#murasckime

                    ‘ A-AKATSUKI…! ’

          VISION WAS HAZY, despite how wide the assassin’s statement had opened his eyes. the room was otherwise silent, dark, save for the deafening beating of his own heart. he’d heard those words somewhere before, perhaps in a dream of his own, but for akatsuki to say them to his face was a reality worse than any horrid nightmare. the very shock of it stole the words right from his tongue, leaving him paralyzed and fearful.

           SHE WAS FADING, shrinking into the once vibrant horizon, now darkened to an endless abyss. the vibrant violet of her eyes never dulled, lingering in the black for a painful eternity. then, he merely blinked once and they were gone. nothing else was in sight, no sounds, not even the rushing of his own blood. instincts would immediately flag it as danger, though he hesitated no further before taking off, running toward where he’d last seen those eyes. frantically he reached, grasping at what he cherished most, but there was nothing. the air where she’d once stood slipped through his cold, shaking fingers. he was alone once again.

          WAS IT A dream? a vision? or was that shiroe’s new reality?

          PANIC GRIPPED AT his lungs and froze his limbs. though it was painful, and shortened what few words he could muster, shiroe maintained his calm demeanor so as not to panic her as well.

                     ‘ IT WAS just a nightmare, right? i’m not– ’

          BUT THAT WAS an outright lie, or at the very least nothing he could guarantee.  akatsuki’s claim was oddly congruent to that vision that had seemed so real to shiroe. he was unwilling to lie to her regarding such an impelling subject, therefore he was forced to rethink his words. keeping the fear out of his voice was a difficult task, but shiroe confided in she who was a most prominent source of consolation and comfort.

   HE really should have learned by now. After so many hits to the    face ( soon followed by his own loud complaining ) one would think    that the Guardian would KNOW not to make phallic or perverted    comments, AT LEAST not around the assassin. But here they were,    for the umteemph time, Naotsugu’s expression full of vivid energy,    Akatsuki ready to attack, and Shiroe and the other innocent spectators    cringing because they KNOW what came next. 

           ❛ MY NAME IS NAOTSUGU AND PANTIES ARE MY╾╾ ❜

           AFTER REMOVING HIS glasses, shiroe pressed his temple against the heel of hand, held up by his elbow on the desk top. he heaved a heavy sight, grimacing from the throbbing pain in his head. wasn’t he supposed to be nothing more than data? could adventurers even become ill? just by spending hours upon hours pouring over numbers and mindlessly signing infinite stacks of paperwork, it was understandable that anyone would come out of it with a headache. eventually, steel blue eyes would flutter closed, only to fly open in shock at the sensation of fingers on his forehead.

                                          super duper angst || accepting!!

          WITH EACH DAY that past, shiroe could feel himself becoming more and more isolated. his office was becoming his prison, friends more like wardens, judging each choice he made accordingly. everything was slipping between his fingers, structured ideas crumbling underfoot. despite how much actually depended on his ability to foresee and plan appropriately, he’d never felt more helpless in the heat of it all.

           YET, NOTHING SEEMED to be working in his favor as of late. plans were failing, people were getting hurt, friends being lost to distance. he was grateful for those who remained loyal and steadfast to him, akatsuki and naotsugu in particular. he’d grown so accustomed to things falling into place just as he’d predicted, that he didn’t know how to absolve himself of a simple mistake. in his weary eyes, it was more than that. too much was at stake for his strategies to be flawed. a stifling darkness shrouded him, plagued his heart and challenged his confidence.

          NO MATTER THE toll it took on him alone, he had to persevere, for not only the sake of his closest friends, but for all of akiba.

          WHETHER HE HAD been too encompassed in his work or not would have been an irrelevant factor. ninjas were best known for their deadly silence and stealth in movement after all. akatsuki’s appearance in his office had gone completely unnoticed, let alone her approach. her lips against his cheek certainly halted his progress, quill frozen just above the parchment’s surface. the shock substantially delayed his reaction of turning to find the culprit, for his heart was beating at an increased rate. for a long moment, shiroe merely stared at her, eyes wide and cheeks painted pink.