Credens justitiam (Believing in Justice)

Dum spiramus tuebimur

And like clockwork, Okumura's eyes began overflowing with the dark tears of death as he finally collapsed, and the channel was interrupted. Akechi waited to hear or see a reaction out of Alix, but whatever she meant to say from this point forward meant that she had regrets but who could blame her? He'd been doing this for 2 years now and it had been so painlessly easy that he could scoff at the work of both psychotic breaks and mental shut downs, but this one was different. And maybe she couldn't understand the magnitude of the work he and Shido were planning.

"So, this what a mental shut down looks like...You did this."

"We."

"You're right. "We" did this though I wasn't expecting this to be so fantastically dreadful, but I guess that's how it goes. Goro," She paused as if tangling more into her feelings. "There's more to this isn't it? There is an end goal, right? You wouldn't do this for your own gain, right?"

"I can't be honest with that."

"Why not?"

"Is there someone ordering you to do this? Will you tell me that or...?"

"It is better not to know because if you did, you'd be further jeopardizing your life-"

"Aren't I doing that now!?"

He sighed, readjusting his tie and standing further over her and like a child, he attached to her so fast, that she tried to spring back but his pressure was enough to ease her. Easing, careful.

His gloved hand played around her growing hair and finally grasping nothing but the very light strands of her ending hair; and somehow, he wanted to experience it, so with a moment, the glove came off and he felt the whole thing.

His breathing slowly circled around her and she gladly stayed still before being tempted to throw her arms around his waist, almost imparting the wisdom that he sought.

"C-Can't we...stay here...?" She cried carelessly.

This was fleeting before them and soon if they could, they could forget it all...maybe her proposal of running away felt rational in this moment and certainly reassuring. Akechi didn't have to deal with the fallout with Shido and somehow the investigation of The Phantom Thieves could be out of memory if they just ran.

If they continued running, turning their backs to the wind.

He gritted his teeth, for the dull pain was striking his very core.

"Goro?"

"I promise after all this, we'll leave this all behind. I promise that we'll go far from here...just us."

Why were the words escaping now? Why was he being so irrational, but he couldn't think at all and no concise conclusion was coming up. No take aways from the situation except to run. Except to forget the world and be on their own terms. Make it together. This felt extremely appealing and yet, he knew how ludicrous it was, but he couldn't banish it entirely, for he was a different man away from her, so distant and ice cold but even then, he wanted to put his hands on that fire. He wanted to be warm too.

He wanted to lay down and just take her away from all this nonsense. Who cared about justice or even changing hearts? Let Shido deal with it on his own and just leave one day without saying a word to anyone, all with determination and dashing to that starting line.

"I want what you want and if you want to leave, then we will do that. I want you always to be happy even at the expense of my own moods."

"You're silly. I want that too, for you. It's funny how contradictory it all is as we want the best for each other. Goro," Tiptoeing at the highest point, she landed a kiss that was wet and lavish that he had to reciprocate back, only with more confidence and no intent to stop, hands roaming and tongues reaching to the back of mouths, slobbering over each other.

Then as the passion heated up, he found himself carrying her over the threshold to the bed, marking the feelings in his actions; and as the clothes fell to the way side and soon he was on top pushing himself into her. That was how close he could get to her, so close and yet, there was no rhythm or rhyme to his heart. It just was. It just had to be.

Sweat beaded off his brow but somehow with a lot of vigor, he continued shoving himself forward and always, he looked at her fact, even if her eyes were shut, there was enough of the feelings in the air.

Almost like a fog. A thickening fog.

All tangled up in each other, almost ready to say the wrong words but with a hushed whisper, they were in sync, almost throwing away the responsibilities of the day to be together. Almost too vulnerable for their own good and with a closing happiness, and which they both had to exit from but not now. Not as pleasure rocked them both, with Alix's fingers digging into his back and then lightly trailing down.

If it was so simple as to forget then they both would...

If it was so simple to say no to the world, they would, and slowly, Akechi understood the tricks of love.