The Dragon

                                    

                                          
"Stop forgetting who you belong to." 
Friday, August 19. Morning.
A soft caress on your skin awoke you. It was very early in the morning and the sun hadn't risen yet. Akechi was gently stroking your hair and watching you sleep soundly.
"Goro," you said quietly, "good morning."
"Shh...go back to sleep," said Akechi, pulling your blanket over your head.
" You go back to sleep," you said. He still had at least half an hour before his alarm went off.
"I'm sorry," he said, stroking your neck and the bite marks he had made.
"You always do this, I'm used to it," you said.
"Did you...think about what that card girl said?" Akechi asked in a soft voice.
You pulled the blanket off of your face and looked up at your boyfriend. "I don't care what anyone says. I'll fight god if I have to."
"We haven't been together for very long. We...haven't even had an anniversary." Akechi sat up and rubbed his face.
You rolled over so you could look up at him. You could only see the silhouette of his handsome profile in the dim light. "Why does that matter?"
"What about after the honeymoon phase is over?" Akechi said. "Couples eventually stop being infatuated with each other."
"Yes but...don't you just fall more in love? Those feelings get replaced with deeper feelings?" You pointed out.
"Reality will sink in for you," said Akechi. His voice sounded vulnerable. "You glaze over the horrible things I do the moment I give you attention. I can just erase the dead bodies, the hurt, and the lies with a few kisses."
Chihaya's fortune definitely bothered Akechi more than it did you. You were used to seeing bleak things in the future. It was different having it shown in front of you than it was just hearing it secondhand from your girlfriend. "You got up before Mifune-san told the whole fortune! And besides, I thought you didn't believe in that kind of thing."
"I didn't, before I met you," said Akechi. "Her parallels to your visions...let alone me having one yesterday...have completely convinced me. The universe is trying to tell me something but I can't figure out what it is."
"It's not trying to tell you that I'm wrong for you," you insisted, lying against the obvious.
"That's the clearest message," Akechi sighed. "Whenever I think about that, my chest feels like it's being squeezed in a vice."
"I don't want to be anywhere else but with you. I want to see you fulfill your vengeance and bring your horrible father to justice. I want to see all of this over for you. I want to see you live your dreams and aspirations. I want to be there with you when you fulfill them."
"And what about you?" Akechi asked. "What about your desires?"
"I want a family that loves me," you replied. "And that's already getting started pretty well, I think."
Akechi wordlessly snuggled into you, wrapping his arms around you from the side. He took a deep breath and smelled your hair before kissing the top of your head. "I'll do my best," he said quietly.
The alarm went off eventually, and Akechi's warm embrace was taken from you. Today the Phantom Thieves we're going to steal Mrs. Togo's treasure. Akechi, once again ghosting work, was going to go with you. You didn't want to know how angry Sae would be with him.
Hifumi managed to sneak away from her mother to meet with the Phantom Thieves. She once again had her thief outfit, but no persona in sight. She wanted to be there for the confrontation with her mother, even though she probably would have to stay on the sidelines.