in these ten years and almost five months since the incident that had threatened to take away from her her closest friend , addison had reached maturity , had achieved a state of mind that was nowhere near as childish as her old one and that allowed her to look at things from a distant point of view . no longer was she this imperfect , emotional child for whom blinding , murderous rage was an everyday emotion / in her place stood a being older than the mountain looming over the city , someone who had quelled down the flames of hatred and contempt whose warm ashes rested at the pit of her stomach . she wasn’t a lost , immature sixteen years old anymore ; she was now a mature , composed twenty-six years old who wanted nothing more than a little happiness for every long stretch of misery that sneaked inbetween her and her beloved . however , the wisdom she had acquired from jessica’s kidnapping , the sight she was forced to take in would forever remain in her bones , now etched on her brain , part of her flesh . no one could take that away from her , least of all goro . just like she wouldn’t take away his mistakes away from him , he wouldn’t take hers , she knew it . and yet , each and every time without failure , these memories would punch her in the chest , preventing her from exhaling and recalling that she had been forgiven long ago , the rose-haired violinist having done everything in her power to reassure her best friend on the matter .
goro’s gloved touch against her naked hand and short peck when she stopped the car in the parking lot of their appartment building were both much welcome distractions , shoulders lowering themselves when she turned the engine off , the weight of the gun in the holster she carried suddenly pulling her down . she’d never get used to the feeling of her loved ones getting hurt , but stolen moments like these , in the company of the one she loved the most reminded her that she didn't have to feel like she was alone anymore . for so long , she had wanted to seek out the truth … she wanted someone she could trust , someone who could do the same things that she could . someone who would have her back , no motivations attached . and as she exited the car , staring at the back of goro akechi , she felt all the ice within herself melt , flowerbeds blooming underneath her skin and stars filling her eyes . even injured , with takeouts in his hands and a touch akin to a ghost , there was no one else she’d rather be with than with him .
the moment she closed their entrance door behind them , pancake’s barks welcoming the two , felt like the shredding of an identity . within these walls , addison could let go of the pressure , of the calloused exterior she maintained in order to keep her beau safe . she could also express feelings she knew she’d be teased for having , such as goro’s suggestion leading a ting of pink to color her cheeks . part of her wanted to poke fun of him for asking questions he knew the answers to , but part of her was also eyeing with hot , flaming desire the bag in his hand . dinner first , goro second , she decided . and even then , it looked like she wouldn't be able to wash her hair without help , their fall having caused sharp pain to invade her body whenever she moved . still , she supposed it was best they ate something before a warm bath , followed by cuddle time with pancake .
❝ noodles first , romeo . but don’t worry : once we’re done eating and showering , we’ll take care of dressing up everything that needs it . ❞
even goro felt a little abashed at how bluntly he’d said that. granted, he’d been less reserved than when he’d donned his detective prince facade more than a decade ago, but sometimes, he uttered phrases that seemed almost unfitting for someone with his features. he’d used to find that strange, but he’d since accepted that as simply another part of him, and addison did too. he could speak his mind without reservation and without being judged for it, and he could afford to be vulnerable without facing the repercussions. he didn’t feel as suffocated save for the slight tinge of pink that coloured his cheeks after she’d wryly called him romeo.
“noodles first,” he acquiesced sheepishly, setting the bag on the dining table and fetching some cutlery while pancake padded around his legs, worry etched over his furry features. goro had left some food for pancake before they left on their investigation and eventual chase, but he still reached for the cupboard to feed the corgi a dried bacon treat as compensation for his worries. he and addison then settled at the table to eat their belated dinner.
they’d made it a point not to discuss work during meals, even if their injuries were fresh from it. so they talked about other things. that trendy crepe place that saw frequent crowds in yongenjaya. that neo featherman pop-up cafe in shibuya. the new season of their favourite crime fiction series. where they should go for their wedding anniversary. for the both of them, talking about things like these might seem normal to the common folk, but they weren’t most people. even so, this was nice. he could say he enjoyed himself and mean it. he could smile and they not only reached his eyes, but made his heart flutter with genuine elation.
but of course, as the marriage vows went, not everything was all sunshine and rainbows. just as they shared joy together, they shared suffering as well. as soon as they were done with dinner, they made their way to the bathroom, where they’d undressed and their scars were exposed for the other to see. goro couldn’t help the frown that creased his brows at seeing her injuries, but there was no ignoring the fact that he was not uninjured. the wound had since stopped bleeding, and he could feel the caked blood around it when he moved his head. other than a few bruises that would develop into ugly blues and blacks the next day, he was mostly unhurt.
despite his insistence to prioritize her injuries, addison was equally pressed on treating HIS first, given the fact that he could not see the wound on the back of his head. though she had calloused fingers, she was gentle but thorough, making sure to get shampoo in every corner of his scalp without much protest other than the slight inhale when her fingers brushed against the scar, where a bump was now beginning to form. he could handle the rest of his body without much trouble, and soon, it was time to focus on addison’s injuries.
goro was meticulous with his fingers, exercising caution with the nasty red marks on her skin where the binders had caused friction scars and grazes. compared to him, she had a rather high pain tolerance, something he admired about her. he’d often joked that she was the prince and he the princess, a charade she too enjoyed in partaking, especially in the metaverse when they were both allied with the phantom thieves. such a time seemed so far away -- back when they were striving for the justice they both sought.
after cleaning off the soap and patting themselves dry, goro got out the first aid kit. just as they did before, addison addressed his injuries first. the clean bandages were a relief, and he could now focus on hers. his fingers traced the scars on her skin like constellations in the night sky, remembering the promise he’d once made her. he smiled at the memory as he dabbed antiseptic oil on them, carefully bandaging them so that they wouldn’t bother her too much. “do you remember what i once said?” he murmured quietly, taking her hands in his, bare fingers brushing across her knuckles, just as he once did. “even if you run out of scar tissue, i’ll be happy to share some with you. i haven’t regretted that decision. just as you’re here for me, i’m here for you.” he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her lips. they were soft, just as he’d remembered. and even though he’d kissed her so many times that the memories blurred into each other, he would always be astounded by how soft they were. “so... how does csi miami sound?”
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