Trust?

The back door to the shooting range opened and out came Hibari looking like she just came back from a jog.

"THERE YOU ARE!" she yelled.

As Sano and Kanon pulled apart, Kanon quickly took Sano's hand behind her back.

It's rude to leave a friend hanging ya know.

After Hibari walked in the muscle-bound Janitor Lady. Sternly she brushed past Hibari straight to Sano. At first, glance she seemed half-inch taller than Sano.

"Hibari worked hard to cover for you when blew your stack in the Den. Didn't give her so much as a thank you for throwing off that cop. All you did was runaway down here to your girlfriend! Shameful!" The Janitor fumed, getting right in Sano's face.

"Girlfriend? UH, we're not-Aaaahahahaha!" Kanon choked on her words as she accidentally revealed her hands holding Sano's. The buff custodian leered at Sano more as Kanon desperately put their hands behind her back again.

Sano at the moment felt like a fish trapped in a bag as the weight of the Janitor's verbal assault got heavier.

AHEM!

Lady Janitor and Sano looked back to Hibari.

"Can I say something?" Hibari asked, calmly.

"Hmph!" the buff custodian, got out of Sano's face and nodded to Hibari.

The red-read walked past her and stood before the inmate.

"Let me just say. You suck." Hibari said bluntly. The inmate rolled his eyes and Kanon snickered. Sano's shield seemed to smirk.

"What do you see in my hands?" Hibari said presenting her empty palms to Sano.

"Nothing." Sano said as he blunk in confusion.

"EXACTLY!" Hibari said clapping her hands in Sano's face.

"If you were afraid I understand, but I thought you trusted me more than that! Don't you think I'd go to bat for you by now! Kanon!?" Hibari said.

"What happened? What were you afraid of?" Kanon grasped Sano's arm and held his hand to her naval.

Sano winced, unable to answer or even look at the pink-haired god-eater.

"Sano, I'd rather you tell her." Hibari said.

The inmate hesitantly looked over at Kanon. "...A guard from my Prison came by today." Sano felt his fingers brush against her cheek.

"W-what were they here for? Are they here to take you back!?" Kanon asked frantically,

"No, they were dropping a helmet off. It was the same as Sano's. It's supposed to be a replacement. That's all." Hibari said assuredly.

"Sano, did you know him?" Hibari asked.

"...Yeah." the inmate said, giving no other response. The three women however continued to stare him down. Sano grit his teeth and turned to face the range.

"His name is Weston Churchhill. He's a helicopter pilot and guard stationed at my prison. The pilots never go inside, but they're responsible for detaining us once were sent out. He's been my pilot for the majority of missions. The last 8 years." Sano explained. The muscles in his neck tensed up, the inmate started massaging the clavicle where his scars ended off.

Kanon became weary of this and pulled out Sano's collar. The burn marks on Sano's neck had a visible discoloration that formed around his neck. Kanon had never noticed how unnatural it looked until now.

"Did he do this to you?" Kanon said.

If the question already didn't make him freeze, Kanon's tone was capable of doing it alone.

"Where is he!?" Kanon turned to Hibari, giving no chance for Sano to respond.

Hibari became lipped locked as even the Janitor Lady seemed to be cautious towards Kanon. Before Hibari could get a word in Kanon went to pick up her god-arc and cocked it.

We want her like this right? Cause I'm feelin' it.

"WHERE-IS-HE!?" she asked again more forcefully, stomping towards Hibari.

"Kanon. He has already left, his convoy is long gone now, ok?" Hibari tried to calmly explain.

"Where is it heading?" Kanon asked, getting closer to Hibari.

Kanon's presence made her feel smaller with every step.

"WHERE!?" Kanon shouted.

BOOM!

A shot came out of Kanon's god-arc towards the ceiling. Hibari flinched, while the janitor froze. Kanon was right in Hibari's face undeterred by the accidental discharge of her weapon.

Hibari was thinking of another attempt to negotiate, but a pair of arms enveloped Kanon halting her violent aura.

Sano held Kanon to his chest as his cheek rested upon her head. Kanon's face softened and loosed her grip on her god-arc.

"Sano..." Kanon pressed her head against his shoulder.

From the angle Hibari had, it looked like Sano was embracing Kanon wholeheartedly. But at the moment Sano was glaring at his god-arcs core as its tendrils retracted.

You're welcome.

"(You!!!!!!!)" Sano growled as he twitched. His thoughts were disturbed however when Kanon turned in his arms.

Faced to face the inmate could see the tears build up in Kanon's blue eyes. Feeling her pressed head against his chest, Sano let his aggravation die. For now.

"You must've been so scared..." Kanon said with a sniffle.

The inmate shifted awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. Hibari made gestures hinting at how to do so, which served only to annoy the inmate.

"A little." he said.

Hibari rolled her eyes. She cleared her throat and proceeded to "assist" the inmate.

"More than a little I'd say. You can be honest with us, Sano!" Hibari said very bluntly, feigning a heartfelt emotion.

The inmate rolled his eyes right back and felt Kanon take his hand.

"You can trust us, Sano! I promise! Me, Erina, Emil, Kota, Hibari, Mutsumi, we won't ever let him hurt you! And Mrs. Kawana!" Kanon said nodding to the buff custodian.

Each word from Kanon served to relieve and aggravate Sano on and off. Hibari was using Kanon to push him into elaborating. And it worked...

"Fine! I was scared. If I'm being honest when I came here I thought this was just another branch of Fenrir that didn't value anyone below its bottom line. But things haven't been that way for me since I got here. I thought I'd be gone in a day even after my helicopter crashed. Then I ended up staying for this long. This is the freest I've been in years." Sano said.

Kanon, Hibari, and Mrs.Kawana smiled in turn.

"When Churchhill came...I thought it was all over. Everything up to that point I always thought was temporary, but I didn't think it would hit me that hard. I didn't want to be right." Sano said sadly. As Kanon looked up at him, she could see the pleading in his eyes.

"But he didn't recognize you." Hibari said.

"Now that I think about it, he's never seen me without the helmet before. The pilots have never seen our real faces. He'd have to recognize me by my god-arc or my inmate number." Sano explained.

"So he didn't even recognize you. When I find this Churchhill he's dead!" Kanon said spitefully.

Hibari went pale as she looked at the ceiling. Kanon's shot from earlier was still smoldering.

"I still haven't informed Dr.Sakaki yet by the way." Hibari said, surprising Sano.

"Ya see that, and you still haven't thanked her yet. I would've thrown you under the bus myself." Mrs.Kawana chided.

Feeling a pang of guilt, Sano released Kanon from his arms to face Hibari.

"Thank you, Hibari." Sano patted her head. Hibari immediately pouted and shook his handoff.

"I'm not a little kid! Save it for Erina!" she complained, making Sano snicker.

"(Did I overreact after all?)" Sano thought, watching Kanon and Kawana poke fun at Hibari.

Time will tell...

"So...are you feeling better now?" Hibari asked.

"...I think so. Thanks to you three." Sano said.

"Now that's more like it." Mrs.Kawana said.

"I'll always be here for you." Kanon said holding Sano's hand tight.

"That's great. Why don't you and Kanon take the day off today? Maybe Erina too? When you're up to it, we'll talk to Dr.Sakaki." Hibari assured.

"That helmet is NOT going back on!" Kanon argued.

"If you massage my shoulders again, I may be willing to put in a good word for you." Mrs.Kawana said coyly.

"(Mutsumi said she wanted to hang out today, should I just invite everyone?)" Sano thought.

Not like they really ask to enter your room anyway.

"Ok." Sano said.

"Great. So...What-Is-THIS!?" Hibari pulled the hands of the pair up for all to see. Sano and Kanon became flustered realizing their misstep. Kanon hadn't let go of Sano for almost the entire conversation. It took all of Hibari's willpower not to say something earlier.

"It's not what it looks like." Sano said as calmly as he could.

"Yeah! He just kissed me, that's all!" Kanon, making Sano's jaw drop in horror. His god-arcs as well.

Hibari immediately pulled Kanon to her, looking at Sano like the criminal he was. For once. Mrs.Kawana was ready to bolster her laughter.

"That. Didn't sound right. What I mean is he just kissed my hand!" Kanon frantically said.

"SHUSH!" Hibari shouted like a parent.

"YOU! Stay here!" Hibari said, pointing her finger right at Sano's nose.

"YOU! You're telling me everything! Just wait till I get Gina on the phone!" Hibari said pulling dragging Kanon towards the door like a child.

"I-I can explain! Let me explain!" Kanon pleaded.

Sano gawked at the red-head, unable to get a word in as she took Kanon out the range.

"Tell me, son, how long have you been in prison?" Mrs.Kawana asked, suddenly becoming more serious.

"10 years running on 11." Sano said.

"11 years...so its been 11 since you've been near a woman. LISTEN UP!" Mrs.Kawana slammed her palm on Sano's shoulder.

"(Oh god no...)" Sano thought.

"Things are different nowadays, why in fact only 3 years ago did the first marriage in decades happen our very own den, so a lot of the children are open to starting relationships now. But ya gotta be careful, especially in your case, things can get heated when it looks like the world is ending. I got lucky I met my husband before the aragami started festering." Mrs.Kawana elaborated.

Sano desperately thought of anything he could say to escape the conversation.

Ya know what, I think will take my leave now. I'll be upstairs.

"(Oh hell no!)" Sano thought.

Mrs.Kawana never noticed the disappearance of Sano's buster-blade.