"... I wanted to see you.

That's all."

 

---

​

arrested, questioned, thrown in a jail cell, death row.

 

It had taken no time at all --- he had anticipated it when he was captured, handcuffs placed on him by Hoshino, her wish to not kill him herself playing in his mind. They both knew, deep down, he'd have died regardless.

 

Due to the... special circumstances, he had one simple final request: for the police officer that arrested him to be the same one to administer his death. A fitting reward for the one that saved the city from X-Day, he said.

 

They agreed, and thus he found himself in this situation right now, sitting across her on a plain table, wrists cuffed together, waiting for Ichika to seal his fate eternally. There was a crowd of high-ranked police officers outside his cell, he was sure, from the window. Cameras decorating the room. No, they'd have been foolish to leave a rookie cop by herself against one of Japan's most notorious criminals.

 

Not that he had any intent on killing her --- despite her conflicting views and ideals, he still had the smallest amount of hope of her desire to rid the world of malice, to acknowledge that there's pain and suffering in the world that the laws do not help, that the police is corrupt, that there has to be change in some form in order to help save everyone.

 

But, those were thoughts unfitting for a last encounter, weren't they?

 

Ichika's arms were trembling, hands shaking, eyes looking as if in the midst of tears, hesitation sketched on her face.

 

Such emotions are meaningless. Justice cannot waver.

 

"Hoshino." His voice was gentle, smile she's grown to know so well set across his face, yet did not meet his eyes.

 

The tears were freely falling down her cheeks now, eyes watery, and he knew it'd be cruel to wipe them away gently with his thumb. He did it anyway, the trembling worsening, Ichika trying (and failing) to pretend he wasn't comforting her.

 

Her expressions always was the most entertaining to decipher, to see flourish to life. How could someone so bright as she, so full of justice, honor, virtue be attached to him? A murderer, bastard, has been legally dead for years. Has not had a single shine of happiness or affection in his life, or even felt like he was alive.

 

Not until her, at any rate.

 

He supposed that was what those feelings were --- happiness. Such an odd emotion. It made him... happy to see her in pain, see her crying, see her hesitating, see the effect he has on her.

 

He clasped her trembling hand holding the injection, bringing it closer to his other arm lowered back on the table, his vein, the perfect spot for execution.

 

He felt the cool metal from the needle slide against the skin. Not much longer, now. She'll finally grant his wish for her to be the one to kill him. Give justice for the lost lives he's caused, gray area or no.

 

For the legal system there was only Black and White.

 

He was black. And her, white. White, so pure. Pure as her heart, her soul, the complete opposite of his.

 

Yuzuru's smile merely grew, eyes showing the sadness he couldn't comprehend.

 

"In another life, perhaps I could have loved you." He whispered, admitting the thought that has lingered on his mind before X-Day started, enhancing the more he's gotten to know her, the more he's seen her resilience,the more she tried to convince him such measures weren't necessary through the collar. His heart was empty, emotions empty, only able to pick up and understand the suffering of others, but he knew rationally such feelings, while impossible in this life, perhaps were more probable in another.

 

Before giving her a chance to respond, to decide she didn't want to be the one to grant him peace he used his thumb to force hers to place pressure on the syringe, feeling the needle pierce his skin.

 

There was no pain. He felt normal, still staring at Ichika, the same smile prominent on his features. She seemed to be staring back and forth between the syringe and him with shock, more tears falling.

 

He raised his hand to caress her cheek, thumb wiping way the stream of tears as he continued staring at her, maintaining eye contact, at peace with himself. She started quickly resembling an old photo, a photo reminding him of possible happier times in her company, flashes of moments spent with her appearing before his eyes ---

 

meeting at the police academy, seeing her as 'the one' to truly understand him, giving him hope, intent on using her by worming his way into her heart acting as a close friend, slowly becoming her best friend, being encouraging, taking her out to the bar to drink pints of beer, celebrate when they graduated from the police academy, assigned at separate posts but making an effort to visit each other constantly to ensure she was in his grasp, been a shoulder for her to cry on from both stress at the job and her inability to help the townsfolk enough, sharing valentines chocolates with each other, white day, spending time together on christmas in every year aside from this one, watching her cheeks flush in the darkened sky with the glittering christmas lights enhancing her features in the background with red anemone flowers scattered among the pots decorating the exterior of the floral shop, wind blowing stray petals to dance around them, some strays catching in her hair, white puffs forming from her breathing due to the cold, staring at him as if she was so grateful for his company, friendship, not realizing all of it was faked, planned, and he felt his heart momentarily clench at the realization and he didn't know why ---

 

she was fading in the darkness, words leaving her lips but he was unable to comprehend a single one of them, but the last coherent memory he had before his heart stopped was

 

tears.