The days after the raid on Kanou's lab were hectic ones. Not only had the revelation of a new half-kakuja shaken them all, but the paperwork for the raid was massive. Akira especially had to write reports for the Research Division too, about the use of their CRc grenade in the field.
Amon tried to find time to visit Shinohara in the hospital, feeling awful for not being able to aid him sooner. Shinohara was rather carefree about his injuries and proclaimed that they were hardly anything to worry about, though it was clear his encounter with Eyepatch bothered him.
It was then that Shinohara asked if Amon might have the time to look over Juuzou's reports, seeing as the young investigator had never written any of his own before and Shinohara didn't believe he would do it properly. Amon agreed.
Which was how he and Akira found themselves staying overnight in the office trying to complete their work as well as correct Juuzou's rather... unique presentation of the events. Akira hadn't been happy about having her name given for even more work, but she softened when Amon told her it was for Shinohara.
Though Amon was focused on his computer screen, he didn't miss how his partner stretched and leaned back on her chair with a barely audible sigh. He chanced a quick glance at her. She looked... sleepy. It wasn't something he had ever seen on the usually alert woman when she was sober, but right now her eyes were heavy-lidded and her expression was drained.
He checked the time. 1 AM.
We've been working for that long? He hadn't noticed how fast the time had gone by, but maybe that was because he was used to staying up till ungodly hours of the night.
Akira had told him she didn't eat food after 9 PM... he wouldn't be surprised if she had a strict schedule for her day. And yet she had stayed back to help him without any protest.
...that was definitely the feeling of regret piercing through him.
He turned to her again, about to suggest that she leave the rest to him, but she had already fallen asleep.
Her hands were on her lap, loosely holding each other, and her chest slightly rose and fell to the rhythm of her breaths. She looked almost peaceful, if she wasn't shivering a bit due to the cold air in the office.
Realising how he was inspecting her, Amon turned his head away, feeling heat rush to his face. After what happened the night they went for dinner, Akira had become friendlier with him, but that just meant they were now friends and not just colleagues. Nothing else.
Even so, he couldn't help but shrug off his heavy coat and place it over her like a blanket. That was fine, right? He wasn't overstepping any boundaries...
As he watched Akira curl into his coat and hum contentedly in her sleep, his lips curled into a soft smile.
