Late nights at the PSB were commonplace, but three cups of coffee in, Akane was still falling asleep at her desk. They had all been working overtime recently to make a dent in the onslaught of paperwork that had been piling up, thanks in no small part to Makishima's antics. There were files that needed processing, cases that needed reviewing, research that need doing, and huge folders full of data that had to be taken care of. Akane found herself on the late shift with Ginoza and Yayoi, though for once, she had outlasted even Ginoza in order to finish up her work. It wasn't that she strove to be an overachiever just for the sake of it, but more often than not, it just happened. She wanted to get things done, and she didn't see why she shouldn't do everything she could to achieve that.
The rest of the building had long since grown quiet by the time she finally relented to shut down her console for the night. For a moment, she simply sat at her desk, her eyes slowly closing against her will...she very nearly fell asleep right there, but stirred after a moment and rose to pour out the dregs of her coffee mug.
In a stupor, she dragged her feet through the silent halls of the PSB...it was her intention to head to the on-call room to crash for the night. There were beds available there, and it was an easy place to grab a few hours of shut-eye for Inspectors who worked too late or otherwise needed a place to sleep that was closer than their own homes. It wouldn't be the first time Akane herself had taken advantage of the facility, and yet...
Her feet moved on their own, her mind too sleepy to really pay attention to where she was going...before she realized it, she was standing in front of a door that had somehow become more familiar than her own and shuffling past the threshold once it slid open.
Despite the late hour, Kougami was still awake, most of the way through a cigarette by the time Akane entered...he lowered the case file he had been pouring over in his free time (had she been any less comatose, Akane could have easily guessed who it belonged to) to see who was in his quarters and raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, Inspector...you okay?"
Akane looked around drowsily. How did I end up here?
"Um...yes," she mumbled. "I was just..."
Kougami watched her from over the top of his notes, then let out a vague chuckle, a smile touching his features for a moment as he rose to his feet. The bruising and red marks on his body had mostly faded throughout the day, difficult to even make out in the low light...he draped a blanket over Akane, and she let her forehead drop like a dead weight against his chest as he stood in front of her.
"I got lost," she murmured from somewhere around his torso. "I guess. I don't know. I'm..."
"You're not lost," Kougami said, setting a warm hand on her shoulder. "What are you still doing here?"
"I was working, and..."
The Enforcer sighed, securing the blanket more firmly around her. "Go figure. Sounds like Gino's been rubbing off on you..."
He nudged her over to the couch as he spoke, adjusting the pillow he'd been leaning against and clearing various papers and folders onto the coffee table so she could lie down.
"Get some sleep. You're no good to anyone if your Hue gets cloudy."
Akane shook her head vaguely as she settled onto the couch, the humor in his statement going straight over her head. "My Hue won't get cloudy..."
"Right." After reaching down briefly to make sure the blanket reached her feet, Kougami straightened up. He was going to have to find somewhere else to sleep now...
He faltered slightly as Akane's hand shot out from beneath the cover to take hold of his wrist without warning, eying her warily for a moment or so. Lingering only for a moment, he again attempted to move further away, but it only served to tighten her grip.
Pausing for a few moments or so, Kougami gradually relented to sit down on the edge of the couch next to her, though it did little to convince her to let go...he rested his arm on his knee so she could continue clutching his wrist, looking down at her over his shoulder.
"You keep it so cold in here," Akane murmured vaguely into the pillow she didn't remember resting her head on. "But you're always warm."
Wrestling on and off with a low-grade fever for the past couple of weeks, Kougami fairly certain that was the reason why, closing his eyes as her thumb ran repetitively over his wrist.
"You should get some sleep, Tsunemori."
He began to move again, but it only made Akane tighten her hold on him again, her arm wrapping across his waist in order to keep a good grip on his arm. Heaving a sigh of defeat, Kougami slid carefully underneath her so she could rest her head on his lap...the lone couch came standard for an Enforcer's quarters and wasn't meant for two people to sleep on, so he sat in the far corner while Akane stretched out across the length of it, leaning back to finish off his cigarette.
"You're so loud," Akane murmured.
"I didn't say anything."
She chuckled vaguely. "No, your stomach's making noises again."
"Sorry."
"It's okay." She pressed her nose against him briefly without opening her eyes. "Are you feeling any better?"
"A little."
He faltered slightly as Akane's arms settled around his waist, evidently assuming him to be part of the pillow and pulling him toward her with a contented sigh. Kougami leaned over to toss the end of his cigarette in the ash tray and then looked down to survey the predicament he found himself in. All he could really do was cautiously ease himself further down onto the couch until he was horizontal next to Akane, trying not to displace her as he did so...there wasn't much room, but with the Inspector halfway draped over his body anyway, it was enough for both of them. Pulling his arm out from under her as her head settled half-consciously onto his chest, he readjusted the blanket around both of them and then took up his case files again to read.
"...Good night, Kougami-san..."
Kougami glanced down briefly from beneath the document he was looking over, but she was already asleep. "'Night, Inspector."
Akane awoke embarrassed the next morning as her surroundings came into focus, along with the sudden sense that she had most certainly outstayed her welcome. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but then again, she hadn't really meant to wander into Kougami's room in the first place. She barely remembered the night before, having already been mostly asleep by the time she went to visit him, but it didn't take long for her to realize what must have happened.
And I'm going to be late...
Her wrist comm was buzzing softly to remind her of such, and she carefully lifted her head from Kougami's chest, a bright flush already coloring her features even as she blinked herself awake...she hated to think what the Enforcer she was sleeping on top of must have thought of her, but faltered abruptly as she looked down at him, her expression growing somber.
"...Kougami?"
The moment she sat up, he curled onto his side, but otherwise didn't respond...she reached out to lightly brush the hair from ashen features, placing a hand to his fever-stricken forehead in deep concern. Despite the fact that he was asleep, there were circles under his eyes and his jaw was tense, teeth clenched slightly from the chills that were running through him. Akane stroked the back of his neck gently, then reached down to silence his comm device around his limp wrist as it buzzed at him to wake up.
She sent a quick message to Ginoza to inform him that she would be there soon, then reached down to carefully lift Kougami's head from the arm of the couch so she could slip a pillow underneath it.
You're supposed to be getting better...
Her own wrist comm buzzed at her again impatiently, but she ignored it for the time being. She knew she had to get going, or she really would be late, but as soon as her shift was over she was going to insist that Kougami check himself into the PSB's medical facility. It was one thing to have Shion give him a quick once-over, but the man was clearly ill.
Someone should have noticed sooner.
But it seemed that no one really noticed Enforcers unless they were doing something wrong, Akane had come to realize...and with a sinking feeling, she began to wonder if she was part of the problem. Had she become so accustomed to her role as an Inspector that she hadn't even realized how sick Kougami was getting?
She rubbed his stomach gently, relieved, at least, that it wasn't churning anymore, but his fever was far more pressing...she glanced down as her wrist comm buzzed again, then disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes. When she emerged, it was with a dampened washcloth, which she placed carefully over Kougami's forehead before stroking the back of his neck again and straightening up.
"Kougami-san...I really do have to go now," she whispered. "I'll come right back after our shift, I promise. Just...feel better."
Ginoza was decidedly less than thrilled to have Akane not only show up late, but do so without Kougami in her company.
"Well, that's one problem down," he griped. "Where's the other one?"
"Mr. Ginoza...um..." Akane faltered, but then straightened and squared her shoulders as she addressed him. "I've deemed Mr. Kougami to be in no condition for active duty at this time, sir...requesting backup assistance from another Enforcer to cover his shift."
Ginoza's eyes narrowed. "Why? What's the matter with him?"
"He's...he's just not feeling well, sir," Akane explained hesitantly, though she knew Kougami would be upset with her later for doing so, especially when they were so close to pinning down Makishima's position again. "This is an extremely important mission. Everyone present should...be at their best."
Ginoza's steely gaze bore into her for a few moments, and she nearly faltered, second-guessing herself...but then he sighed and nodded.
"...Very well. We'll have Masaoka and Kagari accompany us instead." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Let's go. Everyone will need to be briefed with an update on the situation, and then we can begin prepping for the operation.'
The target was an abandoned series of warehouses on the outskirts of the division. Allegedly empty after years out of commission, but intelligence reports suggested that as of late, someone had been taking advantage of the dusty old factory technology inside and speccing it for their own specific needs. Based on the products that were being smuggled out the back doors and the clientele spotted around the area, all evidence pointed toward the warehouses serving as one of the cogs in Makishima's plans. The weaponry being generated from within matched recent terrorist incidents that had been linked to the elusive man...which meant it was time for the PSB to get involved.
The operation had to be carefully executed with extreme caution, and yet, as Akane entered through a side door of one of the abandoned factories along with Ginoza and the two Enforcers, she was surprised to find that there appeared to be no one inside. The place was dark, desolate, and quiet...they ventured forward gradually, weapons drawn. At the very least, she had expected Makishima's lackeys. She doubted that the man himself would make an appearance, but there should have been people running the operation that they were trying to shut down...
Something doesn't feel right.
It was as the four of them edged cautiously into the center of the facility, surrounded by lifeless machinery and conveyor belts, that the overhead lights suddenly flared, temporarily blinding them all as they flickered to life across the length of the ceiling.
"Well, well, well. I'm touched to have so many gather in my honor."
Raising the hand that wasn't gripping her Dominator to shield her eyes, Akane squinted up at the second-floor platform that ran around the perimeter of the factory...her vision had yet to adjust, but she could just about make out a hazy figure standing up there, and a shock of white hair.
"Welcome, officers...I encourage you all to make yourselves comfortable, as you'll find that you won't be able to leave this place any time soon."