Chapter Text
First, you were his assistant; now you’re his partner. Even with this newfound title, things didn’t change much. Before you asked him out, you knew dating him wouldn’t be perfect. He was a workaholic with a strong passion for his craft. He worked from early in the morning to late at night almost every day. At first, you could handle it because you both worked together, but lately, it’s gotten harder and harder for you to be okay with it. The day you decided to be bold and ask him out, he told you he hadn’t dated ever since he pursued his lawyer career from how wrapped in his work he’d get. The few times he did date, it didn’t last long. He also mentioned he prefers to keep work life and date life separate, in simple terms, don’t be lovey-dovey on the clock. It is simple enough for you to understand, but not as easy to do. You and he have been dating for a few months now, longer than the few before you, but long months indeed. You and he lived separately but occasionally spent the night by each other. But with the recent influx of crimes lately, you haven’t spent time outside of work together in weeks. You couldn’t help but crave him more, and his working such long hours didn’t make it easier. Now he was pulling all-nighters at work and distancing himself from everyone, and you. That was one of the biggest issues when it came to him; he was already under stress from his job, but as his stress grew, so did his neglectful behavior. You too were under stress being his assistant, but you didn’t take it as hard as he did.
Today was unlike any other day for you, running errands for him, helping him organize case files, and occasionally coffee runs to keep him up through the day. It was reaching the time you were supposed to get off, but your coworker informed you that Higuruma was staying more hours today. “He just picked up a few new case files like always.” Your coworker told you. You weren’t happy about it at all, yesterday night, he said he was going to take you out. He promised. You were looking forward to it, you were brimming with thrill from the thought of going out with him. But that thrill almost instantly disappeared once you heard about this. After you heard the news you hurriedly made your way to his office.
“Are you seriously staying late again?”
You announced firmly as you entered his office, clutching the files he requested you to retrieve for him. You weren't happy; it was written all over your body and face. You were tensed, your jaw tightened, and your expression a mixture of confusion and hurt. You walked to his desk and tossed the files down on his desk, finally receiving a small reaction from him. He pulled his eyes off his computer and took notice of the files, then looked up at you. He was never big on being expressive, no matter his situation. His tired eyes look up at you blankly, observing your unpleasant way of entering his office. He wasn’t sure what to say since he was too caught up in his work to hear your question when you first walked in. He just glanced at you and the files a moment, hoping you’d ask it again, but seeing as you didn't, he spoke.
“What’s with the look, is something wrong?”
His husky monotoned voice finally pierced the silence you both held as he scooped up the files that messily lay on his already cluttered desk. Is he serious? You asked yourself as you propped one hand on your hips and the other pinched the bridge of your nose, trying to refrain from acting out. You weren’t one to complain to him. Sure, you’d hint or bring up an issue once or twice, but never repeatedly complain. Complaining didn’t solve anything, yet here at this moment, you felt like that was all you could do. He patiently waited for your next words; no matter what, once you had his attention, he kept it on you. He didn’t seem nervous, but it was hard to ignore the growing anxiety he felt from you just standing there in silence.
“Yes. I just learned from one of our colleagues, not from you, that you were taking more hours. I thought we were going out tonight Hiro.”
“Hm..it was very last minute. They could use my help, I have a day off next week so we can do something then.”
“You’ve been saying that for the past few weeks, you promised. You’ve been taking up more hours and pulling all-nighters. Not only is this not healthy for you, but we’ve barely seen or talked to each other outside of work.”
Agian you take a pasue. Your body sawing a bit as your hand dragged down your face, and your eyes narrowed at his desk. He was still quiet, your words hitting heavier this time around. He took your words to heart every time, but he too noticed how he’s been piling more and more work on his plate even when he didn’t need to. He didn’t like bringing relationship stuff into his work, but since he always worked late, there was no better time than now. He could hear the tiredness in your voice, he could see the tenseness in your body. His blank and tired eyes grew with concern as he watched you, his eyes never leaving you, unlike your gaze. You couldn’t bring yourself to look back at him, not yet. He softly nipped the skin on his lips as he thought of something to say, but before he was even given a chance, you spoke again. This time, your voice sounded defeated, and your gaze laced with disappointment.
“I know how you get with work, trust me I do, but I need you to Hiro...The least you could do is tell me stuff like this…I…I’m getting off in a few. At least call me when you get home.”
You say with a deep sigh at the end. You gave him one last glance, a look that would be stuck in his head before you excused yourself from his office. You left without giving him a chance to explain, you left without giving him any sort of affection, which he deeply didn’t want to happen. There he sat in his office with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. He locked his fingers together while leaning his arms against the table. His hands covered the unpleasant expression his mouth formed once you left. Guilt, like when he couldn’t save his clients from prosecution, washed over him, but worse since it was you, the one person he confided in and cared for like this. He knew of his neglectful behavior, yet always let work come before you, and now he knew what true regret felt like. He felt terrible, no matter how neutral and stoic his expressions were, he did care. Unfortunately for both of you, he didn't show it well. Now he was left to sulk in this guilty feeling, while you went home feeling empty. As compelling as it was for him to just sit there, he had work to do, work he had to finish while carrying that unpleasant feeling throughout his day. He might have a workload in front of him, but he was thinking of ways to redeem himself.
The day was soon coming to an end, and you were still home. Not moping around about what happened, but surely not happy either. You sat in your living room wearing your go-to lazy day outfit with wine in one hand and remote in the other as you skipped through the many channels in search of something to watch. Given this situation, it was only right to treat yourself to a bit of wine. Once you had settled on something, you curled up on the couch and watched it, downing your second glass of wine of the night. It was hard not to sink into that feeling that swirled in your stomach. You wanted nothing more than to feel his touch; hell, even sitting in the same room talking about anything but work would’ve been just as good. But like he said, “They could use his help.” You felt so many emotions and thought so many things to the point you went numb, unbothered by everything in this moment. The only thing bothering you was how quickly you ran through those glasses of wine. Since your plans were already canceled, you didn't care, so you got up and went to pour yourself another glass. As your glass slowly began to fill with more wine, you were startled by…knocking? Knock Knock Knock. The sound of faint knocking stops you from filling your glass again. With an annoyed sigh, you left your drink on the counter and walked to the door. Who could be here at this hour? You asked yourself, finally making it to the door and opening it. And to your surprise...It was Higuruma. As surprised as you were, you didn’t express it, you just stood there staring up at the man in your doorway. He stood there looking back at you, but unlike other times, he was worried. It was all over his face, his eyes sunken, and his lips turned into a small, nervous smile. He wasn’t sure if you’d be up at this time or would even want to see him. In his hands, he clutched his briefcase and a large paper bag in the other hand. Again, you and he just looked at each other in silence until one of you spoke.
“Can we talk, please?"
His monotoned voice now seeping with emotion, his voice husky yet soft, like he had a lot to say. You stood there, leaning back a little from him with a tilt in your neck as you kept your eyes on him. Your tongue dragged your teeth as you debated letting him in. But with the look on his face and shift in demeanor, it was hard not to feel something for him. You still loved him, so you moved away from the door and let him walk inside. Once he was in, you walked off back to the kitchen to finish pouring yourself another glass of wine. He took care of the door and then seated himself on your couch. Patiently, he waited for you to join him on the couch; for him, it felt like you were purposely taking your time. You were. Your eyes were glued on him as you finished pouring your wine and slowly made it to him. Your stare was so intense it sent shivers up his spine, the pit in his stomach only growing with every passing second. You took a seat on the opposite end of the couch, curling up with your glass in your hand. The looks you gave him made him more nervous by the second. His body was hunched over as his arms rested on his knees, his foot tapping the floor in a rhythmic pattern while he thought of what to say. Being in court defending his clients was one thing, but having to confess to his misdeeds to you was harder. It was more personal. He turns his body towards you but doesn’t move closer, he respects and understands your distance but he gives you all his attention.
“..I understand what I said to you and how I’ve been treating you is unfair. I know that I tend to get lost in my work, but even so, it’s my responsibility to moderate it and show you that I do appreciate you…I’ve been neglectful and I’m sorry sweetheart..”
He took a brief pause to clear his throat and adjust himself a bit. His body grew colder from your silence; he didn't expect you to talk, but the intensity of your silence was loud. His hands remained clasped together while you continued to hear him out. That blank expression is still on your face. You took a sip of your drink and placed it on the table, waiting for him to continue.
“I want to do better for you, I’ve put you through something you didn’t deserve, and with your permission, I want to make it up to you. I brought over some food from your favorite spot, and we can watch something together. It’s not much, but next time I'm off, I've made reservations for us. We’ll go out again, and I’ll take you out wherever else you want to go.”
You brought your hand up to your mouth and nipped on the tip of your finger. Your eyes no longer looked in his direction. You may not have expressed it, but hearing this apology and what he was planning to do for you made your numbness wither away. After a moment of pondering, you turn your focus back to him. He was still watching you anxiously, hoping for anything from you but willing to understand if you didn’t forgive him. Just when he felt hope start to dissipate, you moved from your spot on the couch and leaned closer to him. Your sudden closeness only adds to the warmth on his cheeks. He just sat there, his eyes frantically looking at you as he couldn’t read your expression.
“...Did you get dessert too? I’ve been craving something sweet lately.”
Instant relief washed over him after hearing your response. The pit in his stomach was almost gone as he saw the life come back to your face. He smiled a bit and nodded, it was the least he could do. Before taking the food out, he pulled off his top coat and rolled up his sleeves so he could get comfortable. He slowly pulled out the food and placed it on the table for you and him to share. You both felt a bit better, but there was something he still needed to do. Once all the food was on the table, he turned to you and reached his hand out to you. It wasn’t uncommon for him to do so; it was his way of seeing if you wanted to be touched or not. Hesitantly, you reached back out to his hand and held it. Unsure of what he planned to do, you just sat there waiting for him to make his move. He wrapped his hand around your lower back and pulled you close. He kept one hand there and let his other hand cup your cheek, softly, he brushed his thumb against your warm skin. He still looked tired but had a loving gaze and smile as he planted a kiss on your forehead, then your cheek, and finally your lips. Each kiss was sweet and gentle, and the final kiss he gave you held more passion in it. The moment his lips pressed against yours, you melted into it. You don’t remember the last time he kissed you like this, you couldn’t get enough of him. You wanted more, you pushed up a little and pushed him down into the couch, still not breaking the kiss. He let you do as you wanted while his arms stayed happily on your lower back.
He was addicted to you. With the constant working, this feeling slipped his mind, but now that he remembered it, he wouldn’t let it go this time. No matter how lost in work he got, he would always let you pull him out. You sat comfortably on top of him as the kissing continued, you playing in his hair as he hugged your waist lovingly, wanting to feel that warmth of you more often. His passion-filled kissing went on for a bit before he pulled back and looked up at you with low but bright eyes. He pressed his hooked nose against yours and just smiled. This was what he needed. He needed a moment to let work go and focus on you. His lover. The one who, in his times of stress, was always there to lift him. You both laugh at each other, seeing how flustered you both are from the mini-kissing session. From then on, you and he stayed cuddled up on the couch, eating together and just spending real quality time with each other. Were things completely better? No, he still had to prove to you that you were his priority. He wasn’t used to dating while working this stressful job, but if it meant he got to love you and you’d love him back, then that was something he was ready to work on. You were his, and he’d always be there to remind you of that fact.