Author's notes: This started out as an oneshot for a friend that grew to have a life of it's own. Currently a work in progress. Constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated as this is my first multi-chapter fic.

Day in and day out, it really was the same old thing at Headquarters for Reever: find Komui, make him do work, do his own work, find Komui again (this time, underneath his desk), make sure that the remnants of whatever was the current version of Komurin stayed in the deep recesses of the basements and, of course, find Komui again (hiding in the kitchen with Jeryy).

Charged by cups of liquid caffeine, Reever went through the many file folders on his desk, one by one, until he came upon the newest information file. One for a Miranda Lotto of a rewinding town, a possible candidate for Innocence use. As head chief of the science department, he had very little experience with Innocence himself, even when the department studied the ins and outs of the substance. But times were changing and so were the uses of Innocence. If anybody other than Hevlaska herself could figure out the stuff, it was Reever.

The picture attached to the file gave him a bit of insight on just who Miranda was. A gaunt face, dark circles around the eyes, bed-ragged hair, and clothing fit for a widow at her husband's funeral. There really wasn't much to her, Reever thought as he flipped the pages of the file. Another exorcist to study, another day.

---

He knew more about her than he ever though he would. Reever knew what she ate, how long she slept each night, how many hours she trained. He knew her inside out and he barely saw her face. It was almost creepy in a way, but it was all in the name of science. He needed to know what she did at all times. The weight of the world was on both their shoulders, whether she was aware of it or not.

---

Miranda was more than the failure she thought she was. Not everybody could use Innocence and especially in her form. She could stop and reverse time. A ton of people wished they could turn back the clock, whether for physical reasons (really, who wanted wrinkles?) or to relive a special moment they experienced. It wasn't permanent, but a few extra seconds of happiness was really what mattered in the life of an Exorcist.

---

Days of training and experimentation flew by and as he ran into her more often than not, Reever, one who never entertained any thought of Miranda past scientific ones, wondered idly in between files what she was doing at that particular moment. One could say he was beginning to be interested in her romantically. Reever would say they were insane and that not only did he have too much work to bother thinking about relationships, but so did they.

---

Fraternizing on the Black Order's grounds wasn't restricted, but it wasn't encouraged either. Things could happen and people could die and the last thing anybody needed was an upset lover left behind turning one of their own into an Akuma.

But rules were made to be broken, of course. There would be the odd moments where Reever, taking a page from Komui's book of slacking off, would excuse himself from the offices for a bathroom break. Only he never saw the toilet and neither did the toilet see him. Who did see him was Miranda, when he knocked lightly on her room door and requested allowance into her room and, at the same time, her life.

Reever wasn't the type of man who would take advantage of being alone with a woman in her bedroom. Besides, he didn't have that much time to waste. Work never really got done unless he was overseeing things. However, short snatches of conversation between them--about their day, what Jeryy was serving up in the mess hall, what Komui was up to--satisfied him and his curiosity about Miranda. Aside from her low-self esteem, she was a normal human woman with whims and wishes. All she needed was somebody to listen to them and maybe, just maybe, make them come true.

Reever didn't know much about wish granting, but he had a perfectly fine set of ears.

---

It came. The time for Miranda to head off to China was here. First mission was always the worst for the Exorcists. Reever witnessed the anxiety in all the first timers' eyes, nervousness on whether they would do a good job, or heck, if they would even survive. It was a dangerous job.

"Here are the new uniforms Komui created. They should be lighter and easier to move in," Reever announced as he handed over the brown paper and string wrapped parcel of fabric. Whatever kept the Exorcists safe was key; the Black Order needed them as much as the exorcists needed the Black Order.

He had no need to ask her if she was ready. He knew her answer would be in the negative. That was how Miranda was.

But Miranda wouldn't be Miranda if she didn't get riled up anyway. "But what if I lose them? Or drop them? Or get them burned in a fire? What then? I'll never do this right!"

The urge to shut her up was great, and before either she or him knew what was happening, Reever pressed his lips against hers. Miranda's lips were warm and soft, with just a little tremble to them. Whether it was from shock or anger, he didn't know. Reever almost expected her to draw back and ask him just what in the hell did he think he was doing.

She didn't.