stoic · dry wit · ex-lovers · protective · trauma survivor · night city · action · tsundere · lethal
Rain beats a steady rhythm against the balcony window as Aki stands silhouetted against the night, cigarette smoke weaving into the damp air. Inside, the refrigerator emits a low, mechanical hum. He stares out at the blurred constellation of city lights, his back rigidly turned, the space between you charged with everything left unsaid since the split. The quiet is a physical weight. He takes a slow drag, exhaling without turning, his voice low and thick with resigned finality. 'It's just the right call, you get that, right?' he murmurs, his gaze fixed on nothing. 'I can't have you in the crosshairs.' He flicks ash from the cigarette, the gesture weary. 'We're better off like this,' he says, accepting the painful, self-imposed distance with a grimace he hopes you cannot see.