Prompt

Chie/Yukiko. Chie's first kill as a police officer. Yukiko comforts her.

Simple Things

Adachi.

When the smoke cleared, the first thing she could think of was Adachi.

She honestly had never put much faith in her service revolver before and was only a good shot with it because Naoto-kun brought out the competitive streak in her. She'd never be good as Naoto-kun - who could shoot cards out of the air and had never met a paper target she couldn't headshot - but she'd never be able to live it down if she couldn't at least put all five shots in a roughly human-sized area.

That night she only managed to put one on the mark, but she had only squeezed the trigger once.

Some of the veterans had clapped her on the back and whistled appreciatively when Dojima-san had gently escorted her through the squad room to his office to hear her report and fill out the paperwork.

"Nice shooting, Satonaka."

"That's how you bring down a perp, just one shot."

"Good work, Satonaka."

"Clean, Satonaka, very clean."

What made her stomach tighten was the knowledge that her senpai weren't kidding around or trying to make fun of her in some twisted attempt at black humor. They were genuinely proud of her. They were genuinely glad that she had made it back safe.

And honestly? Obviously, she was glad, too.

"The boys from prefectural HQ are going to have to do the usual post-shooting investigation," Dojima-san told her in his office. "Don't worry, Satonaka, it's all just standard procedure, you're going to be fine, you did everything by the book. I'm going to need your gun and your badge, though."

She numbly handed them over to him and he put them in his desk drawer.

"You're on paid leave until the paperwork gets sorted out." Dojima-san softened a little from his usual gruff, professional self. For a moment, he was just Souji-kun's uncle and Nanako-chan's dad, not her boss and mentor. "Listen, Chie, I can't honestly tell you how to feel about this. I've never been in this situation myself. But I know this: You're still a damn good cop, and a damn good person, and your wife's worried sick about you, so go home to her."

Go home to her.

One of the guys - she couldn't remember who, probably Saito - drove her to the Inn. Yukiko had met her as soon as she stepped out of the squad car and she didn't remember much after that beyond an infinitely soft, warm embrace.

She didn't remember going to sleep, but they both woke at dawn as usual. They both stayed in bed until noon, just listening to each other's breathing and staring at the ceiling.

She then found herself in the bath somehow, seated on the little wooden stool. Yukiko was washing the smell of stale gunpowder off of her, scrubbing her back and shampooing her hair, just like all those times during sleepovers years and years ago when their shared bathtimes had been more innocent.

"Does it itch anywhere, Chie?"

"Tell me I'm not like him."

Yukiko's hands stopped massaging her head. "Like who?"

"Like Adachi."

Yukiko's arms, slippery from soap, glided easily around her chest and squeezed. "Why would you think you're anything like him?"

"When I shot that guy, I felt... I felt..."

"Guilty?"

"Good. I felt good. It was a good shot."

Yukiko trembled behind her. "Why would that make you like Adachi?"

"I didn't join the force just to get a gun. At least, that's what I thought. But when the smoke cleared and Saito finally caught up, I knew Dojima-san was going to take my gun, and I would feel so... so..." She looked down at herself - all suds and skin - and laughed wryly. "So naked."

Yukiko's arms loosened around her and let her go, and for an instant her heart skipped a beat because she knew she said the wrong thing. Yukiko must have thought she was a monster, just another bully hiding behind the thin blue line, just like Adachi.

And then Yukiko spun her around and kissed her. For a wonderfully long moment, she didn't think about perps or procedures or paperwork. For a wonderfully long moment, her whole world was just her beautiful, loving, perfect wife.

When the kiss finally ended, Yukiko whispered, "Chie, a long time ago you told me that you wanted to protect everyone in this town, to protect everyone you loved."

"I did?"

"You did. And I don't recall hearing Adachi saying that when we confronted him."

"I guess not."

"He didn't. So Chie, my beautiful, strong, honest Chie, I don't see how you could possibly be like him."

"I killed a man last night, and honestly? I don't feel all that bad about it. I know it doesn't make any goddamn sense, but I feel bad about not feeling bad."

Yukiko hugged her tight and she melted against Yukiko's smooth skin. "Was he a bad man?"

"Yeah, prefectural brass told us to be on the lookout for this guy, sent us his rap sheet. It's not pretty."

"Was he going to hurt you?"

"Yeah, after Saito and I got separated and I cornered the guy, he pulled out his own piece."

"Then good."

"Good? How can it be good?"

Yukiko stroked her cheek and looked her in the eyes. "It's good you're such a good shot, Chie, so you could come home to me." Yukiko stared through the window overlooking the courtyard and continued to stroke her face. "I know this sounds selfish, because I guess it is, but if it were you against anyone else, I'd wish the other person dead before they could touch a hair on your head."

"Yukiko..."

"I'm sure that you were right, but if worse comes to worst and your bosses think you were wrong, just know that I'll always be with you, Chie." Yukiko's eyes came back to hers. "You're more than just a badge and a gun, you're my wife. No one can ever take that from you. Come home to me, Chie, I'll always be with you." Yukiko went to rinse her with warm water. "Now let's finish washing up so we can hop in the tub for a nice hot soak."

Yukiko led her into the tub. She rested her back against Yukiko's chest and let Yukiko's arms wrap tight around her. They both sat in the steaming water for a long, long time, with the sound of her own heartbeat and Yukiko's soft humming in her ears. She wasn't sure what to make of what Yukiko told her, but in the end she decided that she didn't need to sort it all out that day.

She was home with her wife, safe and sound, and honestly?

That was enough.

Fin