1
The sparsely furnished room was dipped in the orange light of the rising sun breaking in through the tilted window. Small particles danced in the ray, whirling around like they were celebrating the beginning of a new day. Absent-mindedly, Aki's eyes beheld the erratic movements of those tiny spots before he turned his attention to strands of hair scattered over his bare shoulder. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the barely discernable sounds of breathing that formed a unit with the gentle surges of warmth against his neck. His fingers lazily stroked her shoulder and upper arm while he took in the scent of freshly washed hair. The parts of her body that were not covered by the blanket glowed in a yellowish tint. He closed his eyes again, tightened the grip around her frame to make sure their naked bodies were connected as much as possible.
He dozed off in no time, once he shut his eyes.
It was the end of April.
The cherry blossoms would bloom in no time whereas he was withering with every passing day.
Every step he took led him closer to his coffin, every breath he took led him closer to his final one.
And despite his young life was doomed, he had never felt more alive than in this moment.
_
Four months earlier
The atmosphere inside the izakaya was stifling. Drunk people were bellowing some songs with shallow lyrics and a catchy rhythm at a table soiled with cigarette stubs, ash, dirty plates, crumbs and alcohol. Accordingly was the stench. Unpleasant odours coming from every direction made it even harder to breathe in this humid room already thick with smoke. Everyone but the security personnel was drunk and emitted the sweet sour aroma of diverse alcoholic beverages through their breath.
From the corner of his eye, he caught one of the foreigners, casually drowning the remains of his cigarette in a small bowl with a rest of miso soup while fondling the breasts of the petite woman sitting in his lap with his free hand. Aki made the mistake to look at the woman for one second too long and the discomfort, which she was concealing with a false smile, was passed over to him. He wondered if anyone besides him noticed and if so, would they even care? Probably not as long as the women played along.
Despite this was not the first time Aki's presence was required at such a gathering, the party for those foreign ambassadors exceeded everything he had witnessed so far. Only because he hadn't collected any significant prior experience in the field of sexuality did not mean he was prude. He didn't mind the sight of people exchanging any form of physical affection, not even Himeno's drunk antics when she was forcing her tongue down someone's throat – as long as it was not his, he would just tolerate it. However, what was unfolding right before his eyes crossed by far the boundaries of the acceptable.
The Japanese side had spared neither trouble nor expense in order to form contracts and defence agreements with the rest of the world, the signing of these contracts being crowned by an extravagant drinking party that would ensure the satisfaction of all carnal desires. Not only had they hired some of the most prestigious chefs of Japanese cuisine, no they had as well arranged private rooms as retreats for the case that one of the men desired some private time with one of the numerous escort girls who swarmed around the tables, competing for the visitors' attention in hopes of a generous tip.
Well, they called them escorts, but he thought that was simply a fancier word for prostitutes which did not directly evoke the idea of sex for sale. To Aki, they somehow all looked the same with their perfect makeup and hair, blank eyes, skinny bodies clad in flashy, skimpy dresses with high heels that made them one head taller than most Japanese men. He did not judge them though. In this world, people often weren't left with many choices, it was mostly just about finding the smaller evil which would ensure survival.
In comparison to the cacophony composed of shrill female laughter and deep male bawling and occasional singing, the shared house with Denji and Power suddenly appeared like an oasis of tranquillity. Every single noise seemed to be digging its way right into Aki's brain. Nails forcefully hammered into a withstanding surface, causing vibrations. His head suddenly felt heavy and he could hardly keep his eyes open. When the pressure in his skull became nearly overwhelming, he massaged his temples with ring and middle fingers – but to no avail. Dizziness and nausea took over his conscience.
No question, before he would become the target of lowbrow jokes for joining the I-have-puked-on-myself-club, he needed to excuse himself. His dignity was one of the few things he wanted to protect at all costs, so he slowly got up, politely bowed, hoping that vomit would not gush from his mouth. Aki put great attention to his walking speed so no one would notice that something was wrong with him.
"I must not run. I must not run!", "I must not throw up. I must not throw up!", he repeated the words in his mind like a mantra until he slid the door open.
Once the shoji was shut behind him, he bolted through the long, dimly lit corridor, his palms firmly pressed against his lips until he found the bathroom. It was a pain in the ass to not directly grant himself the relief that he so desperately needed, but he checked that no one else was around. And then finally he flipped the toilet seat up just in time before a thread of saliva preceded an outpour of vomit.
The agent remained kneeling in front of the toilet for a while, in case he needed to empty his stomach a second time. In a violent yank, Aki tore off a good part of the toilet paper to wipe his mouth. As soon as the cramps in his guts ceased, he let his back fall against the cabin wall, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. Resting his bent back head against the cold tiles, he tucked at his tie and opened the first two buttons of his shirt. His skin was hot and coated in cold sweat. It was not exactly with ease that he stood up, but he did. His next stop was the sink where he washed out his mouth twice and splashed some cold water onto his face, consequentially wiping it dry with paper towels.
"I need a smoke."
Since Aki did not feel like having company, he avoided the main entrance and looked for another exit. At the end of a long corridor, a green flickering light caught his attention and once he pushed a massive iron door open, he found himself in a narrow space bordering on the back of the house. In a good distance, he made out the light of street lamps and heard the sound of traffic. Once his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, he saw that there was a long row of containers and a considerable amount of bulk trash. The only source of light was the milky window to his right. Judging by the noise, busy shadow figures behind the pane and last but not least the white veil of vapour escaping into the backyard, it was the izakaya's kitchen.
Aki squat down and inhaled deeply a couple of times. The agent let the cold night air infiltrate his lungs until they pained and made him cough. He buried his face in his hands and asked himself whether the devil sometimes drained his energy even when he was not asking for its aid during a battle. Or was it maybe his subconsciousness reminding him of the fact that his days are numbered? The suppressed fear of death, the regrets, the grief over all the experiences and things he had deprived himself of?
So many people had already told him to turn his back on Public Safety and live a normal, unspectacular life. He was quite smart and educated – and though unbeknownst to himself - handsome as well, he would certainly find a job in no time. But no, then it all would have been in vain. He needed to kill the Gun Devil. It was his fate. Not that going back was an option anyways. Unlike the izakaya, his resolution had no longer left an exit into a hidden alley that provided him access to a different path.
Though he could not even admit it inside his own head, the company of Denji and Power was boon and bane. On the one hand, their presence and antics kept him from becoming too absorbed by sinister thoughts; on the other hand, once the fear got the better of him and the darkness was so close that he could feel the cold earth of his grave smother him and the panic was unavoidable, he had no privacy to surrender to this agony. He needed to keep a straight face even in his own place or press a pillow against his face to muffle the sounds of his cries.
„You're OK?", a female voice rang in his ear, it mixed with the clacking of heels on asphalt coming closer to him.
He glanced up, slightly tilting his head. In a good distance, he saw a young woman, giving him the impression of being one of the escort girls but then again, it struck him that something was different about her. Her posture was upright and she looked more refined.
„Yeah. Just needed some fresh air.", he emphasized his words by putting her off.
Despite the darkness, he squinted, trying to get a better look on her as he sat up with a sigh, remembering the reason he had come here in the first place, getting his equipment ready.
She smiled at him, then averted her gaze and produced a cigarette from her clutch. Aki observed how she searched the little bag as he lit his cigarette. Probably she was looking for a lighter.
„I can help you out." He offered, presenting his own lighter and with one flick of his thumb flipping the lid back. A quite high flame arose from the elegant silver casing that had his name engraved on the side he was currently concealing with the palm of his hand.
The woman inched closer. „Thank you." Her voice was calm. He guessed she was around his age. Maybe a bit younger.
She placed the cigarette in between her red lips, bowed down and stroked long crimson hair behind her ear in an elegant motion. Once the cigarette's tip glowed in a strong orange hue, she re-established the distance and was absorbed by the gloom of their location again as she leaned against a cupboard.
During those few seconds though when she was illuminated by the kitchen window and lighter, Aki had been able to take a closer look at her, hence confirming his initial impression that she was different from her colleagues: her makeup was more natural and also did she wear a simple black dress with thin black tights and matching buckle pumps. Her eyes still had the glow of life behind them, their expression curious. Moreover, there was something inexplicable about her. She radiated poise and the impression of an unshakable will. Life's hardships had not broken her yet.
"Maybe she's new in that business?", Aki thought to himself, still beholding her silhouette from the corner of his eye.
Suddenly, the young man noticed that her body was shaking and that she had wrapped her arm around her chest, fingers dug into the upper arm whose hand was holding the cigarette. When her mouth was not busy either taking a good puff or exhaling a dense smoke cloud, her teeth chittered.
The skin tight halterless dress was made of silk and the heart-shaped cleavage was similar to a corsage, emphasizing her small waist and overall well-proportioned shape. The dress' hem ended right above her knees which she was also rubbing against each other in an attempt to warm her body.
Aki clenched his cigarette between his teeth, slipped out of his jacket, eventually throwing it over her narrow shoulders. As soon as the fabric, warmed by Aki's body but also a bit damp from his sweat, touched her skin, she flinched slightly but as she understood what had happened, she threw him a surprised look. Aki felt the urge to explain himself.
„You're freezing.", he mumbled, whereupon she shot him another smile.
The woman with the red hair moved around to make the jacket fit and cover more of her body. Aki noticed how her eyes fixated the object that was adjusted to his back.
„You're from Public Safety, right?"
Nimble-fingered, she rolled the cigarette between thumb and index finger, pushing it slightly against a freezer nearby hence rouding off the tip.
Aki nodded.
"Oh my, what a waste! Finally I meet a good-looking man with manners and then he's dead meat.", she sighed and rolled her eyes in a dramatic way, earning a baffled look from Aki.
She shortly laughed but then scoffed and Aki was not sure whether she was mocking him or she was trying to flirt. He was uncertain what was the more pleasing option since somehow her presence made him feel uncomfortable.
They stood there, not talking, not looking at each other until it was her who broke the silence.
„Thank you.", she breathed and their eyes locked.
„Huh? You mean the jacket? You're welcome." He did not break the eye contact.
„Well, thanks for that of course but even more that you put your life on the line every single day. I think you people are sadly underappreciated.", she left her spot next to the cupboard to slowly walk towards the young man. Her expression was more serious now.
Aki shrugged his shoulders. „It's a job.", he retorted, feeling his heart rate accelerate as she gradually closed the distance between them and the white puffs of warm breath in the icy air became clearer with every step.
„No, it's not.", she continued, her face, now only an arm's length away from his „In comparison with my job, you save lives. Jerking off old perverts who should biologically not even be able to have a boner at all is not doing much for society." He was sure he had caught a subtle note of bitterness in those words. "Well, speaking of it. I should probably return."
No longer looking at Aki, she took a breath mint from a small tin box and offered him one as well which he gladly accepted since the sour stench of vomit still clung to his pallet.
She slipped off the jacket, threw her long red hair back and offered the piece of clothing to Aki who was savoring the sweet, fresh note of the mint.
„Thank you, mister Public Safety."
Before she turned around and went back inside, he could see her more clearly and especially her soft yet intense air moved something deep inside of him. The dazzling artificial light from the corridor he had come from submerged her in a white light from behind.
She had a beautiful face. Dark eyes framed by long thick lashes that curled upwards, fair skin, a hint of rosy blush on her cheeks and the lips that were painted in a luscious deep red that corresponded to the color of her shiny, smooth hair. She gave him one last smile and then turned around to disappear with swaying motions.
The loud noise of the heavy door falling back into its lock snapped him out of his state of lethargy.
„Makima", he whispered as he looked up into the cloudy night sky.
Delicate snowflakes started to fall down on him and he enjoyed the cool sensation on his still hot cheeks.
„That's the reason she captured me. Her hair and demeanour was similar to Makima's.", Aki concluded.
After treating himself to another cigarette, Aki went back to the party himself. As he strolled along the corridor, he wondered why he had not spotted her earlier. It was not that he had been keeping his head down the entire time he was there. The number of people was manageable and the tables were neatly arranged. Every now and then, he would let his eyes wander, also to see whether there was some reason for him to become active.
Involuntarily, he caught himself looking for her once he was back.
No crimson hair. Nothing that came even close to it. All female heads were dark or blonde, there was no exception. He was almost disappointed when the night came to an end without granting him another encounter with this girl.
2
When he showed up at the Public Safety's office together with Denji and Power, Makima ordered Aki to stay at home and have a good sleep. He tried to insist on working and being a part of today's mission, but after Makima softly placed her hands on his shoulders, slightly squeezing, and explained that in this tired out state, he would not be much of an aid, he gave in.
The protesting and whining of Denji and Power did not stop until the elevator's door closed behind Aki and even then, he was sure it resounded through the duct. He did not care though, all he could think about was Makima's touch, the warmth her hands emitted on the spots where her palms had rested.
„We're a team, when he gets off, so should we!"
„We also could not sleep, that topknot was noisy when he came back!"
„We've worked even harder than him!"
„We were worried because he's such a pussy and can't take care of himself!"
When he woke up, it was already afternoon but he had to admit, that the extended nap was just what he needed to get himself together again.
He warmed some leftovers in the microwave, did the laundry, watched a documentary on TV and took a shower. Then Aki took the suit he had worn the night before and sniffed it. It definitely needed to be taken to the dry cleaner's for it reeked like nicotine and fried food – but he also caught a whiff of a more pleasant smell. Around the collar, he recognized a faint hint of some sweet perfume that brought back the memories of the crimson haired girl.
He wondered what she was doing in this very moment but instantaneously discarded the thought.
Aki grabbed his keys and purse which he placed in the front pocket of his hoodie, put the suit in a black bag and made his way to the dry cleaner which was close to the Public Safety building. The young man wondered how much profit they made from its employees alone since everyone he knew brought their suits to this very place.
Unfortunately, he had to walk against the biting wind, so he pulled up his scarf to cover his chin and mouth. Aki was determined to quickly deliver the clothes and then head back home as fast as he could to have some moments to himself before the two dimwits came back. He would make himself a warm cup of tea and simply enjoy the silence.
Aki was so consumed by this alluring idea that he did not notice Himeno sneaking up on him. He cringed when she brusquely yet playfully put him in a headlock.
"Hey, hey, where are you going?! I heard you got the day off. I'm honestly a bit disappointed that my partner would not call me to spend the day together since you know I'm currently taking some days off."
He brushed her off and walked ahead, not caring if she would hear him while he was talking, but Himeno caught up until she was on the same level.
"It's not a big deal. I only had this security thing last night and it got pretty late. Maybe slept two hours, so Makima found it best to stay at home today and catch up on the sleep I was missing. I'm just dropping this at the dry cleaner and go back to bed. No greater plans."
"Oh, great!", Himeno exclaimed, "Then you can do me a favor!" A broad smile appeared on her reddened face. Aki was not sure whether alcohol or the cold were the reason for the red flush that went from the tips of her ears to her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose.
Aki rolled his eyes before he pushed the door open and let Himeno enter the dry cleaning before he did. The smell of chemicals and detergent mingled with stale air, they were greeted by the elder lady who ran the shop.
"A true gentleman as always!", his partner chirped.
While Aki wordlessly shoved the clothes bag over the counter, Himeno told him what the favor was, she had to ask of him. "You know Rei? That woman who is helping us usually with the paper work, research – basically anything document-related?"
Aki nodded to confirm he knew whom she was referring to.
"She's sick.", Himeno stated.
"Hopefully, nothing serious.", was Aki's dry answer, not really feeling affected by the information, but sticking to the convention of studied politeness.
"No, but she can't get me the documents we need for the upcoming investigation."
Himeno waited for Aki to say something as they stepped outside the shop where a squall hit them so hard that the woman needed to hold fast the black beanie that protected her head from the weather's whims. When the younger one remained quiet, she finally formulated her request.
"I need you to get me some files from the archive so I can plan the mission accordingly to the threat this devil poses."
Aki owned by far too much to Himeno as to turn down a request so trivial. "Sure."
"Great!", she hugged him, a second too long for his taste, but he complied.
One of her hands disappeared in her coat pocket and when it surfaced, it held out a little note to him. Aki took it and unfolded the piece of paper. There was a row of numbers and letters. Himeno saw the confusion on his face and that for his life's sake, Aki could not make any sense of these case numbers.
"So, this is the product of not annoying you with too much paper work", she chortled before solving the mystery. "These are the numbers indicating the previous encounters, the second row are the eyewitness reports and last but not least the investigation processes so far."
After a quick cigarette at the nearest smoking area, the buddies said goodbye and each of them went their way. Himeno most likely to the closest bar, Aki to their working place. He had never been to the archive before, but he knew that the direct access led through a reardoor at the side. At first, he was unsure whether he remembered it correctly from back then when he had started the job and Makima had given him a tour of the premises, but then he spotted a sign with an arrow pointing downstairs with the indication ARCHIVE.
It took only about a dozen of steps away from the end of the staircase until Aki stood in front of a double door system. A blinking light on a small device to his left caught his attention. There was a pictogram above the black box, explaining that he had to place his identification card onto the designated area on the display. So he did and after a beep, there was a swoosh and the door slid open and granted him entrance.
There was a heavy wooden counter, cherrywood most likely, but it was abandoned. Aki took a look around but no one was there, in this vast room filled with small tables, each equipped with a lamp. It reminded him of a library. Behind the counter was another door which was ajar, from behind it, he heard music, but he could not tell what genre it was. It sounded pretty heavy though.
He cleared his throat.
"Hello?!"
He waited and listened closely, but no answer. Only the bass of the music from behind the door.
"Hello!", he repeated impatiently.
Again, silence but the music.
He sighed. It was quite warm inside and while waiting, his body had warmed up enough to turn his scarf into a nuisance. He unwrapped the simple black item from around his neck and crammed it inside one of his jacket pockets. Since there was still no sign that someone would come to the counter to assist him with his task, he decided that becoming proactive was the most effective way to make his stay down here as short as possible. He checked his watch. Maybe he would even make it back home in time for at least one hour of solitude.
Cautiously, he opened the door behind the counter and was taken aback when he saw a labyrinth of shelves that reached the ceiling and were arranged in such long rows that the other end of the narrow spaces in between them was hardly visible. The bad lighting was not making things any better. It added a scary note to the atmosphere. Now, also the music was clearer. It was dark and rough, a gravelly male voice kept repeating the same line over and over again. He had difficulties, identifying the words but once he followed the noise, he was sure he understood.
'Til death do us unite
'Til death do us unite
'Til death do us unite
He roamed the passages and came to a halt when he noticed some movement in front of the shelf he was just standing behind. Quickly, he ran around the corner and saw a young woman sort and put away yellowed stacks of paper and binders into the dusty boxes on the shelf. She had shoulder-lenght hair that hung onto her shoulders in a long bob, some shades darker than Denji's, some chocolate brown broad strands on the right side and straight bangs. She wore an olive green sweater and a pair of greyish jeans, the pants legs rolled up to her ankles, revealing black socks and a burgundy shabby sneakers. On her nose sat a pair of rather big round glasses with a black frame. Apparently, she was lost in both music and work which did not allow her to take notice of Aki's appearance.
"Uhm. Excuse me?" Aki lightly tipped against her shoulder.
The girl shrieked and winced, whirled around and once her eyes met Aki's, he could swear that there was shock in her gaze because she froze instantly only to back away a split second later as if she was expecting him to attack. Then she scoffed and grinned somewhat incredulously. He was clueless what to make of her countenance that had just changed into a smug smile one would only direct towards a person they were already familiar with, but not a stranger you meet for the first time at work.
Aki furrowed his brows. Did he know her from somewhere? Maybe he had seen her strolling through the building at work? Or did she live nearby his house? Did they go to the same convenience store? Did she buy her food at the same takeaway spot? He didn't know an answer to this nagging question because it could not have been from any other place since his radius was limited to those locations.
"How can I help you?", she inquired sweetly, still giving him an intense look that made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
"I need those." He handed her the paper.
"Hmm. Okay. That might take some time." She bit her lower lip, beckoning to follow her to where he had come from.
That might take some time. Aki repeated in his mind. Shit. The pests would already be there by the time he arrived.
Back at the counter, she indicated him to sit down on the velvet sofa next to the desk that was well hidden under endless stacks of paper. Aki did her bidding and observed how the girl herself sunk into a leather armchair and moved the computer mouse whereupon the screen illuminated. She hastily typed in what Aki thought was her password, clicked here and there, typed in the handwritten codes on Himeno's note.
"OK. Here we go." She turned his attention to Aki. "Then I only need your Name and ID-number."
"Why, without a company card, I wouldn't have made it to this area."
"Safety measures." She shrugged her shoulders and again, this smug grin.
Aki was annoyed.
"Hayakawa Aki. 1437-1745/HK28."
"Allright. Hayakawa Aki. Then make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in about 20 minutes."
"May I also come with you?" Maybe it could accelerate the process if he helped her.
She wrinkled her nose. "Ah, that's against the rules." With that, she disappeared behind the door.
Aki fell back on the sofa, sighing in exasperation and propped up his elbow on the armrest so he could place his chin on his fist. He did not see the amused expression on the girl's face and that she had returned to him.
"But I'm alone and a bit of company might be a nice diversion. So come, Aki Hayakawa."
On their way through the labyrinth, Aki spotted the source of music that was now playing a happier, more upbeat tune. In order to get some of the documents Himeno required, the girl had to climb onto the movable ladder that was adjusted to each shelf. She had a little basket with her and avidly produced document after document from a variety of boxes.
When she came down, Aki reached out a hand which he saw she noticed but nevertheless hopped off the last few rungs.
"I have also added some additional reports that you might find interesting.", she handed the basket over to the young agent and went ahead of him.
"Thank y-" Aki had to yawn midsentence. "Sorry. I had to work late yesterday."
"I know."
Aki was not sure if he had caught that correctly, but had she really just said I know?!
"Uhm, excuse me, what did you just say?", he inquired with some irritation in his voice.
"Huh, me? Nothing." She grinned and advanced through the passages towards the door that led to the counter.
"When do you need them back?", Aki wanted to know.
She snorted. "We're not a library, you know. You bring them back whenever you don't need them anymore."
"OK." Aki nodded and while turning his back on her mumbled his goodbye.
"Come by at any time, Aki Hayakawa!", she sang and he was sure it was tainted with some irony.
Who the hell was this weirdo.
Why was her face so familiar?
A/N: This was originally meant to be a shameless smutty one-shot - but then some more ideas kept coming and I thought why not bring a speck of light into the darkness that is the CSM universe! All the more because there are so few fictions so far. Or in other words: I'm simping Aki and thought that at least some good should occur to him before he goes out. Therefore, I'll elaborate on this story and hope that some people will also have fun partaking in this journey.
The song that is playing in the second part with the lyrics "'Til death do us unite" is the song with the same name by Sodom.