𝚊 𝚢𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚕𝚢 ~ 𝚋𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚊𝚔𝚊

Partners.

We sat as directed.

The owl adjusted and loosened his tie, before unbuttoning his collar. Did he not have any decency in front of the commander? I wondered, sitting straighter than a plank, as trained.

"Bokuto?"

"Sir!" He sat up straighter. He was sweating.

"You're from the Fukurōdani base, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"And you came here after following Ki Chou?"

"That's correct sir."
He had followed me back to the base? He must have been really fast. Impressive.

"Who gives you orders?"

"That I do not know sir. I simply receive a Manila folder and do as I'm told."

I guess we were similar in that regard.

"I see. Ki Chou have you ever met this boy before?" He gestured to the owl.

"No sir. It was my burden to do so earlier this evening." I didn't look at him, but felt his stare.

"Well that's rather odd indeed. Why anyone would want to kill you, I don't know.
Unless someone who knew about the Elites, and how renowned you were was after your skin, and planted that objective, I have no other ideas. That being said, I'm going to make some calls. As for you Ki Chou, no more jobs till the new year."

"Sir if I may-"

"No arguments. I was thinking of giving you a longer holiday this year anyway, so take it."

"Holiday?" I questioned.

The commander laughed, "It's almost Christmas, and then New Years. I think you can hold off on jobs till then?"
Oh right, I'd forgotten about the holidays.

"I- sir yes sir." I felt a bit defeated, not really knowing what I'd do in that time.

"As you for Bokuto, I will arrange to have you move to this base. I'm assigning you and Ki Chou as partners. Come next year, I've had word that you'll need help Ki Chou, so he'll be there to assist you."

"Permission to speak, sir."
He nodded.

"Sir, I've always been solo. Why now?"

"Larger jobs call for more people. That being said, it's probably best for you both to get to know one another a bit more. Good luck with that Bokuto, Ki Chou isn't one for conversation. Additionally, I'd like to see the both of you at the party this year. It's in a fortnight."

Was I dreaming? Was this a nightmare. I pinched my arm so hard it bled slightly. To my demise, I didn't wake up. Fuck. Not only was I pinned with that moron, but by orders of the commander, I had to go to the yearly party. One I'd only ever heard of from Tendou and certainly never attended.

"That's all boys."

"SIR!" Again in unison we replied and stood before exiting the office.

We walked in a silence down the hall. I was more than annoyed with the recent events.

"So why Ki Chou, partner?" The owl nudged me with his elbow. I was already tired of him.
Grabbing his loose tie, I flung him against the wall, pushing his back up, so his feet rose off the ground. I got close enough to him that our noses touched. I glanced left and right to be sure the coast was clear.

"Look, I don't know where you came from, or why you're suddenly here, but I'm gonna make a couple things crystal clear for you. One, do not call me partner. Two, I don't make friends. Three, me and my name is none of your business." I sneered at him.

His face had gone red. Did he really run out of oxygen that quickly? Pathetic. He looked down at the fist that held his shirt.
"Y-you're bleeding..."
I looked down and saw my "pinch" had been more than I thought. I released my hold and he gasped for air. I clutched my arm.

When he finished wheezing, he responded.
"So anyway! I'm Bokuto both in the corps and to friends, which I'd like to consider you... eventually."

"Why the hell would you tell me your real name?!" I bared my teeth at him.

"Eh, you could have killed me twice now, I'm hoping you won't, so why not be on a first names basis?" He raised one of his thick eyebrows.

"You don't get to know my real name because you annoy, and piss me off more than anyone I've ever met. That's why. I do not want any sort of relationship with you, and certainly not to consider you a friend."

"Yikes, harsh." He laughed.
"Well I'm starving, where's the canteen?" He continued as though I hadn't just dragged him through mud.

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I did, but my stomach rumbling blocked your mean words. Now, about food?" He licked his lips and rubbed his hands together.

I stopped walking and balled my fists before realizing how much my arm stung. The owl noticed, swerving on one heel and toe, doing an about-face to look at me.

"Wanna hit me?" He took his hands out his pants pockets and cocked his head back, grinning as though awaiting for me to openly strike him.

"I want to kill you." I uttered under my breath as I pushed past him forcefully, clutching my bleeding arm which had now began to drip onto the white linoleum floors.

"Alright! Catcha later! Hope you get that arm sorted out!"
I heard him whistling as I walked the opposite
direction, towards the infirmary.

"Aw you poor dear! Did that happen on a job?!" The nurse questioned me. I couldn't stop thinking of the owl.

"Are you alright dear?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine. Sorry."

"No need to be sorry! Here, I'm all done now. Just come back if you shower so I can give you a new bandage."

"Right, thank you."
I decided I was hungry too and just prayed I wouldn't run into the owl again. Maybe I could catch up with Tendou. I think he had a job earlier today too. Maybe his went better than mine.

Still, I kept thinking of Bokuto. He really did look like an owl. Everything from his tall hair to golden eyes. Especially his eyes. They seemed to follow you everywhere. I'd noticed they had specs of darker and lighter golds around his pupils too. Almost unreal.