rin leaned back against the counter, her arms folding across her chest. The humor slipped from her face. "You really think so?"
"I do."
She frowned, gaze drifting toward the table. "It feels wrong, doesn't it? Watching the people we used to fight beside. Sneaking around our own friends like they're strangers."
Sosuke tilted his head toward the ceiling. The light above flickered faintly, painting thin shadows across his face. "Maybe we weren't as close as we thought."
Rin sighed through her nose, setting the empty plate in the sink. Water hissed from the faucet as she rinsed it clean. "That's a sad thought. I'd rather not think about it."
"At least I can say Reid's trustworthy." Sosuke's tone softened. "And you're good with the girls, right?"
Rin smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Sort of. We don't really talk. As much as I hate saying it, I trust Lyra less than Elowen. She's been… distant. Hiding something, maybe."
Sosuke nodded slowly. "Just like at the Christmas party."
"No," Rin replied, pointing the sponge at him. "That was just your awful attempt at getting information."
Sosuke narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"
"I said, 'That was just your—'"
"Okay, okay, I heard you." He chuckled, leaning forward with his chin resting on his hand. "I'm still new to this. I get a free pass."
"Mm, sure you do." Rin turned off the faucet and wiped her hands dry.
"Reid's the same as always," Sosuke continued. "That means he's probably getting crumbs from Lyra. He doesn't realize he's being fed half-truths."
"Maybe he's just too dense to notice," Rin said.
Sosuke shook his head. "Reid isn't stupid. He's more aware than he lets on."
He stood and opened a nearby drawer. Inside sat a single crumpled pack of cigarettes. As he plucked one out, Rin swiftly crossed the floor and snatched it from his fingers.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
"Uh… smoking?"
"Not anymore." She took the pack too and shook her head. "You'll end up with a bad habit like the commander."
Sosuke sighed in defeat. "Alright, I quit."
"Sound less sarcastic."
He smirked. "I'm sorry, love. I quit."
Rin groaned and tossed the pack into the trash. "That was worse. I hate you."
"Because of that?" Sosuke crossed his arms.
"Because you're stupid."
"I don't believe I am."
"Would a fish know how unintelligent it is?"
He blinked. "What kind of analogy is that?"
Ignoring him, Rin wandered down the hall and peeked into another room. "Why is this place so clean?"
"Are you snooping?" Sosuke called after her.
"I might be." She leaned out from the doorway with a teasing look.
"I'm just not a slob like you." His smirk deepened. "This is giving me flashbacks."
Rin's lips twitched into a pout. "Hey, my side of the dorm was decently clean! You should've seen it before you moved in."
"That's really not something to brag about." Sosuke stepped past her and into his room. "You might be a lost cause."