Drunk Temptation VIII

Akane had finally set her car on autopilot, leaning back to sleep after almost steering the car off the road. Thanks to some cases, they’d had to push visiting her parents back another two weeks, and she’d been perpetually exhausted ever since. At least her morning sickness seemed to have settled down a bit.

Shinya gave her a brief smile before turning away, staring blankly out the window at the slowly darkening horizon. Something about those cases was still bothering him, a creeping sensation in his gut that refused to go away. No matter how often he tried to, he just couldn’t figure out why.

The first one hadn’t been a murderer, the worst injury relating to it all had been a sprained wrist, but even so, he’d long gotten used to gruesome crime scenes. It had been a series of break-ins, a note found in each location saying the sites had something in common. There’d been thirteen in all, but they’d seemed so random, how could there be anything linking them? The case had ended up pushed to the back burner when a more pressing one fell in their laps.

People had gotten hurt that time, but again, it hadn’t been anything too severe. There had been fewer victims, four unlucky people bloodied and bruised over as many days, each with another note clasped tightly in their hands. Again, it seemed like the perp hadn’t really known what they were trying to do, yet had been skilled enough to leave little to no evidence behind. He guessed that was where the unease, or at least part of it, was coming from.

He’d come to the office one morning to find the rest of the team looking over the notes, talking in hushed tones. All seventeen of them matched, the last four, longer than the others, spinning a disturbing story. The perp was obsessed with something, or someone, challenging them to figure it out before another person got hurt. In the end, though, it hadn’t seemed to matter, as whoever it was had disappeared as quickly as they’d shown up.

Even so, it had surprised him when Gino had approved Akane’s request for time off, even more that he’d allowed for Kougami to accompany her. Now that he thought about it, Gino had looked worried when he’d granted her request, almost like he’d been reluctant to do so. Was that why he’d let Kougami go? And if he was so concerned, why had he agreed to the vacation in the first place?

He turned back when he heard Akane’s soft moan, seeing she’d put the seat back as far as it could go, and was now slightly curled up on her side. She really was cute when she slept, he thought, almost like a kitten. He reached over, tracing the line of her cheek with the back of his hand. Her eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t wake up.

How would her parents react when they met him? Would they really not care about his high Crime Coefficient, the fact his Hue was clouded? He brought his hand away as the questions coursed through his mind, reaching in her glovebox for the pack of cigarettes he’d stashed there. Rolling the window down partway, he lit up, dragging the smoke into his lungs to calm his nerves.

He knew Akane wouldn’t lie to him, and he’d be able to see right through it if she tried, but that reassurance did little to settle him. Even if they did accept his Psycho-Pass, there was still the not-so-little matter of her pregnancy, the fact their child would have a life they didn’t deserve. Singled out and tormented because their father was a latent criminal, even if he had started out as one of the best detectives in the bureau.

Slowly blowing the smoke out, he glanced back at Akane, his small grin fading when he remembered how differently some of their coworkers treated her. They remained cordial and cooperative up front, waiting until her back was turned before whispering those hated rumors. His jaw tightened as he recalled the day Gino had found out, demanding to see the two of them in the office after their shift had ended. Akane had been too frightened to speak, her face a mortified crimson.

He’d stepped between her and Gino, flatly saying it was a night of celebration that had gotten out of hand. That their sleeping together had been a one-time mistake they wouldn’t repeat. She’d choked, nodding quickly when Gino’s harsh gaze had shifted to her. Her pregnancy hadn’t come up, however, and he dearly hoped that by the time anyone else found out, it would be too late to do anything about it.
He tapped the loose ash out the window before taking another drag. He remembered his father telling him to make sure he didn’t get married to his job, that he’d have to leave room for a living spouse in his life. He wondered what the man might say if he could see the turn his son’s life had taken.

The last of his cigarette slipped from his fingers, flying out the window and falling to the street behind them. They were outside the city now, green, open fields and dense forests blooming on each side. He briefly wondered how much longer the tracts of land had before Tokyo overtook them.

He turned when Akane moaned again, her small fist tightening. Her eyes were moving wildly behind clenched shut lids, showing she was in the grips of yet another nightmare. Reaching over, he gripped her hand, rubbing soothing circles across the back with his thumb. She slowly relaxed at the touch, the smallest trace of a smile gracing her lips. He wondered which dream it was this time, wishing he could take the pain and carry it for her. It was far more than she deserved.

She shifted, drawing their joined hands closer to her cheek. He loved the fact she took comfort in his warmth, that he could be there when he needed her. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead, lightly inhaling the soft scent of her perfume. The sweet smell of lilacs, with a lightly spicy undertone he couldn’t name. It suited her, matching her personality perfectly.

I’ll never leave your side, Akane, he thought. I promise, I’ll always be there for you.