Judgment

It honestly hadn’t taken Sae long to notice the pattern. Akechi would come into the office, jittery and far more easily startled than normal, then sleep the majority of the day away on his desk. Even all of the caffeine in the world couldn’t keep him awake on those days. A few days after that, they’d be assigned a case related to one of the rampage or mental shutdown incidents. He was connected with them somehow, but she couldn’t piece everything together. Regardless, she took as much of his paperwork on those days as she could without impacting her own performance. One day, though, he came in with makeup caked on heavily, sloppily, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when she merely looked up. She offered him a gentle smile and sat her work to the side. He collapsed at his desk, chest heaving, eyes half lidded. Whatever had happened had raddled him far more than normal, and her heart sank in her chest. He wasn’t in any shape to be there. He rarely ever was on mornings like this but… This was different. By this point, he’d learned to blend the makeup almost seamlessly so… What had happened? Sae lightly tapped on the desk with her fingernail, barely audible, but Akechi still jumped out of his chair, pressing against the wall. His eyes swung around the room, unfocused, and she knew using JSL at this point would be impossible for him, so she texted him. The message was entirely in hiragana since he wouldn’t be able to handle even basic kanji. Akechi-kun, would you like to come over to my house for the day? She’d almost never taken a day off since she’d started, and she hadn’t seen him either while he was there, so she hoped the chief would understand. Akechi just looked up from his phone, drawn back to the present for the time being. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, eyebrows bunched together. It wasn’t difficult to understand the unspoken question. Have I done anything to hurt you? It broke her heart, but given what little she knew of his history, she could hardly blame him. She was probably the first adult to show him even the slightest bit of care. Hopefully, the six months of kindness would suade him. He lowered his phone and returned it to his pocket. She moved her hands near her desk, trying to show she intended to sign before doing so. I’ll be back in a bit. I need to talk to the chief about it. He nodded and she stood up, moving along the wall opposite him before exiting the room.  ♦  Sae let out a sigh after the long, tense ar ride ended, glad for the threat of snow that day. She wasn’t sure how Akechi would have taken to riding her motorcycle with her current state. It hadn’t helped with her swinging by his apartment to let him grab a few things for him to have so he’d hopefully feel more comfortable here. She sat him down on the couch and offered him the remote. “I have a few errands I need to run for about an hour, so you’re free to  watch whatever. If you find a movie you like that costs to watch, just go ahead and watch it.” She earned enough that a movie or two wouldn’t break the bank even if the two days off would screw with the budgeting more than a bit. She got back into her care and headed for the store. She normally wasn’t one to trust her intuition, but with him, it was usually right on the money.  ♦  The bizarre murder of crows blanketing the lawn and drive was the last thing she expected to see upon her return. Regardless, she waded through the never-ending birds, unlocking the door. A small smile came to her lips when she heard the sound of Featherman playing. She placed the bags save one near the door and settled on the couch next to Akechi. He was so engrossed in the show that he barely registered her presence, though. He really was just a little kid, wasn’t he? “Oh, this is last week’s episode. I can’t believe that Malignus managed to turn White Swallow against everyone.” “Right? Well, we both know his bond with Pink Argus will win out in the end.” Akechi stared at the screen until the episode ended ten minutes later. Even with the makeup, she saw his cheeks tint pink and he looked away. She raised her hand a little and glanced over before she patted his head, offering him a gentle smile. “It’s fine, Akechi-kun. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite shows and has been since I was a kid.” When she’d been younger, she’d simply loved watching good triumph over evil. As an adult, she could appreciate the more nuanced (if extremely campy) writing, character interactions and relationships and…it was still nice to see such a black-and-white world when she dealt in moral grey areas all hours of the day. Of course, she took a black-and-white approach herself but… Akechi gave a small nod and turned the TV off, still obviously embarrassed by the revelation. She ruffled his hair again and opened her jacket pocket, pulling out a very loved 3DS. His eyes widened a bit as she flipped open the small console, revealing the Pokémon X save file she’d been playing before heading to work. “I won’t judge you for liking so-called childish things when I still play an RPG series mostly intended for the five- to twelve age-old-age range.” She was more into the competitive, strategic side of the series rather than the story and world, but she still enjoyed the casual side of things too. Of course, her preference meant having to participate in American leagues but she didn’t mind. He nodded again and she picked up the bag sitting at her feet. It was a brightly colored gift bag, obviously purchased at the same time as its contents, but she really didn’t care. Akechi just gave her a wary look before she placed it on his lap. “Before you say anything: I wanted to. It’s not a bother. You don’t have to pay me back. It’s a gift and I want you to enjoy it.” She could already hear the protests, so she nipped them in the bud before he could voice them. Akechi seemed to deflate a bit, giving a resigned sigh as he pulled out the contents. It was a 3DSXL with Animal Crossing New Leaf, Pokémon Y, Fire Emblem Awakening, and a few puzzle and rhythm games along with an eShop gift card so he could buy a couple games he wanted. She wasn’t sure which genre he’d take to best, but these seemed like safe best with what she’d gathered. Plus, she’d heard people say Animal crossing helped with anxiety because of the relaxed nature and hoped it would do the same for him. Awakening was the biggest gamble since it was a very text-heavy RPG, but he could at least enjoy the strategic gameplay. He looked up at her with wide eyes and she smiled, ruffling his hair again. “You’re welcome.” It’d cost a pretty penny, but if it made his life a little brighter, it was worth it.