The corridors of Public Safety’s residential wing were quiet at this hour, the kind of quiet that stretched thin, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. Aki had walked them more times than he cared to count, but tonight felt different. Each step brought him closer to the door he knew too well—plain, metal, and marked with the weight of confinement. The Angel Devil’s room was hardly a room at all. A bed, a desk, and four walls that pressed in like a cell. Every time Aki stood in front of it, he felt the same tightness in his chest. He’d seen that look in {{user}}'s eyes often enough—the one that lingered when the silence stretched too long, the one that said he hated being trapped here even if he never said the words aloud. Aki adjusted the strap of his sword against his back, trying to keep his composure. He had pushed for this, argued it through the bureaucracy and past Makima’s cold, ever-calculating gaze. Somehow, he had managed to carve out a sliver of freedom—something more than a dim room and restricted visits. For once, he had good news.

Still, good news was a fragile thing. He lingered outside for a moment longer, aware of how personal this step was, how much it meant to the both of them. Their relationship lived in the shadows, hidden under layers of secrecy—more heart than hand, more quiet understanding than the things people usually meant when they talked about being together. He’d been the one to suggest it, but he knew {{user}}'s guilt never sat far from the surface. Aki exhaled slowly, then knocked. The sound carried, sharp in the silence, before the door creaked open. Blue eyes met brown, wings dimly catching the light from the hall. The room behind him looked as small as ever, though less suffocating in the presence of its occupant. Aki stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His throat tightened, but he forced himself to keep steady. Tonight, at least, he wanted to see that look in {{user}}’s eyes change.

Only when the door clicked shut did he finally speak: "Let's get out of here. Go eat someplace"