leo, leonis (Akutagawa x Reader)

Chapter Eleven

Y/n stayed in the training room until she went numb and then she stayed some more. The sun had long since set by the time she at last exited, drenched in sweat and exhausted.

She went back to her room, showered, tried to go to sleep but, the sleep wouldn't come. The next few days were a blur of sleepless nights and training like this. She saw Akutagawa in the halls on occasion but, every time she met his eyes he looked away without so much as a nod of recognition. On the third wakeful night, she went to Chuuya. He was in his office as she had hoped and opened the door with tired eyes at the sound of her knocking.

"Y/n?" he questioned in confusion at the sight of her before quickly realizing something was wrong.

She was out in the hallways of the main building in her pajamas, her hair a halo of a mess around her head. There were dark circles beneath her eyes.

"What happened?"

"Can I..." she cleared her throat, wrapping her arms across her torso as she looked around the hall, "can I come in?"

She appeared to Chuuya as if she was trying to hold herself together, like if she moved her arms she was scared she'd shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. He stepped to the side and she entered the office with a muffled thanks, taking a seat in one of the armchairs by the window and curling her legs into her chest.

Chuuya shut the door and turned to her with a sigh, taking the seat across from her. They were silent for a moment, a silence which Y/n broke.

"He's alive." was all she said, her voice strangled and small, "He's fucking alive."

"How did you find out?"

"I saw him. On that mission I was on with Akutagawa and Higuchi the other day, to get the Were-tiger. He was there. He's alive, Chuuya. Alive and well."

"I know." Chuuya sighed, leaning back in his chair with a hand to his head.

He had known this day was bound to come, had prepped himself for it in every way imaginable. Still, under the weight of her confused and heartbroken gaze, he found himself to be at a loss.

"You knew? This whole time?"

There it was. The betrayal.

"It... Mori told me, that night. When I went back in to see him." Chuuya admitted.

"And you didn't tell me!?" she exclaimed, running her hands haphazardly through her hair, "Fuck, Chuuya. I thought I could trust you."

He grimaced at her words and leaned forward, taking her hands in his own.

"We decided it was best not to tell you."

"Best for whom?"

"For you."

Y/n fell silent, a tear slipping from her eye. Chuuya let go of her hands, leaning back in his chair once again.

"It wasn't right." he shook his head, "But we had to. You would have gone running after him otherwise and..."

"And he didn't want me." Y/n finished the sentence for him, "He didn't want any of us."

"No. He didn't." Chuuya confirmed and Y/n sighed.

She wrapped her arms around her knees now, resting her chin on top of them as she stared out the window into the night.

"Are you okay?" Chuuya hesitantly asked.

Y/n shook her head slowly.

"I didn't think so."

She paused, a pregnant silence.