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Ken and Aya make the least convincing couple ever. Ken is a crap liar and Aya doesn't appear to have any idea of or interest in how normal people do romance. Or social niceties in general. Any attempt in something as elementary as holding hands would probably end with then crushing each other's fingers. Basically, out of the many ludicrous ideas for cover they as a team have collectively had, including Ken in a stewardess' uniform, this is probably the most ludicrous, and Ken says so. Aya settles for crossing his arms and making a face like this is all beneath him.
Upon brief consideration both Omi and Youji concede that it is, in fact, ludicrous and the idea is dropped. But five years later in a different country with a different team, it comes up again.
This time, Aya looks like he'd actually considering it. Since Aya has spent the past five years unravelling his cocoon of man-pain to reveal a much more easy-going and agreeable sort of person, Ken also considers it: it's a lot easier to act couple-y when your partner isn't sandbagging.
They agree to it.
It's a retrieval mission rather than an assassination: they have to liberate some rather sensitive documents containing evidence of cocaine smuggling from the office of some guy whose name Ken can't pronounce, because what better explanation for being in a place you shouldn't be than having snuck away to share a tender romantic moment? Michel and Free would almost certainly be more naturally convincing, but apparently Free's facial markings would draw too much attention; Ken isn't convinced that two Japanese guys, one with bright red hair and the other who can't speak English, won't draw just as much attention, but everyone else assures him it'll work.
It's surprisingly easy to pretend. They stand close together; after so long working together Ken doesn't startle at the touch of Aya's hand on his waist; in return he lets their knuckles brush. It's all in the little things, Michel had told them: casual intimacy is more convincing than any awkward kiss. Their mark has aspirations to intellectualism - or at least the appearance of it - and the occasion is an informal get together of similar people; Aya is apparently sufficiently convincing as a philosophy graduate student that he can carry the conversation and Ken's lack of English proficiency doesn't cause more than one awkward moment.
In the end, their cover is unecessary since no-one discovers them in the act of lifting the documents; the mission is an unmitigated success. But sometimes Ken wonders about how easy it was to pretend.