𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙚 | 𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘩. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

˚⊱ 6. | ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ⊰˚

The weeks passed, and Aki and Touko barely spoke a word to each other. Touko's body had healed up nicely, but the tension between them remained. Despite their silence, they continued to work together, each keeping to themselves and fulfilling their duties as Devil Hunters, even if it was just the mundane task of patrolling.

Aki, as stoic as ever, focused on his missions with a cold determination.

Touko, on the other hand, appeared more distant and reserved, her mind seemingly preoccupied with unspoken thoughts. The atmosphere between them remained awkward and uneasy, the unresolved conflict hanging heavily in the air. Their interactions were minimal and tense, and neither seemed willing to address the elephant in the room.

For Touko, she couldn't shake the feeling of humiliation and tension from Aki's coldness towards her. And for Aki, he couldn't get the image of Touko's battered form out of his mind, the fear and worry for her safety gnawing at him constantly.

Yet, they continued to dance around their feelings, both too stubborn to admit them openly.

Denji and Power both knew that Aki and Touko needed some time to recover. After approaching them and putting it out into the open, Denji doing most of the talking while Power paid no real attention to it, they talked to both Aki and Touko about taking a break from the violence in their lives they faced as Devil Hunters. Though reluctant at first, Aki and Touko eventually agreed.

With Denji and Power off on a mission with another team, Aki and Touko found themselves alone in the apartment for the day.

Aki took advantage of Denji and Power's absence to take care of the chores around the house, determined to keep his mind occupied and avoid any awkward run-ins with Touko. All the while, he couldn't help but steal glances towards Touko's room, wondering what she was doing.

Since his last mission, Aki felt a constant, heavy fatigue deep within his bones. He couldn't help but feel a little winded and out of breath even when he wasn't exerting himself. He knew that this exhaustion was stemming from the fact that he had used his nail sword to save Touko, and the knowledge that he had sacrificed a portion of his lifespan in order to save her weighed heavily on his mind.

Aki's thoughts continued to swirl as he went about his chores. He couldn't help but wonder why Touko had taken such a risk during their last mission. He shook his head, trying to push the uneasy feeling away.  He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Touko's recklessness than just a need to prove herself.

Aki's thoughts were interrupted as he saw Touko emerging from her room and towards the kitchen where he was standing at the counter, wiping off the countertop. He pretended to focus on wiping the countertop, his eyes stealing glances at Touko out of the corner of his eye. He watched as she moved past him, grabbing a glass of water and sipping it slowly.

His eyes trailed over Touko's figure, noticing the subtle signs of healing on her arms, the once-visible bruises now faded and barely visible. He felt a small sense of relief knowing that she had recovered from her injuries.

Touko stood still, her eyes flickering over to Aki as he wiped down the counter. She studied his stoic expression, noting the subtle signs of exhaustion and fatigue in his face that betrayed his efforts to conceal it. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt for the toll their mission had taken on him, especially since he stepped in to save her. Despite their argument, she also couldn't ignore the concern that welled up within her at the sight of him in such a worn-down state.

Touko took a deep breath and pushed away her conflicting emotions for the moment. Without a word, she moved over to his side and began to help clean the kitchen, helping him wipe down the counter.