Mint

he walks up to you and around your desk, leaning against it. he notices the untouched cake right away and the way your nose scrunches ever so slightly at the smell. he figured you wouldn’t like it, but he didn’t stop the person who asked where your office was and brought you the cake in case you did want to try it.

after all, he knows you’re trying your best, and he does push you out of your comfort zone occasionally. not because he’s cruel, but because he wants you to grow more comfortable around certain foods or social interactions. to him, your way of living isn’t exactly ideal.

and while he isn’t one to judge, considering he rarely participates in social interactions himself, he isn’t scared of it like you. he just wants you to be less scared as well, because quite frankly, he can’t stand seeing you get uncomfortable so easily.

after letting the silence linger for a while longer, he reaches up and begins to gently caress your hair, wanting to help you shift your attention onto him instead of everything that’s too much right now.

you lean into his touch, forgetting about the smell rather quickly as you focus on the way his nails scratch your scalp. he’s careful not to be too rough, and his movements are slow and steady, not wanting to overwhelm you.

“how much work do you have left?” he suddenly asks. while his voice does sound blunt and curt in a way, you know he isn’t exactly uninterested. it’s his way of showing he cares.

“i’m actually done. you came at the perfect time.” you say.

“that’s good. let’s get out of here, then.” he says, withdrawing his hand and handing you your bag you left hanging on the chair.

you smile, organizing your desk a little before taking the bag from his hand and hanging it around your shoulder as you get up, ready to leave.

“where are we going?” you ask curiously, but also for security, since you don’t like surprises at all. the thought of not knowing what’s going to happen is scary.

“we’re going to grab dinner so you’ll actually eat something.” he says, hands in his pockets. you wrap one of your arms around his, holding on to him.

“mhm, sounds good.” you mumble. you both leave the room, taking the elevator to get to the first floor and leave the port mafia headquarters.

both of you are too lazy to use the stairs this time. while it does reduce the chance of stumbling upon people, you really just want to be out of here.

in the elevator, akutagawa drags you to the back of it, and you focus on the mellow mechanical humming. your grip around his arm tightens occasionally as a few people get in and out.

he, of course, notices and shifts his position each time someone gets too close, shielding you so you don’t feel too uncomfortable.

once you both reach the ground floor, he steps outside first, clearing the way for you as you tag along close behind.

fortunately, the streets around the port mafia headquarters are relatively empty. no one really dares to walk there since there are many heavily armored guards around.

you relax somewhat, your eyes drifting to one of akutagawa’s hands. “here. i got this from kouyou, who got it from mori. she said to give it to you.”

you glance at the letter in his hand before taking it, leisurely ripping it open and skimming it through. your request to work from home has been approved, although with a bitter sidenote. you could care less about that, though. a big smile graces your lips as you tuck the letter into your pocket, seeming delighted at the news.

akutagawa, however, furrows his brows. he doesn’t like the idea of you isolating yourself further, and he especially doesn’t like the idea of you being alone with no protection at all. at least the port mafia is less prone to being attacked due to its high security system.

he lets out an audible sigh before averting his gaze and focusing on the road again.

“something wrong?” you ask, having noticed his conflicted expression.

he contemplates confronting you, but he doesn’t want to end the night on a sour note, so he clears his throat instead and fixes his expression into one of indifference again.

“no. don’t worry about it. let’s just focus on filling your stomach.”

his words don’t really convince you, and you look at him with a hint of concern. perhaps it’s his throat again. he never really shares any details about his sickness and keeps to himself most of the time, but you know that he’s hurting nonetheless.

akutagawa spares you a quick glance and sighs once again at the look you’re throwing his way, stopping abruptly.

“i said don’t worry about it. i’m fine, really.” he reassures you, his voice taking on a softer edge as he pulls you slightly closer and presses a light kiss to your forehead.

your self-isolation bothers him, yes, but he’d never say that outright to you. he needs time to think about how he can word his concerns without you feeling attacked by them.

perhaps, with enough convincing, he can get you to change your mind. but that’s a problem for tomorrow.

“come on, let’s get going. it’s been a long day… and i do want some cuddles when we get home. i missed you badly today.” he muses, his expression somewhat sheepish. it’s cute, really. you rarely get to see the soft and tender side of him, so every time it feels like something sacred meant for you alone to cherish.

you chuckle slightly while matching his pace, resting your head against his shoulder on the way. “i missed you, too. i miss you all the time, actually.” you murmur loud enough for him to hear, your voice growing quieter at the last part.

his steps falter for just a moment at your words, but he doesn’t comment on them. he simply wraps his arm around you.

the quiet between you feels warm, not heavy, and for once the world outside doesn’t matter to you at all. tonight, the only thing that matters is the fact he’s beside you, alive and breathing.

tagging.: @illchooseanamesoonipromise @xyliskz @justyna4a

↪thanks for reading! reblogs are appreciated! MLIST