Wow, even more screaming in this chapter haha
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"Dance?" He asked in a soft voice as I crinkled my nose in disgust.
"Why would I want to dance with you?" I asked.
"Why not?" Akutagawa asked and I couldn't think of anything else to say.
So instead I just said, "I can't dance for a living."
Akutagawa stared at me. "I doubt that." He said without hesitating as I looked at him.
"You don't know." I said when suddenly Akutagawa leaned down, close to me, breathe tickling my ear.
I felt sick, feeling hot and my knees were weak.
Akutagawa looked at me straight in the eyes.
"Prove me wrong."
I blinked in absolute shock as Akutagawa looked at me with those steely grey eyes.
"What?" I asked as Akutagawa only continued to stare at me with those cold grey eyes that I have grown to hate, to despise.
I was about to reject him, scoff and ask him what the hell he was thinking but someone on the dance floor caught my attention.
Yutaka.
Clenching my jaws tightly, I sighed as I looked up at Akutagawa.
"Fine." I said and this time, it was Akutagawa's turn to blink in surprise.
"Hm?" Akutagawa asked as I scowled.
"Fine, let's go dance." I said as Akutagawa stared at me for another second before extending his hand again.
I stare at his palm, placing my own gloved hand in it, ignoring the mixture of coolness and warmth his touch sent down my spine.
"I'm still wondering where you left to." Akutagawa mumbled as he guided to the dance floor.
"I didn't think it was in your job description to keep tabs on me." I said as we stood in the centre of the room.
The world seems to slow down a bit before Akutagawa's hand hesitantly creeps up my side and is placed on my mid back.
Once again, I ignore the jolts it send down my body as his gloved fingers brush against the skin of my open-back.
He grabs my right hand with his left and I place my hand on his shoulder.
He moves his foot. I move my foot. It was hesitant.
I kept my eyes on Akutagawa's face, both of us a little suspicious, questioning what we were doing.
Or that's what I was doing anyway.
The orchestra continued as we both now looked anywhere but each other, only moving to the sound of the music.
We were perfectly in synch, gliding across the floor and it felt wrong.
It felt so wrong.
To be this close to Akutagawa.
If I wanted, I could easily slit his throat right here. Just like I dreamed of doing sometimes.
Akutagawa could easily activate Rashoumon and there would be nothing I could do against it, not from this close.
He probably had thoughts of killing me too.
How couldn't he? The both of us were complete opposites. Rivals. Enemies.
Ever since we met, we've only hated each other.
It only got worse when Dazai-san came along.
That's why it felt so wrong.
It felt wrong to be this close, to be in time and synch with every movement.
Our battle styles were completely different too.
Akutagawa would use Rashoumon to take out his victims.
I preferred knifes and weapons. It made me feel a little less guilty when it wasn't something that was a part of me that killed.
My ability was part of who I am. Using it made me feel worse... Even though the people who survive are the strongest, I couldn't help but-
I shook my head.
I couldn't dwell on these thoughts, not now.
"Have you seen Morita Yutaka yet?" Akutagawa mumbled, breaking the silence as I blinked before cursing myself in my head.
The hell am I thinking about? Y/n, focus! You're here to kill Yutaka, not feel sorry.
"No." I lied casually as Akutagawa just hummed a response.
Remembering why I first agreed to the dance, I scanned the dance floor, trying to spot the familiar blonde hair man.
"What about you?" I asked as I glanced at Akutagawa but found him staring at me so I looked away.
Anywhere but those steel grey eyes.
His eyes stayed on me for a moment longer before he looked away as well.
"No." He said bluntly as we both fell silent again.
"Are you going to ask my question from earlier?" Akutagawa asked as I blinked before sighing, looking at him.
"Why do you want to know so bad?" I asked as Akutagawa blinked at me.
"I tried looking for you but you were gone. You disappeared. I want to know why." He said as I cursed under my breathe.
"I just needed to get some fresh air." I said, trying to get him to drop the subject.
He gave me a non-impressed look that told me he didn't believe my sorry excuse.
His grip on me tightened as he stared at me.
I forced a laugh as I looked at Akutagawa.
"Akutagawa, I think you're taking the act as the husband too far." I said as Akutagawa only continued to stare at me with those steel grey eyes.
I felt like if I stared in them for too long I would fall in them and never resurface.
I chuckled, "Some might think you're in love with me Akutagawa." I whispered jokingly but I only felt him stiffen beneath me.
My blood ran cold.
This was where he was meant to scoff, scowl, deny it.
Why aren't you saying anything? Akutagawa? Why aren't you denying it? Why aren't you scowling at me?
Akutagawa, say something! I wanted to scream at him but suddenly somebody tapped me on my shoulder.
I blinked as my eyes met emerald green ones that made my blood run cold.
Morita Yutaka smiled at me and nodded to Akutagawa who's eyes were slightly colder than usual.
"Ah! You must be Kano Hina!" Yutaka said as I blinked before remembering the reason I came here, to New York, in the first place.
"Yes!" I answered as Yutaka turned to Akutagawa.
"And you must be her spouse, Kano Akinari." Yutaka said offering a hand as Akutagawa gripped it slightly and shook it.
"It's an honour to have you here, Ms Kano." Yutaka said as I nodded before blinking.
"You speak Japanese?" I ask as I realised he wasn't speaking in English.
Yutaka laughed lightly, "I lived in Japan six or seven years ago. I learnt Japanese while I was there." Yutaka explained as my defences rose a little more.
I couldn't communicate to Akutagawa in secret.
Yutaka smiled at Akutagawa.
"I hope you don't mind if I steal a dance from her, Mr Kano." Yutaka said, not exactly asking as Akutagawa stiffened slightly before nodding and walked away.
Yutaka casually grabbed my waist as I forced a smile, placing my hand in his as we swayed in time with the music.
He was a much better dancer than Akutagawa, but for some reason it didn't feel right either.
With Akutagawa, it didn't feel right because we felt too in synch
Now, it didn't feel right because we were indeed in synch, but it was the way my brain was warning everything about the man I was dancing with.
My mind had been silent when it was around Akutagawa, no warning bells ringing every five seconds.
We continued dancing and as I made sure that Akutagawa was not here, I leaned close to Yutaka.
"Do you have a wife?" I asked in a soft voice, trying to keep the disgust of what I was doing hidden deep beneath the innocent act of a Japanese singer.
Yutaka let out a laugh.
"No." He chuckled as I blinked, forcing myself to give him a curious look.
"Husband?" I asked in an equally innocent voice as Yutaka laughed again.
"Oh god, no." Yutaka chuckled as I acted flustered, trying to think of anything that would make me blush.
And my stupid brain.
My goddamn stupid brain.
Pictured one thing.
One thing that I would keep a secret to my grave.
Because I tried picturing Akutagawa shirtless.
My eyes widened at such an absurd thought as I looked down.
What. The. Fucking. Actual. Hell. Y/n?
It did, however do the job as I was immediately as red as a tomato, face heating up.
"Oh, uh sorry." I apologised as I tried to get my head around why I had thought of that of all things.
"No, no, it's perfectly fine. But may I ask why you were asking?" Yutaka asked as I let out a nervous laugh.
"Oh, I just assumed that with all of this and your looks you would've had a wife by now." I said as Yutaka laughed.
"Ah well sadly I do not. But thank you for the compliment." Yutaka said as I blushed again.
We kept dancing until Yutaka hummed a little.
"Your husband isn't particularly a warm person is he?" Yutaka mused as I blinked.
Husband? Who the hell- Oh right.
I let out a sigh which I didn't exactly need to fake.
"He... can be a hassle sometimes." I admitted as Yutaka blinked.
"Hassle?" He asked as I let out a small laugh.
"We haven't exactly been in the best position lately. He's been much colder towards me and we've barely spent nights together. It's rather lonely." I said as I let small tears form in my eyes.
Honestly, if I weren't part of the Port Mafia, I probably would've taken a job as an actress.
However, maybe my acting was a bit too much when I felt Yutaka's hand tighten around, me pulling me against his body as he stared down at me.
"Why don't you come with me tonight. I'll wager that I'm much better than your husband." Yutaka said as my blood ran cold.
My stomach was tight and not in a good way.
My throat was constricting and it felt unbearably cramped in the room, my body against the mans.
Yutaka raised a hand to wipe my fake tears from my eyes when suddenly he leaned down and kissed me.
My eyes widened in shock.
I couldn't move, my brain refusing to comprehend what was happening,
It was just a brief second when his lips met my own but suddenly he was wrenched off me as I gasped when someone stood in front of me.
I looked up and saw Akutagawa glaring at Morita Yutaka with such a cold glare, it could've frozen the room solid cold.
Akutagawa's hand was on my wrist as he placed himself in front of me, as if he were protecting me.
"Don't. Touch. Her." Akutagawa said in a low tone, it almost sounded like he was snarling at Morita Yutaka.
The room was silent as everyone watched the commotion unfold and I glanced around the room.
"Akutagawa, let's go." I whispered as Yutaka stared back at Akutagawa with an equally cold gaze before smiling again, the mask of the gentlemen falling into place.
"Apologies Mr Kano. I acted bashfully, taken back by your wife's beauty. I must say, you have a very lucky woman." Yutaka apologised before he turned to the orchestra.
"Let's resume the party!" Yutaka said as everyone carried on as if nothing happened.
Yutaka turned to me, ignoring the furious look Akutagawa was sending him as he bowed slightly.
"I apologise to you too, Ms Kano. Forgive me. I swear that you don't have to encounter me again this evening." Yutaka promised as he walked off.
I was still in shock about the whole kiss thing but my brain did process one thing.
I swear that you don't have to encounter me again this evening.
Damnit. I was so close to getting him away.
"Akutagawa. Let's go." I said in a cold voice as Akutagawa turned to me with a slightly confused gaze.
"Are you-" He started.
"Now." I said as I grabbed Akutagawa's hand and dragged him away.
There were a few woman giggling as I past them, but I didn't care.
It was always like this.
It was just instinct for the both of us.
Destroy each other.
Jeopardise each others mission.
We couldn't hold back against instinct.
After I had dragged Akutagawa away, I called a random limo, demanding them to take us back and the drive was extremely cold.
Once we were dropped off to the hotel I checked in, still dragging Akutagawa behind.
Opening the door to my room, I shoved Akutagawa in, slamming the door close behind me as Akutagawa stumbled ever-so-slightly as I pushed him roughly into the room.
"What are you doing, Y/n?" Akutagawa asked but I walked up to him and slapped him across the face.
Hard.
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Oof so this chapter got a little longer than usual, but I love it.
Hopefully you're all as hooked as I am in my own writing lol!