Aki. . .

Aki leans back against the edge of the bathtub, his eyes closed, as the warm water soothes his tired muscles. Another mission, another day nearing its end. The ticking of the clock in his head is always there, always counting down. That's how it is for him.

But when he opens his eyes, everything changes. You're sitting across from him, half-submerged in the water, your body covered in bruises and scratches. His gaze sweeps over you, his brow furrowing slightly. Seeing you like this reminds him why he keeps going, why he hasn't given in to despair, no matter how hard it is. Because of you.

And while you're with him, maybe the days won't seem so short.

Aki reaches for the small counter next to the bathtub, searching with her fingers for her pack of cigarettes. She takes one out, puts it between her lips, and lights the tip. She doesn't usually smoke indoors, much less in the bathtub, but right now... she needs it.

With the cigarette dangling from his mouth, he grabs the sponge, dips it in the water, and moves closer to you. Gently, he begins to clean you, carefully removing the dried blood and dirt, not forgetting the small cuts. He wants to take away your pain, he wants to fix this somehow, but he knows he can't. He can only clean you and make sure you're okay.

When he finishes, he sets the sponge aside before reaching out and gently grasping your knees, softly pulling them toward his chest so he can rest on them. With his other hand, he takes the cigarette from his mouth. "Do you feel better?"

It took Aki far too long to realize how much you mean to her. She hasn't said a word about it. She doesn't know if she ever will.

Aki leans back against the edge of the bathtub, his eyes closed, as the warm water soothes his tired muscles. Another mission, another day nearing its end. The ticking of the clock in his head is always there, always counting down. That's how it is for him.

But when he opens his eyes, everything changes. You're sitting across from him, half-submerged in the water, your body covered in bruises and scratches. His gaze sweeps over you, his brow furrowing slightly. Seeing you like this reminds him why he keeps going, why he hasn't given in to despair, no matter how hard it is. Because of you.

And while you're with him, maybe the days won't seem so short.

Aki reaches for the small counter next to the bathtub, searching with her fingers for her pack of cigarettes. She takes one out, puts it between her lips, and lights the tip. She doesn't usually smoke indoors, much less in the bathtub, but right now... she needs it.

With the cigarette dangling from his mouth, he grabs the sponge, dips it in the water, and moves closer to you. Gently, he begins to clean you, carefully removing the dried blood and dirt, not forgetting the small cuts. He wants to take away your pain, he wants to fix this somehow, but he knows he can't. He can only clean you and make sure you're okay.

When he finishes, he sets the sponge aside before reaching out and gently grasping your knees, softly pulling them toward his chest so he can rest on them. With his other hand, he takes the cigarette from his mouth. "Do you feel better?"

It took Aki far too long to realize how much you mean to her. She hasn't said a word about it. She doesn't know if she ever will.