─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR:
We've already proved even death
can't do us part.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Aki sat in the chair outside the coffee shop, raising her iced drink to her lips, sucking on the straw. It had been a month since the fall of the Double A and life had been good. She had returned to the Port Mafia, alongside Chuuya who was allowed to keep his Executive position as a reward for assisting in the takedown of the assassin organisation. Mori had welcomed them back as if nothing had happened and neither of them could be bitter. Had they been in his shoes, they probably would have done the same—hell, they had done the same. They'd both tried to kill each other before they came to their senses, but who else would they be if not temper-mental and downright stubborn?

The pair had been searching for an apartment together for the last month, deciding they wanted to move out of the Port Mafia building and with Mori's approval, they immediately began house-hunting. It didn't feel too soon to be moving in together, not after everything they'd been through together within such a small time. They'd fought tooth and nail to be together—not even allowing death itself to separate them. Aki had just came back from dropping off some things at the apartment they had bought. It was all kind of bougie, right up Chuuya's alley. Though, they had already argued over the colour theme the house would follow. Aki had won that argument pretty quickly and all it had took was lowering herself to her knees in front of him and reminding him why she was very much the boss of the relationship.

Aki reached up, tucking a strand of freshly cut hair behind her hair. It had been fixed up a few days after the fall of the Double A and rested just below her ear, "You're looking well, Kana—not as deathly pale as you used to look." She said after taking a long sip of the iced-coffee. It was something she had recently took up after Higuchi took her to the very same cafe. She had become addicted to the caramel flavoured coffee.

Kana scoffed, her pink hair tied back into two low ponytails. It had grown out a little over the last month, touching her shoulders, "Yeah, I guess that's what Vitamin D does," She said, reaching up to touch her cheek. Aki was right, the colour had restored to her cheeks since she had left the Double A—she looked even prettier now that she didn't look as though she was on the verge of death. "You're looking pretty good yourself. I'm not gonna lie, I was really worried about that hair of yours, but it looks great." She said, picking up her black coffee to take a long sip, trying to hide the compliment beneath the cup.

Aki smiled a little, "Yeah, Chuuya seems to like it. Though he missed being able to pull on—"

Kana held a hand up, "Too much information," She spoke over her, squeezing her eyes shut. She did not want to think about her best friend and her handsome ginger boyfriend going at it over lunch. "You two though... you seem perfectly suited for each other. I never would have guessed it." She said, offering a small smile. Part of her was jealous, she couldn't deny it. Despite everything, she was extremely protective over Aki and sometimes she hated that the man took up so much of her time. But that wasn't exactly all it was. She'd never been romantically involved with anyone that wasn't part of a job—she envied Aki for having that.

Aki shrugged, though there was a smile on her lips, "Well, it was either kill each other or fall in love. What choice did we have?" She said, raising her brows.

Kana chuckled, gesturing with her hand, "The Great assassin, Akira Kitagawa, everyone," She drawled out, though she kept her voice down. Aki laughed, the corner of her eyes creasing. "For real, you make me sick." She added, screwing up her face, though her tone was playful.

Aki stuck her tongue out at her.

The pair took sips of their drinks before Kana settled her mug onto the table between them, "So, why did you want to have this lunch anyway?" She asked her, eying her friend suspiciously. Aki was the only number Kana had in her recently purchased phone—which had also been a gift from Aki, so when the phone rang, Kana had known it was her. Though, she was quite surprised Aki had something as mundane as lunch in mind.

Aki popped the straw of her drink in her mouth, "I just wanted to see how you're doing," She said, earning a skeptical gaze from Kana. Aki widened her eyes at the woman. "What? It's true! Look, full offence here, but I'm your only friend in this entire city and you barely have enough money to get by. I'm just worried about you." She defended herself whilst simultaneously insulting the pink-haired woman.

Kana shrugged, "I robbed a guy the other day so I've got a little extra cash on me—enough for a deposit on a shitty apartment anyway." She casually told her, as if robbing someone was normal. It hadn't been some poor pedestrian though, it was actually a politician who enjoyed looking up women's skirts. So Kana had kicked him into the dirt of a dark alley, stood over him with her foot on his chest, demanded he handover his bank card and his pin before leaving without a word. He'd had it coming.

Aki grinned, "You sure are resourceful," She chirped, more than a little pleased that her best friend was still sticking to semi-wicked ways. "But I'm asking what your plan is. Like what do you want to do now that you're free? You could always join the—"

"I am not joining the Port Mafia," Kana spoke over her, making Aki pout. "I'm done with that part of my life. I thought about freedom so often that I didn't really ever consider what I'd do once I had it—since it seemed to unlikely. I don't know, maybe I'll become a petty thief and make an living from grand theft auto." She said with a shrug, making Aki snort into her drink.

The dark-haired woman swallowed down her drink and then stared at Kana with eyes she was so sure could see straight through her, "Or what if—and hear me out, you become a better version of yourself?" She suggested, arching an eyebrow, making Kana look at her as though she'd grown a second head.

"What nonsense are you talking about now?" She prompted, her face turning sour. Her? An assassin becoming a better version of herself? The best she could probably do was hold back on pulling her gun on those that rudely bumped into her in the streets.

Aki stared at her, "You know you've always been a good person at heart, Kana—"

Kana scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Yeah, all the murdering really shows what a softie I am." She grumbled, glaring at the woman in front of her, talking out of her ass.

"Well, I think you're a good person," Aki said, making Kana blink back in surprise. She laughed a little. "God knows I couldn't do it—turn over a new leaf. I enjoy this life far too much, but you..." She trailed off, studying Kana with amber eyes who squirmed beneath her stare, averting her gaze.

"You've always been good," Aki began saying, crossing one of her legs over the other. "You we're the first friend I ever had—my best friend. You showed me compassion, even in times where I didn't deserve it. And every life you've ever took, you pray for their souls. You're a good person, Kana. I believe that with everything I have." She passionately told her, staring the woman down.

Kana's gaze flickered up to meet hers, "Yeah? What does it matter. You think I'm gonna be able to live a normal life after everything that happened?" She asked her, her tone sharp.

Aki laughed, "Normal? God no, but I do know of somewhere you'd fit in perfectly," She said, piquing Kana's interest. She still thought she was bullshitting her, but she couldn't deny her curiosity. Aki's lashes fluttered, batting her amber eyes. "You've heard of the Armed Detective Agency, right?" She asked her, a calculating tone to her voice.

Kana's brows furrowed, "Yeah, I've heard of the do-gooders. They even helped bring down the Double A, right? And soaked up all the credit for saving the children." She bitterly said, though, she supposed they did save the children whilst the rest of them were on a murder mission. They really were the good guys.

"Yup, that's them," Aki chirped, reaching into the bra underneath her black dress. "They have two ex Port Mafia members on their team who's ledgers are stained in red. I doubt you'd even make them squirm." She said, handing the woman the small sheet of folded paper in her hands.

Kana reached across the table, taking it between her fingers. She gave Aki an unimpressed look, "Are you seriously trying to set me up with a job right now?" She grumbled moodily.

Aki grinned, "Gotta make sure you're taken care of, right, bestie?" She chirped, making Kana scoff as she opened up the piece of paper.

Ask for Osamu Dazai.

There was a phone number scribbled between the note.

Kana screwed up her farce, "Not a chance. I am not working with the—"

"Will you stop being a stubborn ass and just consider it?" Aki spoke over her, narrowing her eyes as Kana stared at the paper intensely before sighing.

"I'm not going to hear the end of it if I don't, will I?" She knowingly said. Aki smiled sheepishly at her, making her throw her hands up in defeat. "Alright! But that doesn't mean I'm going to join them, okay? I'll give them a chance but that's it." She insisted stubbornly, giving Aki a firm glare as she grinned smugly.

"I think you're going to be very happy there."

"Honey, I'm home!" Aki called out as she kicked the apartment door behind her with her heel, making it close shut. She kicked her heels off by the door before taking off her jacket and hanging it up on the stand by the door. She could smell the scent of vanilla wafting through the new apartment from burning candles, something she and Chuuya had been doing to break in their new home. They'd had the keys handed over to them at the start of the week. After work, Chuuya had headed straight home whilst Aki had met up with Kana.

She walked down the hallway where rose petals had been sprinkled, leading to the open-plan living room with an adjacent kitchen with a smile on her face. The apartment was huge and spacious, already practically furnished. Chuuya had used his gravity to move things around the home instead of hiring anyone to help them move in—and it had worked like a charm.

Aki entered the living room, where two white leather sofas sat in the centre, a large glass coffee table in front of them with a wide-screen TV hanging from the wall. There was an archway right beside it leading into the kitchen. The living room only had on the low-lights set up around the space, along with candles burning on just about every surface possible. There were two white-leather chairs on the platformed piece of ground by the large arrays of windows with a glistening city-scape, a small table between them. In one of those chairs sat the man she had been looking forward to come home to, a glass of wine in his hands, another glass on the table in front of him along with a vintage bottle of the red liquid.

Chuuya lifted his head, the shadow from his hat crossing his features. He grinned at her before patting his lap, "Welcome home, baby," He greeted as she crossed the floor towards him, her hips swinging in her black skin-tight dress, cropped hair swishing by her ears. She sat down on his thighs, placing a long kiss onto his lips that they both deserved after being separated for the last few hours. "Did you manage to get everything sorted with Kana?" He asked her, his gloveless hand clutching her hip, the other holding his glass.

Aki reached across to the table, picking up her own glass of wine and taking a sip. She had come to realise why her boyfriend enjoyed having a glass after a long day of work, "Yeah. But she's a stubborn one. It might take some time before she even thinks about calling Dazai." She informed him, giving a small laugh.

Chuuya scoffed, "That's exactly why you're best friends. You're both so similar," He informed her. "But I'm sure she'll come to her senses and join them eventually. Though, I do feel for her. She'll have to put up with that annoying bastard." He said, his nose crinkling. Aki didn't have to ask to know who he was speaking about because there was only one person he could mean.

                     "Kana can handle Dazai," She assured him with a smile on her lips. She looked down at him, taking in how sexy he looked with the first few buttons of his shirt undone, showing off his silky smooth chest. "I missed you." She said in a soft tone, reaching out to take the hat from his head, dropping it onto the table before putting her hands through his hair.

He tipped his head upwards, planting a kiss to her chin, "It's still crazy hearing you say stuff like that," He began saying. "I think I got a little too used to the 'drop dead's' and 'fuck you's'." He added, a small laugh escaping his lips, making her smile.

"It is strange, isn't it?" She agreed, her hands combing through the back of his hair. "Who ever would have thought at the start of this that we would fall in love, let alone move in together?" She said, laughing at their expense. It was crazy to think about, how each word they had spoke had gone from venomous to soft. It was a miracle—one they were both incredibly grateful for.

"Mori, apparently," Chuuya informed her, making her let out a puff of air that was supposed to be a laugh. "He told me he saw it all from the moment he laid eyes on us. He insists he predicted a duo capable of ruin because of their desire for one another—he said he was betting on it." He said, his hand moving from her hip to the small of her back, giving it a little rub.

Aki screwed up her face, "That's one confusing man."

"Agreed," Chuuya said before kissing her softly on the lips, a sigh escaping his mouth. He rested his forehead against hers. "You're everything to me, you know that, right?" He asked her, pulling back and opening his eyes to look at her—eyes that were so full of love as he stared at the woman sitting on top of him.

Aki smiled brightly, "You're the same thing to me," She assured him, settling down her wine glass to clutch at his face. "You made me realise I was human and I can't thank you enough for that, Chuuya. You gave me hope when I thought I'd all but lost it. You've managed to consume my entire being—how that happened, I'll never understand. But it did happen. And I'm so glad that it did." She confessed, stroking his face tenderly, eyes smiling into his—a look she reserved for him and him only. Murderers the both of them might still have been, but they were both their softest and strongest when they were together.

Chuuya breathed out shakily, "I love you, Akira Kitagawa."

Aki pushed her forehead to his, "And I love you, Chuuya Nakahara." Their lips met in the middle, confirming their words with their mouths alone. Aki's hands went to the back of his hair, tangling her fingers in it, tugging him closer whilst his arm snaked around her waist, holding onto her tightly, as if he never planned on letting her go.

Chuuya pulled back breathlessly, settling the wine glass onto the table before wrapping both his arms around her waist. He looked up at her, that boyish twinkle that she loved so much in his eyes, "I think you should marry me." He confessed, making her eyes widen in amusement, her stomach doing a somersault.

"What?" She giggled in disbelief.

"Marry me," Chuuya said with urgency, reaching into the pocket of his waist coat, pulling out a velvet red box. Aki's eyes widened as she stared at it, realising he wasn't joking around. "I bought this the other day and I told myself I'd keep it on me at all times—that I'd only use it when the moment felt right. But every moment with you feels right. We already live together and we've well established we want to stick around. So do it, Aki. Marry me." He passionately told her, popping the box open, revealing an enormous ring inside. It was a red stone—a ruby, and a real one at that, with a bunch of tiny diamonds wrapped around it. It was absolutely beautiful and nowhere near boring. It was perfect.

His eyes were focused on hers as she stared at the ring, her lips parted, eyes wide, "Either tell me I'm crazy or put this ring on your finger," He ordered her, his voice breathless. "Because I want to marry you, Akira. We've already proved even death can't do us part. What else is there but this?" Aki couldn't believe it. Not that he would want to propose, but that she was being proposed to by someone as special as him. He was everything to her—her entire being. And he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"You're crazy," Aki breathed out, though her hand moved towards the small box. She took the ring between her thumb and index finger pulling it out. "But I'm a little crazy too." She whispered softly, sliding the ring on her finger, making Chuuya's face light up with glee. God, he loved her. He loved her so fucking much.

She took his face in her hands, brushing her nose against hers, "I'll marry you, Chuuya Nakahara."

— THE END

AUTHORS NOTE.

             guys, i am empty🥹. i put so much into this book which was never even supposed to be published in the first place and i've got so attached to it! i had such a great time writing this book and all it's twists and turns! i also think i'll probably write a few bonus chapters too! so if there's anything you'd wanna see, please let me know in the comments bc i can't get enough of aki and chuuya🥹 if the plot wasn't fully wrapped, i would 100% have wrote a second book for them! however... their story is not entirely over regardless.

                 i've kinda hinted at it throughout this book but here's the actual announcement—KANA IS GETTING HER OWN BOOK! and who's the love interest you ask? dazai obviously🥹. i've seriously got to thank morfiveuscxo bc she's the one that originally suggested using kana as the oc for a dazai book before i was even halfway through this one. so thank u girly, you're a legend <3.

                and thank you to anyone who has read this book and enjoyed it, it means a lot to me <3. i hope to see you all in the dazai fic!

                much love.

                — taylor xx