𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙚 | 𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘩. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

˚⊱ 25. | ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴜꜱ ᴘᴛ. 5 ⊰˚

She looked at him, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Aki's words had tapped into a deep, vulnerable part of her, bringing up emotions she had long suppressed. She felt exposed, laid bare before him, and yet there was a sense of comfort in knowing that he understood her, that he didn't shy away from her past traumas.

He reached out, his calloused fingers brushing against her cheek, catching a loose strand of hair and tucking it behind her ear.

Aki couldn't help but feel his heart quicken as he tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. The way she looked at him, her eyes a mixture of emotion and disbelief, it was intoxicating.

His mind briefly flickered to the unspoken line that divided them. But as he saw the vulnerability in her gaze, saw the way his words were affecting her, that line faded from his mind temporarily. All that mattered in that moment was her.

His fingers lingered on her cheek, his gaze drinking in her expression. The way the dim light cast shadows on her face, the slight part of her lips, the tiny flutter of her eyelashes as she looked back at him. It was all so intimate, so intense.

Aki pushed aside the usual boundaries he set for himself. In this moment, she needed compassion, comfort, and reassurance. And damn the consequences, he was going to provide it.

Touko's thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions as she looked up at Aki. The touch of his fingers on her cheek made her heart jump into her throat. The soft, yet intense gaze in his eyes made her feel both fragile and powerful.

The words he spoke echoed in her head, each one like a small beacon of hope, breaking through the clouds of guilt and grief that had shadowed her for years. She had forgotten what it felt like to be seen, to be truly seen.

As she looked into Aki's eyes, she felt herself drawn deeper into his presence. His words and touch combined to create a sense of safety, of comfort, that she hadn't felt in a long time. The invisible line between them faded even more, the boundary she had carefully erected around her heart becoming more and more paper thin.

The unshed tears that had been building in Touko's eyes began to slide down her cheeks, her emotions becoming too overwhelming to hold back. Her breath caught in her throat, her body trembling slightly under the weight of her feelings.

Aki's words, his touch, were like a gentle rain, washing away the dust and grime that had settled on her heart, revealing the raw, tender flesh beneath. She swallowed hard, trying to find words, but they wouldn't come.

She inhaled sharply, her chest tight. She had spent so long burying her emotions, keeping her walls high and her heart locked away. The feelings that were now flooding her were so powerful, so intense. It was both frightening and liberating. It was like a dam inside her had broken, releasing a flood of emotion she didn't know what to do with.

Touko's eyes met Aki's, silently pleading for something, though she wasn't sure what.

Aki's eyes softened as he saw Touko's tears falling, the emotion clear on her face.

He cupped her face in one hand, his calloused thumb softly wiping away the tears on her cheeks. A small, soft smile played on his lips as he saw the rosy hue on her cheeks match the warmth on his own.

He held her gaze, his touch feather-light against her skin. The contrast between his rough fingers and her delicate cheeks was almost poetic. Aki wanted nothing more than to take her pain away, to reassure her, to show her that she wasn't alone.

Aki's voice was a soft, barely audible whisper, meant just for her ears. "You're perfect," he said quietly, his gaze never leaving hers. "Even when you're crying, when you're vulnerable...you're beautiful."