#sliceofhappiness

aki hayakawa was unfairly attractive. there was no other way to put it, no other word that describes the way he existed in a room like he’d been drawn there by some sharper, more deliberate hand. you told him that all the time—half-joking, half-serious—usually when he was brushing his hair back in the mirror with one slow flick of his wrist or pulling his coat over his shoulders with that same quiet efficiency he had for everything.

every time you said it, he’d grunt, roll his eyes in that long-suffering way of his, and mutter something under his breath about you being annoying. but the faintest curve of his lips always gave him away. he liked hearing it. he just didn’t know what to do with compliments, like they were a puzzle he didn’t have the patience to solve.

and as beautiful as he was, with his long legs and sharp cheekbones and his voice that always sat low and relaxed in his throat like it was only meant only for you, aki somehow had no idea how women reacted to him. none.

it would’ve been comical if it didn’t drive you insane. you’d watch it happen in real time, like a slow-motion train wreck of obliviousness, while he blinked his calm dark eyes at some girl who’d clearly lost her mind over him. he never once connected the dots.

it started with the girl at the café. she was new—maybe around your age, bright-eyed and giggly, the kind of person who dotted hearts over the i’s in her name and wore sparkly nail polish. aki had just ordered his usual, a black coffee and a single butter croissant, his voice quiet but steady, the kind that made people lean closer without realizing. when he stepped back to wait for the order, she leaned over the counter with a little too much enthusiasm, elbows pressing into the laminate.

“you come here a lot, don’t you?” she asked, batting her lashes like it was an olympic sport.

aki blinked at her, deadpan. “i live nearby.”

“i could tell,” she giggled, brushing imaginary lint from her apron, her eyes flicking up and down his frame. “i’d remember a face like yours.”

you were standing two feet away, sipping your iced chai through a straw, eyebrows steadily raising as you watched the exchange. the faintest muscle ticked in aki’s jaw, but he didn’t say anything to that. just nodded politely, turned slightly toward you, as if checking to see if you were ready to go. the barista’s face faltered for a second, but she tried again, pushing forward like this was a game she’d already won.

“you have really nice hair. what kind of shampoo do you use?”

“whatever’s in the shower,” he said flatly.

you nearly choked on your drink, coughing to cover a laugh. the girl blinked, thrown off. “…oh. well, it smells nice.”

“i’ll tell my girlfriend,” he said without missing a beat.

and just like that, she vanished from the conversation, lips pressing together as she turned away to busy herself with the register.

you leaned in toward him once you were outside, your voice low. “you do realize she was flirting with you, right?”

aki frowned, looking genuinely puzzled. “who?”

“the barista.”

he paused mid-step. “was she?” he asked sincerely, brows knitting together like you’d just told him math was fake.

you stared at him. “aki. she asked you what shampoo you use. shampoo. that’s like, level one girl-coded language.”

he sipped his coffee, totally unfazed. “you’re the only one who touches my shampoo. i don’t even know what it’s called.”

“you’re hopeless,” you muttered, blowing out a sharp breath.

 —

then there was the nurse. the one who tended to him after a fight with some low-level devil who managed to bite through his sleeve. you were sitting in the corner of the clinic, arms crossed so tightly they ached, watching the way she lingered with the bandage, fingers ghosting over his skin a little longer than necessary, how she smiled just a little too much when aki winced.

“you really should be more careful,” she purred, tilting her head, her hair falling over her shoulder like a curtain.

“i was careful,” aki said without looking up. “he got lucky.”

“you know, if you ever need a private doctor, here’s my card.” her voice dipped like a secret.

you watched her slip a thin business card into the pocket of his shirt—inside the pocket, fingertips brushing the fabric of his chest—and your mouth dropped open slightly. she left with a wink you could practically hear.

you stood up immediately, chair scraping, and walked over, heat creeping into your face. “are you kidding me?”

“what?” he looked up at you, genuinely confused, his sleeve rolled to his elbow.

“she gave you her card.”

“so?” his tone was flat but curious.

“aki, she wants to examine you in ways that don’t involve first aid.”

he blinked, processing. “…that’s not appropriate,” he said after a long pause.

you groaned and walked out, your blood simmering. he followed at his usual unhurried pace.

 —

but the worst one—the one that finally made something in you snap—was the devil hunter intern. some 19-year-old rookie who couldn’t stop flipping her hair every time aki walked into the room. you swore she must’ve rehearsed it in the mirror.

she would laugh extra loud at everything he said, even if it was just “pass me that folder.” she once brought him a thermos of soup she made herself, and when he politely declined because he already packed his lunch, she pouted like he’d broken her heart.

“you’re too serious, senpai,” she giggled, leaning against his desk like it was a prop. “do you ever have any fun?”

you were behind her, stapling reports, jaw tightening. aki didn’t even look up. “i don’t really have time for fun.”

she blinked, lowering her voice. “i could show you how to relax. i’m free friday.”

“so am i,” you chimed, loudly, snapping the stapler shut.

the girl turned to you, startled. “huh?”

you smiled sweetly, all teeth. “he’s free because we’re going out.”

aki looked up from his papers, then glanced between the two of you, confused. “…we are?”

you glared at him behind the intern’s back, eyes like knives.

he cleared his throat, straightening. “right. we are.”

the girl mumbled something and left quickly, retreating before she could lose more face.

you stomped over to his desk, whisper-shouting now. “how do you not notice when people are hitting on you?”

aki shrugged, voice calm as ever. “i just thought she was being nice.”

you threw your hands up. “that’s not nice, aki. that’s flirting. there’s a difference. i was nice to you once. now we sleep in the same bed.”

he looked amused then, just a little, the corner of his mouth quirking. “you’re cute when you’re jealous.”

“i’m not jealous. i’m exasperated.”

he reached up and pulled you close by the waist, his fingers warm and steady against your back. “whatever it is,” he said, voice low, “it means you care.”

“of course i care,” you mumbled, cheeks warm, heartbeat tripping under his touch. “i’m dating the hottest idiot in the whole building.”

he kissed your cheek lazily, his lips grazing your skin. “you’ll keep me humble.”

you narrowed your eyes, but your body softened against him anyway. “and you’ll keep me on blood pressure meds.”

he smirked and went back to his papers, the tiniest glint of mischief in his eyes, and despite your best efforts, your heart softened again, melting the edges of your irritation. hopeless. truly. but he was yours. and even if he never noticed the looks, the smiles, the giggles thrown his way—he always noticed you. always.

the sun had already started to sink behind the buildings when you and aki were walking down the crowded street, hands in your pockets as you strolled side by side. you enjoyed these quiet moments with him—just the two of you, no devil hunting, no life-or-death battles, just normal life for a change.

"hey, look," you pointed ahead, spotting a little girl standing by herself near a corner, her wide eyes darting around the crowd, clearly lost. aki followed your gaze, his expression softening as he saw her. you both exchanged a glance before making your way toward her.

"are you lost?" you crouched down to her level, offering a gentle smile.

the little girl nodded, her lower lip trembling. "i... i can't find my daddy."

aki knelt beside you, his usual calm and serious demeanor turning gentle. "we'll help you find him," he said quietly. "what's your name?"

"mei," she whispered, clutching the edge of her dress with tiny fists.

"hi, mei," you said softly. "i'm y/n, and this is aki. we're gonna help you, okay?"

she nodded again, her big eyes brimming with tears. aki stood up, scanning the street for any signs of a frantic parent. nothing yet. he sighed lightly, then looked down at you and the girl. "we should check around the area. maybe her father’s still nearby."

you held out your hand to mei, who grabbed it tightly, her small hand warm in yours. as the three of you started walking, you could feel aki’s eyes on you, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. he always admired how good you were with kids.

the afternoon passed as you and aki searched the busy streets for any sign of mei’s father. you went up and down the blocks, asking people if they had seen a man looking for his daughter, but there was no sign of him. the longer you searched, the more worried mei seemed, though her grip on your hand remained steady.

eventually, after a while of walking, you glanced over at aki. “maybe we should take a break? she looks tired.”

aki nodded, glancing at mei, who was dragging her feet a bit now. “yeah, let’s find a place to sit.”

you both spotted a small café nearby and decided to take her inside, ordering her some food to cheer her up. as she sat in the booth, sipping a juice box you bought her, her eyes lit up again, and she started to open up more.

soon, she was chatting with you and aki about her favorite animals, her favorite color, and all the things she wanted to be when she grew up.

aki listened patiently, nodding every now and then, while you couldn’t help but smile at how quickly she’d started to trust the two of you.

“you know,” you said, glancing at aki as the girl munched on a sandwich, “we’re pretty good at this. maybe we missed our calling as babysitters.”

aki smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. “i don’t think that’s really in our job description.”

you chuckled, but deep down, you couldn’t help feeling a little attached to mei already. it was strange—spending the day with her, helping her, it felt so normal, so peaceful. it was a rare break from the chaos of your lives, and you could tell aki felt it too.

after finishing up at the café, the three of you headed to a nearby park to kill time, hoping that eventually, her father might show up or someone would recognize her. mei’s energy had returned, and she quickly ran ahead of you, her laughter ringing through the air as she darted around the playground.

you and aki sat down on a bench, watching her. the sun was starting to dip lower now, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. aki was quiet, his eyes following mei as she played, but you could tell his mind was somewhere else. you nudged him with your elbow.

"you okay?"

he blinked, looking over at you. "yeah. just thinking."

"about what?"

he hesitated for a moment, then glanced back at mei. "how calm everything feels today."

you smiled softly, understanding what he meant. days like this were rare—days where there wasn’t a constant threat hanging over your heads. "it’s nice, huh?"

he nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "yeah, it is."

as the sun started to set, the park slowly emptied out, leaving just the three of you. you were starting to wonder if you’d ever find mei’s father when, out of the corner of your eye, you saw a man running toward the playground, panic written all over his face.

"mei!" he called, his voice frantic.

mei looked up, her eyes widening in recognition. "daddy!" she yelled, sprinting across the park toward him. the man scooped her up in his arms, holding her tightly as relief washed over his face.

you and aki exchanged a glance, both of you standing up as the man approached.

"thank you," he said breathlessly, still holding mei close. "i was so scared... i didn’t know where she went."

"it’s no problem," aki replied, his tone as calm as ever. "we’re just glad she’s safe."

mei peeked over her father’s shoulder, waving shyly at you and aki. you waved back, feeling a strange heaviness in your chest. you’d spent the whole day with her, and now it was time to say goodbye.

it was bittersweet—part of you was happy she was safe with her father, but another part of you... missed her already.

aki noticed the shift in your mood immediately. as the man thanked you both one last time and walked away with mei, aki glanced over at you, his eyes soft. "you okay?"

you shrugged, trying to brush it off. "yeah... just kinda sad, i guess."

"you got attached," he said quietly, his voice teasing but understanding.

"maybe a little," you admitted, watching as mei and her father disappeared down the street.

there was a pause, and then aki’s voice broke the silence. "you ever think about having kids?"

you blinked, caught off guard by the question. turning to face him, you saw that he was watching you carefully, his expression unreadable. "what?"

"kids," he repeated, his tone casual but his eyes serious. "you ever think about it?"

you glanced down at your hands, a soft laugh escaping your lips. "i don’t know... i mean, maybe someday. why?"

he shrugged, leaning back against the bench. "just curious."

you studied him for a moment, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. aki wasn’t one to talk about stuff like this often—he was always focused on the mission, always thinking ahead. but today had been different. today, you’d seen a different side of him, a softer side.

"what about you?" you asked, nudging him again. "you ever think about it?"

aki was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on the now-empty playground. finally, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "maybe. someday."

you smiled softly, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. "i think you’d make a good dad."

he chuckled, shaking his head. "i don’t know about that."

"i’m serious," you insisted, bumping his shoulder with yours. "you were great with mei today. you’re patient, you listen... you’re way better at this than i am."

aki glanced over at you, his expression softening. "you’re good with kids too, you know."

"yeah, but i let them eat too much sugar," you teased, grinning. "i’d be the fun parent, and you’d be the responsible one."

"that’s probably true," he agreed, a small smile tugging at his lips.

you both fell into a comfortable silence after that, the evening air growing cooler as the sun finally dipped below the horizon. despite the quiet, you couldn’t help but feel closer to aki than you had in a long time.

the two of you had spent so much time fighting devils, worrying about the future, that you’d almost forgotten what it was like to just be normal together.

as the stars started to appear in the darkening sky, aki stood up, offering you his hand. "come on," he said softly. "let’s head home."

you took his hand, standing up and falling into step beside him as you made your way back through the city streets. and even though the day was over, and mei was gone, you couldn’t help but feel a little more hopeful about the future—a future that, maybe someday, could include something more than just devil hunting.

the quiet of the night wrapped around you and aki like a warm, comforting blanket. after a long day, you both returned to his apartment, tired but content. the city was still bustling outside, but in the confines of his room, there was peace—a small, intimate world just for the two of you.

you lay next to him in bed, your body close to his, your head resting on his chest as you listened to his steady breathing. his arm was draped over your waist, fingers absently tracing patterns on your skin.

you had been quiet for a while now, both of you lost in your own thoughts, the gentle rise and fall of his chest lulling you into a sense of calm.

but beneath that calm, something stirred—a feeling that had been lingering in the back of your mind all day, ever since you had found mei’s father and said your goodbyes. a longing, deep and unspoken, was tugging at you.

you shifted slightly, turning your face toward him. "aki," you whispered, your voice soft in the stillness.

he hummed in response, his hand continuing to run over your skin, his touch soothing. "yeah?"

you hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to bring it up, but the words were already on the tip of your tongue. you tilted your head up to meet his gaze, his dark eyes soft and tired but attentive, always watching you, always listening.

"do you think... we could have a child someday?"

the question hung in the air between you, fragile and tender. aki’s fingers stilled on your waist, his expression shifting slightly as he processed what you’d just said. for a moment, he didn’t speak, his eyes searching yours as if trying to understand where this was coming from.

"you... want a child?" he asked quietly, his voice gentle but cautious.

you nodded, feeling your chest tighten with the weight of your own emotions. "i don’t know," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "i just... after today, i guess i’ve been thinking about it. about us. and... maybe someday having a family."

aki’s gaze softened even more as he looked at you, and for a moment, he didn’t say anything, his hand returning to its slow, soothing motions on your waist. his eyes flickered with something—a deep, unspoken emotion that you couldn’t quite place.

he sighed quietly, shifting his body slightly so he could face you better. his fingers brushed a stray strand of hair away from your face before he spoke again.

"i’ve thought about it too," he admitted, his voice low and quiet. "but... you know what kind of life we live. what kind of world we’re in." his eyes clouded slightly, the weight of everything you both faced settling between you. "i don’t know if it’s fair to bring a child into all of this."

you felt a pang in your chest at his words, knowing he was right. the life you both led was dangerous, uncertain, filled with more risks than most people could ever imagine. but even so, the longing in your heart didn’t fade.

you had spent years fighting, surviving, and in this small moment of peace, the idea of creating something beautiful, something that was yours and his, felt like a spark of hope.

"i know it’s not easy," you said softly, your fingers tracing small circles on his chest. "but i still think about it. i think... maybe we could make it work, aki. we could find a way."

his hand slid from your waist to your cheek, tilting your face up to meet his gaze fully. there was something intense in his eyes now, a flicker of uncertainty mixed with something deeper—something that told you he had thought about this more than he’d ever let on.

"you really want this?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

you nodded again, your throat tight as you met his gaze. "i do. i think... i think i’d want to have a child with you."

aki’s thumb brushed against your cheek, his expression softening further as he leaned down to kiss you gently. his lips lingered on yours, tender and slow, like he was pouring all the unspoken feelings he had into that kiss.

when he pulled away, his forehead rested against yours, his breath warm against your skin. "if we ever have a child," he whispered, his voice filled with quiet intensity, "i’ll do everything i can to protect them. to protect you."

you closed your eyes, feeling the weight of his words settle into your heart. in that moment, wrapped in his arms, you believed him. you knew aki would do whatever it took to keep you safe, to keep any future you shared safe.

"i know," you whispered back, your voice soft but sure. "and i’d protect them too."

aki kissed you again, this time more urgently, the quiet intensity between you building. his hands slid down your body, pulling you closer, and you could feel the heat rising between you. the conversation, the emotions, everything seemed to blur into the background as the two of you lost yourselves in each other.

the night outside was quiet, the city continuing on, but in that moment, it was just you and aki, wrapped up in the warmth of each other. the thought of a future, of a family, lingered in the back of your mind, a small flicker of hope amidst the chaos of your lives.