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“I wish I wasn't in love with you,” he repeated. You looked over at him, and you could tell he meant every word. His eyes were on the road, but the look in his eyes was sad. They were longing for something, and in this case it was simply that he wouldn't have feelings for you. The longest moments passed in silence. You had absolutely nothing to say. You had fancied him forever— and that was no exaggeration. It didn't take long for you to notice his charm as you worked with him daily. Now, if you were to say you didn't dream of being his lover, that would be a lie, but you were fine as things were. What the two of you had going on was good enough for you, so it was safe to say his words were a surprise to you.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again. “I wish I didn't long to spend time with you outside of our work. That I didn't hope I had a reason to pull you to myself when those other men get so close. I wish I'd be happy just dropping you off at your place,” he said. “But I am not. I love you more than you'd ever believe.”

You couldn't believe your ears. You must have been dreaming, this couldn't be the man you've loved for all these years.

“What if I told you I love you… that I've loved you forever?” you asked. You'd never forget the way his eyes widened and immediately looked your way.

“That would make me the luckiest man alive,” he said with the softest smile, after shifting his eyes to the road once more.

Your heartbeat quickened. “Why do you wish to… not…” you trailed off. You could hardly believe he liked you at all, let alone say it out loud to him.

“Well, if anything were to happen to you, I think my life just might end,” he said, as if it was the most natural thing ever. “Our line of work is far from the safest, to top it off.”

You finally realized where he was going with this conversation. He wasn't asking you to be his, nor had he been even hoping you'd give him a response. He was simply just conversing to you that he loved you so deeply, that if anything were to happen to you, it'd be his last straw. The sad look in his eyes shattered your heart. Knowing all the people he's lost, the last thing you wished for was for him to lose another person dear to him. You just never imagined he'd think of you that way.

A few more moments went by in silence. It wasn't as awkward as you'd expect it to be, it was a comfortable and perhaps slightly sad silence.

“Morofushi… why don't we get married?” you asked.

It was his turn to be lost for words.

“I did not mean to pressure you into… anything at all,” he started. “I apologize I made you uncomfortable.”

“No,” you said, shaking your head. “It'd be my dream come true to marry you. I mean it.”

He quickly stopped the car on the side of one road. An empty spot wasn't too hard to find this late at night. He looked your way and waited for you to go on.

“I… will never understand all the mourning you've been through in your life. Nor will I try to pretend I know how you felt when you shared this with me,” you started. “However, I too, wish to go home to a shared place. I wish to have an excuse to see you on a day off. I wish to… call your name. Is that so wrong?”

The expression you saw on his face when you looked over to him was one you had never seen before. He really really did love you.

“I’ll never leave you alone,” you said. “I won't because if I do, I think you might just follow me. And that, I'll never let happen.” That made him smile. "I truly just might," he muttered.

“But… I wish for so much more,” he said, looking ahead. “I wish to run my thumb across your cheek and hold your beautiful face in my hands. I wish to brush your hair away with my ungloved fingers. I wish to kiss you on the lips a little too late in the night. I desire you in a way that may put you off.”

Your eyes widened and your face felt flushed. You wanted to say something but nothing would come out. The last thing you remembered was tugging on his sleeve, and then his lips were on yours. It went on for what felt like forever, but that was fine— it was just the two of you. Tonight was your night.

The details about your marriage could be figured out later. It'd probably be a small ceremony anyways— there weren’t too many people to invite. But that was a problem for the future.

Tonight, he'll drive home straight to his place and you'll stay the night, just like the two of you had always wished. And soon you were to take his last name.

“Yes, but you may one day,” he said back.

“I don’t want to be hearing this from you, now. Have you seen how bad your car looks every other month?”

“This is not about me,”

“Why wouldn’t it be about you!”

“I don’t cause any accidents!”

“I don’t either!”

“I only do when I have to, you act rashly every single time you’re on mission,”

“Okay, well the ‘rash acting’ I do is not even close to whatever danger you put yourself and others through every month!”

“I told you, I’ve never hurt a soul! Also, danger is an exaggeration,”

“I don’t even know how you’re still okay if I’m being honest with you,”

“Oh, don’t be shy, I know you’re glad,” he said, a small smirk on his face.

“Yeah, yeah,” you said brushing him off again, but of course you were. You actually didn’t know how you would possibly get through your life if he were to disappear one day.

The office was used to this by now, as this happened on a daily basis. They didn’t even bother stopping the two of you anymore, because it would just continue on later. However, no one was really that upset, because most of them had been there for far longer than you had and they all still couldn’t believe how lively Furuya acts around you. The first time it happened they couldn’t believe their eyes. The Furuya Rei that everyone looks up to was bickering with a junior that came in recently. Now, they could only wish the best for the most hardworking and admirable man they knew.

So, Furuya’s love for you was quite obvious to everyone other than you. It wasn’t even that you were particularly oblivious, you just didn’t know this wasn’t how he used to act. However, this being said, you were also rather obvious about your feelings as well. The way you looked at him with such love, regardless of the bickering, or how so many had caught the way your eyes follow him around the room with such love and admiration. It wouldn’t be so hard for him to notice either if he wasn’t either frantically worrying about you or overworking himself all the time.

But that was just how the two of you were, and both of you were content at the moment. Seeing each other at work and getting missions together was more than you two could ask for. And it would stay this way for quite a while longer.

Now you couldn’t quite recall how you had gotten into this situation. Your ears were ringing from the sound of the grenade that went off a little too close to you, and your mind was in panic. You looked down at the young girl you had gotten to in time, as you caught your breath. Your hands were covering her ears, but you had no recollection of that, so it must’ve been instinctive. That made you smile— you were glad she looked okay. You then scanned the situation, trying to find the culprit who you had been chasing with Furuya. Furuya. How was he? You whipped your head around and saw him running over to you, yelling something. Your ears were ringing and you couldn’t hear, but for some reason you could tell it was your name. He was calling your name. Behind him, you saw Kazami and some other people had caught the man in question, and you took a few more deep breaths. You let yourself collapse to the floor while you held onto the girl. You could finally rest a little. It was over.

“Are you hurt?” you asked the girl, and she shook her head slowly. It was obvious she was extremely shaken, but that was only natural. You were glad she was alright.

A medic came to take her from you, and you couldn’t quite hear his words yet, but it calmed you that someone was looking after her— someone in better shape than you were at the moment.

Then your eyes met Furuya’s again as he finally made it to you. Your ears were still ringing, but you could tell he was distraught and it shocked you— you had never seen such an expression on him. His hands were on your shoulders while his jaw shook and you knew you wouldn’t be able to hear his reply, but the question spilled out of you.

“Are you okay?” you asked, reaching your hand out to him. “Are you hurt?”

He looked exasperated and it shocked you a little. He knew you couldn’t hear him so he saved his words and nodded for now, and that put a small smile on your face.

It was a couple minutes later when the ringing started to calm down, and you were much calmer as well.

“I think I can hear again,” you said. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m alright,” he said, a little upset. “What did you think you were doing?”

“I—” you started to say, but you remembered. You had clearly heard his call to not at rashly and you decided to ignore it. “I’m sorry.”

“No, sorry,” he said. “It was thanks to you that that girl was safe. I didn’t mean to lecture you like that. I was just so worked up.”

You smiled a little. “Were you worried?” you asked with a teasing tone, hoping to lighten the mood with some banter as always, but his reply wasn’t what you were expecting.

“Yes, I was worried, what were you thinking?” he asked, obviously a little upset, shocking you. “I was worried out of my mind. What would I do if I lost you? Don’t ever do that again.”

“….What?” you asked, a little awestruck. “Why?” You knew that wasn’t exactly the right way to ask that, but the words were all jumbled in your head— that was all that would come out.

“Because I love you,” he said, still upset. “Because you mean the world to me.”

You didn’t reply so he turned his head to look at you again, and his eyes widened as he saw the tears streaming down your face.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to yell— I— sorry. I’m not myself right now.”

“Do you mean it?” you asked, completely ignoring his last words. “Do you really… love me?”

Again, his eyes widened, realizing this was why you were crying.

“…Yeah,” he said, his voice finally sweet again, like it always was when he talked to you. “I love you so much it scares me to death to think you’d be hurt.”

“I do too,” you said, your voice shaking from the tears. “I love you so much. You always worry me too.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a little as you saw the shocked expression on his face. You were certain every single other person knew you did. You couldn’t believe he was genuinely shocked by this news.

Nothing was said for a few moments, your hands were just in his as the two of you sat on the pavement. For some reason you could tell you’d remember this moment forever.

Now, anyone else would say that this wasn’t the right moment for this, but it felt awfully fitting for the two of you, so you leaned forward and the two of you shared a kiss.