Ending the Omnipotence Paradox

Chapter 16

Kogami didn't need the glass in his hand to be at risk of drowning, the intensity of his emotions was already threatening him with that demise. Frederica had taken one look at him upon his return to the office and sent him straight home. He knew she was getting weary of the blatant upheaval he experienced when around his old coworkers, but she was gracious enough to never actually bring it up when they were together. He'd almost convinced himself to reach out and invite her over for a nightcap when a knock sounded throughout the empty hotel suite. He didn't know who he'd expected to be on the other side of the doorway, but it sure as hell wasn't Akane.

"What are you doing here, Inspector?" He inquired listlessly, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I couldn't leave things the way we did earlier," she said with a heavy sigh. "You're back now and I should give you an explanation for... what you probably saw last night," she expounded, a mixture of embarrassment and resignation on her face.

"You don't owe me any explanations, Tsunemori. Your team made that very clear," he replied obstinately as he finished the last of the liquor he was holding. Her eyes showed just how exhausted she was, a feeling he knew all too well.

"Maybe I should start with one though," she suggested, a glimmer of hope in her words despite the anguish on her face. "I think we both deserve at least that, if we actually intend to trust each other."

He slowly met her gaze with his, searching it for the measured reservation he usually saw there. When his search came up empty, he stepped aside to open the door the rest of the way with a sigh of resignation; letting her in despite the alarms blaring inside his head. She easily slid past him, removing her coat before going to sit on the small sofa that hadn't held anyone since she, herself, last sat there. Kogami closed the door behind her then walked into the kitchen, getting a second glass out and pouring them both a few fingers of whiskey.

"So, what?" He asked brutishly as he sat down in the lounge chair adjacent to her, placing her drink on the coffee table. "You're with him then? This Homura. A politician's son; I'd bet your father loves that."

"Don't talk like that," she admonished with a distasteful scowl. "You know I don't base my life around the desires of my parents. And no, we're not together. It's... more complicated than that."

"Complicated? Right," he scoffed with a demeaning roll of his eyes. "Successful, rich, intelligent, well-connected; paired with someone like you? Sounds like a perfect legacy. Real complicated there."

"He asked me to marry him," she blurted out, clearly perturbed at his callous synopsis of the situation. His eyes snapped up to meet hers in shock; the gravity in the room suddenly making him feel like a lead balloon hurtling toward the ground. "A couple months ago. I couldn't..." she paused with an unhindered wince, her eyes shutting briefly at her gaffe. "Haven't given him an answer yet."

"Marry him," he repeated in disbelief; his frozen stare boring into her deflected gaze. "That's... unexpected."

She nodded slowly, not once letting her eyes meet his as she picked up her glass and brought to her lips, taking an exorbitant drink in obvious discomfort. He wished then that he could get a glimpse of her unfiltered thoughts, know exactly what she was feeling as she spoke the words that clearly caused her such turmoil. Losing a bit more of the tight control he had over his impulses regarding her, he spoke before he could stop himself.

"Why exactly couldn't you answer him, Akane?" His question came out quietly but undeniably intense, her eyes finally locking onto his with a sharp inhale.

"You know why," she whispered, torment lacing her response as the corners of her downturned grimace quivered slightly. "Not that it matters anyways," she continued with a small shake of her head. "I'm well-versed with my role in this game and it's never been predicated by personal desire."