Word Count: 2,224
Characters/Pairings: Tsunemori Akane, Kogami Shinya, sprinkles of the rest of Division 1 and others; Shinkane!
Timeline/Spoilers: set throughout series, including the radio dramas, as well as some AUs; references made regarding both seasons and the movie trailers
Summary: He calls her 'Inspector' when they meet again (she does not forget that it was 'Akane' when they parted). ; fifty sentences of shinkane
Notes: This was written using theme set 'Beta' from the livejournal community 1sentence. Forgive me for the excessive (and incorrect) use of semicolons. Title comes from the Fourth of July by Fall Out Boy! The opening and closing lyrics are from Bones by Ben Howard.
and you laugh like you've never been lonely
that's alright, honey
that's alright with me
oh you laugh like there's hope in the story
that's alright honey
that's alright with me
.
.
.
.
.
#01 – Walking
He knows that they'll never walk the streets hand-in-hand, that he'll never be able to pull her close and silence her with a kiss; so instead he'll be content to work under her, following two steps behind like the obedient dog he should be.
#02 – Waltz
It's a dangerous sort of pattern they've fallen into, dancing along the borders of what's right and wrong, what can and can't be; but he'd been stuck for ages in the same repetition until she'd waltzed into his life, and now he's entranced in a new rhythm altogether.
#03 – Wishes
Emptying out his old quarters, she stumbles across a worn, old photo of him with the notorious Sasayama; the wide, unbridled grin stretched across his features is almost enough to make her rub her eyes in confusion, to make sure it's not just her tired mind playing tricks on her; this is the Kogami Shinya she fought to save, this is the Kogami Shinya she swears she'll bring back.
#04 – Wonder
Sometimes, she wonders if the man built up in her mind over the years might still contain any trace of the original.
#05 – Worry
He's lost count of how many times he's woken to find her sound asleep in an uncomfortable hospital chair, leaning over his bedside.
#06 – Whimsy
She speculates on what he was like in his inspector days, perhaps a little less world-wary, and a little more open (if she'd been there, could she have saved him then?); but she expels the thought as soon as it forms; Kagari was right about her in the beginning, but she's not the kind of person who has the privilege to worry about such frivolous notions anymore.
#07 – Waste/Wasteland
It takes a weapon of mass destruction to finally do away with Sybil, and Japan as a whole; lives are lost, and an entire civilization is in ruins; he's not sure if what he feels is regret or relief.
#08 – Whiskey and Rum
Like Kagari before him, Ginoza quickly learned that his overseer could hold her liquor; on nights like these, Akane wished she had the pleasure of getting drunk.
#09 – War
At the end of the day they both desire the same outcome – change for the better (even if he fights for it under the guise of terrorism and she works from within the system); they recall the days (far too few of them) when they once fought on the same side.
#10 – Weddings
Most little girls don't dream of growing up and joining the MWPSB in order to safeguard the public, instead painting pictures in their minds of silky, white dresses and lifelong, happy unions, but for Tsunemori Akane, one thing both ideas have in common is the image of Kogami Shinya in a tall, dark suit.
#11 – Birthday
Though it was only an eight year age difference, and they were both consenting adults, Shinya couldn't help but feel that he was robbing the cradle a bit; needless to say, he was less than amused when she took to referring to him as "old man" as some sort of warped pet name.
#12 – Blessing
He tries not to think of her; his crude reimagings would only desecrate his memories of the real thing, but she stalks him in the nighttime just as he haunts her in the daylight, and he can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse – the way the he can't seem to relinquish her.
#13 – Bias
"No fair! Ko is always stealing Akane-chan away from me!" Kagari pouted.
#14 – Burning
He's nothing more than a memory seared into the back of her mind; the amount of time since he's been gone far outlasts the brief spell they spent together, but his flame is never snuffed.
#15 – Breathing
To go on solving cases in his absence, with an almost entirely new team – half still mourning their losses and half not knowing he ever even existed – felt inherently wrong; getting out of bed each day was a struggle, and at this point, even breathing seemed harder with him gone (at least she could blame the latter on those stupid cigarettes).
#16 – Breaking
Basking in the light of the early morning, he pauses a moment to take in the petite woman cocooned in his arms; she's small, but her strength far outweighs his own, and he can't help but clutch her tighter, not caring if she wakes, because he knows this moment will not last.
#17 – Belief
As his world around him crumbled, and his way of life was shattered, the one thing he never let go of was her promise that they would someday meet again ("not as inspector and enforcer, but more of as ordinary people").
#18 – Balloon
He's drawn into her orbit, whether it be by chance or by fate (he's not sure which he believes in anymore), but he can't help but feel like an insignificant, little balloon drifting towards the blazing, brilliant Sun, just waiting to burst.
#19 – Balcony
He stands before her, mere inches away, just within grasp, but her minds is thrown back to the months before (or has it been years already?) to standing on that balcony with his farewell letter ("I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise") clutched in trembling hands, and her heart breaks all over again.
#20 – Bane
"I wanted so much more for you than me," he murmurs, pressing a kiss into her hair, but he draws her closer all the same, actions contradicting his words, always.
#21 – Quiet
Ginoza no longer barked orders, Kunizuka had never been one to say much but was somehow even more reserved now, Kagari's rich laughter had been silenced by Sybil, Masaoka's talk of the 'old days' was no more, Tsunemori's once bright–eyed outlook had dimmed considerably, and even the soundless puffs of Kogami's cigarettes were missed; the silence in Division 1 headquarters was deafening.
#22 – Quirks
There is quiet where there were once embarrassed sputters, pale cheeks that were once stained with rose petal blooms; she's outgrown him, he thinks; she's never felt more like a child in his presence.
#23 – Question
She's the youngest enforcer he's ever seen, so pure and childlike that he ruminates on what dark thoughts must lurk beneath the surface to land her a spot as his subordinate; he can't help but feel a twinge of déjà vu at their first meeting.
#24 – Quarrel
His mind wanders back to the old man who was a father to him when he couldn't be one to his own son, silently vowing to make amends between them.
#25 – Quitting
Even with him leagues away and months in the past, he's still the one pushing her through stumbling blocks and testing her limits; much like those Spinel cigarettes of his, Kogami Shinya is the addiction she can't quite quit.
#26 – Jump
He's a terrible flirt (dreadful at showing any forms of affection at all, really), but he fails to realize quite how bad it is until his little inspector leaps a foot into the air at one of his 'pats of encouragement' (he hears the faint sounds of Pops' and Sasayama's laughter echoing in his mind).
#27 – Jester
When she offers him a smoke, he doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.
#28 – Jousting
And when they meet again, it's in a blaze of guns and terrorists, interspersed with far too few moments of tenderness that they know will not last (because they are not ordinary people, not yet), and so they part ways once more, never looking back, and never regretting.
#29 – Jewel
On the rare nights she allows her mind to wander to fruitless thoughts of impossible futures and inescapable pasts, she notes that she was never the type for jewelry anyway (and he evidently wasn't the type to keep promises, her bitter mind spits back).
#30 – Just
He seems far too eager to allow her carry out her justice, telling her to take him down when (not if) the time comes, but what he doesn't realize is that she'd immediately crumble and let him go if he only asked; in the end, her sense of justice is just as mangled as his.
#31 – Smirk
And then there's a warm hand caressing the space where her neck meets her shoulder and the side of his lips slants upward in a way she's never seen on him before, and it's confusing and riveting all at once.
#32 – Sorrow
"He's a criminal. Nothing good can come from involving yourself with him, "Ginoza says resolutely, but she glimpses the sorrow painted across his features, the resentment in his gaze, and she knows he's hurting, too.
#33 – Stupidity
A sinister glint lit up in his eyes – "Are you saying that you don't wish to enjoy my wife's cooking?" he murmured as Kagari and Ginoza shrunk back in fear; "O– oi, Kogami, put down the knife!"
#34 – Serenade
He appears before her in a flurry of cigarette smoke and elusive visions, and it's his voice that reverberates through her restless mind and his scent that wafts through the air, but at the end of the day, it's never enough; it's never real.
#35 – Sarcasm
"I forgave you a long time ago, you know," and as the words leave her mouth, she sees him brace himself for the biting remarks, the sting of a blow, but they never come; sarcasm doesn't suit her; she is sincerity in its truest form, and that's what hurts him the most.
#36 – Sordid
Ginoza refers to them as the trash of society, but Akane much prefers the term 'friends'.
#37 – Soliloquy
He calls her 'Inspector' when they meet again (she does not forget that it was 'Akane' when they parted).
#38 – Sojourn
She takes the chance, foolish though it may be, and travels backward in time for another chance to save him; eventually, she realizes the dangers of tampering with the past and mournfully watches it all play out again; she wonders if it will hurt any less this second time around (it won't).
#39 – Share
And when he learns the truth of Sybil at last, he is left dumbstruck once again by his tiny, little inspector who carries the world on her back but still meets each day with a smile and a kind word; he will make sure to help her shoulder the burden this time.
#40 – Solitary
A solitary creature by nature, Kogami was surprised to realize that at some point, with neither his consent nor notice, silent nights spent brooding had given way to evenings in the company of a petite, mushroom–haired inspector; even more startling, he found that he didn't mind the change.
#41 – Nowhere
She's senpai and onee-san now, where she was once ojou-chan; senior inspector when she was once the rookie; she's moved up the ranks, so why does it still feel like she's achieved nothing?
#42 – Neutral
In a world where Sybil never comes to light, an Inspector named Tsunemori and an Enforcer named Kogami never cross paths; a girl named Yuki isn't murdered, and a man named Sasayama isn't avenged; two lifelong friends don't turn on one another, and a father doesn't lose his son; life is peaceful but incomplete.
#43 – Nuance
He noticed everything – the sunken bags under her eyes, the way she carried herself more confidently, the sense of weariness emanating from her tiny figure (small shoulders that had been forced to carry far too much weight); in that split second he spent simply drinking her in, he blinked, and she suddenly had a gun held up to his head; perhaps things hadn't changed as much as he'd thought.
#44 – Near
His lips on hers taste of nicotine and desperation; her fingers on his cheek communicate fear and longing.
#45 – Natural
They both agree that the sight of Ginoza in a ponytail is truly unnatural.
#46 – Horizon
It's a brisk spring day when the wind carries that rough voice she'd recognize anywhere and her eyes squint in the sun's rays to spot that tall figure and unmistakable shock of dark hair, and suddenly, she can't remember if it's been days or decades, but finally, finally, they are just ordinary humans; and she runs to him.
#47 – Valiant
He admired her steadfast determination to both obeying the law and ensuring the protection of the people and tried to follow the shining example she set for the rest of them (truly, he did), but inside, he knew that he was too far gone by the time she had met him and that the world was composed of far too many shades of grey for her black and white sense of morality; after all, you can't teach an old dog new tricks (and he really was a hound at heart).
#48 – Virtuous
"Could it be that you're actually a virgin, A–ka–ne?" he smiled devilishly, enunciating every syllable.
#49 – Victory
Makishima's downfall brings little joy in light of the steep price paid (sacrificed) for it; she's never felt a victory so hollow.
#50 – Defeat
He thinks back to the doe-eyed rookie fumbling with the dominator on her first day; before him now stands an experienced detective with steady hands and a cocked gun, pointed straight at him; if this is how it ends, he thinks he might not mind so much.
.
.
.
.
.
and you love like you've always been lonely
that's alright, honey
that's alright with me
Notes: Some clarifications:
– 17 references the after stories (you can find it on youtube); Kogami calls Akane a few months after he disappears at the end of season 1, saying that this is probably the last she'll hear from him, but she insists that they'll meet again someday
– 31 is in response to the second PV for the movie; there is a brief scene where Kogami places his hand on Akane's shoulder and kinda just smirks at her (what a weirdo); and yes, I totally ignored the actual context of the scene, sue me
– 33 is a reference to one of the Psycho Pass radio dramas where Akane tries cooking for the first time, and everyone is repulsed by it except for Kogami (still a weirdo)
– 41, in season 2, Mika calls Akane senpai and Hinakawa calls her onee-san; Masaoka used to call her ojou-chan
– 45 is poking fun at Gino's new hairdo in the movie
I'm dying to see the movie, you guys. Can you tell from all my blatant references and speculations? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! I really wish I could've worked more of Yayoi and Masaoka (and Hinakawa!) in there, but it didn't really work out that way.
Any comments or criticism at all really helps me as a writer! Even if you just tell me that you liked it or didn't like it. I'd love to hear your favourite part as well. Thanks so much!