Disclaimer: Nope, Psycho-Pass isn't mine.
Am I selfish?
Akane blinked in the gray light of the young sun, that thought lingering as a hazy dream faded. Her left hand uncurled itself, searching, but found the spot next to her chilled, abandoned by Shinya.
She rolled her shoulders once she sat up. The sheet spilled around her, a puddle of light blue in the drab room. After picking through the pile of discarded clothes, sorting the acceptable ones out and wearing them, Akane stretched again; the foam sleeping mat offered meager separation from the concrete floor.
The electricity had been out for nearly a month now. Useless appliances stared blankly at the walls. They had torn apart several of them, desperate for valuable pieces. Akane maneuvered her way into the kitchen by following the cold tiles and growing light shining from the glass door. She mentally tallied the dwindling boxes of bullets that rested next to their gas masks. Without a skipped heart beat, she noted that they would be without food in two days if they kept up this pace.
Again, she wondered if she was selfish, as she broke the last energy bar in half. Breakfast was gone in a few purposeful crunches, but the hunger pangs lingered. Her mind remained at ease even as she stepped outside to see the city that the Sibyl System had left behind.
Shinya leaned against the railing, cigarette carelessly held between two fingers. After the door clicked, he welcomed her with a soft look and then returned focused eyes to the buildings below. Athough Akane could see the analytical gears turning in his head, there was a relaxed curve to his broad shoulders; he, too, had the look of a man at home.
Are we insane? Comfortable in this chaos?
From her high perch, Akane surveyed the broken landscape. The wind flicked through her hair with sounds of sirens and gunshots. Every so often a scream would penetrate the clatter and then fall silent. She found no answers for the smoldering structures and the shattered glass below. No matter how many times she ran the streets at night, no matter the number of times she pulled the trigger, nothing had changed in over three months. Criminals ruled the streets, anarchy thrived. Yet, there was no escaping her personally assigned mission.
"I have a lot of work to do," Akane observed, resting her elbows on the railing so she brushed his lightly. The sun was now just above the collapsing roofs, scattering shadows into the deepest crevasses.
"Saving this place is a tall order. Are you going to do it by yourself?" Out of the corner of her eye she watched Shinya stub out the cigarette before flicking it off the edge.
She resolved instantly, "If I have to."
"You won't," he promised her with a smirk and moved to encase her between the railing and himself. She felt the warmth of him at her back and smiled because she had known that all along.
For the first time in a long time, she had a partner.
Maybe she was selfish, surveying the destruction before her, yet finding only satisfaction in the scent of cigarettes and his presence. It felt as if no storm could shake her resolve. Akane squeezed his hand and thought that if they could help people through this hell, even just a bit, then maybe she could be forgiven for feeling so content.
I've stalled out on my other Shinkane fic. This one isn't perfect, but it feels good to complete something and get it posted.
Feedback would be lovely.-randomcat23