Chapter Text
Going to work that day is more daunting than ever. Somehow, it feels more dangerous than when Aki knows he has to face a particularly nasty devil.
He stays behind when the daily briefing wraps up and the room empties and waits until the door clicks shut before turning to the desk. Makima is seated, flipping through a thin folder of reports. She doesn’t look up, but Aki knows she knows he’s there.
“Something else, Hawakawa?” she asks at last.
“Yes, ma’am,” Aki bows his head slightly. “I wanted to update you on something from last night.”
Makima finally looks at him. She closes the folder and rests her elbows atop it, steepling her fingers under her chin. “Go on.”
“After the Slug Devil incident,” he says. “Angel was completely covered in gore, along with Denji, Power, and myself. My apartment was the closest place to clean up, so I made the call to take him back with us.”
“Ah, yes. Kusakabe informed me about the situation.”
Aki swallows. “It got too late to return him to Public Safety afterward,” he continues, making sure to keep his tone even. “So I allowed him to stay the night. I brought him back early this morning.”
The silence stretches long enough for Aki to feel the back of his neck prickle. Makima’s sharp gaze is fixed on him. Finally, she leans back in her chair. “I see. That wasn’t quite procedure.”
“No, ma’am,” Aki admits. “It was a judgement call.”
She keeps her unreadable gaze on him a moment longer before her eyes soften slightly, though there’s still something calculating behind them. “I suppose it worked out. It meant an extra set of eyes on Denji at night. And,” she adds, smiling slightly. “I’m glad to hear you and Angel are getting along so well.”
Aki keeps his expression neutral. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Hopefully that means you’re getting through to him,” she continues. “His lethargy is rather inconvenient. If he’s becoming more motivated under your guidance, that would make him a real asset when the time comes to face the Gun Devil.”
Motivated. Aki fights the urge to laugh under his breath. The only things that motivate Angel are sweets and, more recently, sex.
He keeps his posture straight and his tone even. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. You’ve always been reliable, Hayakwa. I trust you remember what I told you?”
Aki nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Right now, your top priority is protecting Denji. Nothing should distract you from that. Do you understand?”
Aki’s throat feels dry. “I understand,” he bows his head again.
“Good.”
Aki leaves Makima’s office with his heart still beating unnaturally fast in his chest. He walks down the hall, hands shoved into his pockets, trying to shake off the chill climbing up his spine.
He knows he should feel relieved. She didn’t press, didn’t question further. She let it go. But somehow, that makes it worse.
Makima always knows more than she says.
And that thought alone should be enough to scare him straight. Should make him want to pull back from Angel. But it doesn’t. Because the truth is, Aki’s already way too far gone to pretend this is something he can rein in.
He doesn’t want to be careful. He doesn’t want to be logical. He just wants Angel.
And there he is, his Angel, already waiting for him on the roof when Aki pushes open the door.
He’s leaning on the low wall. The morning sun reflects off his halo, catching on his auburn hair, turning it fiery and vibrant. Aki stands there at the doorway for a second, just staring.
When Angel turns, there’s a lollipop between his lips, which lift into a soft smile that makes something twist in Aki’s chest.
“You’re late,” Angel says, pulling the stick from his mouth. The candy’s all gone, the end of the stick all chewed up.
Aki walks over to him, lighting a cigarette.
“You look tense.” Angel tilts his head. “Let me guess. Makima wasn’t pleased?”
“Not exactly,” Aki says, though his voice comes out tighter than he means. “She actually said she was glad we’re getting along.”
“Getting along?” Angel repeats, amused. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
“Apparently,” Aki mutters, smiling despite himself.
Angel steps closer and plays with Aki’s tie, bottom lip caught between his teeth. The light morning breeze dances through his hair. Aki can’t look away. His heart aches with want. He really wishes he could kiss Angel. He does the next best thing and takes a long, slow drag of his cigarette instead.
Angel tilts his head up, a wordless invitation. “Does that mean I can come over again? Get along with you some more?”
Aki feels his face flush and he leans down, exhaling into Angel’s waiting mouth. Angel breathes in, lashes lowering, the faintest blush painting his cheeks.
It should be enough. This ritual, this near contact, but lately, it hasn’t been.
Aki’s heart hammers as they do it again, slower this time. He watches Angel’s mouth as he exhales. He leans in the slightest bit closer. He shouldn’t. He knows better. But fuck. Angel’s so close. Close enough that Aki can feel the heat radiating off him, taste the sweetness still lingering in his breath.
It physically hurts not to touch him. His hand comes up to the back of Angel’s neck, gloves grazing skin through strands of hair.
He leans in just a little more before he can stop himself, his lips hovering a breath away from Angel’s.
“Careful,” Angel murmurs, palm flattening against Aki's chest and gently pushing him back.
Aki sighs and pulls back, but trails his fingers from Angel’s neck to his jaw, gloved thumb brushing lightly across his cheek, the corner of his mouth. Angel looks up at him, eyes wide and bright and a little wary, as if he’s worried Aki might just throw caution to the wind and actually kiss him.
He wants to. But he doesn’t.
They stay like that, exchanging smoke and breaths until the cigarette burns down the filter. Aki exhales the final stream of smoke between them and Angel leans forward to catch it. Then, finally, Aki lets his hand fall from Angel’s face. It’s time to leave.
Aki takes a deep breath as they head downstairs. He needs to focus—needs to at least look like he’s keeping things professional between them. Needs to keep this hidden from Makima and everyone else. He knows the stakes, knows the risk.
And still, as they meet up with the rest of the team, all Aki can think about is how soon he can get Angel alone again.
🍭
Patrol is filled with the usual noise of Denji’s chatter, Power’s yelling, and Kusakabe’s scolding. The familiar disorderliness of it is almost comforting at this point. But it’s still mostly just monotonous and dull.
Aki walks next to Angel, eyes forward, movements mechanical. Everything he does feels mindless, automatic—checking corners, scanning faces, nodding at Kusakabe’s updates. It leaves him a lot of room to watch Angel and the way the devil always looks so fascinated by the city. He thinks back to when Angel had told him about being a country mouse and wonders if that’s changed.
When they stop for lunch, they go to a burger place at Denji’s insistence. It’s more crowded than any of them would prefer, but Denji and Power immediately run up to the counter to order, so there’s no turning back now.
Angel sighs and sits down at the first empty table he finds, a small one near the window. Aki joins the line and orders for both of them. Burgers, fries, drinks, and a large vanilla caramel milkshake for Angel.
When he comes back, balancing multiple trays with help from Kusakabe and Tamaki, he pauses. Yoshida has made himself comfortable across from Angel, elbows propped casually on the table, halfway through some story that apparently has Angel’s full attention—something Aki didn’t think possible.
It’s irrational, Aki knows, but the sight annoys him. Especially when Tamaki plops a tray in front of Yoshida, basically cementing his place in that seat across from Angel.
Aki hesitates before he sets Angel’s tray down too. Angel immediately picks up the milkshake with a slight smile and Aki hovers for a second, pretending to adjust his own tray. Yoshida raises a brow at Aki, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
Aki wants to sit there, where Yoshida is. But there are only two chairs, and Yoshida is still lounging comfortably in one of them, looking far too amused for Aki’s liking. “No milkshake for me?”
“You can order one if you want,” Aki says flatly.
“Nah,” Yoshida leans back, grin widening as he pops a fry into his mouth. “Don’t feel like getting up.”
Aki clenches his jaw and looks around. Denji and Power are at the next table, halfway through their fries. The only other open table left is all the way on the other side of the restaurant.
“Guess you’ll have to sit over there, huh?”
Aki has to swallow down the urge to glare at Yoshida. Luckily, before he can reply, Tamaki calls out, “Hayakawa, over here.”
Aki looks over to see a table clearing up beside Denji and Power’s. He nods and goes over to sit with Tamaki and Kusakabe. From this angle, he can just barely see Angel through the space between Denji and Power’s heads. Angel is stirring his milkshake idly with the straw, back to listening to whatever story Yoshida had been telling him.
Aki forces himself to focus on his burger.
Next to him, Power is dismantling hers. “Denji, you can have my vegetables.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure,” Denji says, already reaching over when Kusakabe’s hand blocks him.
“Don’t encourage her,” he says. “A well balanced diet is essential to maintain a healthy mind and body.”
Aki takes a sip of his drink and gives Power a look. “You pick them out a lot at home too.”
Tamaki points his fry at Power. “Eat your veggies.”
Power’s expression turns scandalized. “Excuse me? Are you giving orders to me, your better? If I wanted to, I could turn this place into a sea of blood, you know!”
“At least try them!” Denji grabs a lettuce leaf and tomato slice and shoves them into her face. “Here you go!”
“It tastes like dirt!” Power screams while Denji cackles. She spits out a piece onto her tray. “Gross! No more. I’m gonna barf. Eat it, Denji.”
“What?” Denji wrinkles his nose. “No way. I never wanna eat barf again.”
“It’ll be perfect barf, promise,” Power insists.
Denji pauses, seems to think about it, then says, “I’ll eat your barf for 10,000 yen.”
From the next table, Angel frowns at them, fry halfway to his mouth. “Don’t talk about barf while we’re eating.”
Aki almost laughs. Big talk coming from someone who basically ate candy out of Power’s hair just this morning.
Power slams her fist on the table. “I refuse to take another bite! I hate vegetables!” she shrieks, jumping up to her feet. She storms off, knocking into another customer. “Die!”
Kusakabe yells after her. “The fiend ran for it!”
Denji takes a long, loud sip of his drink and shakes his head. “Nah, she’s not going anywhere. She’ll be waiting outside.”
Tamaki turns to Aki. “Should we head out too?”
Aki glances down at his half eaten burger and sighs. “Yeah,” he stands, wiping the crumbs off his fingers. “Sounds like a plan”
Everyone else has already finished their meals. They toss their wrappers in the trash. Angel grabs his milkshake cup, still sipping from it as they step back out into the afternoon sun.
As Denji had predicted, Power is waiting right outside the door, arms crossed, chin tilted up in defiance. She falls into step beside him as they cross the street. The others automatically fall into their usual formation around the two.
Angel, as always, drifts toward the back. Aki slows until their steps match. The city buzzes around them, cars rolling by, snippets of random conversations filtering in and out. Angel takes one final, obnoxiously loud sip from his milkshake before tossing the empty cup into a bin they pass.
“You were glaring,” he says suddenly.
Aki blinks. “What?”
“Back at the restaurant. At Yoshida. I thought your head was going to explode.”
Aki feels himself flush. “I wasn’t glaring.”
Angel hums softly. “You sure? Because it looked a lot like glaring.”
“I wasn’t.”
Angel glances sideways at him, lips twitching. “So you weren’t jealous, then?”
Aki keeps staring straight ahead. “Of what?”
“Of Yoshida,” Angel says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You didn’t want to sit with me?”
“Of course I would like to have sat with you,” Aki says. “But I wasn’t jealous.”
Angel tilts his head, studying him. “You’re bad at hiding it, you know.”
“Hiding what?”
“The jealousy.”
“I wasn’t jealous!”
“Of course not.” Angel’s tone is light, teasing. “Even Yoshida could tell. That’s why he was egging you on.”
Aki glares at him, which only makes Angel grin wider.
“Hayakawa!”
A familiar voice cuts through the street and both of them turn at the same time to see Kobeni walking toward them, Violence and Kurose behind her. Kurose?
Aki hadn’t expected to see him again after hearing about Tendo and Subaru. The three of them had also been assigned to Denji’s bodyguard duty before a seemingly random ambush took two of them out.
Aki feels a twinge of sympathy for the guy. He knows the pain of losing partners too well, the loss of Himeno ever present in his mind.
“Kurose, it’s been a while,” he says, stepping forward. “We heard what happened to Tendo and Subaru. You don’t need to push yourself to join this mission. That’s Makima-san’s word and I agree. You ought to rest and recuperate.”
Kurose shakes his head, face pale but determined. “I begged Higashiyama and her buddy to sneak me out of the hospital. I want to avenge my friends. I have to.”
“I know how you feel,” Aki says, and he does. Too well. “But—”
“Then don’t try to talk me out of it,” Kurose cuts him off. “Please.”
Aki hesitates, then nods.
Kurose gives him a grateful smile. His gaze flicks over to Denji. “Blondie there. Is he Chainsaw, then?”
Denji straightens, looking Kurose up and down, unimpressed. “Yeah? So what if I am?”
“I’m a pro too,” Kurose says, taking a step toward him. “Let me help you with this mission. I won’t hold you back.” He holds out his hand. “Put her there.”
Denji eyes the hand with thinly veiled disgust. “I don’t wanna touch some dude’s hand.”
“Denji!” Aki barks at him.
Denji groans but grudgingly sticks his hand out. “Fine, whatever.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kurose says. “I’ll protect you. Enough for Tendo and Subaru too—”
The words have barely left his mouth when the loud screech of tires on pavement drowns them out. Aki’s instincts kick in before his brain catches up. He yanks Angel behind him just as a car comes into view—Kobeni’s car, he realizes in horror—and slams straight into Denji and Kurose.
Both go flying.
Aki, Angel and the others look at them, open-mouthed and in disbelief, as they hit the pavement hard. Kurose’s head smashes against the sidewalk railing with a loud crack. Aki’s blood runs cold.
“W—What the hell?” he shouts, rounding on Power, who’s just climbed out of the driver’s seat. “What’s wrong with you!”
Power immediately points a finger at Kobeni, who looks like she might throw up or pass out or, most likely, both. “I wasn’t driving! It’s her fault.”
“I saw you at the wheel!”
“My god! Hayakawa, look!” Kusakabe’s voice cuts through the chaos. “His face changed.”
Aki turns back to Kurose. His body lies broken and bloody on the ground, but the face staring unseeingly up at them isn’t his. It’s someone else entirely, someone older, unfamiliar.
“I know that face,” Tamaki says, voice shaky. “He’s a devil hunter who moonlights as a hitman in America. One of three brothers. They’ve got a contract with the Skin Devil. As far as I know, they can steal the appearances of corpses they’ve touched.”
For a moment, no one speaks. No one even breathes. Then Power’s eyes widen and Aki can see the gears turning in her head before a grin spreads across her face. “Ha! I knew it! Looks like only Power could see through the enemy’s disguise!”
Yoshida hums thoughtfully. “If there are three of them, that means two are still out there. They could have already replaced any of us.”
Kusakabe swears under his breath. “We’ll need to verify our identities. Everyone—let’s move somewhere quiet and show each other our devils.”
They all nod in agreement and crowd into a narrow alley, out of sight from civilians and the street still stained with blood, a corpse, and a wrecked car.
“Everyone, show your devils,” Kusakabe orders. “We can’t risk another Skin Devil imposter.”
One by one, the team complies. Kusakabe summons his Stone Devil. Yoshida calls for his Octopus Devil. Power gleefully creates a sharp spear of blood and stabs it into the wall. “Behold! The proof of my power!”
Kusakabe sighs. “Yeah. That'll do.”
Denji, already up and at it despite being rammed by a car not ten minutes ago, rolls his shoulders, grinning. “You want my proof? I can rev my chest—”
“No,” Aki cuts him off before Power can encourage it.
Tamaki nods. “If you were the imposter, that would mean we’ve already lost.”
From over Tamaki’s head, Aki catches Yoshida stepping away from the group. He’s not sneaking, not in a hurry either, just casually drifting toward the end of the alley, hands in his pockets, that stupid small smirk on his face. Aki frowns.
Yoshida had already shown his contract devil, and Makima trusts him, so there’s no logical reason to be suspicious. But logic doesn’t stop Aki’s eyes from narrowing or his jaw from tightening. He’s just being cautious because it’s his job. Not for any other reason.
Aki glances at Angel, who’s standing a little apart from the rest of the group, and finds himself already being watched. Angel raises an eyebrow, his expression a mix of amusement and curiosity. Aki just shakes his head and turns his attention back to the group.
It’s his turn to summon the Future Devil. After the cackling devil vanishes back into Aki’s right eye, everyone turns to Angel.
“You already know what I am,” he says dryly. “No imposter would want to pretend to be me.”
“Fair,” Yoshida says, strolling back into the group’s circle.
Kusakabe glares at him. “You can’t just wander off in the middle of a verification.”
“You already checked me, didn’t you?” Yoshida lifts his hands in mock surrender. “Besides, I was just making sure none of the other brothers were lurking nearby.”
“Were they?” Kusakabe presses.
“Not anymore.” Yoshida smirks. He and Kusakabe have a mini staring contest before Kusakabe rubs at his temple, visibly exhausted.
“Let’s just head back to Public Safety. Makima will want a full report on what just happened.”
The group files out from the alley. Aki falls into step beside Angel again. Up ahead, Yoshida walks with his hands in his pockets, that stupid smile still on his face. Aki catches himself glaring at his back before he can stop.
Angel notices, of course. “You’re doing it again.”
“Shut up.”
🍭
Makima’s already waiting for them when they make it back to Public Safety, her expression strangely pleasant.
“Welcome back,” she says. “I heard there was some excitement.”
Kusakabe steps forward and gives the summary—the fake Kurose, the car incident, the Skin Devil contract. Makima listens without interrupting, her eyes slowly moving from one agent to the next, studying each of their reactions to Kusakebe's retelling.
When he finishes, she hums softly. “I see. I’ll inform the higher divisions. In the meantime, I expect you all to maintain heightened vigilance.” Her eyes flick briefly to Aki, then Angel. “Good work today, everyone.”
The room empties quickly at her dismissal. Power drags Denji straight to the vending machines, Kusakabe and Tamaki head for the exit, Yoshida is already gone. Angel tilts his head up at Aki. “Roof?”
Aki nods.
They climb the stairs in silence, their footsteps echoing loudly in the stairwell. A rush of evening air greets them when Aki pushes open the door and Angel shivers slightly as he walks to the edge, resting his elbows on the cold ledge.
Aki joins him, lighting a cigarette.
“She knows, doesn’t she?”
Aki glances sideways, cigarette dangling from his lips. “Who?”
“Makima,” Angel turns to meet his gaze. “About us. Or at least she suspects.”
Aki hums softly. There’s no point in keeping it from Angel now. “She’s not exactly easy to fool.”
“Did she say something this morning?”
Aki pauses. This morning. It’s hard to believe that conversation with Makima about letting Angel stay the night happened only a few hours ago. With everything else that’s followed, his perception of time has been completely thrown off.
He sighs. “She reminded me of something she said a while ago. That I should be careful with my distractions.”
“Meaning me?”
“I was hoping that wasn’t what she was implying, but…” Aki trails off
They fall into a heavy silence. The wind pulls at Angel’s hair. Aki watches the strands flutter.
Angel sighs. “So what now?” He asks, voice low. “Are we going to stop?”
Aki exhales smoke. “We should.”
“But you don’t want to.”
Aki smiles slightly. “No. I don’t.”
Angel gives a small, tired smile of his own. “Me neither.” He looks back out at the skyline. “But if Makima does know, we might not have much time before she decides to do something about it.”
“Then,” Aki flicks ash from his cigarette, “we should make the most of this while we can.”
He takes a long drag and reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind Angel’s ear. His gloved fingers trace along soft skin as he gently turns Angel’s face toward him. The space between them shrinks. Angel tilts his head slightly and Aki breathes out for him. Angel closes his eyes, breathing in smoke like it’s air.
Aki watches him, taking in every little detail—the way his lashes flutter, lips part, breath trembles. Angel looks so soft in this light. The wind ruffles his feathers and bites at his cheeks, leaving them faintly pink. His lips glisten when he licks them, and Aki almost forgets how to breathe.
“Angel,” he murmurs. “Come home with us tonight.”
Angel’s eyes blink open. “...What?”
“Denji needs extra protection after that hitman today,” Aki says. “More might show up.”
Angel stares at him. “Oh,” he says flatly. “Is that why you want me there?”
Aki almost smiles. “It’s a good excuse.”
Angel gives him a disbelieving look. “Do you really think Makima’s going to buy that? Let me stay over two nights in a row?”
Probably not. “Maybe.”
Angel narrows his eyes. “We were just talking about how she probably already knows something’s going on between us.”
“I know,” Aki says. “I’ll still convince her.”
Angel seems to consider it for a moment before he finally says, “Fine. Beats staying here.”
Aki smiles. He takes another drag and pulls Angel even closer. Close enough that he can count each one of his lashes, can see every speck of gold in his red irises. It’s a cliche thought, but Aki swears he could get lost in Angel’s eyes. As he exhales into Angel’s mouth, Aki can feel the restraint he’s been clinging to for weeks starts to unravel. He forgets about everything—the cost, the danger, the consequences—everything except how badly he wants to kiss Angel.
Aki leans in more before he can stop himself, lips almost brushing Angel’s. Before they can touch though, Angel jerks back violently, his wings flaring wide. The sudden movement knocks the cigarette from Aki’s fingers.
“Aki,” Angel gasps, chest heaving, eyes wide. “That was way too close!”
Aki blinks, startled himself at what he’d almost just done. At what he still wants to do. “I—” he starts but doesn’t know what else to say besides, “I want to kiss you.”
Angel stares at him like he can’t believe what he’s saying.
“Not through smoke,” Aki continues, the words he’s been holding back now desperately falling out of his lips. “Or lollipops or gloves. I want to feel your lips.”
For a moment, Angel says nothing. Then, quietly, voice trembling, he says, “You know what’ll happen if you do.”
“I don’t care.”
“Aki.” Angel’s voice cracks.
Aki shakes his head. “I don’t. I don’t care if it costs me a month or two. I just want—”
“Will you stop it!” Angel snaps, voice sharp and panicked.
Aki freezes. They stare at each other, eyes wide. Angel’s breathing so hard his wings are shaking.
“Aki,” he says again, firmer this time. “We already know I'm going to outlive you. Please don’t ask me to take away any more of what little time we have together.”
Aki’s chest tightens. He knows why Angel doesn’t want to touch him, knows he’s terrified of what a single mistake could cost. It’s a price Aki is willing to pay, but Angel isn’t willing to take. He’d never stopped to consider just how cruel this is for Angel, the fear of being the one to further shorten Aki’s life. He’d only been driven by his own selfish desires.
“I—I’m sorry,” he manages to say.
Angel’s expression softens just slightly. It’s not fully calm again, not fully reassured, but gentler. “You’re human. You want things you can’t have. I get it. It’s not that I don’t want to touch you too. This isn’t easy for me either.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers again, helplessly. He sounds like a broken record.
“Just—just promise you won’t do it again.”
Aki nods. “Promise.”
Angel searches his face like he’s trying to find the lie in his words. There isn’t one. Finally, he says. “Okay.”
He bends down and picks up the dropped cigarette, holding it back out for Aki. Aki looks at him questioningly.
Angel huffs. “Just because I’m mad at you, doesn’t mean I want to stop doing what little we can do.”
Aki smiles, relief washing over him.
“I’m not really even upset with you,” Angel sighs. “I’m more upset with how unfair this all is.”
Aki can understand his frustration better than anyone else. He lights the cigarette and together, in the cold night air, they fall into the only intimacy they’re allowed.
🍭
On the walk home, Denji keeps looking from Aki to Angel like he’s trying to solve a mystery with his two remaining brain cells. “Okay, seriously,” he finally blurts out. “Why are you bringing him home again?”
Aki inhales slowly through his nose so he doesn’t snap. “To keep watch over you. It was Makima’s idea.”
That’s not exactly true. But she did approve when he asked her. After a long, unreadable pause that made his blood run cold. But it’s an easier explanation than the truth. Angel side-eyes him but thankfully doesn’t call him out on it. Aki can still feel the teasing through his eyes.
Denji squints, suspicious. “Feels like overkill.”
“How foolish,” Power says. “As if Denji needs extra protection when I’m around. I alone possess the skill and brilliance to keep him alive.”
“You crashed a car into him today,” Aki deadpans.
“That was Kobeni’s fault!”
The bickering continues all the way to the apartment. Denji claims he totally could’ve dodged the car if he wanted to. Power says she should be awarded for killing the American hitman. Aki has learned to tune them out at this point. Angel doesn’t say anything, but every time Aki glances at him, he has the faintest amused smile on his lips.
🍭
Aki brushes his teeth, checks the locks, turns off the lights. He moves through the familiar nighttime routine like he always does, but tonight every step feels heavier. It’s been a long fucking day. His body is sore and his mind is still reeling from the chaos.
He’s exhausted. But at least he can end this nightmare of a day next to Angel.
When Aki pushes open his bedroom door, Angel is already in bed, all snuggled up under his blanket with his wings folded behind him. Only a tuft of auburn hair and his halo peeks out from the top. When he hears Aki walk in, Angel pokes the rest of his head out, blinking at him with sleepy eyes. Aki closes the door quietly and turns off the light. Angel’s halo still casts a soft, warm glow over the room.
Aki feels Angel’s eyes on him as he lets down his hair and runs his fingers through the tangled strands. He quickly pulls on his gloves before sliding into bed next to him, tugging his own blanket up to his shoulders. They’ve taken all the measures—both in long sleeves, full length sweats, socks, under separate blankets—to ensure they don’t accidentally touch while moving around in their sleep. Even with all that, Aki still makes sure to keep a careful distance, not wanting to do anything to put Angel on edge after what happened on the roof.
Angel shifts on his side and continues his watch of Aki settling into bed. Once he’s made himself comfortable, Aki lets out a long sigh, all of the day’s tension slowly draining out of him as he melts against the mattress.
“Tired?”
Aki hums. They’re lying on their separate pillows, facing each other. Aki can see the faint rise and fall of Angel’s breathing beneath the blanket. Angel’s eyes trace over Aki’s face as if memorizing each line, each bump and faint scar. He doesn’t look sleepy anymore.
“You’re staring,” Aki whispers, slightly teasing.
Angel’s lips twitch. “You’re one to talk.”
They keep their eyes locked on each other, neither of them breaking first. Not for the first time, Aki feels a bit mesmerized by how insanely pretty Angel is.
“You’re beautiful,” he hears himself say.
Angel’s breath hitches, his eyes widening for a split second as a soft blush blooms across his cheeks. Aki smiles. He loves making Angel blush.
Angel reaches out a hand from under his blanket and tugs at Aki’s. “And you’re too far,” he huffs.
Aki shifts a little closer, blanket falling off his shoulder. Angel’s hand creeps underneath it and he curls his fingers into the fabric of Aki’s sweatshirt.
Aki carefully watches his face as he lifts his own hand—slowly, cautiously, ready to pull back at the slightest sign of discomfort. He brushes his gloved fingers along Angel’s cheekbone, tracing the line of his jaw. Angel leans into the touch, tilting his face into Aki's palm.
“Aki…” he says, voice almost a whine.
Encouraged, Aki lets his fingers drift lower, grazing the corner of his mouth. Angel parts his lips. Aki’s pulse races. He presses his thumb inside, resting it on Angel’s tongue.
A soft sound slips from Angel as he closes his lips around the glove, sucking gently. His other hand comes up to grab Aki’s wrist and he slides the thumb out of his mouth, then guides Aki’s index and middle fingers to replace it.
Aki groans, heat blooming low and dizzying in his stomach and spreading all through his body. He presses his fingers in deeper, stroking Angel’s tongue. Angel watches him through half lidded eyes, red irises barely visible behind dilated pupils as he sucks on Aki’s fingers.
He inches forward under his blanket, closing even more space between them. Aki mirrors him without thinking. His free hand drifts to Angel’s waist. He hesitates for a moment, then pulls him closer, pulls him under his own blanket.
Angel’s breath hitches when Aki nudges his knee between his thighs, enough to feel Angel hot and hard against him. Angel whines around his fingers and rolls his hips down.
“Aki…” The sound is muffled and needy. Aki pulls his fingers from Angel’s mouth and Angel immediately whines louder, grabbing at him. Aki wraps both arms around his waist, holding him close and steady, pulling him forward and grinding Angel down into his thigh.
Angel drops his head onto Aki’s chest. “Aki, please,” he whispers, breathing hard. Aki slides one hand to Angel’s ass and the other into Angel's sweats. Angel gasps when Aki’s gloved hand makes contact with his bare dick, the sound turning into a loud moan as Aki wraps his fingers around him. The feeling of leather can’t be as pleasant as a warm hand would, but Angel is already letting out soft moans and whimpers as Aki slowly strokes him.
“Aki,” Angel says again, clearer this time, strained. Aki blinks down at him, lightheaded from the heat and closeness. He barely registers that Angel isn’t just saying his name, he’s calling for him.
“Yeah?” Aki breathes.
“I want—” he cuts himself off with a moan, muffling it into Aki’s shirt.
Aki’s grip around Angel’s cock tightens instinctively. His voice comes out hoarse. “What do you want?” He’d give Angel anything he asked right now.
“Aki… I want you to—” he chokes on the rest, overwhelmed as Aki keeps steadily stroking him. He lifts his head to look at him, eyes wet and unfocused, pupils blown, hair a mess. “Aki, please fuck me?”
All the air leaves Aki’s lungs. His hand goes still but Angel just presses closer. “Wha—” Aki’s having a hard time thinking; all the blood in his brain is entirely elsewhere right now. “How would we even…”
“Do you have a condom?”
Aki hesitates. “Probably.”
That’s all Angel needs. He tugs Aki’s hand out of his pants and throws the blanket off of them before he sits up and starts undressing. He’s got the hem of his sweatshirt up to his chest when Aki’s brain finally catches up with what’s going on.
“Wait,” he blurts, voice laced with panic as he jolts upright, almost knocking Angel back in the process. He wraps his fingers around Angel’s wrist. “Angel, wait.”
Angel blinks up at him and lets go of the fabric, letting it fall back over his stomach.
Aki takes a deep breath. “Are—are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” Angel answers without hesitation. “I want to have sex with you.” The bluntness of his words makes Aki’s face heat instantly. He swallows hard. Angel tilts his head, searching Aki’s expression. “Do you not want to?”
Aki lets out a strangled laugh. “Of course I do. But…” he sighs. “It’s just—you were pretty freaked out when I almost kissed you today. And this—Angel, this is a lot more than just kissing.”
Angel’s shoulders ease a little. He slides his wrist from Aki’s grasp and takes his hand, lacing their fingers together. “I know,” he says quietly. “I’m still a little scared. I really don’t want to hurt you. But I also really want to feel you inside me.”
Aki inhales sharply, his cock twitching in his pants. “Fuck, Angel,” he groans, squeezing Angel’s hand, pulling him into his lap. “I want you too. So much.”
“We can be careful,” Angel murmurs. He rocks his hips forward, rubbing their hardening lengths together. “Do it without touching.” His voice comes out breathless, needy. “You just have to keep all your clothes on.”
“Yeah,” Aki nods absently, mind already going blank at the feeling of Angel’s cock dragging against his. He slides his hands behind Angel and kneads his ass, pulling him forward and grinding their clothed erections together more forcefully. Angel throws his head back with a moan, his wings shuddering behind him, and Aki wants nothing more than to bury his face in his pale, flawless neck and bite.
His gloved hands drift upwards beneath Angel’s sweatshirt, rucking up the fabric as he rubs his back, his sides, the base of his wings. With a frustrated breath, Angel yanks the sweatshirt over his head, getting it caught on his wings in his haste. Aki helps pull it free and tosses it somewhere on the floor, his hands immediately returning to Angel’s bare skin, which glows faintly under the light of his halo.
“Aki,” Angel pants as he jerkily rolls his hips down. “The condom.”
“Fuck. Yeah,” Aki, with some difficulty, removes a still writhing Angel off his lap and shuffles over to the closet. It takes him a minute to find the box, shoved all the way in the back with half a bottle of lube. He grabs that too, turns around, and nearly drops them both.
Angel’s discarded the rest of his clothes. He’s lying there, on Aki’s bed, completely naked and waiting for him, while Aki is still covered from head to toe. Angel tilts his head at him, smiling slightly at Aki’s unabashed staring.
Aki throws the lube and condoms on the mattress and climbs onto it, kneeling over Angel, who looks up at him with those wide red eyes. Aki runs his gloved hands all over Angel’s body, watching as goosebumps prickle along the surface of his smooth skin. He glides them along Angel’s calves, up to his thighs—momentarily gets distracted by Angel’s hard dick resting on his stomach—over the curve of his waist, up his chest, around his throat. Then he cups Angel’s cheeks with both hands. “Beautiful.”
Angel flushes and tries to look away but Aki gently tilts his chin back, refusing to let him hide from him.
Still slightly flustered, Angel huffs, “Let’s switch places.”
Aki raises his eyebrows. “You want to be on top? That’s a lot more work, you know.”
Still, he shifts down to lie on the bed, letting Angel straddle him. His hands settle on Angel’s thighs, immediately rubbing and squeezing.
“It’s more work, but it’ll be safer this way,” Angel says, reaching for the lube.
It’s almost torture for Aki to just lie there and watch as Angel drips some onto his fingers and reaches around to open himself up. Not being able to touch Angel is always painful, but right now, as he listens to Angel’s breath hitch and the wet sounds coming from behind him, he feels like he’s crawling out of his own skin. He distracts himself by touching every other inch of Angel he can. He brushes his gloved thumbs over his nipples, pinching and pulling them. He wraps his hands around his small waist, reaches around to rub the base of his wings, slides them down to squeeze his ass. He deliberately doesn’t go near the devil’s leaking cock.
Soft gasps fall from Angel’s mouth and Aki can’t tell if it’s because of Aki’s touches or from stretching himself out. He keeps up with his ministrations until finally, Angel breathes, “Okay. I’m ready.”
Aki’s heart hammers in his chest as Angel shimmies backwards. He hands Aki the condom and watches intently as Aki carefully pulls his sweats down and slides his cock out of the front opening of his boxers. He fumbles a little with the gloves, but manages to get the condom out of the wrapper and slides it onto himself, careful to keep as much of himself covered as he can.
It’s only when Angel shimmies forward again that Aki realizes this is actually happening. Angel is in his lap, bare and breathless. Aki settles his hands on Angel’s hips and looks up at him. Angel is the most beautiful sight Aki’s ever seen as he reaches behind himself to line them up. He feels his head rub against Angel’s hole. He squeezes his hands on Angel’s hips and gently coaxes him down, watching Angel’s mouth fall open as he slowly sinks down onto Aki.
And, as his cock gets enveloped in tight, wet, heat, it hits him. It hits Aki right in the chest. A small, involuntary laugh slips from his lips, turning into a moan as he fully bottoms out. Angel, flushed and panting over him, blinks. “What’s so funny?”
And it is funny. The irony of Hayakawa Aki, number one devil hater, being in love with a devil is so ridiculous that it’s actually kind of hilarious.
Aki shakes his head, but the smile stays. He tightens his grip on Angel’s hips and digs his heels into the mattress. The timing probably isn’t great, but when has it ever been with them?
“Just the fact that I love you,” he says. He watches Angel’s eyes go wide for a split second before he sharply thrusts up.
Angel lets out a loud cry, his wings spreading open behind him. Aki steadily fucks up into Angel, using his hands on his hips to maneuver him to match his movements. Angel tries to shift his own hips along with Aki’s but Aki doesn’t make him do too much of the work, moving Angel up and down on his cock with ease.
He keeps his eyes locked on Angel, with his wings spread out behind his back, his halo illuminating his pretty face, sweat glistening on his skin, beads trailing down his soft, porcelain skin, and thinks he really is an angel as he slams the devil on his cock.
“Aki,” Angel gasps, bowing his head down. His eyes are closed, his mouth open and wet. Soft breaths escape his lips and brush Aki’s. His hair falls around them like a curtain. Aki stares at his lips, his heart aching with how badly he still wants to taste them. Aki wants to kiss Angel so, so, so bad. But he won’t break his promise. Won’t put Angel in that position again.
Angel opens his eyes, as if he can sense Aki’s desire. His pupils are blown wide, eyelashes wet. Drool glistens on his lower lip. Slowly, he sticks out his tongue and Aki’s heart hammers in his chest. He opens wide, letting Angel’s saliva spill right into his mouth.
He feels Angel clenching around him, feels himself start to wind up. He quickens his pace, slamming Angel down on his cock, hitting him right where he needs it over and over, until Angel’s whole body goes rigid. He lets out a loud moan and spills all over Aki’s sweatshirt. Aki feels himself hurtling toward the finish line when Angel suddenly pulls off his cock.
“Wha—”
“In my mouth.”
Aki almost blacks out. He gets up on his knees and pulls the condom off as Angel quickly settles between his legs. Aki pumps himself once, twice, before spilling all over Angel’s waiting mouth, watching him swallow every last drop. Angel licks his lips, moaning like he just can’t get enough and Aki’s eyes roll to the back of his head.
With a groan, Aki collapses back onto the bed, shoving his spent dick back inside his pants before pulling Angel into his arms.
They stay like that for a while, sweaty and sticky and tangled together, holding each other as they catch their breath. Angel’s cheek is pressed against Aki’s chest, right over his heart, his fingers lightly curled in the fabric of Aki’s sweatshirt. A faint shiver runs through his still naked body.
Aki reaches behind him, throws a blanket over both of them. He tugs Angel in closer until they’re all wrapped up in the same soft cocoon. He’s going to have a ridiculous amount of laundry to deal with tomorrow. Right now, though, he couldn’t care less.
He closes his eyes. Angel’s hair keeps tickling his nose and cheek. He buries his face a little deeper into it, breathing him in. Angel fits against him so perfectly, all soft and warm and a little clingy in Aki’s arms. Aki has never felt this content in his life.
“Aki?”
“Hm?”
“I love you too.”
🍭
After the events of the past two days, today’s monotony feels less comforting and more foreboding. Every quiet street they pass, every seemingly normal crowd, everything feels like the uneasy calm before a storm.
He keeps a watchful eye out, scanning every window and alleyway, refusing to slip back into the complacency he’d fallen into over the course of multiple uneventful patrols earlier in the week.
Angel’s walking beside him, hands in his pockets, expression bored as ever, but Aki knows even he’s paying a bit more attention to their surroundings than usual. Everyone’s on high alert after that hitman yesterday.
As Aki’s squinting at a woman walking her dog, wondering if it's normal for dogs to have such floppy ears or if it’s some sort of devil in disguise, he feels the soft bump of a bony shoulder against his bicep. He glances down.
Angel’s looking up at him, the corners of his mouth lifting just slightly. Aki feels warmth spread all over his body at the sight of that tiny smile. He gives Angel the faintest smile back as his mind flashes to last night. And then the warmth starts turning into heat.
Aki forces his expression back into something neutral and looks forward again—at the dog that seems to just be a normal dog.
“Isn’t it lunch time yet?” Denji whines loudly from in front of them. “If I don’t get food in the next ten minutes, I’m gonna die again.”
“Yes! Let us feast now!” Power demands.
“Where do you want to go?” Aki asks.
“Can we just eat at that department store,” Denji says, pointing to a large building just up ahead. Kusakabe nods and they all head toward it.
Angel murmurs, “Good. I want ice cream.”
“Of course you do.” Aki tries not to smile.
Their group of eight files into the department store. The automatic doors slide open, blasting them with cool air and the buzz of midday shoppers. And that’s when Aki feels it. A prickle in the back of his neck. A feeling that something is a bit… off.
He catches Kusakabe and Tamaki exchanging a glance and a nod. They must have felt it too. Kusakabe steps back to the entrance and Aki turns just in time to see a group of four walk inside.
Four human-looking dolls.
The temperature in the department store drops all at once.