SALVATORE || Sano Manjiro X Fem! Reader

*+*CHAPTER 16 || OF-FUCKING-COURSE*+*

Notes: Hello everyone(⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)
I know I've been dead for like 7 something months now but I'm back! I've recovered from writers block yayy୧⁠(⁠ ⁠ಠ⁠ ⁠Д⁠ ⁠ಠ⁠ ⁠)⁠୨ but anyways here you go🤲🏼 a new chapter

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He should have expected this already. Hanagaki Takemichi should have expected better because of course something major just had to happen in the face of his absence, something major enough that it caused this nonsense of a timeline. Nothing ever goes the way he wants them to after all, what, with all the failed attempts he had to show for it.

The dread fills him quickly, lips quivering because of course this timeline was just way too good to be true. It's wrong, it's all so wrong and he didn't even know it, not until someone else had to tell it to his face when everything was already laid out in front of him.

Takemichi supposes it's his own fault, for letting his desperation get the better of him, for letting the idea of the perfect timeline right in his very grasp block his view of all its obvious imperfections in the first place.

He gulps it all down, a shuddering breath leaves his chest. No, no, he shouldn't have to make this about himself. Mikey's out there right now, all alone because of his own mistake of a decision. Takemichi should be focusing on what's important right now.

Clasping his hands together and willing them to shake off the stuttering twitching of the limbs, he lifts his gaze back to his future brother-in-law. "You have any idea on what I could possibly have done for this to happen?" He gives a shaky, sheepish smile, bright blue eyes searching for solace that he could somehow fix this.

Naoto let's out a sympathetic sigh. Knowing Takemichi, he was probably already in the midst of fighting off the little blame game that's only player is himself. "You didn't do anything wrong, Takemichi-kun. You did what you could and it's proving it's worth right this very second." The detective watches as Takemichi shakes his head in denial, like everything he's come back to isn't enough for him. He frowned before adding: "You couldn't have possibly known that this would be a side effect of what happened."

Takemichi laughs in disbelief. "I should have though, I should have expected that something was wrong the first day I came back. I mean- there was literally someone there to prove it!" He flails his arms about in an exaggerated manner.

A prolonged awkward silence.

A surprised scoff leaves Naoto then and Takemichi widens his eyes as if he just realized the implications of what he suggested. He looks down once more, cheeks painted red to prove his shame. "I'm sorry, I- I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean for that to come out the way it did. I'm just- frustrated on how it turned out again."

Naoto takes a moment to breathe in, a conflicted look overtakes his features. As surprised as Naoto was with the exclamation of the usually meek man in front of him, he doesn't try to pretend that what he said wasn't wrong.

He's had the same thoughts after all.

Naoto hadn't put much thought into it at first that day his memory was overwritten once again. The elation of having realized that they succeeded had been far too great to have been overcome by anything else, let alone some stranger whose name he'd only ever known through paper being apparently alive and well and his acquaintance through his older sister at best.

Eventually, the excitement wore off and in came the pounding headache he would always get after the memories of this other him had settled around his mind. He had tried sleeping it off but that had been useless since not even 2 hours into his slumber, a certain time travelling crybaby had rung up his phone and successfully chased away any of his desires of going back to the comfort of his own bed.