Dancing around Death

Too many unanswered questions

"Hello number seven, it's good to see you again."

"Tsuchigomori what are you doing here?" 

"Just came to check up on you to see what is taking you so long with this target of yours." 

"Thanks for the concern but I think I can handle it."

"It's been two months."

"Okay, well I suppose I just lost track of time."

"I won't press you any further about it, but I have come to warn you if you don't kill your target soon and come back, number six is going to find out. I've been trying to hide this from him but eventually he will know."

"Well what if I can't kill her?"

"As in physically or you just won't?"

"Does it matter which one?"

"To him, probably not." He places the pipe in his mouth as I lean against the balcony and look back up at the moon.

"I just can't bring myself to do it. The first day I met her she basically just invited me into her home although I was a complete stranger, like who does that? At first I just thought well she's just making this so much easier for me, but she didn't, in fact she made my job one hundred times harder. I can't do it, she's my moon and stars, without her my nights are dark and dull."

"Well isn't that something."

"Huh?" I look back up at him.

"I didn't realize you were capable of making that expression....it's quite unexpected."

"What expression?"

"It's nothing really, just something that piqued my interest." I raise my eyebrow to this but shrug it off. "Well that's all I wanted to tell you so I should be off." 

"Wait, there was actually something I wanted to ask you."

"Hm?"

"How long has Mitsuba been a grim reaper?"

"About a decade I do believe." 

"Was he human before that?" 

"No. Number seven you are aware that no grim reaper is or has been human, we are created by the higher ups. What lead you to ask such a question?"

"It's nothing."

"Well if that's all I'll be on my way." He stands on top of the railing of the balcony and looks back at me. "Just be careful." He then jumps off the railing and floats to the empty concrete sidewalk below, disappearing into the night. 

I sigh and continue watching the stars as I'm not ready to be greeted with the same awful nightmares. I don't know how much time passes by before I hear the glass sliding door open and feel a presence behind me. 

"Ah, there you are." Yashiro says walking up to my side and resting her head on my shoulder. 

"Sorry just wanted some fresh air." 

"Nightmares again?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm. How about I make us some coffee and we just stay out here and watch the stars until the sun rises?"

"Don't you have work early tomorrow?" She smiles and bops my nose like she had that night she got drunk.

"I'll just call in sick."

"Yashiro you naughty daikon, you want to skip work just for me?"

"I'm this close to smacking you." She holds her hand up pinching her pointer finger and her thumb with only a tiny sliver of space in between them.