Knuckles:

She stood in the dark of the hallway as the warm light under the door gave way to a myriad of thoughts concerning the occupant on the other side of the wooden barrier.

Tooru stood stiff in her conviction.

Ever since the auction raid, there were times that Tooru would notice a fragile quality to Haise's character. It was subtle, and it never lasted longer than an instant. But still, it was there… and that was frightening.

It came in moments of conflict, in something as simple as a spar.

"Alright Urie, you ready?"

Her fellow Quinx nodded back to their mentor as the air turned rigid with the release of Rc cells. Sasaki Sensei stepped into a readied stance and his right hand twitched.

*CRACK*

It came in moments of unease, like questions that shouldn't be asked.

"Sasaki Sensei, why does that ghoul call you her big brother?"

He looked up from the book in his lap and regarded her with a stare that was placed in her direction, but not quite on her.

"I… Tooru…"

He can't finish his sentence.

"Never mind Sensei, I'm sorry for asking a personal question."

He gives her a look that sends warmth to the colder parts of herself. How she wished he'd look at her like that all the time.

"It's alright Tooru, there's no need to apologize."

Yet, even so, his hand started to move.

*CRACK*

It came in moments of abject randomness, when a sunny vacation day outside the chateau could be ruined by a few careless words.

"Uh… Sasaki Sensei, there's a bug on your leg."

With Saiko and Shirazu messing around in the open field, and Urie doing pull-ups on a tree branch, Tooru and her mentor sat quietly under the shade of a tree.

He set down his novel for a moment and glanced at the slithering line that skittered down his leg. Said to have one hundred legs, a large centipede of 15cm made her mentor freeze.

"Sensei?"

His eyes were wide and in the briefest of moments the color of his left flashed red. A strangled chuckle left his lips as he seemed to come back to reality. He picked up the centipede by its end, and even as it bit and clawed at him with its many legs he set it down gently in the grass. As soon as it hit the ground, it disappeared from sight, back into nature.

"Sensei?"

This time a whisper, she was left mystified by the events before her.

"Sensei…"

"Thank you Tooru, I'm sure that little guy would be much happier with his own kind instead of crawling on little old me."

And in a soft voice that wasn't Haise Sasaki, he spoke again.

"Be free."

*CRACK*

Most disturbing of all, was when it came in moments that were completely normal. When the chateau was a day dream come true.

"Ah, Tooru, you're the first one up as usual. What would you like for breakfast?"

Her mentor, with a gentle smile over his shoulder awaited her response. And in the he that she presented, they smiled back and asked for anything her mentor wanted to make.

"Coffee it is then…"

But as his hand reached for the coffee beans, the other slowly brought its thumb over its pointer finger, and pushed.

"...In fact, I know how to make a good cup as well… after all, I learned from the best."

*CRACK*

The splintered fractures in his character came in the form of a simple action that people across the world participate in.

Cracking their knuckles.

It was common, and nothing to get worked up over. But still Tooru found herself hating it all the same. It was the way he did it, unflinching and cold. It was something different. Something wrong.

Something most definitely not First Class Investigator Haise Sasaki.

And so she stood outside the door to his room, late at night, with the only intention as her armor. She didn't know what she was doing, but she had to do something. She didn't want her Sasaki to change.

In the dark recesses of her inner thoughts came the scandal of a subordinate coming onto her superior.

Tooru quickly tucked those thoughts away into a corner of her mind that housed the darker motivations of her psyche. She let out a sigh and steadied herself.

With a gentle movement, she knocked on her mentors door three soft times.

From within the room came a shuffle. The soft displacement of weight as the bed within groaned, left her tense. Her heart hammered with the thump of his footsteps approaching the door.

Any second. Any second. Any second.

Any second he'd open the door, and there she'd be. Waiting for him.

The footsteps halt, and for a second she thinks that her heart has as well. The door clicks open and it begins to reveal a casual Haise Sasaki in a simple black T-shirt and white shorts. He smiles at her.

No.

He smiles at him. At Tooru Mutsuki, the "male" rank 1 investigator. A part of her is fine with that, another part is screaming.

Always waiting.

"Oh, Tooru, what can I do for you?"

What would she say?

What could she say?

Tooru couldn't help but feel utterly lost and confused as he looked at her. She wanted him to see her. See the curve of her waist. The swell of her breasts that were bound so tight. The way she looked at him when the urge to stay male was dwindled by the ravenous temptation that was Haise Sasaki.

Calm. She had to be calm.

"Umm, if it isn't too much trouble, could I come in Sasaki Sensei?"

That innocent smile.

"Of course."

No hesitation, this was Sasaki Sensei.

*CRACK*

Immediately her eyes darted to the offending hand. The fingers of his right digits were contorted to fit the sound that had penetrated the silence with unease.

"Tooru? Are you okay?"

She met his questioning gaze quickly, the visage of Haise Sasaki contrasting with the unease in the air. Here he was.

In this moment, but not quite.

Concern in his eyes.

*CRACK*

A second finger. Tooru felt her muscles tense into little knots of uncertainty.

But then it cleared.

She looked at him.

He'd taken a step closer to her and she found herself pleased. He stood outside in the hallway with her, and he was worried.

He was worried over her.

*CRACK*

Tooru didn't quite understand, and she didn't think she could figure it out on her own. One day she hoped he'd share with her what was going on. But for now, it was enough that he was worried about her.

Because that was very Haise Sasaki, even when those damned knuckles weren't.

"Yeah, I'm okay Sensei, sorry for worrying you. Can I still come in?"

With curiosity and concern etched into his features, once again he didn't hesitate to step aside and gesture for her to come in.

Step step step.

It all occured like a movie. The dimly lit room, the only light being the bedside lamp. The closed door as Sasaki Sensei respected her privacy. Tooru quickly found herself sitting in his desk chair as he sat across from her on the edge of his bed.

His bed.

What would happen if she got closer, if she sat beside him on the his bed.

What would happen if she kissed him, or if she climbed on top of him and showed him everything.

Would he reject her? Or would he pull her closer as he too fell into desire?

"So Tooru, what can I help you with?"

Would those kind eyes look at her fondly afterwards? Would his fingers trace her figure. She knew she had to calm down. But at this point she didn't want to.

What could he help her with?

The tantalizing ideas of what he could "help" her with drove her insane. In the madness came the overpowering mind numbing rationalization of love that sought to betray the man she was.

He, she… it wasn't clear anymore.

There was only Tooru Mutsuki… and they were in love with Haise Sasaki.

"I…"

She stood from the desk chair, and with confidence, she spoke.

"I could use some help sleeping."

The words floated in the room, and hung above them. But Tooru wouldn't wait to let them fall to the ground. Her bare feet padded softly across his floor and stopped at the base of his bed.

"Tooru…" he whispered.

Even then she did not wait.

Softly she pushed him back and climbed onto the bed as well. She was surprised at how little resistance he put up.

Once again, he whispered her name. This time it tickled past her ear as she pressed into him closely. She felt bold, she felt brave, and for a second… Tooru Mutsuki felt happy. Her arm found purchase along his body as she embraced him tightly. She let her legs tangle with his as it all came together.

"I'm lonely Haise, I don't like sleeping alone. Do you think you can help me with that?"

The initial question was falling as silence took hold of the room.

But that didn't matter.

He was warm.

He was here.

That's what mattered.

And from the silence, came his answer to that fallen question. Tooru soon felt herself being encased with warmth as he reciprocated.

"Yeah, it's okay Tooru, I can help."

She only let out a single tear.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome Tooru, come to bed okay?"

He shifted out of her grasp and slipped under the covers of the bed. She followed his lead and turned off the bedside lamp as she climbed in to lay next to him. Her arms wrapped around his frame and drew him close against her.

It was quiet for a few minutes as the darkness shrouded them in mystery. But soon Haise broke the silence.

"You know Tooru…"

His arms came to encircle her in an embrace.

"Yes Sensei?"

He chuckled sadly to himself.

"I'm quite lonely too."

She couldn't help but smile at that. Sad as it was, it was something they shared, and something they could help each other with.

Tooru pulled away slightly, just enough so there was room for an arm between them. She took his hand and brought it to the base of her waist.

"Tooru?"

From there she pulled his hand up her body. His fingers brushing up her stomach caused her to shudder. Finally she let his hand rest on the bindings across her chest, and in an instant, she tore them off.

In his hand was more than just her confidence in him and her love for him, it was a secret. One she would gladly share with him.

"Don't feel lonely Haise. Not ever."

And with those words, she leaned in and kissed him.

"Goodnight Haise."