The sun had dipped low, bleeding orange across the smog-stained skyline of Tokyo. The city pulsed below with noise and life, oblivious to the quiet war that raged just beneath its skin. Outside the Public Safety building, the air was thick with the stale scent of asphalt, exhaust, and burnt nicotine.

Aki lit a cigarette with practiced ease, shielding the flame with his hand against the breeze. {{user}} stood by his side, this woman he had been sharing a smoke with for around two years now. He offered her a cigarette wich she accepted as usual, once the joint landed between her lips, Aki leaned closer to lit it up for her, flicking his lighter close before tossing it back into his pocket.

They stood side by side, not speaking. They rarely did after patrol, at least not right away. The silence was familiar, oddly comfortable, like the quiet hum of a space where both had long since stopped pretending.

Aki’s eyes traced the faint bruise on {{user}}'s jaw. It hadn’t been there this morning.

“You didn’t dodge that last hit"  he said finally, voice low and even.

His hand reached out to carefully tilt {{user}}'s chin up, revealing her face to his gaze so he could inspect the bruise more closely. Aki's fingers brushed lightly around the bruised skin, oddly tenderly, but he wasn't aware of it. It was just him taking care of his junior, right? Nothing else.

The wind picked up, ruffling strands of her hair across her face. Aki reached out on instinct, brushing them back, gentle fingers grazing her temple before he realized what he was doing.

What was he doing?

He pulled his hand away when he realized he was getting too close, not just physically, emotionally, his jaw slightly clenched as he scolded himself mentally.

"You should be more careful, or do I need to report you for your recklessness?"

He added shortly, trying to sound like a stern mentor instead of the worried man he was for {{user}}, masking that dangerous feeling that was starting to settle in his heart for a while now - something he didn't want to acknowledge at all.