Okay… first MTNN story with a plot! Yay! I heart Sasazuka and Yako!

WARNING: This fiction will contain coarse language, character death, and sexually explicit scenes (but not until later on). You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro or Kia.

Wash Me Away

Chapter 1: Not the Girl You Used to Be…

She adjusted her scarf for what had to be the tenth time within the last five minutes, trying to get it to fit more snuggly around her neck. The biting cold of the winter air nipped at her exposed skin, turning her cheeks a rosy shade of pink. Yako hiked up the collar of her coat, glancing quickly at her watch. She groaned. It was just as she had feared… she'd missed the bus. There wouldn't be another one for approximately forty-five minutes.

Normally this is where she would scurry back to the office and whine at Godai until he gave her a ride home… but he wasn't there. He was gone.

Their latest run in with a criminal had been particularly dangerous. The gun wielding lunatic had been out for blood, and as his latest hunt had been intercepted and his quarry saved, he had decided to take retribution.

Yako remembered the fear that gripped her when he pointed the barrel of the nine millimeter pistol at her face. She remembered looking into the crook's eyes and seeing the deranged lust for blood there and knowing she would die. But the pain never came. Instead she was thrown to the ground just as the shot from the gun rang out in the cold night air. He'd died almost instantly. Godai…

The funeral had been difficult for her. Crime had taken from her two people that she cared dearly for; first her father and now him… the man she regarded like a brother.

Neuro had been no help at all. He'd insisted they go back to work almost immediately. When she'd requested a bit of down time he'd denied her. Never, in the three years that she had known him, had Yako felt anything but the utmost respect for her mentor… but in that moment all she felt was disgust.

She'd slapped him, hard, and then proceeded to yell at him about how he should be more considerate of people's feelings. But he didn't care. Neuro never cared about anything other than sating his insatiable appetite.

He'd promptly reminded her that he was a demon and that there was no human heart in his chest to feel sorrow or compassion. He didn't care that Godai was dead. It made her feel utterly worthless. She'd served as Neuro's cover for years and had thought that perhaps they had formed some semblance of friendship… but it was rather clear to her now that all she was to him was a tool.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth… He didn't care about her. She felt used. The memory of his hands on her naked flesh was one she sorely wished she could be rid of, but such was a luxury Yako feared she would never know.

After it had happened the first time, she'd tried to convince herself that he actually felt for her, that it was more than just sex… but she knew. There were no soft words, no sweet, tender caresses. There was only a hard, pressing sense of urgency; touches that bordered on violent. Even his kisses were deadly. Neuro was a manipulator and she was just a puppet to him, a toy to use as he saw fit. Yako wondered to herself if she would ever be free of him or if he would bind them together until she too faded away.

She shook off the thoughts of Godai's recent passing and her new, bitter regard for Neuro, thinking instead of what she would do next. It was probably best to go inside, lest she get frostbite.

She turned to look for a store she could take shelter in, when a familiar face caught her attention. "Sasazuka!"

The tall, tinsel haired man turned upon hearing his name, casting his gaze on the small form that had beckoned. He grinned when he saw her. During the three years they'd known known one another, it seemed they'd made a habit of bumping into one another. "Yako… what are you doing here?"

She trudged through the snow to stand before him, stammering, "W-waiting for the bus… well, I was. I mean… I missed it." She sneezed.

Sasazuka thought to himself that she couldn't have looked more pitiful in that moment, with her rosy cheeks and shivering frame, bundled up in all manner of winter wear. It looked as though her teeth were going to jump completely from her head if they chattered any harder.

"Care to join me for a quick supper?" he asked.

She smiled, but shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I doubt you could afford to pay my dinner bill," she lied. Truthfully, she'd lost her appetite after Godai's passing and had yet to get it back.

He grinned lopsidedly. "Well then at least let me get you a coffee or something to warm you up. You're going to freeze out here."

She sniffled a little, thinking to herself that he was probably right. She had forty minutes or so of free time and she was going to lose her toes if she stayed out in the cold any longer. "Are you certain? I mean, I don't want to be an inconvenience…"

He shook his head, "I was just going to grab a bite to eat anyways."

Yako smiled and followed him into the small diner situated on the corner of the block. It was quaint and quiet; they were the only ones there at the moment aside from an elderly gentleman in the far corner. The tall male took a seat in one of the booths and she settled herself across from him before peeling away the many layers of clothing.

He watched her shuck her coat and winter accessories, blowing into her cupped hands before putting them over her red ears. She was such a charming little woman.

He had the utmost respect for the girl, as she showed a great deal of tenacity and determination in all aspects, not just her cases. He'd watched her grow from a clumsy, shy little girl into a woman, so much different than the child he'd encountered all those years ago. He recalled seeing her standing out in the rain with a sad, listless look on her face as she stared up at her former home… the place where her father had been brutally murdered.

The waitress chirped a friendly greeting, asking if they cared to see a menu and if they wanted something to drink.

"A coffee will be fine for me," Yako assured her with a grin, "but that's all."

"I'll have a coffee as well, and you can bring me a menu please," Sasazuka droned, his fingers rapping against the tabletop.

They sat a few moments in silence until the waitress returned with a fresh pot, pouring two cups and leaving a menu for him to look at. "Are you sure you don't want something?" he asked as he flipped through it.

"Actually, I'm fine right now. I've got a lot of things on my mind," the young blonde replied, her hands fiddling with the handle of her coffee cup.

Her thoughts were still caught up on Godai and what she was going to do about her current situation with Neuro. She doubted he would take kindly to her leaving… yet the risk was something she thought she might be willing to take. She would rather suffer his consequences than live the rest of her youth in misery.

"So, how is business?" Sasazuka asked before sipping his drink.

Yako smiled, grateful for the distraction. "It's well, as usual. We've got a few cases to look at this week, so we're a little backed up right now. How about you?"

He huffed a little and grinned crookedly, responding in a teasing tone, "Well right now I'm working on a murder case… that is assuming you and your partner don't show up and steal it from me again."

She tittered, rubbing the back of her neck as she stammered, "Sorry… it does seem like we always bump into one another during cases, don't we? I don't mean to butt in."

He waved her off. "It's alright; you're only doing your job. I still get paid the same wages so it doesn't really matter to me."

The perky brunette came back and took his order, smacking her gum loudly as she sauntered off to the kitchen.

His expression became somber, and he reached across the table to place one of his hands on hers. "Are you doing alright…?"

She sighed; it always seemed to come back to that. "Yes, I think. Its hard being at the office without him there, but it'll get easier to deal with as time goes by. He could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but I'll still miss him."

Yako recalled the brash manner with which he seemed to barrel into things, curses spewing and gun waving… he acted as though nothing could hurt him. "It's almost surreal… I mean, he always tried to put on this big tough-guy act like he was invincible or something. I guess a part of me started to think so too. It's easy to forget your mortality when you dodge the bullet so many times. I just… got too ahead of myself. I hadn't pictured my future without him in it, and now that he's gone... I'm a bit shaken up."

"You never took any time to mourn… why?" he asked, having been curious about that when he spotted her at a crime scene only days after Godai's death.

Yako stiffened. She couldn't reveal Neuro's identity to anyone… she needed to think of something, fast.

"I… I guess I needed to. It helped me to cope… to remember that I was still alive, you know? I needed to feel useful… to do something with myself to take my mind off of it. If I had stopped I think I might have forgotten how to live." It was a lie. A complete and total lie. She didn't feel alive... she felt like a shadow, drifting through the world without truly being there.

He nodded in understanding. Some people dealt with loss that way, though he had never thought her to be one of those people.

She was impressed with herself. Yako had always been a lousy liar but apparently she could pull a good fib out of her ass if the time called for it.

Sasazuka seemed to sense her reluctance to speak on the subject and left it at that, something for which Yako was very grateful. They sat in comfortable silence yet again until the waitress came back with his food, refilling their coffees and giving a perky smile.

As he ate his meal he couldn't help but worry for the girl. He'd never known her to pass up an offer of free food, and she looked a little underweight from what he could tell. Perhaps she wasn't doing as well as she let on.

"How is Ishigaki doing?"

"He's still a bit of a neurotic imbecile but he's getting better. He's not quite as boisterous as he used to be. I mean... he's still annoying and pretty obliviou, but it isn't as extreme as it was before." Sasazuka answered honestly. He cast a fleeting glance across the table, watching as her honeyed orbs studied the unused silverware before her.

She wasn't the happy, carefree girl she'd been at one time, he could see that. Her sense of innocence was gone, replaced by something dark and bitter. It seemed to be more than Godai's passing, though he hadn't the slightest clue of her life outside her occupation. Her father had died, he knew that; he also knew that she rarely saw her mother. Yet those factors had not seemed to effect her before… what had happened to taint her so?

He finished up his salmon and pushed the plate aside, clasping his hands and staring out the window. He frowned. "Isn't that your bus?"

Yako went rigid. She looked out the window and stole a fast glance at her watch, finding that the forty-five minutes had indeed passed. She shot out of her seat, racing to put her things back on in time to catch the transit.

Just as she pulled her toque and scarf on the bus began to drive off, and she practically tripped over herself trying to make it outside. She threw the diner door open, darting onto the sidewalk and flailing her arms as her ride home pulled away. "Stop!" she shouted pitifully, drooping when she realized she had - yet again - missed the bus.

She tromped back inside, noticing with a small twinge of amusement that she had buttoned her jacket improperly. She pulled her scarf and hat off, plopping back down in the booth as sighing heavily. "Today is so not my day," she whimpered as she folded her arms on the table and dropped her head into them.

The waitress came back, asking in a voice that was far too chipper for Yako's liking, "Anything else?"

"I'll have another cup of coffee and the bill. Did you want a refill, Yako?"

She didn't answer with words. Instead she slid one of her hands limply across the table and pushed her empty cup toward the waitress. Said woman gave her an odd look and filled her mug, doing the same for Sasazuka before strolling off.

"She's so happy," the young woman hissed, "Was I that annoying when I was like that?"

He laughed deeply. "I don't think I would have called it annoying. Overbearing or endearingly exasperating perhaps… but not annoying."

Yako realized that this was really this first time she'd ever heard the older male laugh. Then again, they usually met over the corpse of some unfortunate person… so that might have explained why. Either way, she found he had a very pleasing, gentle laugh.

Once their cups were emptied yet again Sasazuka insisted on paying for the bill despite Yako's protests.

"You didn't have to do that," she told him.

"Well I did invite you to dinner. It would have been rude of me to offer and then expect you to pay for your own."

She dressed herself in her outerwear yet again, this time making certain that all of her buttons were lined up properly, and trudged out into the cold, awful snow; grimacing at the thought of another half-hour wait.

It felt as though the temperature had dropped another few degrees, and Sasazuka couldn't help but take pity on the poor, unfortunate girl. He jingled his keys, calling out to her, "Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

"Oh, thank you! You're a life saver!" Yako gushed, scurrying after the older man and following him to his car.

His vehicle smelled of cigarette smoke and car freshener, though it was clean and warm; a welcome reprieve from the biting chill of winter. She watched as he started the car and cranked the heater on, slipping his hands into a pair of leather gloves as he turned to look at her. They stared at one another for a good long minute, Sasazuka tilting his head and raising an eyebrow as Yako blinked repeatedly in what appeared to be confusion. "Where do you live?" he asked finally.

Blushing, she muttered an apology and gave him directions, sinking back against her seat as her cheeks heated in embarrassment.

The drive there was spent in silence, yet not an awkward, uncomfortable one. The pair of them seemed to understand each others need for quiet; Sasazuka never having been a talkative man and Yako… well, at the moment she was still trying to pick up the shattered pieces of her world. When his modest little car pulled to a stop in front of her home she gave him a warm smile, declaring sweetly, "It was good to see you, Sasazuka. Maybe some day we can do this again?"

He nodded, acknowledging, "Yes, it was good to see you too. I'm sure we'll run into one another sooner or later."

Her smile was brilliant, though he noted it was only a fraction as bright as it used to be. She reached for the handle, stepping out of the car and onto the sidewalk before tuning back to address him one last time.

"Thank you for the ride!"

He nodded, and when she pivoted around to leave he called out after her, halting her mid-turn. She gazed back into the car at him with those shadowed almond eyes. They were so deep and so filled with sorrow that it made her look older… tired.

"Take care of yourself," he instructed earnestly, staring hard into those yawning depths of untold pain.

Yako pursed her lips into a surprised 'o', her features alighting in surprise at his unexpected response. And still, past all of that, he saw a flicker of horror and ignominy, as though she were ashamed of herself for having allowed anyone to see through her mask. The look melted away in less than an instant, replaced by an entirely false half-smile. She gave a short nod and waved to him, turning quickly and running to her door. She disappeared inside without so much as a second look.

It seemed to him that Godai's death had affected her on a much deeper level than he'd first assumed. Sasazuka had always been good at reading people… it was his job after all. She was so obvious… and yet so oblivious. She did not even realize just how easy it was for him to tell how much her friend's death had hurt her. Anyone who knew her would have seen the changes… but still she walked around with a look of false happiness painted over her face. Did she truly not understand how apparent her pain was to everyone else? Perhaps she simply didn't want to realize it. She had always been a selfless girl, so it was entirely possible that she did not want to burden others with her sorrow.

'So she intends to face this alone while trying to make everyone else believe she is alright,' Sasazuka muttered to himself, still staring at the door she had vanished through.

She was still so young. One as new as her should not have so much of an emotional load to bear. Yet he had seen it first hand; he knew what it was that she had lost. Such sorrows were not meant for children. Sighing to himself he unrolled his window and slid a cigarette from his pack, pinching it between his lips as he fumbled for a lighter.

She stared almost absently through the window, watching as Sasazuka sat and simply stared. He remained in his Kia a good few minutes before finally lighting a cigarette and driving away.

Yako let the drapes slide through her fingers and slowly undressed, throwing her coat and winter accessories across the back of her couch. Her socks, which were damp, were tossed haphazardly onto the heater. She then wandered into the kitchen to make herself a drink. Crouching down to the cupboard under the sink, Yako hauled out a half empty bottle of bourbon.

She placed herself wearily at the table, unscrewing the lid and taking one long drink. She choked, coughing as the warm amber liquid burned a path down her throat.

The young woman thought back to what Sasazuka had said and the concern that had shone in his deep brown eyes when he looked at her then. He knew… shit, they all knew. Yako had never been a good liar and was an emotional creature by nature. Sasazuka had seen right through her pitiful façade, though she doubted he truly knew what it was he was looking at. All of the people she knew, when they looked at her they saw a girl who was mourning the loss of a friend… but that was only one small part of her pain. Aside from the ache that Godai's absence left within her she was also reminded of her father and mother and how hopelessly alone she felt in this society of ever changing circumstances. She had been thrown into the adult world of cruel realities at such a tender age, with no parents to stand by her side and guide her through it. Yet she had made her way in life, forming new friendships and bonds as she went. Godai… was her brother, maybe not in name or blood… but in her heart he was family. True, it had been an odd, sick little family but it was comforting none the less. It frightened and saddened her at just how easily human life could be taken as though it meant nothing…

Then there was the issue with Neuro. Certainly she'd known all along that he was a demon from Hell… but for some reason she had never thought of him as a heartless being.

It had first sunk in at the funeral, as she had wept to herself while the priest read from his text. She had looked up at Neuro, who stood motionless beside her, only to find him staring dispassionately at the casket that held Godai's body. His eyes, like glittering teal tourmalines, had slid to her, and she remembered seeing not an ounce of sadness or sympathy in his expression. He didn't care… he had never cared.

She had gone home… only to find him there. The little blonde had ordered him to leave, a command that he had dually ignored. Instead he had demanded that she get some rest so that she would not be late for work in the morning.

To say she had been furious would have been a gross understatement.

"What is the matter with you? How can you stand there and not feel even a bit sad? He dedicated years of his life to you; to your stupid, greedy needs! Now he's dead and you don't care?"

He had paused, gazing at her with those insufferably blank, almost amused eyes. Then, with a toothy grin and a graceful pivot on his heel, he'd walked out her door, glancing over his shoulder as he went. "Don't be late."

'Arrogant prick,' she thought bitterly to herself, swallowing another mouthful of bourbon. It had made her understand many things about her relationship with Neuro. Firstly was that she meant nothing to him. She was a mere lackey who had her purposes… yet if she were to die she would be easily replaced.

Secondly, he was using her. He had manipulated her into doing things that she never would have done had she known what a heartless monster he was. She was nothing more than a marionette on his strings. Again recollections of feral nips and sharp, stinging caresses filtered through her mind, along with the damnable ache that accompanied them.

Lastly was that even though she was with him every single day… she was more alone now than she had ever been.

She hated him; hated everything he represented…

"Bastard," she grumbled drunkenly to herself, placing her head down and pushing the now empty bottle of bourbon across the table. It wobbled precariously on the edge for a moment before tipping and falling to the floor, shattering against tile and showering tiny shards of glass in every direction.

Yako felt a few small slivers slice cleanly across the skin of her foot. She winced, but hadn't the care to clean the mess up. She would do that in the morning.

"Such a clumsy human," came a deep, sultry tone from above her.

There was no fright upon hearing the sudden voice. It had become too often an occurrence to startle her anymore, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it. In fact, she detested it when he came into her house without permission… which was all the time.

It took her a few tries to lift her head from her arms, and on the third attempt she mustered enough strength to pull herself upright so that she could glare balefully at the demon lounging nonchalantly across her kitchen wall. He had his legs stretched out, crossed at the ankle, and his hands tucked beneath his head. His expression was almost peaceful, though she knew otherwise. Peaceful was the last word she would use to describe Neuro. Deceptive was more like it...

"What are you doing here?" she asked him callously.

"I do as I please," he answered curtly, the honest haughtiness in his voice making a small moue pull at her features.

She sighed loudly, muttering, "I can't handle this shit right now."

Yako leaned back in her chair, head drooping as she closed her eyes in an attempt to block him out. He said something then, but the angle she was tilted at muffled his words and she failed to make out exactly what it was. Instead of asking him to repeat himself she simply feigned ignorance, continuing to simply loll back, her arms dangling uselessly at her sides.

Something solid settled itself against her chest and with a hard shove she felt herself tipping - much like her empty bottle of bourbon - and falling to the floor with a painful crash.

She clutched at her head pathetically, mewing as the immense throb that rang through her skull where it had made contact with the tile. There were shards of glass in her back now too, piercing the tender flesh.

A shoe settled over her windpipe.

Yako peered desperately at Neuro, who towered over her with a look of displeasure on his striking face. "Do not ever ignore your master, you worthless maggot."

"Holy Christ," she spluttered indignantly, pushing at the offending foot that was trapping her to the floor. "What? What?"

He removed the shoe, folding his impossibly long limbs so that he was crouching before her. One slender hand reached out and captured her jaw in a grip that was painful, the tips of his fingers nearly bruising her cheekbones and chin. "You must take better care of yourself, worm."

She frowned, spitting acridly against his palm, "Yeah, it would be a real shame if something happened to me and you had to take time out of your schedule to go and find yourself another pawn."

He slapped her. It was not hard, but the degradation that it caused her stung. She gaped up at him in shock. She had been abused throughout the whole of their relationship, but never had he hit her.

"You are speaking foolishness," he reasoned, as though trying to justify why he had done it. Yako knew otherwise… Neuro never felt he had to justify anything he did.

She fought the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "It's true!" she snapped, "If I were to die it wouldn't mean anything to you!"

"But you are not dead; you are alive," he droned, "thus, it is inconsequential."

"Why?" she demanded, unable to reign in her emotions any longer. Whether it was simply the pent up frustration or the alcohol that had broken the dam, she wasn't sure. "Why don't you care? I've kept your fucking secret and done everything you've told me and still I mean nothing to you! Why?" The last word was a whimper, and she curled into herself reflexively to try and stem the agony that seemed to be flowing out of her.

He didn't hesitate for a moment. "I am a demon. I will live for an eternity and in doing so I will watch many people wither and die. You are a human, and your lifespan is no more than the blink of an eye to me. The heart that resides within me feels no love. I was built for one purpose and one purpose alone… and that is to satiate the immense hunger that is ever present."

She felt filthy. All this time she had been nothing more than a convenience to him. "I'm done," she told him seriously, "I can't take it anymore."

Neuro didn't answer, he simply watched her with an amused expression, his too-wide-smile growing larger by the second. Slowly, like a snake coiling to strike, his hand reached out and slid into her hair; tapered fingers threading themselves into the shoulder length blonde strands.

He moved forward, his wicked mouth settling over hers as his tongue forcing its way inside.

Yako moaned in protest as the flavor of her own blood flooded her senses, spilling past their interlocked lips and down her cheek. "No!" she pleaded as she pulled away, "You're just using me!"

He did not deny it. "You are very useful to me and until such is no longer the case I will continue to use you as I see fit. You should be flattered," he stated, "you are the only being who can claim to mean anything to me. While I cannot love you, Yako, I still need you."

His greedy mouth was on hers again and through the drunken haze that fogged her mind, she knew she should fight him… should protest… yet she just couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. The only thing her alcohol induced brain could focus on was that he needed her. It was good to feel needed… it made her feel less alone.

He pushed her to the floor, where more glass pieces jabbed into her back like nettling barbs. If she was uncomfortable she didn't really notice… her body was so numb from the liquor and so attuned to the male above her that nothing else mattered.

And as his agile fingers slid past cloth to score heated skin, she thought to herself that maybe someday she would find the strength to leave him. Yet, at the moment she was alone… and he needed her. So she would stay… for now…

So, it's a bit dark, but it will get less gloomy as the chapters roll by.

Usually I don't post a story while I have another on the go… but I had to. I love this damn anime… and I think it's a shame more people don't know about it.

Ahem… if you please…

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