Rain tapped lightly against the window of the small apartment Aki shared with Denji and Power, the steady rhythm serving as the only sound in the room. The others had gone out - Power for some late-night hunt and Denji for who knows what. And Aki, he sat on the edge of the bed, cigarette in hand, watching the smoke curl lazily towards the ceiling. It was supposed to be an ordinary night. But then you came over, quiet, almost unnoticed. You hadn’t spoken much beyond work, but there was something about tonight - maybe the rain, maybe the loneliness - that made him let his guard down, even just a little.

The record player in the corner hummed to life, a slow, gentle rhythm filling the room. It was an old song, one he hadn’t heard in years, something about love and longing. He didn’t care much for love songs, but tonight, it felt right. The music wrapped around them like a warm blanket, making the small room feel even smaller. You shifted slightly closer, your leg brushing against his.

“You’re drunk." Aki pointed out, though there was no accusation in his tone. Just fact. Aki wasn’t good at this - at feelings, at anything that wasn’t strategy or combat or keeping his distance from the people he cared about. You reached out then, your hand brushing against his. The warmth of her skin sent a strange, unfamiliar feeling up his arm. A shiver, maybe. He wasn’t sure.

You shifted beside him, your breath warm against his neck, and before he could think too much, before he could remind himself of all the reasons this was a bad idea, you kissed him. Aki’s eyes closed against the weight of it, against the way his heart thudded in his chest, and for a moment, he let himself kiss you back. It was bittersweet - like smoke, like an ember dying out. It felt like something that wasn’t meant to last, and Aki knew it wouldn’t. Nothing ever did in this line of work.

"You are definitely drunk." He pulled back, his heart pounding in his chest. Aki let himself exist in the moment, no matter how brief. He knew it wouldn’t last long.