Mastermind | Chuuya Nakahara.

THIRTY-SIX.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX:
Can you call me by my name?
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The two lay beneath the red silk streets, Aki with her head on Chuuya's chest, her finger tracing circles over his chest, her eyes closed. One of Chuuya's hands was resting in her hair, holding her head whilst the other caressed the dip in her hip, her leg flung over his. They were both still completely naked. They'd hopped in the shower together, cleaning themselves down, smiling like idiots before drying off and retreating to the warmth of the bed. They talked for what felt like hours—pouring out their hearts and souls. Aki couldn't quite remember when they got off the topic of the silly things, but they had, and they'd told one another a lot about each other.

Aki spoke about what it was like to grow up in a small farming village in her family of six. She told the redhead about their financial struggles which inevitably led to her being sold to the Double A. Chuuya had gripped her tighter then, placing an affectionate kiss to the very top of her head. She'd told him about her siblings: Mika, her little sister and Yuki and Ryo, her little brothers. She'd spoke fondly of them, smiling at the memories she wasn't even aware she'd had. She didn't think of them often, believing it would make her weak if she were to daydream about the past—but it felt right to talk about them to Chuuya. They deserved to be spoken about. They had been the best siblings Aki could have asked for and she missed each of them dearly, though she hadn't realised how much.

She told him more about her and Kana—her twin flame. She spoke about how close they had been and how she owed Kana her life. Without her, she would have been as good as dead. Aki used to believe that would have been the better option, to die instead of being the person she had become, but she was beginning to question that philosophy. Her past had brought her to where she was in that moment, and she was ever so grateful for it—even if what she and Chuuya shared would be fleeting. She was grateful for him, along with the other members of the Port Mafia. And truthfully, she had Kana to thank for that. Without her, she would have been nothing but an endless, empty void.

Chuuya told her about The Sheep. He explained how he had been the leader of the band of children turned soldiers that had been raised in the slums. Aki hadn't known that about him. He'd only been a child, yet he had been appointed the leader of children-soldiers. The Sheep had relied on him—perhaps a bit too much, and after a fateful incident that led him to meeting Osamu Dazai, The Sheep turned on him. They treated him as if he were a traitor, which couldn't have been further from the truth. Chuuya was loyal to a fault, if they'd only looked closer, they would have known that. They had joined forces with the GSS and attempted to assassinate Chuuya, but Dazai had stepped in, completely wiping out the GSS, but sparing The Sheep on Chuuya's command. It was then that Chuuya joined the Port Mafia—there where his life finally began.

He'd hated the Port Mafia as a child. He wanted to see them slaughtered, but after being betrayed by his own people, he had no choice but to turn to the stronger side. If there was one thing Chuuya hated was backstabbers—hence why he hadn't liked Aki when they first met. He took her as a deserter, someone that had betrayed her own and he hated that. He had never once betrayed The Sheep, not until they tried to have him killed, and even then, he still showed them mercy. Aki had squirmed a little when he told her the story, a frown on her lips. One day, she would kill Ogai Mori and desert the Port Mafia—and once again, she would become the thing Chuuya hated most in the world.

She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to come clean and beg him for his forgiveness—but she couldn't bring herself to. She wanted to be with him, forever frozen in that moment. She couldn't bring herself to tell him what an awful person she was. She couldn't stand the idea of him shuddering away from her. And so, she stayed quite, deciding it was for the best. They could be together—for a while at least.