He's sort of tracing his thumbs over my cheeks; not roughly, but it makes me aware of how thin I am. I almost feel like he might tear through the skin. It's making me all too aware of how physically fragile I am, which is perhaps not the best quality in a police officer, but compared to Date-san I'm pretty slight. It took him no time at all to master the Birth Buster, and me many painful hours of training.

And then he moves backwards just for oxygen, face still close to mine. Our noses are touching which feels a little strange but it reminds me of something I read about certain tribes in the Pacific Islands, who greet each other by rubbing noses and breathing on each other. Supposedly it's a way of allowing the souls to say hello and if I believed in any such thing then I would grant Date-san a piece of mine.