(A/N: who's gonna tell wattpad that the new theme sucks? 👀👀)
"You're clowning." Izumi said.
I sighed.
"You're not clowning." she began to frown. "I sense clowns."
"I wish I was 'clowning.' But I'm not. I'm going today. Can you watch for updates while I'm gone?" I asked, shrugging on my jacket. She nodded silently and I headed into the elevator. I pushed a button and it dinged, closing behind me.
I pictured what it would be like. He would look different, of course, it had been almost two years.
Had it really only been two years? And I was already going back. I rolled my eyes at myself. I thought I could handle this case on my own but apparently not.
The ride to the prison was unfairly long and I couldn't push my thoughts down. Almost like pushing down vomit but worse, in a way.
They let me in without a hitch, though I did get some surprised looks. I was going to see him of all people. The hunter going to reconcile with the hunted.
And then there he was, sitting in front of me, his wrists cuffed together and his smile broad. "I knew you had a soft spot for me."
"For your friends, too, if you're willing to tell me more." I settled into the usual banter too fast for my liking.
He rolled his eyes. "I thought we were over this. You didn't come all this way just to say that again, did you?"
"No." I smiled tightly.
Akira chuckled. "Your smile looks forced, doll."
"It is." I paused and shook my head. "Don't call me that."
"You'd prefer something else? Sweetheart?"
"This isn't what I came here to talk about."
"Sweetheart it is."
"I'd like to offer you a deal."
He frowned, genuinely surprised for a second before his expression shut down into one of irritation. "Sorry, I only accept apologies in cash." His voice turned sour quickly, his body shifting towards the door.
I sighed, knowing he'd be like this. When I offered a lightened sentence the first time, he cringed at the thought of working for the enemy, was even repulsed by it. I'd have to play to his interests. Good thing I know how prideful he is. He won't be able to stand what I've got to say and will, hopefully, be intrinsically motivated towards helping me and stopping this impersonator.
I continued on, ignoring his discomfort. "I need your help for this new case." He was silent. "There's someone new, (insert adjective) (insert noun) (this is now the name for the copycat) who's doing everything that you did, save a couple of things. A copycat, for lack of a better word. We've been working on it for months but haven't made any headway." I paused, trying to gauge his reaction. He was unreadable, his face a mask. He used to be so expressive? Did prison really change him so much in such a short span?
I felt a poke of guilt at the thought.
Several beats of silence followed. He met my gaze and I tried to make my expression desperate. Not that it was hard.
He bit his lip (I struggled to ignore the action) and leaned forward across the table, his cuffed hands clasped together. The cuffs clattered noisily, briefly cutting through the boisterous sounds of the cellmates a couple halls away. "What's in it for me?"
I fought back a tiny smile. Thank God. "Freedom." He perked up at that. "With some restrictions, of course." And then came his deflation. I felt bad for not being able to offer a fully clean slate. But I shouldn't have to feel that way! Why does he have such a strong hold over my emotions? This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. "FBI custody and this," I paused to pull a small black device out of my bag. I twirled it around a bit in my fingers. "Cute little anklet. Goes well with any outfit."
Akira grimaced distastefully. "You know me so well." I handed it to him, ignoring the jolt of electricity that spread through me when I touched his skin.
"You in?"
He fingered the device, a defeated look on his face. "Of course I am." His eyes met mine.
~ le time skip brought to you by the ancient tradition of trial-by-combat ~
A paper fell onto the conference table and I looked up. Kyou stood above me, wearing a giddy expression. I frowned and looked down at the paper.
It was another copycat calling card. Red and black, but always less wordy. The original Phantom Thieves always had a small speech written out on their cards. (I briefly wondered who was the brains behind that in Akira's team of rebels). This new copycat was always short and sweet, getting directly to the point. Whether that was a personal stylistic choice or if they just lacked the words necessary to form a spiel, only the copycat knew.
I pulled my hands from my keyboard and turned it over. "Kimura Rokuro, the lowly servant of pride." I read aloud. There was nothing else written: as I said, the usual M.O. I tossed it to Akira, ignoring his kicked up legs on the table. He was certainly getting used to the office again. It was probably much less frightening now that he was more experienced and officially out of cuffs.
He caught it deftly between his fingers. His eyes scanned over the page, a grimace pulling at his lips. "Does the name ring any bells?" I asked.
"Not really." Akira hummed, flicking the card back onto the table. It slid over and bumped into my rested hands.
I returned my gaze to Kyou. "Could you run the name 'Kimura Rokuro' for me?"
"Sure thing." He scurried away and over to Akari. I watched them whisper together for a moment, before turning back around and leaning back in my chair. Akira seemed grumpy. My smile grew.
"What's wrong?" I poked the bear.
He didn't look away from the wall, his head propped on his hand. "The card." he spoke distractedly.
"Hm?"
He blinked, as if only just now aware that he had spoken. "It's nothing." he waved me off, resting his hand on the table. Only to drum his fingers in a manner I knew would piss me off sooner or later.
"C'mon. Tell me." If it was important to the case, I needed to know.
"It lacks style!" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, his feet thudding to the ground. "If they want to be as good as my team was, they need to put more effort into their calling cards. Even our first one was better than this." He gestured vaguely to the card, his features twisted with disdain.
"Your 'team'? 'Our'?" I echoed, biting back another grin. "During your trial you said you worked alone."
Akira met my eyes and smirked. "I did." I nodded and eyed him for a beat longer than usual.
Kyou re-entered the room, carrying a singular paper. I frowned. Usually it took longer and he'd come back with more. He handed it to me and I scanned it. It was a post on CountenanceNovel. It was Kimura saying that his party was still on and that "my security is top notch... I'd like to see you try, (insert your chosen copycat name)!" I flipped the paper over and on the back were the party details. I glanced up at Kyou. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?" I asked, mildly surprised by his boldness. He'd been with the bureau long enough to have witnessed the whole Phantom Thieves debacle but had always been more mild-mannered.
He shrugged innocently. "Depends on what you think I'm suggesting."
I grinned. "Get everyone up here and we'll see."
Select members of the division filed into the room and I launched into a debriefing. I relayed the information to them. "Alright. We're gonna have Akari and Akira go undercover as a couple. Akari, I trust you to keep an eye on him. Akira, for this case we are gonna have to take off your ankle-"
I was cut off. "Um, sorry (Y/N) but I... I can't go undercover that soon. I can't... because..." Akari shared a frantic look with Kyou. I narrowed my eyes at their glances. Kyou mimed himself coughing and she nodded, her eyes moving back to my own. "... because I'm sick!" she smiled triumphantly. Then blinked as the room stared at her. A blatantly fake cough erupted from her throat. Kyou gave her a thumbs up.
I frowned. "...Alright?" And here I thought she'd jump at the opportunity for field experience. "I guess I'll go. You can go home if you need to. Don't push yourself." I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders.
"So, what's the manner of our relationship, sweetheart?" Akira grinned down at me and my heart skipped a beat at his closeness. "I was thinking married..."
I shook my head. "Unfortunately, I was thinking the same."
"'Unfortunately'?" he echoed and I moved away from his hold, consulting my team. We had to get this right. Most of the (copycat name)'s victims were spooked and hid within their security, giving us no chance to help them. Kimura was different. Apparently the thing about "pride" was right, given his most recent post.
"You said something about taking off my prized anklet?" Akira interjected again.
I nodded absentmindedly, flicking through some other papers. "Don't get any funny ideas, I'll be glued to your side the entire night."
"Just the way I like it."
I stayed late in the office, comparing various crimes the copycat had committed and trying to pinpoint what exactly they would go after. Kimura was a fairly affluent man, no doubt he had many riches to choose from, but which did they desire most?
I had tried consulting Kimura before (we had to venture to his house to get an invitation to his party), but he just snickered smugly. "I'll be putting many things on display. No matter what he goes after, the thief will be caught by my top tier security." his lip curled as he stared down at me. "I don't need your help, little girl."
My eye twitched but I remained calm, speaking tightly but professionally. "Then our presence should be ignored, sir. Thank you for your time."
After we left, Akira had rolled his eyes and elbowed my side. "What an asshole."
I shook my head. Ever since Akira left the prison, he had been circling through my mind nonstop. Whether it be little things like thinking about his laugh or big things like how he fell asleep in my bed again. Yes, you read that right, Akira was staying with me until further notice. I groaned, casting the papers onto the table. It was too late to keep working--my mind was distracted now.
I hoisted my bag's strap over my shoulder and set out.
~ le time skip brought to you by the lustful Turk ~
The door was unlocked. I pushed inside and heat rushed to my face at what greeted me.
Akira stood in front of an easel, smoothing paint onto a canvas. What distracted me though, was that he chose to do this shirtless. The light of the sunset from the window was the only light in the room.
He hadn't noticed me, or at least pretended not to, giving me a minute to calm down my face and gently tug the door behind me closed. Faint instrumental music played from somewhere in the room. I felt warm.
I tiptoed up behind him, peering over his shoulder to look at it. The picture was messy and had an obvious lack of expertise but was... cute.
"You paint?" I prompted. I studied his face. A small smile stretched his lips and he put his brush down.
"A friend got me into it."
"A certain friend?" I teased. It was probably one of his teammates, not that he would tell me. He gave me a stern look. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."
He cocked a brow. "Hypothetically?" I nodded and he shrugged. "I'll give you a definite hypothetical maybe."
I gave a light laugh. We were quiet for a minute, each focused on something. Him, on his painting. Me, on his face. His eyes glinted a certain way. "You miss them." I stated.
He turned and offered a bittersweet smile, snaking his arm around my waist. He pulled my body to his and I felt his defined chest intimately. "Dance with me?" he tilted his head.
I bit my lip. He was deflecting. If he doesn't want to talk about it... I'm okay with that. I smiled and leaned into him, my arms wrapping around his neck easily.
We swayed with the music and I actually felt relaxed for the first time in a while.
~ le time skip brought to you by a mayonnaise restaurant ~
We arrived at the party and it was already full, surprisingly. It was darkened like a nightclub, dancers milled throughout the guests and on the stage. Artistically colored lights shone here and there, lighting up the displays in orange, purple, green, blue. It seemed that Kimura had a sincere belief that he needed to prove something. Every expensive thing he owned was on display, encased in glass.
I was nervous. If I had known he would have had so many vulnerabilities I would have requested more undercover agents. How would we know which one (copycat name) went for?
Akira, on the other hand, looked like a kid in a candy store. His eyes were bright and his smile was wide. Despite that, his hand rested securely on my hip.
Probably the worst (read: best) part was that every time someone made eye contact or spoke with us, Akira would become overly affectionate. He'd nuzzle into my neck and kiss my skin and hold me closer every chance he could. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that the two of us had been together for awhile with how comfortable we were with each other.
But it didn't take long for him to become entranced by select jewels. His grasp on me loosened and he tried to disappear into the crowd, his eyes glued to a shining sapphire necklace. I grabbed his tie and yanked him back to me, his chest bumping mine. "Nice try." His eyes and grin were wider now, his hands raised in submission. I caught his gaze dancing over my face, resting on my lips every now and then. I released him from my hold and huffed impatiently.
Akira leaned over my shoulder and I could feel his smirk against my skin. He began to gesture at the air between the two of us. "Is it just me or is there something-"
I cut him off. "It's just you, Kurusu."
"Mhm." he hummed, his arms returning to my waist familiarly. We continued socializing with the others when the remaining lights blinked out suddenly.
I panicked, pulling out my gun and holding it in front of me like a shield. Shit! Which one are they going to go for? I couldn't see.
Almost as if he heard my thoughts, Akira pulled out a flashlight, casting the glaring beam on a colorfully dressed person a couple of cases away. They were in the middle of carving a hole in the glass.
"HANDS IN THE AIR! NOW!" I yelled, running over to them. They groaned and dropped their weapon, following my command. Someone flicked on the lights.
It was one of the dancers that was on the stage. A girl. Akira switched off the flashlight and laughed goodnaturedly. "That's my wife." he elbowed a man beside him. I called for backup.
Not long after, metal encircled the girl's wrists, her body pinned against the car. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and looked up at Akira. He grinned, sending her a small wave. She winked and his grin grew, his eyes filled with fascination and interest.
My frown deepened at the interaction and I shoved her in the car none-too-gently.
~ le time skip brought to you by David Bowie flying in on a tiger made of lightning ~
Back at my place, Akira and I sat on the couch, watching some show.
"What now?" he prompted.
"What do you mean?" I asked, only half-listening as I burned a hole in the screen with my sour gaze.
"I helped you with the case. What are you gonna do with me now?"
"Hm."
"Are you listening?"
"What?"
Akira paused and I blinked, glancing over at him in time to watch a bewildered smile of realization bloom on his face. "You're jealous of the copycat."
I tensed up. "What? No."
He turned to me. "You are! That's so cute! Why didn't you tell me you were catching feelings for me, sweetheart?"
It was quiet. How was I supposed to respond to that? All those times I almost caught him were riddled with sexual tension. Not to mention the whole time he was being questioned. And his time staying with me. I knew it was dumb to hope anything would come of it, but here I was. I dared not look over at him.
I felt him move closer to me. "(Y/N)."
Please don't do that.
"(Y/N)."
That's even worse.
"(Y/N), look at me."
I did. He had schooled his expression into one of complete seriousness. I risked a glance at his lips, regretting it instantly. His body again moved closer. "Akira..." I warned, my voice reduced to a whisper.
In the end, I was the one to kiss him. It was sweet and gentle, neither of us wanting to push too far. His lips were soft and his hand was warm against my hip. My hand crawled up to his cheek, cupping it easily.
When we broke apart I kept my eyes closed, wanting to stay in this feeling for as long as I could. That was a bad idea, wasn't it? I sighed and buried my face in my hands.
"(Y/N)? Wh-"
"I wasn't supposed to do that." I groaned, frustrated and mentally beating myself up. What kind of a "professional" am I? Falling for a criminal, (Y/N)? Are you kidding me? Talk about a severe lack of resilience. Just take my badge now, please and thank you!
Warm hands met my wrists, pulling my hands from my face. Akira peered into my eyes.
"Why not?" he asked. This was the first time I'd seen him so tentative, so afraid and careful. My mouth opened but no words came out, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. My eyes trailed back down to his parted lips. "I think..." he paused, searching for the right words. "I think we should give this," he gestured between us, "us, a try."
I blinked and in that moment, I thought, who cares? If we were to get together, what was the worst that could happen? My hands slipped from his grip and his eyes cast downward.
"Right, yeah, sorry. It was a stupid idea. Forget it." he smiled effortlessly. I rolled my eyes and grabbed his face, pulling his lips to mine again.
~ le time skip brought to you by college students ~
Akira and I had decided to keep our relationship on the D.L. for a bit. It had been a couple of months now and I couldn't get through the day without him whisking me away to some secluded spot.
My heels clicked against the tiled floor as I made my way to the elevator. I rounded a corner and stopped in front of the doors, pushing in the "up" button. It lit up a faded orange. I waited patiently, my eyes tracking the floor count above the doors. A ding resounded throughout the hall and the doors parted. Akira's giddy face greeted mine. "Oh!" I smiled. Without responding, he tugged my arm and I thudded against his chest, disappearing into the elevator with him. The doors clicked shut behind us.
Akira grinned, "What a nice surprise, (L/N)!"
"A surprise indeed, Kurusu." I eyed him up and down. "What do you need?" my smile grew as I leaned closer to him, brushing our noses.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing, really."
"Nothing?" I raised my eyebrows. "Well, if I'm not needed..." I trailed off, slowly slipping out of his grip.
Akira's grip tightened. "Not so fast, sweetheart." He pushed our lips together fiercely, pushing all worries of people finding us out of my head. I responded eagerly, my hands finding the back of his neck and my fingers curling in his hair.
It ended all too soon.
The doors made a cheery "ding!" and opened to reveal Kyou and Akari. I leaped out of his arms and fixed my clothes, sending the two a frazzled smile. "Any progress on the latest-?" I attempted small talk, but was interrupted.
Kyou screeched. "It happened! After all this time!!" He laced his fingers with Akari's and they danced wildly.
"At long last!" Akari shed a fake tear.
Akira pushed the both of us out of the elevator, keeping his hand on the small of my back comfortingly. He wore a puzzled look. "What's this all about?"
Kyou turned to us and giggled childishly. "I've been shipping you two since the beginning."
Akari nodded, chiming in. "I wasn't really sick."
I bobbed my head in understanding, a smile forming on my face. "Yeah, that was painfully obvious. We should seriously work on your acting skills if you ever need to go undercover."
She blushed. "I'll be okay behind the scenes, thanks."
"Well," Akira bent down and kissed my cheek, "I'll be back to pick you up for lunch."
A/N: hold on i gotta log onto CountenanceNovel™
TheKarmaCafe is typing...