Prompt: future eventualities

Truthfully, she was aware of the gossip.

The unit usually hushed when Akane entered the workroom, but she caught the fragments of conversation anyway. The Enforcers were talking about them, how natural they were in their cover identities and that she spent her lunch breaks outside, presumably with him.

"Cut it out, it isn't appropriate to speculate." Kei had attempted to stop the discussion, for which she sent a grateful glance. Arata's tactic was to change subjects, though from what Hinakawa told her, he wasn't above joining in sometimes. And Mika would thunderously order everyone to resume working, with a searing glare.

The ring was not helping, yet she couldn't bring herself to remove it. She was still getting accustomed to the weight, she said to those who asked. Still, the design was very much to her liking. She had singled it out in the store and while the receipt was backdated, he had slid it on.

Kougami was so serious and focused, but his voice was gentle. "Fits okay?"

"Perfectly. Thank you." Akane hoped she sounded calm. She was about to invite him for dinner when he had a call, a summons to interrogation. His gaze lingered a second on the ring, just until he had to depart. Every time they met, the sense of pride intensified.

At this point, she wondered if she should be bolder. Their meetings were innocuous, never progressing further than shared meals and drinks. Their history was already complicated enough; for once, they could sit and talk like normal people. As they were now, they were on equal footing. But she had long accepted that nobody else could ever compare, so the slow pace was beginning to annoy her, just a little.

Perhaps, after the case was over, she'd continue to wear the ring and see how he'd react.

Yanase Juria made her move first.

They had finished the day's session, deciding the menu and table settings for a dinner that would never happen, when heels clicked in their direction. Akane instantly recognized her. The woman's appearance was as polished as her online photo, except marred by a deep frown, aimed towards whoever she was contacting via an earpiece.

"Fine. Do whatever you want." She huffed. Then, she spotted them and marched over with a practiced smile. She introduced herself, along with the sentiment that there was no better place for their impending wedding. Something in her eyes was off, a glassy effect that seemed to study their faces. "I heard you settled on your food and beverage plan. What's next for you?"

Akane evenly responded. "It's at the boutique, but we're going to our dress and suit tailoring, since we're changing for the reception."

Purely for research, she had browsed catalogues. Her false identity conveniently had a style sense like her own: clean lines, modest cuts, and feminine flair. Then, the lingerie popped in its own sidebar, and she was clicking before she could stop herself. After a while, she broke out of it, perusing the men's options instead. Black was his color, but she was curious if he was willing to wear anything else. She quickly realized Kougami would look devastatingly good regardless, then chided herself for how late she'd stayed awake and shut down her computer.

Yanase gave a light sigh. "And regrettably, you'll have to use your room when you do. We're working on some repairs, access will be limited to a few areas on this floor. But don't worry, I'm quite proud of the honeymoon suites."

"You're very generous. We appreciate it."

Once they were in the car, Kougami noted. "She has a fox's intuition, but her arrogance will be her undoing. We'll have to catch her quickly."

"Yes. She might have an additional implant to her corrective lenses. Presentation is important to her; she enjoys knowing if she's superior to others."

"I'll add to your profiling. She lacks trust in her subordinates, so she'll be paranoid about the other members like her."

"And she feels insecure, which is why she bought the building in the first place, to declare that she'll succeed where the previous didn't."

"Exactly. You've grasped her thought process, not that I'm surprised. You understand human nature incredibly well, it's your strength. It's what I admire about you." He was regarding her in a way that was occurring more frequently, ever since she was released. Many days of tears and empty hours, all rendered to a fading nightmare at the sight of his relieved expression.

She tried not to blush. "Well…my fiancé is an unfair man."

There it was, the flicker of embarrassment, the break in his demeanor. But instead of awkwardly switching subjects or answering the cue of an unwelcome interruption, he tapped his index finger under her chin. Her eyes flew up, and he smirked. "And my future wife likes to tease."

Future wife. Those words continued to echo in her mind, for the rest of the drive home. Everyone else in Unit 1 had been stunned that Kougami had volunteered, clamoring that he always resorted to brute force and provocation, he wasn't suited to go undercover at all. But really, she was the one who couldn't stay in character.

The raid was scheduled for the end of the week. Yanase had no documented proof of anything more enhancing her vision, but that didn't rule out the possibility of her realizing they had Holos. Arata and Kei had conducted a thorough investigation on their end as well, finding suspicious transactions and investments. Ginoza relayed what SAD had uncovered, the messier details on how Yanase was connected to ports with less stringent oversight. Then, entry and exit points in Yume were delineated, the roles assigned to ensure a successful arrest.

Ginoza turned the simulated model of the hotel. "And my post will be here, blocking off the west exit. Kougami, you'll enter through the front with Tsunemori, in your usual disguises."

"We'll have Dominators." She explained. "Yume resides in our jurisdiction, and temporary access was granted to you."

"And no, we won't equip you with other weapons." Ginoza shook his head.

"I wasn't going to ask because I don't need them." Kougami countered. "I'll keep my partner safe."

During the mission gone awry in Dejima, he had embraced her differently than in Shambala. He had embraced her, his large hand cupping her head and his body pressed to hers. The solid heat of him between her thighs was an intrusive memory, and she used to dislike how it'd inconveniently rush to the forefront of her mind or drain sleep from her restless nights. Lately though, she wasn't resenting it.

"We'll protect each other." She corrected, and was rewarded by the approving fondness in his eyes.