—Get your stinking self out of here and go take a shower!— Mei scolded Tetsumaru after kissing him for nearly an entire minute.
That was the time it took for her emotions to stabilize enough for her sense of smell to detect the sweat and blood present on Tetsumaru's clothes, skin, and even his hair.
Confused as hell by his other half's abrupt emotional shifts, Tetsumaru decided not to argue and obediently headed up to the bathroom. He hadn't had the time or an available bath to shower since dawn the previous day, when the Operation in Yokohama began.
It turns out that fighting undead monsters and soaking in their blood makes a person stink. Who would have guessed?
After half an hour, Tetsumaru felt clean enough, got dressed, and went down to the dining room, where his family was waiting for him with a feast and bandages—the latter courtesy of a worried Sakura.
The four of them ate and talked, both parents interested in their son's experiences participating in an operation alongside the Professionals.
For security reasons and likely politics, both Aizawa and Nezu warned the shinobi to keep certain information about the events to himself. Tetsumaru considered it a foolish test of trust, but he would comply anyway.
During all this time, Mei remained quiet. The bond stayed firmly closed and she barely participated in the conversation.
Tetsumaru did not try to chat with her. He knew her well enough to know she wasn't ready for an honest conversation yet.
—Ah, I completely forgot!— Sakura suddenly jumped, hitting the table and catching everyone's attention. —Tetsumaru, when did you learn how to fly!?
Both halves blinked in confusion, not understanding the sudden excitement of his parents, who were looking at Tetsumaru with stars in their eyes.
—...Since always? I mean, we've already flown with my sand, Mom— Tetsumaru replied, slightly worried about the woman's mental state.
—No, no, no, we saw you on the news, son!— Sasuke added enthusiastically, describing what had happened.
Apparently, the shinobi was recorded by a civilian while descending from a damaged building with some wounded, floating gently to the ground.
That footage was uploaded to the internet and a news channel picked it up, adding it to the scenes shown on TV.
—Ah, I see. No, that was just my sand, though using a different method— Tetsumaru dismissed the rumors. A tendril of Satetsu reached for the upper floor and brought down the backpack where he kept the new support equipment provided by Hatsume Mei.
A tight suit that adhered to his body like a second skin was shown to the family while Tetsumaru explained how it worked.
—While my reaction speed is above average, I'm an easy target in the air as long as I don't have sand under my feet, and although my hand-to-hand combat skills are decent, I'm still slightly limited by my mass and center of gravity.
So I requested a small job from a talented young wom— Tetsumaru cut himself off, feeling a chill coming from the side of the table where Mei was pretending to eat in feigned disinterest to his words.
—Ahem! I asked someone from the Support Course to help me find a solution. This suit is the result— he continued his explanation.
In essence, it was a highly tear-resistant suit with zero defensive properties, as its only function was to not give way under the tension caused by the force exerted on the conduits fused to it.
Called Kinetic Vessels by their creator, these conduits are filled with Satetsu, allowing Tetsumaru to transfer energy to his body whenever he decides to move that sand.
That was how he was able to evade the Nomu mid-flight without the need for a sand platform or a foothold.
It also allows him to ignore technology that interferes with his Magnet Release, since that sand is practically glued to his body, the source of the chakra that moves it. And flying or changing direction in the air was only a part of what he could do.
With enough training, Tetsumaru intended to become a Taijutsu fighter with a novel style, taking advantage of this ability to give his body the chance to alter its center of gravity at any moment.
As a chakra user, the ability to stand horizontally or upside down on walls was a basic skill, and both he and Mei had already practiced combat in such orientations.
But the situations where they could put them into practice were limited. However, this support equipment could make all the difference.
Sasuke and Sakura were marveled by the new gear, asking the shinobi for a live demonstration of his current capabilities.
Even Mei, despite feeling uncomfortable with the situation and foolish for not listening to her other half when he tried to convince her to adapt his skills with technology, observed and studied with wonder the result of months of frequent visits and inappropriate interactions with the stinking slut from the Support Course.
At that moment, waves of envy and frustration assaulted the kunoichi, but she forced herself to let go of such emotions with a long, silent sigh.
To her, it wasn't just about the suit. Since the abrupt end of the training camp, Mei had been sulking about the way she treated Tetsumaru back then.
She had been a complete bitch, and she knew it. Sure, they could disagree, but that didn't give her the right to belittle her other half like that, as his viewpoints were in a way her own, more or less.
Different now, but one and the same at the end of the day.
***************************************
Night fell over the city of Musutafu. Japan was still reeling from the events in Yokohama, specifically regarding the state of its Symbol of Peace, All Might.
But that wasn't the case for everyone.
Some were too pained to care about the exaggerated headlines, such as the relatives of all those deceased from the camp incident to the battles in Yokohama. Others focused on countermeasures against the imminent wave of crime, while the more cunning criminals thought about countermeasures against the Heroes' and police's countermeasures.
And others couldn't care less about those matters. Among this group was Terumi Mei.
The girl slipped silently through the hallway, reaching the door to Tetsumaru's room. She hesitated, standing there for a few seconds, unsure of how to proceed.
She didn't know why she was there in the first place. She had tried to ignore her other half after the embarrassing outburst in the kitchen, but she could no longer stand this awkward situation.
She didn't like it; she didn't want it this way. Mei wanted to go back to before the camp, when everything was simpler between her and Tetsumaru. When it was just the two of them, when their purpose was the same.
When she wasn't afraid.
But communication proved incredibly difficult, even though they could do it better than any other couple. Perhaps it was precisely that special and unique connection that made things so complicated.
When words, gestures, or even being within reach of your partner's physical senses weren't necessary for the other to know exactly what you felt, what you thought, what you wanted, or what terrified you, couple's "arguments" reached a whole new level.
Mei sighed, removing her hand from the knob and turning around to go back to her room, head hanging low. But a familiar fluctuation assaulted her from within, halting her movement.
—Don't go— Tetsumaru said. Mei's lips trembled slightly at those simple but honest words.
Accompanying them came emotions of longing, excitement, and warm, pleading feelings. He was calling her; he wanted her by his side.
Mei melted faster than she would have liked under normal circumstances, but this was not a normal situation.
Timidly, the kunoichi entered Tetsumaru's room and walked silently to his bed, where he waited for her with her favorite spot cleared.
She crawled under the sheets and buried her face in Tetsumaru's chest, bathing in his warmth and in the sensations of happiness and relief emanating from him through the permanent bond that always reminded them of their nature.
Mei forgot the irritation that had accompanied her during the days her other half had been gone. She cast aside the frustration she felt when he got more involved than necessary in these affairs of Heroes and Villains.
She pushed away the fear that had led her to behave so aggressively, to vilely dismiss Tetsumaru's emotions when he needed her support and company.
Only guilt for her actions remained, along with the relief she felt in this moment while being affectionately embraced by him.
I'm sorry, she whispered in his mind, pouring all her honesty into those words—her guilt, the disappointment she had felt in herself all this time.
I'm sorry too, Tetsumaru replied, manifesting the multitude of emotions stirring in his chest with a simple kiss on Mei's forehead. One filled with all the love he felt for her.
Neither said anything more for the rest of the night, as neither was ready to have that conversation just yet.
They simply allowed themselves to take comfort in each other's embrace until the realm of dreams claimed them.