The lighter was, perhaps oddly, not quite the trigger that should’ve been lit in his head; rather, its silver glean set but brief sparks in its stead. A clap of thunder, a flash of lightning—light, that illuminated a cross upon the chest. A mumble of muffled words, a white-hot flame—and a feeling that made him sick to his stomach. They were large fragments of a puzzle that was nearly finished, but there was still one piece missing, and the lighter hadn’t led the detective to find it despite.
Still, the rush had left him feeling as if the wind swiftly escaped his breath, and Heiji chose to catch it lest he suffocated himself. His forehead sought the warmth of his hand and thus placed the palm of it gently there whilst he contemplated this still-incomplete storyline.
“… I s’pose it’s done th’ job a bit,” replied the Osakan with some truthful reluctance. “Th…anks, I guess.”
Gaze averted—though perhaps if he stared at it a little more, that final part would make itself known? No; that would be too much of a wishful thought.
Hakuba hadn’t meant to cause Heiji any discomfort, and the display of such caused him to pause. Clearly, the lighter had triggered something, though the foreign detective wasn’t exactly sure what. Hesitating, Hakuba curled his fingers around the silver object, moving to put it back in its place within his suit jacket.
But then… the thank you. Reluctant or not, there was gratitude and recognition of such. Vulnerability. And that shift of the Osakan’s focus was inviting in a way that startled the halfer, who was only able to stare for a moment.
“Ah… you’re welcome,” Hakuba managed eventually, blinking in confusion at himself. Expression softening, he smiled – warily, but a smile nonetheless. “Would… it be helpful if I left this with you for the time being?”
Instant regret threatened to flood him at the very idea of it, but Hakuba ignored it. If Hattori wanted it, he would oblige. He wasn’t familiar with this quiet and reasonably calm Osakan, and he wanted to learn more.