Of band aids and Lemonade
Summary: Somehow, it seems like they have met before. Shusei remembers a tiny, clumsy girl, who protected him at school. Shusei/Akane
A/N: I needed to write some fluff because… Psycho-Pass ruins all my ships and feels! So here's a cute story of Akane and Shusei as kids (turns out they are only a year apart in age. Akane was 20 when she joined Unit 1 and Shusei was 21 when he died).
-If I could fall into the sky, would time pass me (us) by?-
They are both five and clumsy and hold child-like innocence. Shusei is ever the rebellious child, coming home to his parents peppered in band aids and cuts. Akane is shy and quiet; with her head buried so far in a book she almost loses perception between reality and fantasy. Well, that is, until she meets Shusei Kagari.
…
"I told you to give it back!" An orange-haired boy struggles to reach the book that is being dangled mere inches above him. The bullies laugh, shoving him to the ground. A girl with long brown hair gasps, rushing to the injured boy.
"Sorry, but I don't feel like it. This is my book now." The two walk off, leaving the child on the ground.
"Wait! You two are the worst! Stealing a book from a girl, I hope you both die!" It does the intended effect. They drop the book, running towards the child.
"Stop! Please!" Akane shields the boy, arms outstretched in a vain attempt to take the brunt of the hits.
"Che… I'll get you later for this, Kagari." The two bullies walk away, leaving the girl surprisingly unharmed.
"You're an idiot… what if they'd hit you?"
The girl sticks out her tongue. "I knew they wouldn't. Besides, I'm your princess charming. I couldn't let you do everything for me. Anyway, thanks for getting my book back, Shusei." She pecks him on the cheek before dusting off her dress and offering her hand.
"You idiot…" He murmurs, taking the outstretched hand. "You know its prince charming, right?"
"I know. But, you always end up getting in trouble, even when you're protecting someone. So, I'll protect you from now on, for forever."
The girl's smile is radiant, blinding, and he can't help but smile back.
"Alright."
"Pinky-promise?"
"Pinky-promise."
They link fingers, laughing before the girl grabs his hand.
"My mommy said that you could come over. We've got lots of band aids," she motions to the cuts and bruises that litter the boy's skin, "and lemonade."
He nods his head in confirmation, allowing the clumsy, beautiful girl to lead him away.
…
They spend nearly a year together, inseparable. Until, the day of the psycho-pass exam. Akane gets a powder blue hue while Shusei gets a dreaded forest green hue.
He is immediately shipped off to a therapy center, leaving the crying girl to pick up the pieces.
"Y-you're the idiot! How can I keep my promise now?" The boy smiles, patting her on the head.
"Cheer up, Akane! I'll be back before you know it!" The lie is painful and hard to fake but he musters up a trademark goofy grin and his heart breaks to see the trust she's put in him.
"O-ok. I won't say goodbye 'cause I'll see you later, Shusei." She sniffles, amber eyes watery and clouded.
"See ya, Akane." He wipes away a single tear.
…
The man takes a sip of the lemonade, smiling as he relaxes in his chair. All those memories… he wonders how he'd hidden them all these years.
"Kagari!" Akane's voice drifts into the room.
"Yah?" A manila folder hits him squarely on the head.
"Ouch…"
"You still need to do your case report."
"Fine, fine…" he dismisses her, pushing the folder onto his desk.
"Ah, Akane-chan?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for the lemonade."
The girl smiles, "No problem, Kagari."
…
Between the band aids and lemonade shared between the two some things never change…