Another Chance | Aki x Reader

32: "Can you promise..."

"Are you fucken insane? This has to be some kind of joke, right?" Angel huffed.

Aki shakes his head, "No. I'm being serious. It's my fault she lost most of her life. She wasn't mean to be entangled in this mess, and here she is. Lossing her life, all because of me."

Angel sighs, "What do you think to gain from this? It's not like you can make her regain any years back."

"I know... I know that she won't be able to get her life back. There's nothing I can do to change things back to the way they were. Nothing." He sighs heavily, feeling utterly hopeless about the situation he feels he put you in. Guilt consumed him the more he thought about the situation you were in now. He knows that you don't regret your decision to save Angel at all; he would've done the same thing, in fact. However, in Aki's eyes, you shouldn't have to take part in any dangerous mission if you're just an intern. That's all you should have been, just an engineering intern sitting from the side-line.

That was the first conversation he had with you. He ridiculed you for not being immersed in the action, fighting alongside devil hunters to eradicate the devils that terrorized the citizens of Japan. He even made a joke about how he would make you a thank you card for the work you would do as an engineer. However, now, more than ever, he regrets ever saying that to you. If he knew what would happen to you when you became a devil hunter again, he would have urged you to stay as just an engineering intern and fly back home once the internship ended. You wouldn't have to worry about anyone, not Denji, Power, or even him. Life maybe could have been safer for you.

He didn't mean for things to turn out the way they did. Maybe if he kept his mouth shut and never teased you about having an "easy" job, you could still live a long life. Instead, he pushed his own agenda and goals onto you. Now, once again, about to commit an act that seemingly only affects him. He looks up once more at the Angel devil, swallowing his anxieties back.

"It's my own selfish desire," Aki's voice cracks, "Like maybe... this is a way I can repay for my sins or some shit. I don't think I can stand to live two years without her..."

Angel shakes his head, sighing as he takes a seat next to Aki. He places his hand on his shoulder to comfort him, "Humans are so weird. Doing insane things for love..."

Aki faces Angel; however, before he can say anything to Angel, he receives a call from Makima. He answers right away and tells Angel that the matter is urgent and he has to meet Makima right away.

---

"Well, I suppose I can't blame you for expressing the things you want; after all, we are humans. It's normal to have wants and desires," you chime in. To what felt like an eternity in Aki's mind, he is quickly snapped back into reality at the sound of your voice. You notice that Aki tries to form a slight smile on his face, but it is one of those insincere smiles, a mask of some form. You look at Aki, "Is there something wrong?" you questioned. Aki hesitates before he answers, "Do you ever regret getting your internship here?"

You cock your head back, confused about the reasoning behind Aki's question. "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Does something I do give you the impression that I regret my time here or something?"

Aki shakes his head, "It's just, I remembered something from when we first met. How you weren't even supposed to be a devil hunter in the first place." You wait for Aki to elaborate on his memory further. Aki continues clarifying his thoughts, "How you were just supposed to be an engineer, away from the line of fire."

The memory of your first encounter with him coursed through your mind. "Oh yeh, that seems so distant now. To be quite honest, no one really wants to sign up to be a devil hunter unless it's for the money or some kind of sense of justice they need to fill within themselves. So I wasn't first in line to sign up. But when the door opened to become one, I walked through it on my own accord." You look at Aki directly into his eyes, "Don't go thinking you had any influence on this decision. At the end of the day, this was my decision, and I don't regret it. It may put me in more danger, but knowing I have some power in being able to protect my friends and the people I love. It puts my mind at ease, much more than it would have been if I were just an engineer jotting down notes behind everyone."