Chapter Text
Looking back, Goro doesn’t even remember what he is doing in Shinjuku, not to mention a bar like Crossroads.
But the point is, he is there, and he is drinking, and his waiter is Ren Fucking Leader of the Phantom Thieves Amamiya.
And he actually looks hot in drag.
Goro drinks some more.
He is so fucked.
***
Ren never expected to run into any of his contacts in Crossroads.
Well. Aside from Ohya, but she practically lives in the bar. And Lala-chan, of course.
So when he notices a familiar overly-fancy crown of hair, he slides up to his boss for the evening. “I’ll take table six,” he says.
Lala-chan looks over, and purrs. “Oh?”
Ren can’t exactly call Akechi a friend. So he just shrugs and smiles at Lala-chan.
The woman giggles, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Go get ‘em tiger!”
Ren has no idea just then, how accurate her words will prove to be.
***
“I didn’t think you would work at a bar,” Goro says. He is playing with the straw in his already-drunk cocktail.
He kinda prefers the ones over at Jazz Jin, but the company might make up for it.
Amamiya flashes him a smile. “Oh? What did you have me pegged for, detective?” He leans in as he deposits Goro’s newest order. The kimono he is wearing slides apart just a bit, revealing pale skin.
Goro’s gaze lands on this patch of skin, then darts back to Amamiya’s face. “Is it just the lack of glasses or did you put make-up on?” he wonders.
Amamiya’s face is prettier than ever. Goro is a detective. He has to know why.
The thief huffs. “Are you drunk?” He asks, and is that concern in his gaze?
Goro taps his lips in thought. Yes, it is. How amusing.
“Barely tipsy,” he replies. “Just curious.”
“I put on some sparkly eyeshadow,” Amamiya says. “Nothing else.”
Goro grabs his newest drink. “Nothing?” He repeats flatly. “No contour, no anything?”
“Nope.” Amamiya pops the sound, lips smacking. “Well… I do have some lipgloss on.”
Goro waves his hand dismissively. “Who doesn’t?”
“You mean you do too?”
Amamiya’s wide eyes are perfectly visible without his annoying glasses.
Goro licks his lips. The thief’s focus is easily diverted to them, he knows. “Of course.” He grins up, fluttering his eyelashes. “Want a taste?”
It’s more something that Amamiya would say, but Goro has alcohol in his system and Amamiya is actually pretty hot when he is not hunching over like he wants to hide in his own shadow.
It’s really fucking unfair that he doesn’t have to cake tons of powder on his face to get his cheekbones to behave, but Goro puts that aside for the moment.
Amamiya huffs again, leaning back. “Not funny, Akechi.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
Amamiya’s eyes snap back to him.
Goro keeps eye contact. “How long is your shift?”
“An hour more,” Amamiya says, tilting his head. “Why-”
“Come home with me.”
Amamiya falls silent.
Then, “Are you sure you’re not drunk?”
Goro rolls his eyes. “Not nearly enough.” He refrains from taking a swig from his new drink. He needs to last an hour more? Too long, but hopefully worth the wait. “We’re both almost at the age of majority; and well over the age of consent according to Japanese law.”
“...you’re propositioning me,” Amamiya says, as if he’d just noticed. Goro holds back a sigh. He forgets how pretty can also mean pretty dumb. “...why?”
Goro fingers with his tie, loosening it. “Are you not interested in having sex with me?”
Amamiya’s eyes are stuck to his exposed skin.
It’s a bit hard to see in the neon light, but Goro would bet his cheeks are flushed.
Goro’s slightly hazy mind casts about for something to sweeten the deal.
“We can discuss ethics during the intercourse, if you want.”
Amamiya starts laughing, then, shaking his head. “You are definitely drunk.”
“Is that a no?”
Amamiya flashes him a grin. “What do you think, detective?”
Goro mirrors the expression. “I think I have an hour more to convince you.”
“You can try.” Amamiya ducks away, presumably heading for the bar. Goro watches him go.
He twirls the straw in his new drink.
Goro has always loved challenges.
***
Ren ends up spending more of his remaining hour with Goro than not.
Lala-chan notices.
She doesn’t seem to mind.
“Go on honey,” she tells him with a suggestive smile. Goro waves at him again, probably with a new drink order.
With the end of Ren’s shift approaching, he’s been only asking for water.
He cannot be sober, Ren thinks still. He wouldn’t proposition me if he was. He is Goro Akechi.
Sure, Ren has his number and they’ve gone out together a few times, but that was as friends. And the goal was usually debating philosophy.
Ren really misses having Morgana around tonight. He’d appreciate a slap of reality from the cat – but alas, his companion is with Ryuji, with the explicit order from Ren himself for the two of them to pull their shit together and get along.
It’s only with Morgana gone that he even stays so late in Crossroads.
…with Morgana gone, there is no one to tell him what a bad idea it would be to take Akechi up on his offer.
Ren glances over at the detective.
Then turns back to Lala-chan. “Give me a shot.”
Lala-chan tuts, but pours him something to drink and Ren throws it back in one gulp.
Liquid courage in his veins, is there really any reason for him to stop?
***
Logically, Goro knows it’s a bad decision.
In all actuality, he still stands in the cool night air, waiting for Amamiya to emerge from the back entrance, sans drag.
He taps his fingers on his phone – the only sign of impatience he allows himself.
Goro knows a lot about wanting something and then never getting that something.
Is it really so bad that he wants to allow himself this one small indulgence?
And it’s not like Amamiya is not receptive to my advances, he continues mentally. Goro knows the signs of attraction and the thief had no shortage of them during their brief meetings.
“Hey.”
Amamiya steps out of the building soundlessly. He has his usual little bag on his shoulder, but instead of a school uniform, he is wearing a baggy hoodie and jeans.
Goro steps closer, entranced.
No glasses.
“You actually waited?” Amamiya smiles. His whole face is flushed, and he probably appreciates the cool air just as much as Goro does.
“You haven’t reconsidered?” he retorts.
Amamiya looks him in the eye. “I’m making sure you get home in one piece.”
Goro sees the spark in his gray eyes, his mask of innocence as he dances on the edge of a lie, and he wants.
He can work with this.
“I’m barely even tipsy,” he repeats his earlier words.
Amamiya hums noncommittally.
Whatever helps him sleep at night, Goro thinks wrly. His smile grows. In my bed, that is.
***
It doesn’t feel real.
Sure, Ren has followed Akechi through the train, all the way to Kichijoji, where they met before for darts, and where the detective apparently lives.
He has followed Akechi serpentine between buildings and up a few flights of stairs.
He stands beside him in front of a door now.
Akechi jams in his keys and turns the lock. He glances at Ren with half-lidded eyes. “Well?” He leans closer, breath ghosting Ren’s ear. “Want to stay for a sleepover?”
Ren snorts. “Ohmygod.” He tries to stifle his reaction, but it’s hard. He’d have thought Akechi would know how to flirt, but the comments about ‘age of consent’ and all that really should have been his warning sign. “You’re horrible at this.”
“Now you’re just mean,” Akechi declares, pouting exaggeratedly.
Ren’s chuckles only get worse.
He feels a light touch on his cheeks, and that gets him to quiet down.
Akechi is staring into his face as if he is trying to divine the secrets of the universe. “Do you want to stay?” he asks, voice rasping. “Because I really want to kiss you right now.”
Ren’s mouth goes dry.
I want to, he thinks. Instead of saying so, he tilts his head, dragging the detective closer by his loose necktie.
“What are you waiting for?” He says, when their lips are almost touching.
Akechi growls and lurches forward.
Ren finds himself pressed against the door, and he has no problems with the situation.
One of Akechi’s hands is still cupping his face, and Ren digs his fingers into the picture perfect hair, messing it up with glee.
Akechi’s other hand sneaks around his waist and they stumble through the now open door.
They separate for a moment, and Ren already feels light-headed, heaving for air. Akechi kicks the door shut, and he drops his briefcase by it, dragging him close once more.
Ren draws back to ask, “Lock?”
“It has autolock,” Goro replies, and then he is descending on Ren again.
There is no other thought filling his mind after that.
***
Goro groans into his pillow.
He is warm and he is comfortable and he can hear his alarm blaring.
Fuck me, he thinks. Why the fuck did I think a Sunday shooting would be a good idea?
That’s the kicker. He didn’t. But Detective Prince Akechi’s opinion did not fucking matter in his own scheduling.
He groans again, even louder. He doesn’t want to get up. His pillows are so warm and comfortable and although there is some annoying sound besides the alarm, it is not enough to truly bother him.
And then he realizes more of his surroundings – namely his own undressed state – and that the warm pillow he has an arm haphazardly thrown over is not a pillow at all.
And then the memories start flooding in.
Goro buries his head in his pillow and groans, loud and long.
***
Goro is in his shower five minutes later, getting ready, when he hears the front door of the apartment close.
He presses his eyes shut, letting the water droplets pelt him like bullets.
Amamiya left.
…that certainly makes things easier, Goro thinks. No need for an awkward conversation. No need to tell Amamiya that this was all a mistake that they should definitely both ignore.
No need to look into those gray eyes again, pupils so wide they almost engulfed them, and be told not to stop, never stop.
Goro indulged himself just this once.
Now it is time to step into reality once more.
***
…for some reason, reality smells an awful lot like pancakes.
Goro sniffs suspiciously. He knows for a fact that during his short tenure in this apartment, the small kitchenette never smelled nice.
Towel around his waist, he braves the cold wide world of his apartment and following his nose, he runs into-
“Morning,” Amamiya waves from beside the stove. He expertly flips a pancake on top of a sizable pile, before filling a pan – where did he even get that? Goro is pretty sure he doesn’t have one – with batter.
“...you’re still here,” Goro notices expertly. That is unexpected.
“I had to run to the store to grab some ingredients, but yeah.” As opposed to him, Amamiya is dressed in a t-shirt and boxers. It is a strange sight, especially because he is making food. “Thought you would appreciate an early breakfast.”
Goro winces. “I woke you up?” That’s not good. He did his best to be stealthy.
Amamiya shakes his head. “I got a call from Boss.”
“The one from the bar?” Goro guesses. Amamiya is still here, so that means the awkward conversation needs to happen.
No one said it had to happen before Goro had his morning coffee though.
He makes his way to the cabinets, opening the relevant ones as he listens for Amamiya’s response.
“Nah, Lala-chan will probably text me later.” The sizzle of oil, and the delicious smell wafts through the air as Amamiya flips the pancake. “This is a different boss.”
“It must be hard to balance school and two jobs,” Goro comments absentmindedly. He’s got the coffee and the milk from the fridge, but he is still lacking sugar.
And that’s on top of being a Phantom Thief…
Amamiya makes a weird little sound. “Yeah, sure, let’s go with that.”
Goro halts in his search. “...you only have two jobs, right?” Is it so easy to get Amamiya to confess? Take him to bed and he’ll spill all his secrets?
Goro would be disappointed in his rival, but the thought also makes his blood race. His superiority couldn’t be clearer…
“...give or take a few,” Amamiya busies himself with the pancakes. “I do a lot of part-timing at a lot of different places.”
Goro crosses his arms. “Like?” Amamiya stays silent. Goro gets an idea. He drops his arms over Amamiya’s neck, pressing up against his back, very acutely aware of how little he is wearing at the moment. “You haven’t gotten yourself into any trouble now… have you?”
Amamiya, stiff as a board, huffs out a laugh. “I might be late from a shift right now…”
“Despicable,” Goro hisses, lips curling into a smile. So Amamiya won’t be so easy. Good. Goro likes a good challenge. “I should throw you in jail for your crimes.”
Amamiya’s laughter becomes a bit forced then.
Goro goes back to trying to locate sugar with a frown. Ah. His criminal record. Must be a sore spot.
And he doesn’t want to completely alienate Amamiya, awkward conversation or not.
To distract from his faux pas, he asks, “Have you seen the sugar?” It’s not like he needs it all that much, but also, he will literally die if he has to drink coffee without sugar. “Also, want some shitty barely caffeinated coffee?”
“Hm? Ah, I used some, here.” Goro finally receives his sugar. Bingo. “And yeah, I could do with a cup.” Amamiya smiles at him, then turns back to the food. “I’m almost done.”
Goro fishes out a second mug. “Great.” He turns on the kettle and begins to portion his own coffee and sugar. “Sugar, milk, anything?”
“I’m fine with whatever.”
Goro gives Amamiya an unimpressed look.
“Just a bit of both, I guess.”
Goro acquiesces and then he rotates his neck, sighing in relief at all the cracking. “I’m getting dressed,” he announces, and it isn’t before he is out of the room that he can think of how fucking weird this all was.
Goro always spends his mornings alone and somehow, Amamiya is here and he has not fucked up Goro’s morning yet. He is currently in the process of making Goro pancakes, as breakfast, something which Goro usually substitutes with nothing or cheap convenience store food.
He shakes his head as he arrives in his bedroom.
…the bed is made.
Not as Goro likes it, but the fact of the matter is still that Amamiya went the extra effort and made the bed.
Goro sits down, on the wrongly (but still!) made bed and he stares at the corner where, innocently enough, Amamiya’s clothes sit folded over his bag. Unobtrusive of his space, yet still adding to the decorless room.
What the fuck.
***
There is no extra dining area in Akechi’s apartment.
Ren plates their breakfast in the living room.
Well. He calls it a living room. Aside from a couch, a small table and a few bookshelves, the room is very barren. The entire flat is, now that he thinks about it. He didn’t notice yesterday, preoccupied with other things, but there seem to be less personal belongings here than in his attic.
He wonders if that’s how Akechi likes it or if he just hadn’t had the place for too long.
With no other places to sit, Ren takes over half of the couch.
He could start eating, but he made the food for the two of them; waiting for Akechi seems a natural courtesy at this point.
Akechi…
His head falls back as his eyes fall shut. Should he even call Akechi Akechi after last night?
…probably, he decides. Based on the detective’s… Not aggressiveness… Passion, yes, passion is a better word – Ren should wait for permission on this front.
So, going back to thinking about last night…
He slept with Goro Akechi, in the least platonic interpretation of the word.
And they actually ended up discussing the ethics of underage drinking while they were at it.
Ren kind of wants to start laughing hysterically. How did this happen?
Well.
He knows how.
He always found it very hard not to jump at the detective’s invitations – and what, they had met like… three times? Two? Aside from that day at the TV station?
He cannot say that he knew Akechi for longer than a month.
…he could say he knows Akechi a lot better than most people though, a voice in the back of his mind comments, and Ren barely makes an effort to get his mind out of the gutter.
If anything else doesn’t come of this – well, it will have been a pleasant memory. A very pleasant one; Ren doesn’t think he could have come up with a better partner for his first time if he tried.
Speaking of said partner…
“Got the shitty coffee,” Akechi announces, walking into the room.
Ren opens his eyes, lips curling into a smile. “So formal,” he comments, looking over Akechi’s get-up. He has the tie and everything – although, no gloves yet.
Ren accepts a black mug chock full of coffee and hides his smile behind it. He can also say he knows the feel of Goro Akechi’s hands without gloves.
He is not sure even Akechi’s own parents could boast the same feat.
“My shoot begins in about an hour,” Akechi informs him, sitting prim and proper on the couch, a bit farther from Ren than he would have liked. Ren half expects him to raise his pinky as he drinks; he doesn’t. “And I need to get into make-up before that.” He raises his own mug, expression set in a neutral frown. “Hence the shitty coffee.” His mug is red.
“I don’t think I ever heard you swear,” Ren says, drinking from his own mug of shitty coffee.
It really is shitty.
Sojiro would probably throw him out on the streets if he knew Ren ever drank shitty coffee like this and actually enjoyed it.
Well, not that he enjoys the coffee, really. It's more about the company.
“We haven’t known each other very long, have we?” Akechi replies airily. His gaze is drifting to the two small piles of pancakes.
“Dig in,” Ren offers. “Wouldn’t want you to be late or miss breakfast.”
Akechi gives him a furtive glance, but he picks up a plate and takes a bite.
And then he moans, louder than he did last night.
Ren, having been reaching for his own plate, flinches.
“Oh my fucking god,” Akechi says, mouth full. His expression is one of pure bliss. “Why is this so good?” He complains, eating another large bite.
Ren snorts, finally picking up his own plate. “I’ve had loads of practice.”
Akechi briefly closes his eyes, humming in delight again. “This is better than pastries sold in professional confectioneries.”
Ren laughs again, a bit abashed. “It’s probably just because this is fresh.”
“It isn’t; trust me, I’m a professional.”
“Professional pancake-eater?” Ren asks, grinning.
Akechi waves him off. “Professional food-taster,” he corrects. “I ran a blog dedicated to sweets.”
“Oh?” Ren leans ahead in interest.
Akechi almost seems to pull back. “It’s just a side hobby.” He drinks some of his coffee, then frowns at the mug. “This shitty coffee just doesn’t fit with your pancakes.”
“I think it does,” Ren argues quietly. To prove his point, he drinks from the coffee and eats a bite right after. “They balance each other out.”
Akechi hums, but doesn’t speak.
He doesn’t get to; Ren’s phone rings.
Ren inhales.
Then exhales.
Puts down his plate and picks up the phone. “Hey.”
“Ren-kun!” Ann greets, her voice sounding particularly shrill over the speakers. “I’m just calling to ask if you guys need any extra drinks or anything? I swear I’ll be there in half an hour, but I also cannot be out all day without extra sugar!”
Ren stills.
…what does she mean by ‘out all day’?
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Akechi munching on his food, head tilted. Thinking hard, or maybe listening in on Ren’s phone call?
“...I think we’re good,” he says belatedly. “Did you ask the others?”
Ann scoffs. “I sent a text to the group chat but none of you answered! Can’t you ask them now? Yusuke said he’d be at your place by now.” She doesn’t wait for him to answer. “Wait, don’t tell me he’s not there yet!”
Ren pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m pretty sure Yusuke agreed to meet us in Shibuya, not at my place,” he says. “So I have no idea where he is.”
“Then ask Ryuji and Morgana what they want and I’ll try to call Yusuke after.”
Ren hums. “Well, I would ask them,” he says, trying to come up with something else to say. “But I’m not exactly home right now.” He studiously avoids looking at the detective as he says that.
“Oh did you jump out to the store too? Aw, twinsies!” Ann cheers. “Seriously, should I get anything?”
Ren glances to the ceiling, praying for patience. Ann is so sweet, but also… “Why don’t we just go shopping for food when we’re all together?” It’s just a regular day of stakeout at Shibuya after all. They need more information on their next target and loitering by is the best plan they came up with so far.
“We’re not gonna find snacks in the middle of the woods, dummy!”
“...woods?” Ren repeats. Then he remembers. “Today’s Sunday, isn’t it?”
“Yup, the hiking trip Yusuke and Ryuji agreed on going for the scenery and the workout,” Ann sounds displeased about the idea, but based on her humming she is still near the desert aisle.
Ren is still not sure he is fully over his surprise. “You want me to walk?” he whines. He is not that sore, but he is sore.
Akechi snorts, hiding his mouth to stifle the sound.
Ann groans. “I know, right? We’re stuck with the crazies though.” She hums in delight, apparently having found something she likes. Then, absentmindedly, she adds, “You didn’t forget, did you?”
Ren closes his eyes. “No Ann, of course I didn’t forget about the hiking trip. The trip that I helped plan and the trip that everyone was talking about for the past week.”
His deadpan is lost on her; it isn’t on Akechi.
The detective is full-on cackling by now.
Ren can’t help smiling at him when he looks over.
“Great, so again, what do you guys want?” Ann asks. “If you say nothing I’m not buying you shit.”
Ren sighs. “How about a few packets of chips and whatever other sweets you want? I’ll pick up sodas and stuff.”
“Great! I’ll call Yusuke to see if he has any requests; see you soon!”
Ren hangs the phone up, and he hides his face in his hands.
Akechi pats him on the shoulder. “I hope you have a wonderful time hiking with your friends today,” he says with a straight face, before descending into giggles once more.
Ren glares half-heartedly. Then he sighs and shrugs. “It is what it is.” He’ll just lag behind with Ann. Besides, knowing Yusuke, he'll want to stop to sketch the scenery.
“Uh-huh.” Akechi’s smug grin is almost charming.
Ren sticks his tongue out at the detective, then goes back to eating. He needs to hurry away, if he wants to shop for drinks before he gets to Shibuya to meet with the others-
His phone rings – again.
Ren groans loudly, making Akechi chuckle.
“Hey, what’s up?” he asks, picking up the phone. It’s Ryuji, this time.
“Dude, where the hell are you?!” Ryuji yells into the phone. Ren holds it away from his ear. “Boss just said you’re not even home? And Mona-Mona’s been acting like a little shit without his cat food or whatever!”
“Sushi!” Morgana’s quiet shouting comes through. “I do not eat cat food because I am not a cat!”
Ren mourns his breakfast and his coffee. At this rate, he’ll never get to them.
“I didn't make it home at all last night,” he confesses. The arguing duo over the phone quiets immediately. “My shift at Crossroads ended up running late, so my boss made me spend the night.”
“...are you sure you should be spending the night at the gun-maniac ex-yakuza’s house?”
“That’s Iwai!” Ren protests. “Besides, he’s not a maniac. Crossroads is the bar with Lala-chan.”
“The one in Shinjuku where you got asked to be a drag queen,” Morgana gleefully explains to Ryuji.
“...yeah, I’m starting to see why you didn’t come home from there in the middle of the night.” Ryuji’s fervor is thrumming again. “But you’re still coming to the hike right?”
Ren sighs. “Yeah, of course. Can’t let my best friend down, can I?” Ryuji whoops, and Morgana makes a remark that he can't quite hear. “Can you grab my boots? They should be upstairs by the bed.”
“Sure thing bro! See you in Shibuya in thirty?”
Ren agrees and he is finally free to hang up again.
He stuffs his face with pancake immediately.
“...you have very lively friends,” Akechi says. His eyes glint in amusement.
He doesn’t make a comment on how Ren essentially lied to his friend about where he spent the night.
Ren shrugs, drinking his shitty coffee. “They can be a bit much,” he says, smile growing. “But I wouldn’t change them for the world.”
Akechi hums again. Ren is not made privy to his thoughts.
“I should gather my things,” the detective says, standing up. “And you’re…?”
“Coming.” Ren jumps to his feet, stuffing the last of the breakfast in his mouth and downing half of the coffee.
“I rather think that was last night.”
It takes Ren a moment to get the wordplay.
Then he snorts. “I’ll be out of your hair in a second.”
***
Goro weaves around Amamiya as the thief gets dressed and ready to leave; he is grabbing his own things, but mostly just using every excuse he can to study the other.
Amamiya lied about staying with him.
He is also leaving abruptly, despite the breakfast he went to the extra trouble of making. Goro doesn’t recall the last time he ate anything warm for breakfast that wasn’t a quick snack from a corner store.
Amamiya makes no effort to talk about last night in any way, shape or form. He does complain about hiking, which Goro takes to mean that he can’t walk straight, but that’s it.
Curious, he can’t help but think. At the same time; at least this lapse of judgment that he fell into seems to be a mutually agreed taboo topic.
Good, Goro thinks, pulling on his gloves and grabbing his keys. His own phone has been silent this morning, which is nothing short of a miracle. Reality will surely jump at him right when he leaves his home-
Ring-ring.
That’s his phone.
Goro ushers Amamiya out the door, then waves him off. He picks up the call. “Hello.”
Amamiya stares at him for a moment, visibly debating if he should wait for Goro, but then he quickly starts down the staircase. He is already late, if he is trying to keep to his promised time to be at Shibuya, Goro notes. Not to mention his shift at wherever he should be working right now… Undoubtedly a code for his Metaverse activities.
Unlike the thief, Goro takes the elevator.
Over the phone, the other speaker finishes talking. “...done by the end of next week.”
Here is reality, just as expected.
“Of course,” Goro says, stepping into the elevator. The doors close on him slowly. “I’ll take care of it.”
No more indulgences; indulgence is what will be his father’s downfall. Goro is better than that.
***
Ann leans over Yusuke’s shoulder to peer at his sketchbook. “Wouldn’t it be easier to take a photo?” she asks.
Her and Ren both welcome the break of course; Morgana is indifferent, traveling in a bag, and Ryuji has agreed that maybe running ahead too much might trigger his leg injury, so slowing down it is.
With their current pace, getting to the top is going to take the next two years though.
Yusuke hums. “A picture cannot compare to reality,” he says, eyes moving between his drawing and his surroundings.
“But a good photographer can make really nice reference-pictures,” she argues. He hums again, distracted. “I’m not an expert, but even I know a few things about being on the other side of the lens…”
“Uh-huh,” Yusuke hums.
Ann is sure he isn’t listening.
She scoffs, falling back on her back. She knows Yusuke came here to draw, but she hates it when he only pretends to pay attention to her. Especially because he is always telling her she is free to talk!
Her gaze travels to the others, and an idea sparks in her mind. She’d show Yusuke just how nice a reference picture can be!
***
[18:42]
i’m at the top at long last \( ̄▽ ̄)/
[attachment 1: a valley below, filled with trees and the slowly setting sun]
[attachment 2: a dark-haired boy in a pile of limbs on the ground, a cat proudly sitting on top of him]
[18:43]
Clearly, you need to work on your stamina if you truly wish to top.
[18:44]
i would need a partner for that, wouldn’t i? (─‿‿─)
***
“Who are you texting?” Morgana asks.
Ren hides his phone. “I just texted Boss to let him know we’ll be late.” Their little group will probably fool around for a bit longer before heading back.
“Right.” Morgana turns away from him.
Ren is both glad and not that he doesn’t receive any answer to his last message.
***
It takes a few more days – busy days; Ren is working part-time, the Phantom Thieves strike a deal with Makoto Niijima and they make headway on their next Palace, and that is all on top of school and hanging out with whomever he has time for – for Ren to realize Akechi never did get back to him on that text.
That’s okay, he thinks. Akechi’s probably busy too; hell, the detective has at least as many obligations as Ren does.
Well. Half as many, but certainly time-consuming.
So when he runs into Akechi on the subway, he is pleasantly surprised.
“Hey!” He calls out, mindful of not yelling the detective’s name. Akechi’s fame has been on the rise for a while now; he doesn’t want to accidentally draw in the other’s fans as well.
He pushes by a few people, but Akechi hasn’t moved; he didn’t hear, Ren thinks, when the detective looks up from frowning at his phone and sees him.
Akechi rears back, chuckling awkwardly immediately. “Ah, Amamiya-kun… Hello.”
Ren grins. “Hey.” He ignores Morgana stirring in his bag. He has a few minutes before his train comes. “How are you doing?”
“Well,” comes the answer with a customary smile. Ren ignores the stirring in his gut telling him how fake that expression is. “I trust you’ve been doing well as well?”
“Yeah.” Akechi seems a bit… frosty. As if they don’t even know each other. Which, Ren supposes, they don’t, not really.
Doesn’t mean he isn’t open to getting to know the detective.
“I’m sorry about leaving like that the other day,” he says earnestly, grabbing the strap of his bag tighter. “I had a great time with you.” He didn’t get to say that the morning after, too stunned at first and then too distracted.
“There is no need for you to worry about being an amicable guest at all,” Akechi says, shaking his head. His eyes are glinting, heavy like steel. Ren wonders if he doesn’t look him in the eye because of his glasses or something else. “I myself was preoccupied as well, after all.”
“Right.” He tilts his head, summoning a smile. “I just wanted to tell you I’d be happy to hang out again, whenever you’re free.”
There is no one else in this city who brings out the same fire in him as Akechi does.
Another frosty smile, with the glazed eyes. “I appreciate your courteous offer,” he says, teeth whiter than it is in an ad, “however I do not make a habit of repeating mistakes.”
Ren’s eyebrows crease. “Excuse me?”
“You are excused,” Akechi allows with a nod. “I was under the impression you thought the same way.”
“...I didn’t.” Ren is definitely feeling Morgana moving in the bag, but he ignores it. “What do you mean by mistake?”
“I was drunk. You were drunk. We both made a drunken mistake,” Akechi pronounces, quiet, to keep the conversation between themselves, but each word feels like a knife to Ren’s heart. “It should clearly not happen again.”
“What? But neither of us were-”
“Oh, would you look at that; that’s my train. I must bid adieu, Amamiya-kun.”
Ren tries to reach after him. “Akechi wait-”
But the detective slips through the crowd like a phantom.
Ren makes to follow him; only for the doors to close, with him on the wrong side.
He stares as the train swiftly speeds away, along with it Akechi and all his ridiculous words and cold eyes escaping his grasp.
“...Ren? What were you two talking about?”
Ren takes a deep breath, and shakes his head. He wills his eyes not to water.
“It’s nothing, Morgana.” He is glad Morgana can’t unzip the bag by himself. His voice sounds strange to his own ears. “Don’t worry about it.”
Because apparently, whatever he and Akechi had is nothing as well. And there is no need for anyone to worry about nothing, is there?
***
Makoto scowls at Ren. “You’re not celebrating.” They are almost halfway to the Treasure, she'd have thought he'd be happier!
The Leader of the Phantom Thieves shrugs, pushing the curry around in his plate.
“...he got some bad news,” Morgana shares. The not-cat is unusually quiet as he devours his victory sushi.
“What news?” Ann pipes up. Her plate is all cleaned up; she is on her third little packet of chocolates. Ryuji periodically stops to steal one from her, despite her swatting at him.
“Is this related to the Palace?” Makoto demands, leaning closer.
Ren shrugs, head bowed.
Makoto exchanges a look with the others.
“What was the news?” she asks Morgana. She is officially the strategist of the Thieves; she needs to know.
“It’s not my place to say,” the cat says unhelpfully. Makoto scowls, ready to ask again- “And it’s nothing to do with the Palace.”
“...is it personal matters of the heart that trifle you, Ren-kun?” Yusuke speaks up.
Ren huffs, and the sound almost passes for a laugh.
The group exchanges another surreptitious look.
“Do you… want to talk about it?” Makoto tries. She winces at her own words. She is not the best at comforting, but this is one of her teammates.
Dare she say… Her friend.
Ren stays silent for a long moment.
“It’s okay if you don’t!” Ann jumps in. “Just…” She extends a hand towards him. “We’re here for you, Ren-kun.”
“Yeah!” Ryuji adds. “You’re always listening to our shit too!”
Ren chuckles. “Thanks, guys.” He tilts his head, before sighing. “Yusuke isn’t… wrong, you know. Remember when I spent the night at work the other day?”
Makoto does not.
The others are quick to nod along though. “You complained a lot while hiking,” Yusuke remarks. Makoto feels a spark of jealousy. They went hiking?
Not for the first time, she finds herself wishing she joined the group sooner.
“Yeah.” Ren smiles to himself; the expression vanishes all too fast. “I lied.”
“WHAT?”
Ren ignores Ryuji’s spike in volume. “I was with someone.”
“With someone,” Ann repeats. Ren hums. “Someone.” Ann gasps. “Oh my gosh Ren, did you-”
Ren hums again.
“OH MY GOD!”
“I thought things were alright between us,” Ren continues. “But apparently… not.”
Makoto gapes at the boy. Her leader, her senior in all things in the Metaverse, and yet, her junior in terms of their ages… And he just spent a whole night with someone?!
“You mean,” she starts, trying to drag her mind out of the gutter, “like, a sleepover? Right?” Maybe she is just jumping to conclusions. Yes, that's it. She can be a bit judgmental towards her peers, she knows, but-
“If you count having sex as part of the sleepover, then yeah, sure.” Makoto chokes on air. Ren grimaces. “But apparently it was all a mistake.” His tone makes it obvious that those are borrowed words from the girl he was with.
Who does he even know outside of our group, Makoto's inner voice yells. Who could hurt him like this?
“That is simply tragic,” Yusuke declares. Ren shrugs a little. “I whole-heartedly understand why you look so heartbroken now.”
Ren takes the comment with a lot more grace than Yusuke delivers it with. “Thanks.”
“Damn, dude, are you okay?” Ryuji asks. Then he shakes his head. “Wrong question. Who do I need to beat up?”
Ren laughs faintly. “No one. It’s okay Ryuji, I’ll get over it.”
“Mona-Mona?” Ryuji asks, turning to the not-cat. “Who do I-”
“I don’t know,” Morgana hisses. Makoto narrows her eyes at him. That was quick.
Suspicious.
“Hey, leave it be.” Ren waves to get their attention. “It happened and now it’s over; that’s the end of it.” He is a lot more animated today than he usually is, she can’t help noting. “At least I had an amazing first time to make up for it.”
“Ren!” Makoto shrieks, blushing to the top of her ears.
Ren laughs, honestly this time.
It doesn’t last too long, with Ann grabbing his arm with a clear purpose in mind. “Why don’t you tell us all about that amazing first time, Ren-kun…”
“Ann, stop!” Makoto calls, scandalized.
“Don’t want to hear that, no thank you!” Morgana seconds.
“Well, I mean…” Ryuji stretches the sound.
“You wouldn’t happen to have any pictures, would you? For reference.”
The table devolves into chaos after that particular comment by Yusuke.