𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 (𝐃𝐚𝐛𝐢 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

28

Y/N's POV:

The drive to the motel was a little over two hours, and you spent the majority of that time attempting to come up with a strategy. "Based on Ami's experience, there's a good chance that there will be people there that pose a threat." You anxiously drummed your fingers on your thighs.

"If I had to guess," Touya said. "Whoever is in possession of Izanagi has a group of people working for them, likely as guards. We'll need to keep a low profile so that we don't attract suspicion right away."

Someone who had control of one of the most powerful weapons in existence would surely have people under them. The two men from the river, for example. They'd been known to frequently visit the motel, and likely worked for whoever it was until they'd disappointed them or outlived their usefulness. "We'll just pose as normal guests. I'll get us a room. I don't think they'll think anything's weird about us looking around. You'll just need to keep most of your face covered so that nobody has the chance to recognize you."

There was a low possibility that someone would be out in the open with the weapon, and going around knocking on people's doors wouldn't exactly be keeping a low profile, but there could be clues spread around the place. Only after you had a definitive lead as to who was holding onto Izanagi would you cause a scene.

Touya kept his eyes straight ahead, "That should be easy enough."

You turned to look out of the window. It wasn't often that you traveled outside of the city. Work kept you pretty busy most days and spending money on something as unnecessary as a vacation wasn't something that crossed your mind.

But as the car sped past rows of trees, illuminated by the rising sun, you started to think that maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad idea to have done a weekend trip here and there. You and Ami could've gone hiking, gone to the beach, or caused a ruckus at some nightclub in another city. Maybe then you wouldn't have felt such a gaping hole in your chest after she'd died. If you'd made an effort to make as many special memories as possible instead of worrying so much about money and work. Your throat tightened.

"Where do you think we should go whenever all of this is over?" You asked.

"What do you mean?"

You looked over, but Touya's gaze remained on the road, which you figured was a good thing. A car accident at this point would be very inconvenient. "Like, after the weapon is destroyed and both of us are being hunted by our respective organizations. We won't exactly be able to stay in the city, or even the country. I'll have to say goodbye to Aya, of course, and I'll need to convince my mom to cancel her flight." You'd entertained the idea of seeing her again, at first, but now that you were here, you knew that it would only put her in danger. "But I was thinking of a remote tropical island. Or we could go somewhere in the mountains, that would be kinda cool. What do you think?"

The corners of his lips tilted up the slightest bit. "We can go wherever you want, Princess."

With your mind now filled with ideas and plans, you leaned back into your seat and allowed yourself to think of the possibilities that awaited. Sure, your life would be completely changed, but that wasn't such a bad thing. You'd spent so many years trying to prove yourself to other people, working to eventually make your way into a position that demanded respect from those who whispered from behind your back. And yet, you'd barely made any progress. These past weeks had made you realize that you were putting all of your energy into a goal that wasn't truly yours. It was something your mother had created for you. And now you had a chance to start thinking about what you wanted and do the things that always felt forbidden. On top of that, you had someone by your side.

The thick patch of woods that you'd been driving through began to clear, giving way to a small clearing up ahead. Touya slowed the car down as he approached the area. "I think this is it."