After they had collected themselves, Aki took a good, long look at her brother. She hadn't seen him in over two years, but she could tell right off the bat that he had indeed changed. For starters; his eyes were completely different from before. Never mind the scar on his face, the fact that he had a new pair of eyes was slightly off-putting. Bringing her hand up to his cheek, she said, "I don't mean to pry, Brother, but what's with your eyes?" Flinching a bit at the sudden question, Haru sat back and smiled sadly. He knew that this would be one of the first things they would address, but it didn't make it any easier.
"It's…my Imperial Arms," he replied, looking down, "I took them so I would be strong enough to tear this damned Empire down." "You're joking, right?" she said, trying to crack a smile, "I mean, I know you can be ambitious, but to take on the Empire? You can't be serious." "How do you think we found you?" he asked. "You were looking for us, obviously." "No, we weren't," he told her, "We're here to assassinate the advisor to Path of Peace's leader. I had honestly believed you and Natsu were dead until last night."
For a moment, Aki didn't know what to say. "…You thought I was…dead?" she said finally, her gaze starting to defocus, "We spent over a year looking for you…and you thought we were dead?" "What was I supposed to think?" Haru replied, concerned about her change in tone and demeanor, "The last time I saw our house, it was burning down. I saw our father's body, and I thought…I thought you had been…" "We had hidden in the basement," Aki replied with a level voice, although both Akame and Haru could tell she wasn't calm, "Mother had just put us down the ladder before closing the door to block the flames. We…heard the scream… and then we heard Father's cry… You thought we were dead?"
The fact that she kept circling back to that was starting to worry Haru, and he glanced at Akame, seeing the same concern on her face. Scowling, Aki reached up and grabbed his chin, turning him back so he was facing her. "Don't look at her, look at me," she said, her voice rising in pitch, "How could you just give up on us? How could you just leave? How?!" Before she could badger him anymore, Akame was at her side and pulling her hands away. "That's enough," she said, "He already told you; he thought you had died. What's the point in-?"
"The point is I didn't know what had happened to you!" Aki said replied, her tears returning, "You had gone to help with the defense, and we never saw you again. I searched the whole town…I searched it twice, hoping you were hiding in one of the buildings. I didn't know if you had been killed…didn't know if any of those bodies belonged to you… I didn't know…" At this point, Aki's anger finally broke. Bringing her knees back up, she buried her face in them and cried openly, sobbing as she started to feel old despair returning. It was almost too much for either of them as Akame looked at Haru.
After a moment, he shifted closer and hugged her again. "It's okay, Aki," he said, "It's okay, Sister. I'm here now." "We were alone for so long," she said between her sobs, her words tearing at Haru's heart, "We didn't know where to go… I spent so long looking for you, and Natsu just tried to hold himself together. He didn't know what to do, what to say… Haru, he…killed people…When we stopped in a small town, they tried to…use me, and…he just…" Sensing that this was a family matter, Akame got up to leave. She touched Haru's shoulder briefly, trying to give him some comfort before she left.
While there was a part of him that didn't want her to go, enough of him preferred that she didn't witness the demons that were undoubtedly about to be revealed. After Akame had left the room, Aki continued telling her brother what she and Natsu had been through since their home's destruction. And it was bad. Haru knew that he hadn't had the best run of luck, but he at least had been fortunate enough to get picked up by the Revolution. Aki and Natsu hadn't had that luxury. They had been cast adrift in a nation that regularly trampled on the weak and helpless, and as Aki continued to talk Haru grew more and more concerned for them.
Aki, for the most part, still appeared to be the girl he remembered. She had always been the curious and protective one, while his brother had been the one to step up and try anything. It was how it had always been; she had been the spark and he had been the fire. But based on her tale, Natsu wasn't the same person anymore. He had become withdrawn and soft spoken, almost numb from his experiences. Haru could only imagine what it had taken for him to kill the men that had tried to violate his sister. Natsu was the kind of person that fought for fun, not for keeps. And now he had blood on his hands and a scar on his mind that would likely never heal.
Listening to what they had gone through, Haru could feel his heart breaking in anguish. He should have been there for them. He had always been the calm, reasonable one; the anchor that kept his sister's dreaming and his brother's spirit in check. But he hadn't been there for them, and they had suffered terribly. Eventually, she came to the part where they met the man with the Demon's Core. "After meeting him, everything becomes…fuzzy," she said, her brow wrinkling, "I just get…flashes. It's like I'm looking at photos of places…I think I've been to…and people I've…killed…" Aki sounded like she was ashamed of these memories, and Haru could understand why.
"That's not your fault," he said, "He had an Imperial Arms that allowed him to control people. Those deaths are on his head, not yours." "But I can still see them, Haru," she said, looking at him and on the verge of tears again, "I can still see their faces…I can hear their screams… I can still… Oh, God…" Clutching her head, Aki started to drift back into sorrow before Haru shook her. "Aki, listen to me," he said, sterner this time, "That wasn't you. I know that wasn't you. You can't blame yourself for what you couldn't control." "How can you be so sure?" "Because I know you," he replied, smiling, "You're not a killer." "But, you are…" she said, looking at him again.
Smiling sadly, he replied, "Yes… I am. I knew I would have to do…certain things when I joined Night Raid. I can't say I'm proud of them." He tried not to sound like he was pleading for forgiveness, but he could feel that something was different. Using his trump card on himself had created an odd side effect. He felt…lighter than he used to. All of the things that had been holding him back, that had kept him from facing himself, had been removed. And now that he was able to truly look at his demons, he felt that he had to deal with them, regardless of the cost.
Sitting back and removing his hand, he continued on. "I've killed a lot of people, Aki," he said, his voice laced with emotion, "I've lied and stolen. I have no doubt that I've destroyed families when I've been forced to kill guards. But above all of that, I've become something less than human. I took this Imperial Arms, and I became like those things that destroyed our home. I… I became a monster, Aki." He couldn't go on after that, he just brought his hand up and covered his face, ashamed beyond words of what he had become.
And Aki could see all of this as plain as day. Her brother hadn't been off living some grand life without them. He had been fighting and suffering alone; putting everything he had on the line to destroy the source of everyone's pain. But he had also been allowing his scars to dictate who he was, what he was. And that wasn't something she could allow. She had allowed Natsu to become withdrawn and depressed, she wasn't about to let the same thing happen to Haru.
Meanwhile, Akame had taken a seat on one of the large couches in the main hall. Seeing Haru's interaction with his sister had stirred up memories of her time with Kurome. She remembered the jobs they had done together, their training sessions as they worked to further improve their coordination and swordsmanship. But most of all, she remembered Kurome's look of absolute joy at being reunited with her after being apart for so long. All of this came to her mind, and Akame found herself wearing a bittersweet smile from it.
She awoke later with a start at the sound of someone dropping onto the far end of the couch. Looking over, she saw that it was Haru and that he looked terrible. "So, how did it go?" she asked, sitting up and turning to him. "…I'm not really sure," he said, his voice sounding thick, "I just spent the last few hours listening to them, and… It's not good, Akame."
Looking around in surprise, she saw that the sun had started to set. She must have drifted off to sleep at some point. "Can I ask…?" she said, not wanting to pry but still willing to help him. "They…" he began before clearing his throat, "The fact that they managed to survive so long on their own is nothing short of amazing. I think they just need some time to really come to terms with what they had to do." Nodding in understanding, Akame could tell that something was different about Haru now. He wasn't usually this talkative about personal matters.
"I… I failed them, Akame," he said suddenly, looking at his hands, "I should have been there, but I wasn't…" "You couldn't have known, Haru," she said, trying to help him. Moving closer, she placed a hand on his shoulder as she continued, "You said it yourself; you thought they had been killed. What good would it have done if you had stayed?" "I could have gotten them out," he replied, sounding angry, "I could have kept them out of harm's way. I could have…done something…"
Thinking there was nothing she could say, Akame almost backed away. No she decided, steeling her resolve, I've had enough of just sitting back and watching. "Haru, listen to me," she said, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his head so he looked at her, "You had no way to know. Even if you had stayed, you would still have fallen prey to that man's Imperial Arms. At least this way you were able to save them in the end." "But I-" "I've had enough of you doubting yourself," she said, steel creeping into her voice, "You're a good man, Haru, even if you don't want to see it. Stop tearing yourself up over things you can't change."
Surprised at her sudden change in tone, he didn't know what to say. In truth, he hadn't felt the way he used to when he said those things. Before, whenever he had doubted himself he had felt that it was fully justified. He was a monster that didn't deserve to be anything but miserable. But now that doubt felt hollow and weak, like the excuses of a lesser person that wasn't willing to own up to their decisions. That trump card really did a number on me he thought, smiling. Leaning into her hand, he brought his own up and placed it over top of hers.
"Thank you, Akame," he said, feeling better, "I needed that." For a moment they just sat there, looking at each other and smiling. Akame could tell that, unlike before, he was much more willing to accept the truth. She felt hope at the possibility. Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to see himself as a real person. For a brief moment, they felt something else forming between them. For Akame, it was both thrilling and terrifying. She had hoped to be able to finally reach him, but at the same time there was still a part of her that feared the outcome. For Haru, it was a breath of fresh air. It was more soothing than he thought it would be to know that she cared for him.
After the moment had passed, they separated and went about their day. The others had left the house by that point, heading out to finally take out Borick. While Haru and Akame were a little mad at being left behind, they could understand why it had been done. Haru was still feeling the effects of internalizing his trump card, and still felt drained from the effort it had taken.
Meanwhile, Akame still felt that connection that had been forming earlier. It was like there was a string tugging at her heart, and it was starting to annoy her. No, annoy was the wrong word; it was starting to change her. She had seen that Haru had changed, and that realization had triggered a change in her own mind. But is it a good change, or something that will cause me to fail?
After the sun had set, Haru decided to try and prepare some sort of dinner. By now, the anniversary festival was in full swing, and Night Raid was making its move. As Haru fried a few eggs, he finally noticed that Akame was nowhere in sight. Usually, she was either the one preparing the food, or at least in the next room waiting for it. In fact, it reminded Haru a lot of his brother.
Preparing two plates of food, he carried it up to Aki and Natsu while hoping they were doing better. Natsu was much livelier than he was earlier, and his stomach growled loudly at the smell of food. While he had a pleasant conversation with them both, Haru could tell that they still needed time. Natsu might have been much more active, but Haru could practically taste the unease in the room. While part of him wanted to help them work through their trauma, he felt that it was better for them to get their minds in order first.
Heading back downstairs, Haru decided to return to his room, feeling his exhaustion returning. Note to self; don't EVER use my trump on myself again he thought as he opened the door. However, he stopped dead when he saw Akame sitting on his bed. She had been waiting for him while she tried to sort out her feelings. Ever since their conversation, she had been feeling restless, and it had reached the point where she couldn't stand it. Without a word, she gave the spot next to her a pat as he walked into the room.
Taking the hint, he sat down next to her while he tried to figure out what was going on. "What are we, Haru?" she asked suddenly, "Are we just comrades? Friends? Or are we…something else?" He was surprised at this sudden question, and didn't know how to respond to it. "Well… I'm not quite sure," he said finally, knowing that's not what she wanted to hear but unwilling to lie, "I know that we are comrades, but… I know there's something else between us. Something that's much deeper and stronger."
"And what would that be?" she asked. Even though she knew what he meant, there was still a part of her that was…scared. For a while, Haru just sat there in silence. He knew what she wanted to hear him say, since it was what he had wanted to tell her for the longest time, but... "I… I don't know," he said again, "I'm sorry that I can't give you a definite answer. My trump card scrambled my head, and I'm still trying to sort through what's left." "…In that case, I think I know a way to tell," Akame said, blushing slightly, "But, well… You might not like it." "If it will help, then I don't mind giving it a shot," he replied, smiling, "So long as it doesn't involve you hitting me."
Shaking her head as a way of answering, Akame tried to steel her resolve. She knew what she wanted to do, but now that he had agreed to it she found herself hesitating. Get a grip, Akame her inner voice scolded, this is your best chance to find out where you stand. It's now or never. Taking a deep breath, she moved quickly. One moment they were looking at each other, and the next Haru's eyes were wide in shock as their lips met. It wasn't much more than just physical contact, but it was definitely more than enough to bring his brain to a screeching halt.
Akame held the kiss for a solid 3 seconds before leaning away, her eyes searching his face for…something. She didn't know what she was expecting to see, but she knew what she didn't want to see; rejection. Meanwhile, Haru was just trying to get his mind working again. Did that…just happen he wondered as he stared at her. "Haru?" Akame asked, his silence concerning. Clearing his throat, he replied, "I… wasn't expecting that." "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" she said, letting her head drop, "I should go."
As she moved to get up, Haru acted on instinct. Reaching out, he grabbed her waist with one hand while the other cupped her chin, turning her head so she looked at him. Bringing her back towards him, he kissed her again, longer this time. At first she was surprised, but then she closed her eyes and leaned into him. She couldn't believe how good such simple contact could feel, and she desperately didn't want this moment to end.
But after a few moments they were forced to separate so they could breathe. Staring at her face, Haru could guess that his cheeks had about as much color as hers did at the moment. "Well… That's going to make things a bit more complicated," he said finally, feeling a little short of breath. "I think we passed that point a long time ago," Akame commented, remembering her hesitation when fighting his siblings. And Haru had to admit that she had a point. "So, what do we do now?" he asked, his emotions still in a jumbled mess. Akame thought about it for all of two seconds before she decided to go with her heart. It was high time that she listened to it, anyway.
Grabbing Haru's shoulders, she pushed him onto his back while trying not to laugh at his look of surprise. Planting her knees to either side of his hips, she used her own body to pin him down before bringing her lips crashing into his again. This time, she put all of the passion that she could muster into it. Part of her knew that this was going too far, and that she should stop now. But another part was screaming at her, telling her to forget the logic and go with her heart. And right now, her heart wanted him; to be with him, to express everything she had been suppressing.
After a while, her kisses became shorter and shorter until she was just pecking at his lips. Haru, meanwhile, had brought his hands up to her arms to hold her steady. But it wasn't too long before a pestering thought forced its way to the front of his mind. "Akame, what are we doing?" he asked as he pushed her up slightly. Of course, he knew full well what they were doing, but he needed to know why, and he could tell that she understood the implied question. "Something I should have done a long time ago," she replied, her voice thick with emotion as she caressed his face, "I can't lie to myself any longer. I love you, Haru, and I'm tired of denying it."
It was surprising, to say the least, to hear her admit it. He had known that she had strong feelings for him, but at the same time she had said that she wanted to remain at a safe distance. It made sense; both of them could die at any moment, and neither of them wanted to cause the other pain. He smiled at how foolish they were at the time. They hadn't been making the cold, logical decision. They had been running from their feelings for each other, too afraid of what it could mean for them if they didn't.
"Well, if that's the case, then there's something I should say, too," he replied. Smiling mischievously, he left that hanging for a moment to tease her, and he wasn't disappointed. For a moment, she was concerned what he was going to say. But then she realized he was toying with her and she just glared at him, trying to be mad but unable to keep it up. "I love you, too," he said suddenly before bringing her down again, getting a small yelp out of her as he kissed her again.
For a brief moment, she was shocked. There was still a part of her that was afraid he would reject her, even though she knew how he felt. Smiling again, she returned his kiss as she basked in the warmth of being loved. After a while, he moved away from her lips and started to plant kisses along her neck and collarbone while his hands moved from her shoulders down her back and finally to her hips. Akame, meanwhile, had her own hands exploring every part of his body while she tried to control her rising voice as he traced her figure. Gripped with a powerful desire, Akame decided to take it a step further as she sat up and removed her shirt and bra.
After she had shrugged out of it, though, she seemed incredibly embarrassed at being so exposed. Hoping to calm her fears, Haru removed his own shirt before sitting up and taking hold of her. Kissing her briefly, he kept his right hand at the small of her back while the left one slid up her front to one of her breasts. Her moans turned into a surprised gasp when he pinched her, but it felt too good to try and make him stop. His kisses slowly made their way down her collarbone until they found their way to her other breast. At which point, it was all Akame could do to keep her voice down as he started to tease it.
Finally unable to take any more, she pushed him back down on his back. She was about to return the favor and see how much he liked someone nipping at his chest when she felt something rubbing up against her. Considering where she was sitting, and what she knew of the human anatomy, she realized that it could only be one thing. And that realization caused her to turn a few shades darker, which in turn caused Haru's own blush to get worse as he realized what she was sitting on. For a moment, she was unsure of what to do.
I want to be with him she thought, her resolve hardening. Reaching down, she quickly undid the button on Haru's pants before pulling them and his boxers down and off. Haru, meanwhile, was a little too stunned by her boldness to do much more than stare at her in shock. But after she had done this, she hesitated, unsure of what to do next as she looked at him. Seeing the question in her eyes, he propped himself up on one arm before using the other to pull her back up to him. "You don't have to force yourself," he whispered into her ear, "This doesn't have to go any further."
It was a kind offer, but Akame realized that she wanted this; to go all the way and make him hers. Shifting her knees so she was up and off him, Akame reached down and pulled her skirt and underwear off before settling back down. Lifting her head up, she snaked one arm up behind him while her other took hold of his member and guided it to her entrance. "I want to be with you, Haru," she said, kissing him lightly, "I want to make you mine. So, please..."
Bringing her hips down, Akame's grip on him tightened as he entered her. Biting her lip to try and ride through the pain, she continued to lower herself, breaking her virgin wall before finally taking the rest of him inside. When he had reached her deepest part, they just lay there for a while, panting. This was a fairly new feeling for them both; Haru had never gone this far with someone he loved, while Akame had never gone this far period.
Rubbing circles in the small of her back, Haru kissed her neck again as he felt her tremble. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned at her pained look. "Yes," she breathed, "But, I'm not sure I can…" Knowing what she meant, Haru wrapped an arm around her shoulders before rolling them over. Now, she was on her back with his weight and warmth pressing down on her. Somehow, this was more embarrassing and she tried to cover her face as she felt her cheeks growing still warmer. Smiling, he gently pulled her hands away. "You don't have to hide, Akame," he told her as he kissed her, "In fact, I think you look more beautiful when you're this red."
Smirking at him, Akame slapped his chest playfully before pulling him down and kissing him again. When he leaned back up again, he cradled her head with one hand while the other found its way to her hips. After that, he began to move slowly. This caused her to clamp down around him rather hard, as well as gasp at the sudden stimulation and wrap her arms around his back, griping his shoulders tightly. But after a few strokes she started to get used to the feeling, with the previous pain being replaced with pleasure as she started to moan with each movement. After a few more Haru began to pick up his pace, causing Akame to moan louder and move her hips in sync with his.
Finally, Akame felt a pressure starting to build up where he was moving in her. "H-Haru…I feel…something," she managed between moans. Knowing what was about to happen, he leaned down and kissed her again with all of the passion he could muster, pushing her over the edge into ecstasy. She clamped down around him as she moaned into his mouth, her mind feeling like it was going blank. This pushed him over the edge as well. The feeling of him filling her insides seemed to intensify her climax, and she felt her whole body shuddering as more waves of pleasure assaulted her.
Afterwords, they just laid side by side, their arms still around each other as they tried to catch their breath. Looking at her, Haru found that he couldn't stop smiling. His smile, as it turns out, was incredibly contagious and soon Akame was smiling along with him. Shifting closer to him, she kissed him and said, "I love you." In response, Haru pulled her in closer before resting his forehead on hers. "I love you, too," he replied.