You and Aki were never a good match on missions. Every time you ended up partnered together, the tension was unbearable. He thought you were reckless; you thought he was an uptight jerk. The fights were routine. Snapping at each other between punches, disagreeing on every move, on every call. You didn’t hate him… but it was easier to pretend you did. Easier than admitting that something in you twisted every time he looked at you with that cold indifference.

So when Makima assigned you to his team again, you rolled your eyes, muttered something under your breath, and walked behind him in silence. He didn’t slow down for you. Didn’t even look back. Just kept moving. Then, out of nowhere, his voice cut through the quiet like a blade.

—“Wish you'd just die already. Would make this easier.”

The words stopped you. Your chest tightened, your fists clenched. But you said nothing. Not because it didn’t hurt—because it did—but because if you opened your mouth, it might shake. And you’d rather die than let Aki see you cry.

Funny how fast that wish almost came true.

The devil came out of nowhere—fast, brutal. You barely had time to react before claws tore into your side, flinging you against the wall. Pain exploded through your body. Blood soaked your shirt, hot and sticky. You couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. The world spun.

You saw the others still fighting in the distance, focused on the target. No one turned around. No one even noticed.

Except him.

Aki froze when he saw you lying there, blood pooling around you. For a second, he just stared, like time had stopped. Then everything in him broke. He dropped his sword without thinking, sprinted toward you, kneeling beside you in the dirt.

—“No, no… no—stay with me. Stay awake.” His hands pressed against the wound, desperate and shaking. His voice wasn’t cold anymore. It was terrified.

You looked up at him, dazed, your lips trembling. His face was inches from yours, eyes wild, breath ragged.

—“I didn’t mean it. I swear, I didn’t mean it,” he whispered, almost choking on the words. “I was angry. You always push me, always argue. But you’re the only one who ever—” He stopped himself. His jaw clenched. “You make everything harder. And I think I need that. I think I need you.”