Warning: Crack pairing.

Prologue

The first time Kano saw the city was during a trip to the park. Massive skyscrapers loomed overhead and pedestrians phased through him, their bodies wisp-like and untouchable.

The second time Kano had seen the city was a late night visit to the mini-mart. Kido had forgotten to cook and Kano had gotten hungry. Then the birds came and he had dropped the bag of food to chase after something he was sure was real.

The third time Kano had seen the city was after a harsh argument with Kido over the reality of a city within a city; crescent moons during the day and flocks of white birds congesting the sky. Kano had seen the buildings and the birds and the moon and the people and even fresh tar on the roads until Kido had slapped him, tears in her eyes, face scrunched in worry.

Kano did not know how to reply. He had never seen Kido - the leader, his leader - so worried. Seto had watched from the corner, shouting incoherent words to stop the passionate argument when Kano could not understand because the noise of trucks, people, and footsteps; the noise of rush-hour in a busy intersection, was ringing in his ears and threatening to peel of his skin.

The fourth time Kano had seen the city was while he was asleep on the sofa, awaiting Kido's return with the fifth member of Mekakushidan. The topic was taboo, never to be brought up, and Kano had lived three years without seeing the illusion. It came back with force, like a jolt to the spine, but this time he wasn't graced with towers or roads or birds or a massive flood of people.

Instead, he was blessed with seeing a girl.