Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12017805.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Persona_5, Persona_Series
  Relationship:
      Akechi_Goro/Kurusu_Akira, Akechi_Goro/Persona_5_Protagonist
  Character:
      Akechi_Goro, Takamaki_Ann, Niijima_Makoto, Niijima_Sae, Kurusu_Akira,
      Sakamoto_Ryuji, Kitagawa_Yusuke, Sakura_Futaba, Okumura_Haru, Sakura
      Sojiro, Morgana_(Persona_5)
  Additional Tags:
      normal_high_school_au, The_Phantom_Thieves_are_just_delinquents, Akira's
      crushing_hardcore, Goro's_in_denial, Makoto's_secretly_in_the_group, It's
      kind_of_like_a_club??, future_smut
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-09-06 Updated: 2017-12-02 Chapters: 8/? Words: 13590
****** Steal My Heart ******
by Fool_Arcana
Summary
     Shujin Academy is well-known as one of the best schools in Japan—home
     to many different clubs, students, and... delinquents. The Phantom
     Thieves are a group of outcastes delinquents—they function like a
     club nobody wants to join and their leader is the student with a
     record.
     Goro Akechi, Vice President of the Student Council and the object of
     desire for many, has a habit of running into his least favorite
     classmates at the worst of times. He can't stand Akira Kurusu's
     incessant flirting nor can he keep from responding with his own wit.
     Akira Kurusu was never though of as one to have a 'crush', but that
     was confirmed false once Goro Akechi stepped into his life. To him,
     maybe, just maybe, getting blacklisted by his classmates wouldn't be
     as bad as he thought.
Notes
     Frick, why am I like this? I just got this idea, so... here it is!
***** Chapter 1 *****
  "Don't look him in the eyes—he'll kill us!"
  It was almost easy for Akira to ignore the whispers as he walked down the
hallways of Shujin Academy. He likes to drown it out by playing music, but he
knew they still talked about him. Luckily, he found comfort in his friends. He
loved spending time with them and listening to their problems. Today, he was
going to help Makoto go through files after one of the Student Council members
lost an important one. 
  The familiar ambiance of the Student Council room wasn't as daunting as it
was the first time he went. "Mako—" Akira stopped, the door open and shyness
blazing through him. "Oh, h-hey, Akechi-san." Akira leaned against the
doorframe, running a hand through his hair. Goro Akechi, Vice President of the
Shujin Student Council, was gathering his books from the table and hurrying to
leave. "Need any help?"
  "Not at the moment, Kurusu-Kun, but thank you for the offer," Akechi gave him
a polite smile, "You're here to help Niijima-san, correct?"
  "Yeah," Akira said, trying to act cool, "Makoto wanted some help finding a
lost file. So—"
  "Apologies, but I really must leave," Akechi stood in front of Akira. The
latter teen politely moved to the side to allow the older student to leave. 
  "Hey, uh, see you around...?" Akira called, awkwardly twirling a strand of
hair between his fingers. Akechi looked back at Akira, a hint of disgust in his
eyes, but a smile graced his lips. 
  "...I suppose," he said, swiftly walking away. Akira slumped against the
doorframe, groaning. 
  "Did you get blown off again?" Makoto's voice came from behind Akira. She
didn't seem like the type of person to even want to hang out with a group of
delinquents, but she enjoyed their company. Akira followed her inside the room,
shutting the door. "How many times do I have to tell you that Akechi-kun  cares
what people think—I'm sorry that he doesn't like you."
  "Yet!" Akira grinned, "He'll like me one day. I'll make him coffee someday
and he's going to drink it and I'm going to scream."
  "Akira," Makoto threw a file at him, "Find the file marked 'Private' instead
of gawking over Akechi-Kun." Akira pouted, a small smile tugging at his lips
while sifting through files. 
  "Do you know what he likes?"
  "Of course I do—Look, he likes sweets, almost as much as Ann, he gets sweet
coffee and hates bitter, but he'll get it around adults to seem mature. He
spends his free time doing homework and reading books—mystery books. He also
likes solving the cases in the book before it's revealed." Makoto placed a box
onto a shelf before taking out another one. 
  "You should recommend him Leblanc," Akira smirked, "so I can make him coffee
and curry and—"
  "That's actually a good idea, but I doubt he'd enjoy talking to you. I can
bring him there for a meeting," Makoto smiled. She pulled out a file and
grinned, "Found it! You can go now, I don't need help. I'll head to the roof
for the meeting after I bring this to Principal Kobayakawa."
  "Sounds good, Ann and Shiho are already there and I need to talk to
Kawakami."
  Akira left the Student Council Room to find Kawakami. She was still in Class
2-D grading papers and hosting detention. The students in the classroom stared
at Akira when he entered, eyes wide before they averted them. "Kawakami-
sensei," Akira leaned against the door, "Can you extend the due date for my
paper? I haven't gotten it done because of all my work, and Morgana, and
enrolling Futaba."
  "Yeah, yeah, Kurusu-kun," Kawakami waved him off, "How many times do I have
to say that you're due date is always a few days after everyone else's. I know
about all your stuff."
  "Okay, thanks, Kawakami," Akira grinned, looking over all the students.
"What'd these three do?"
  "They were slacking off in class."
  "It's unfair!" One said, "Kurusu gets to slack off and do stuff behind his
binder, why can't we?!"
  "Work five jobs, take care of a cat, enroll your sister, do favors for
people, run a group, and deal with assholes—then you can slack off in class,"
Akira smiled, his eyes flashing with annoyance, "Be nice to Kawakami, she has
to deal with people like me every day. Have a nice day, teach!"
  Ryuji had been waiting for Akira outside in the hall, slouched against the
wall with his hands in his pockets. "Yo, ready to go?"
  "Yeah," Akira nodded. The pair walked up the stairs, blissfully ignoring
judgemental stares from their peers. Kawakami got them spare keys to the roof
just in case it was locked. Nobody wanted to go up there because that's were
'the criminals' hung out every day. When they entered, Yusuke was sitting on
the ground spray painting another mural on the wall while Futaba was on her
laptop, Shiho was braiding Futaba's hair. "Haru, do you need any help with your
garden?"
  "Ah, that'd be wonderful, Akira-Kun, thank you," Haru grinned. Akira walked
over, crouching next to her and pulling out weeds. Ryuji jumped into his chair,
leaned back, and started playing on his phone. Makoto showed up about ten
minutes later, looking over th group with a small smile. "Hello, Mako-chan!"
  "Hi," Makoto said, petting Morgana, "What do you guys want to do today?"
  "Well, I think we should order food and set off these sparklers I brought,"
Futaba grinned, holding up the sparklers. 
  "Isn't that illegal—"
  "Hell yeah!" Ryuji grinned, "Let's get some ramen and sushi! Yo, Akira, text
Kawakami!"
  "Oh! I brought Cards Against Humanity!" Futaba grinned, digging through her
bag and tossing the box on the ground. "Imagine that, the delinquents of the
school, except Makoto, play card games in their secret meeting instead of doing
drugs."
  "Let me just inject comedy into my veins," Ann laughed, pulling a little bit
away from Shiho, "Pass the laughter hooker!"
  "Hey, what happens on the roof stays on the roof," Akira pointed. Laughter
echoed around the rooftop. Students in the courtyard wondered what the laughter
was about. They assumed it was something bad. 
  "Oh, I apologize but I have to run by the courtroom to meet up with Sis,"
Makoto said, standing. "I'll see you all later."
  "Dude," Ryuji grinned at Akira, "you still crushin' on Akechi or what?"
  "Based on the security footage of the school, he got blown off completely
today!" Futaba cackled, "This poor guy got freaking rejected!"
  "H-Hey," Akira pouted, "He said he would see me around. Boom—not rejected.
Makoto said she would bring him to Leblanc! I'm so excited!"
  "Oh no," Futaba whispered to Yusuke, "My brother's been struck with a bad
case of DICK CRAVING!"
  "Oh dear, is he alright?" Yusuke asked, concerned written across his face.
Futaba gave him a flat stare, groaning. "Akira, are you alright? Is the dick
craving making you suffer?" Ryuji, Ann, and Futaba broke down laughing as Akira
blushed a deep red. 
  "I hate you all."
  ~~~
  Akira and Futaba left the school around five; Akechi just happened to be
leaving at the same time. "Hey, Akechi!" Futaba yelled, waving her arms wildly,
"You leaving?" Akira stared at her. The brunette looked back, a tight smile on
his face. 
  "Ah, yes, I am, Sakura-San," Akechi said, "Are you both leaving as well?"
  "Nah, we're gonna finesse some money from people—I'm joking, we're leaving.
We're heading to the same train, wanna join?" Akira was always surprised about
how far Futaba had come from the hermit who could never say anything. She said
it was because Akira was too awkward to say anything. 
  "Um," Akechi looked around, "Sure, I guess." He was reluctant, but Futaba
didn't mind it. "What do you usually talk about on your walk to the station."
  "Well, I talk about fun stuff, like gaming, but Akira babbles about work and
shit. Do you know how tired I am of hearing about flower language and freaking
convenience stores?"
  "I'm just trying to motivate you to get a job, Futaba! You can't just—"
  "Watch me, noob!" Futaba pointed at him, "Akechi, do you think I need to get
a job?"
  "It would be a good idea—"
  "Your opinion has now become irrelevant," Futaba crossed her arms, "Do you
watch Phoenix Rangers Featherman?"
  "Yes, actually," Goro looked to the sidewalk. Futaba beamed, nudging Akira
harshly and pulling out her phone. 
  "Put your number in my phone! I'll make a group chat all about Featherman!"
Akechi took the phone, slowly typing in his phone number. He would normally
reject it, but Futaba was young and impressionable. If she was around
delinquents without a logical voice, then she would go down the wrong path.
"Aw, lit!"
  "Where, um, where are you heading?" Akira asked as they boarded the train,
"We're heading to Yongen-Jaya."
  "My stop is Shibuya," Akechi told him coldly, "Yongen-Jaya... Sae-San
reccommended a café to me that is located in the backstreets. Leblanc, I
believe."
  "You should totally go! My dad runs the place and it's awesome!" Futaba
grinned, "You should seriously come by, please? How about tomorrow?"
  "I..." Goro bit his lip. He didn't want to be around Kurusu since it makes
him feel strange inside, but he didn't want to let down the young girl. "I
could probably spare some time tomorrow afternoon... or night."
  "Heck yeah!"
~~~
  As Akira and Futaba entered Leblanc, she pushed Akira to the counter. "Thank
me by making curry—I got you a date... Kinda."
  "A reluctant one! He hates me!" Akira groaned, "Stupid politician making me a
criminal... Stupid Shujin students... Fuck..."
***** Chapter 2 *****
  Akira spent his Sunday in Leblanc since Sojiro went somewhere. Morgana was
lounging on one of the bar stools, snoring quietly to himself. There were no
customers to serve, so Akira made himself a cup of coffee and checked his phone
idly. He jumped and dropped his phone into the sink when the bell chimed. 
  "Um—Akira-kun?" It was Makoto... and next to her was Akechi. Akira
straightened up, wiping his phone on his apron and smiling. "Is everything
alright?"
  "Yeah, you just scared me." Morgana jumped onto the counter, a look of
annoyance on his face—if cats could have one. "Off the counter, Mona, you know
Sojiro hates when you're up there." Makoto scratched Morgana's head before
taking a seat at a booth. "I know what you want, but I have no idea what you
want, Akechi-san."
  Akechi looked over the menu before stared at the beans blankly, "Surprise
me." He joined Makoto at the booth. Akira looked over the beans and took out
two—Makoto's favorite and his own favorite. If he were to guess, he'd go for
something he was familiar with. He added some vanilla to the blend to make it
sweeter. 
  "It's a nice place," Akechi noted, looking at Makoto, "Is there a reason you
invited me to this specific location?"
  "I just like it," Makoto shrugged, smiling, "The family who runs it is very
nice—the Sakuras and Akira."
  "It’s quiet, I may come more often to get away from people." Makoto stopped
herself from grinning over at Akira. She knew he had heard them because there
was a loud clattering in the kitchen. Both members of the Student Council
turned their heads over. 
  "Morgana!" Akira was glaring at the cat. They were staring at each other for
a while and there was a broken cup on the floor. Morgana reached for another
one. "Don't you dare..." The next glass shattered on the floor. Akira sighed. 
  "I'm telling Boss that you broke the cups," Makoto said. 
  "What? It was Morgana!" Akira frowned, bringing over the two drinks. Akechi
heard him mumbling under his breath as he walked away. "My name's Morgana and I
like breaking things that don't belong to me."
  "Is this a regular occurrence?" Akechi asked, amusement on his face. 
  "Only when Morgana is awoken from his nap, which we caused. It's a quiet
place unless Futaba and Akira are both here—it's not that frequent though.
Actually, she should be here today, if you want to say hi." Makoto knew Akechi
didn't want to be seen with the worst 'delinquent' at the school, but she
wanted them both to be happy. She knew Akechi didn't enjoy being so proper. 
  Akechi took a sip of his drink, humming in a pleasant surprise. Akira looked
over as he sweeped up the broken glass. He silently cheered. Akira went back to
his place behind the counter just in time to smile at the elderly couple that
frequented. "Good afternoon," he said, already working on their orders. 
  "Hello, is Sakura-san in today or have you been left to your own accord?" The
woman asked.
  "Sojiro left me to suffer," Akira sighed dramatically, "All I can do is wait
until my savior arrives—"
  "Lucky you! I'm here!" Futaba yelled from the window, running to the door and
shoving it open. "What's up Akechi? You haven't added me back on Chat! You
gotta so Akira and I can talk about TV and junk."
  "Apologies, Sakura-san, but I was far too busy last night."
  "Lame," Futaba rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the bar stool, "You better
know my order."
  "You've told me explicitly," Akira rolled his eyes, "'My order is how you
smell—coffee, curry, and disappointment'."
  Akechi held back a laugh, covering his mouth and looking at Makoto. "They
have an interesting sibling relationship. I'm envious, sometimes." Akechi took
another sip of his coffee, watching the two with curious eyes. Perhaps... Akira
wasn't a violent criminal? "One time, Boss ran up to Akira-kun's room with a
broom because of the loud screaming. It was just him and Futaba playing video
games and Futaba hit him with the controller."
  "I guess siblings aren't similar at all. You and Sae-san are rather casual
instead of loud and rambunctious." Akechi looked over at Makoto, then at the
notebook she had open. "You asked to meet for Student Council?"
  "Ah, yes, I found the file that was lost, but some of the papers were
missing. I wrote down the names of every member and, no offense, but I have to
ask you."
  "Honestly, I didn't even know we had lost a file," Akechi chuckled, "Why
would I even take papers? We both have copies of all of them on our computers.
There is no need for us to take them."
  "I just had to be sure," Makoto drew a line through Akechi's name, "Can you
aid me in finding who took the papers? I've already asked Akira-kun to help us
since he's rather good with people."
  "It seems as if Kurusu-kun has been appearing around me more often than
before," Akechi looked into the cup of near finished coffee, "How interesting."
  Makoto gulped, "He's not a bad guy, Akechi-kun. Even if the rumors say he's
terrible, Akira-kun is rather kind. Just give him a chance."
  "Finding the thief is the most important part," Akechi said, "If you think
Kurusu-kun is a good asset, I trust your judgement."
  Makoto frowned, "That's not really giving him a chance. Ah, I have an idea.
Since I know him, but you don't—I have an assignment for you. There is a
scheduling for first-years to be given a tour of the school later today, I want
you and Akira-kun to conduct the tour. It's soon."
  "Pardon my brashness, but is that really a good idea?"
  "Of course it is." Makoto stood and turned to Akira. "You and Akechi will
tour some first-years in about an hour, is that alright?" Akechi raised a brow.
Surly, Akira would—
  "Sure, my shift's practically over," Akira shrugged, "I'll go change. Futaba,
watch over the store." Akira flung his apron at the red head before jogging up
the stairs. 
  "He has clothes up there?" Akechi asked.
  "Yeah, Akira's room is the attic of Leblanc. It's really spacious up there...
a bit dusty..."
  "That seems rather uncomfortable."
  "Makoto," Akira said from the stairs, "Do you want me to go now? Sojiro's on
his way back and Futaba's gonna handle the store."
  "That would be best, thank you," Makoto smiled, "I'll stay at Leblanc for a
while longer. Thank you both."
~~~
  "So," Akira said, rubbing his fingers together in his pockets, "Have you
toured first-years before?"
  "Yes, actually," Akechi smiled politely, "It isn't too hard if you act
accordingly. I request that you act professionally."
  "We'll see, Akechi-kun," Akira grinned, "How could I stay professional when
you're the one who takes that role?" Be yourself, Akira thought, just be
yourself. "Plus, getting distracted by your beauty would definitely be an
obstacle." He could practically hear Futaba laughing at him. Akechi faltered,
blinking at Akira before frowning. 
  "Pardon me? That seems a bit forward, don't you think?" Akechi looked
directly at Akira's dark eyes. Two could play at that game. "I would have just
expected you to mindlessly gawk at the vulnerable first-years who don't know
who you are—the criminal of Shujin Academy."
  Akira smirked—not a failure yet. "Well, some people like bad boys. I'm hoping
that you're one of them." Akechi scoffed. "Hey, if you don't like bad boys—I'm
a straight-A student, so I'm also a good boy. I can be anything you want me to
be," he winked. 
  "Impressive," Akechi nodded, "Although, you aren't special. I can also be
very bad."
  "Really? How can the Shujin Golden Boy even manage to do anything bad?"
  "Let's just say that Principal Kobayakawa's emails didn't just leak
themselves," Akechi winked. Akira's eyes widened. Kobayakawa was ruined when
his emails regarding the cover up of Kamoshida came out. The Phantom
Thieves—the name chosen for their group of misfits—dealt with Kamoshida and,
apparently, Akechi dealt with Kobayakawa.
  "Wow, nice one, Akechi-kun," Akira applauded. Akechi didn't seem annoyed with
him in the conversation, so that was a plus. "I've, uh, scared people and
helped get Kamoshida arrested...?"
  "Those aren't very surprising of someone with your reputation," Akechi said,
"Ah, we've arrived just in time." 
  Kawakami was trying to stall for them and let out a relieved sigh when she
saw the two boys approaching. "Your guides have arrived! This is Kurusu Akira
and Akechi Goro! Bye!" She was gone quickly. Akira held up his hand as a wave
and followed Goro to the front of younger kids. 
  "My name is Goro Akechi, it's nice to meet you all—this is Akira Kurusu, my
partner for today—"
  "Hey," Akira interrupted, "This fine piece of beauty is my honey, so stay
away, newbies."
  "Wha—Kurusu!" Akechi glared, grabbing Akira's arm tightly. He quietly
sneered, "what the hell are you doing?!" Akira just winked and strolled back to
the incoming first-years. 
  "I didn't expect a tour this early in the year, but who cares? Shall we
commence the tour of this very cutthroat school?" Akira grinned, spinning on
his heel and leading the students inside. Akechi walked next to him, silently
seething in his skin. "This is the entry hall where you can buy snacks and find
your listed grades. Oh, you may hear a little gossip all over the school
because our students love to spread rumors. Don't be too pretty or different if
you want friends—"
  "What Kurusu-kun is trying to say," Akechi pushed Akira to the side, "is that
everyone likes to talk and sometimes false information is spread. Just try not
to get involved with silly rumors in order to help them die out."
  Akira scoffed, continuing down the hallway. "This is the third-year
halls—we're going to go to the third floor for your halls."
  "Straight to the point, I see," Akechi muttered. He smiled down at the future
students, "Kurusu-kun has a rather interesting way of doing things. I will be
graduating this year, so when you come you can ask him for help in school,
right?"
  "Yeah." Akira was eating something, Akechi wondered where he got it. "This is
the part of the stairs where my best friend, Ryuji Sakamoto, hangs out—you can
ask him for stuff, too. He's way too nice for his own good. You can't miss him,
he's blonde. You can also ask Ann Takamaki, a blonde, Futaba Sakura, red hair
and glasses. Don't be disrespectful to them because then you'll have to deal
with me and you don't want an upperclassman out for you, by the way."
  "Don't threaten the students," Akechi whispered, "I get that it's in your
programming, but do not act like you did in your hometown, understand?"
  "Psh," Akira waved him off. His confidence spiked on the way to Shujin, so he
wasn't stumbling on his words. That and the fact that he had an audience to
present a show to. "Don't worry about it," Akira grinned, "Back in my hometown,
I was the golden boy who stole everyone's heart—Looks like yours is next." 
  "My heart is rather protected against criminals," Akechi crossed his arms,
"You don't seem to have a filter, do you?"
  "Filters are for pussies," Akira smirked, "Anyway, kids! Here are your
classes! Don't go up on the roof unless you want an encounter with the scary
Phantom Thieves who roam the halls of Shujin Academy."
  "First of all," Akechi frowned, "Don't scare the future students. Second of
all, you shouldn't be proud of your little group. It'll be shut down soon
enough."
  "You can't shut down friends, Akechi-kun, you would know that if you actually
tried making some."
  "I have friends—"
  "Formal SC matters don't count as friends and neither do business partners."
  "...Makoto and Sae Niijima are my friends, um..."
  "That's two friends, Akechi-kun," Akira snickered, "You're graduating this
year—go out with a bang!"
  "Wait," said a tourist, "Are any teachers here for us to meet?"
  "No," Akira said, "they're all pretty nice, I think. I wasn't here first-
year, but that's what my friends say."
  They reached the entrance once again. "That concludes today's tour—I hope you
choose to attend Shujin Academy," Akechi announced, a bright, camera smile
plastered across his face. 
  The kids dispersed out the school gates, leaving two upperclassmen standing
at the door. "Anyway, what I said about going out with a bang."
  "I don't party," Akechi deadpanned, "I don't even want to know what you do
for fun."
  "A reputation doesn't define me," Akira looked to the ground—being alone with
Akechi made his nerves go crazy. "I-I think I can be fun... Like, uh,
DestinyLand or Dome Town? There are so many fun places a-and my friends and I
like to have cookouts and r-ramen!"
  "Is this your sad, pathetic attempt at inviting me to go somewhere with you?"
Akechi frowned, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Akira blushed, turning away
quickly and clenching his fists in his pockets. Akechi leaned over, tilting his
head with a mocking smile. "Where did your confidence from earlier go?"
  "I'm very confident," Akira muttered, "Are you rejecting my invitation or
accepting with attitude?"
  "I have free time for today," Akechi checked his phone, "I suppose I can
spare you a day to prove to me that reputation means nothing."
  Akira grinned brightly. He had so much to tell the group. He finally had
evidence that Akechi didn't hate his guts. 
***** Chapter 3 *****
Chapter Summary
     Akira: Fellas, is it gay to crush on a man?
     Everyone: Yes, yes it is.
     Akira: Welp, guess I'm gay.
  "Sick!" Akira grinned, "Haru just sent me tickets for DestinyLand!" Akechi
looked Akira over, frowning. 
  "DestinyLand is for children," he crossed his arms, "This isn't how to 'go
out with a bang'."
  "Personally, I'm offended. We had a pretty fun party—oh, Haru texted me."
Akira looked down at his phone; when he read the message, he barely contained
his grin. 
  'I rented the place out for you. ;)'
  Haru and Ryuji, his two best friends. Haru was always there to go the extra
mile in plans while Ryuji's complete loyalty and dedication to his friends was
something Akira was grateful to have. "May I ask what you are so happy about?"
  "Hm, let's see," Akira tapped his cheek, "I'm going to DestinyLand with the
biggest heartthrob of Shujin, I have the greatest friends—one of which rented
the place out for us, and my cat hasn't scratched me today. Speaking of which,
this—" Akira scooped the cat out of his bag, "—is Morgana."
  "You keep a cat in your bag in secret?"
  "But it looks like the cat's out of the bag," Akira winked, laughing at his
own joke. Akechi stared at him and then proceeded to rub his eyes in
irritation. 
  "Who would've expected that the biggest delinquent of Shujin Academy makes
terrible puns?" Akechi bit back a smirk, "After all the people you've scared, I
think I'm more terrified of your jokes than anything else. You better be
thankful that you're cute." Akechi walked ahead of Akira, not noticing how red
Akira flushed after the comment. 
 'He thinks I'm cute!!!'
  He sent to the group chat, hands shaking. Akira rubbed his cheeks before
running to catch up with Akechi. "Come on, golden boy, let's tear up Tokyo and
make your last year at Shujin memorable. First stop, DestinyLand!" Akira took
out his phone camera and held it up to take a selfie. "Smile!"
  Akechi smiled up at the camera with his normal, picture perfect smile—his
eyes completely blank as Akira, with his arm around Akechi, beamed up at the
camera. "I'm assuming that you have many more plans after today?"
  "That's a secret," Akira winked, "I need pictures for a scrapbook. It'll be
your graduation gift."
  "How funny—you think you're invited."
  "Hey! Makoto and Haru are graduating, too! I'll be invited to those and
you'll be there, so check and mate." Akira took another photo of Akechi—he was
frowning and his perfect hair fell right into his empty eyes. "Come on, we
don't wanna miss the train!"
  Akira grabbed Akechi's gloved hand and dragged him towards the train station.
He felt so happy and childish—so giddy that Akechi went along with his flirting
and teasing. At least Akechi didn't find him weird and boring like the hoards
of girls who followed him around. Akechi always seemed bored with
them—patiently declining their bentos and confessions. 
  They managed to find seats until Akira offered his to an old woman. Akechi
sat down, watching Akira hold on to bars for the whole ride to DestinyLand.
Sure, Akira's legs hurt, but it was fine if Akechi got to sit down and the old
woman didn't have to stand. 
~~~
  Haru was right—the entirety of DestinyLand was rented out just for them.
Akechi seemed amazed by the bright lights and lack of lines. "What do you wanna
go on first?"
  "Perhaps, that rather large one with the big drop over there—are those gifts?
I've never been to an amusement park, so a gift shop is new as well. I heard
that it's overpriced, but everyone purchases them anyway."
  Akira frowned—how could Akechi have never been to an amusement park? "Well,
let's go check them out." Akira pulled Akechi's hand towards the shop, grinning
at the shopkeeper.
  "Okumura-san called us—as courtesy, you can pick out whatever you wish free
of charge. She paid extra to allow this," he said. 
  "God, I love Haru to death. She's way too sweet for her own good." Akira
grabbed the glittery red cat ears and put them on with a matching gold one for
Akechi. He put them on the brunette's head before snapping a picture of them
both. Of course, Akira grabbed a mini cat tag for Morgana. He knew Morgana
couldn't go on the rides, but the cat loved to wander around places and always
met up with Akira at entrances when his collar buzzed. 
  "What the hell, Kurusu-kun?" Akechi poked at the hat, flinching when he felt
the glitter fall onto his nose. Akira was busy taking snow globes and trinkets
to look over. 
  "We match," Akira grinned, "Also, just call me Akira. I'll call you Akechi,
if that's what you want, but, please, just call me Akira."
  "How many of those do you need?"
  "Eight," Akira smirked, "One for me, my friends, and you. I know you're not
going to take anything, so I'm doing it for you."
  "T-That's rather considerate of you, Akira-kun," Akechi frowned, "Shall we?"
Akira grinned at the shopkeeper before following Akechi out of the gift
shop—bag stuffed with trinkets and candy. "Where is the cat?"
  "He went around somewhere," Akira shrugged, "I just have to use my phone to
buzz his collar and he comes back to the entrance. Plus, my name and number are
on his collar in case anyone wants to return him, but it also says that he
isn't lost and is just roaming."
  "You have a lot of faith in your cat."
  "I gave him food once and he followed me to school—I tried to tell him to
wait outside, but he followed me to class and I ended up keeping him. The only
thing on his collar was his name 'Morgana'—everyone just calls him 'Mona'."
  It was finally time to ride Akechi's first roller coaster.
~~~
  "Fuck, fuck, fuck," Akechi whispered, staring down at the high drop. Akira
looked at him, grinning like an idiot while also being surprised at Akechi's
language. It finally dropped. "Fuck!" Akechi grabbed Akira's hand, crushing it
in an iron grip as his hair flew from his face. "A-Akirahhhhh—what the hell?!
Get me off of here!" 
  It quickly continued up a loop and hung upside down. "Scared?" Akira grinned,
Akechi glared at him. 
  "Of course no—" Akechi screamed as it started up again. The rollercoaster
zipped around the tracks at top speed and harshly jerked to the side. 
~~~
  Akechi stepped off the ride—his hair stood at every angle, even worse than
Akira's. "Was that an enjoyable experience?" Akira grinned, looking at Akechi.
The brunette glared at him, panting. 
  "Surprisingly, yes," he smiled—no, grinned—at the younger student. Akira
quickly took out his phone and snapped a photo, flash on. "Ow! Do you mind?"
  "Sorry, I just... you've never really smiled before and I wanted to capture
it before you numbed yourself." Akira showed him the photo—Akechi had dimples. 
  "Of course I look ridiculous," Akechi sighed, "God, my head looks like a
bird's nest."
  "I take offense to that," Akira poked at one of his curls. Akechi scoffed,
reaching over and messing up Akira's hair even more than it was. 
  "In my opinion, it looks more like a rat's nest than anything else," he said,
"Anyway—is that a carousel?!" Akechi started running to the brightly colored
horses. Akira took a picture of that, too. He had thought the older male would
be way too mature and proper on their outing, but he was wrong; Akechi had the
mindset of a child. 
  Akira barely managed to climb onto the carousel before Akechi leaned back to
look at the guy controlling it. "Go!" He yelled before looking at Akira. "I've
always wanted to go on a carousel. Kids at school would talk about it when the
carnival came to town, but... as a foster kid, I didn't really have anyone
willing to take me." Akira hated the sad look in his eyes behind the smile.
  "Well, you're here now and I'll take you wherever you want to go," Akira
smiled. He stopped himself from reaching out and settled to watch Akechi. He
leaned his head on the golden pole coming on of the horse with a bitter smile. 
  "You've surprised me, Akira-kun," Akechi murmured, "I suppose Niijima-san and
Okumura-san were right when they said you weren't like the rumors say. To be
honest, I expected you to have an ulterior motive behind inviting me out. I
also anticipated a simple café or wild party, but I hadn't expected a rented
out DestinyLand trip."
  "Like I said, reputation means nothing," Akira leaned against the pole of his
horse, "I know you care about yours, but it really shouldn't drive who you
spend your time with. If, after this, you never want me to talk to you ever
again, I will respect that, Akechi-kun."
  "I suppose you're right," he said, "Perhaps I can broaden my horizons and be
more... open to people and... to you."
  "Like I said, I'll help you leave Shujin with a bang. How about this—my
friends and I are having a cookout on the roof tomorrow night, would you like
to join us?"
  "That's against the rules. You shouldn't even be on the roof in the first
place, Akira-kun," Akechi smiled, "But I would enjoy that." The colorful lights
reflected off the two so nicely that Akira couldn't help but take a picture of
them both. This time, Akechi really did smile at the camera, but Akira was
smiling over at Akechi. Soon after, the carousel ride ended and it was time to
move on. 
~~~
  "Where to next?" Akira asked, "Actually, wait! How about cotton candy? Have
you had that before?"
  "To save time, let's just assume I have never tasted or experienced anything
related to amusement parks or carnivals," Akechi deadpanned, "That includes
cotton candy, kettle corn, corn dogs, nachos, and everything in between."
  "Jesus," Akira frowned, "My mission is to now let Goro Akechi experience the
joys of childhood... in his late teens."
  "Perhaps I can also demonstrate to you how to be an adult...in your late
teens." Akechi followed Akira to the cotton candy stand and graciously accepted
the blue and pink swirl. He carefully picked off a piece and place it on his
tongue just like Akira did. "Holy shit!" He exclaimed, "It dissolved!" He took
another pinch and got the same result. "Wow! Akira-kun, how—" Akira's camera
flash went off while Akechi was stuffing a handful into his mouth. 
  "Magic," Akira smirked, "Shall we walk around a bit more?" Akechi nodded,
another mouthful of cotton candy dissolving in his mouth. They got kettle corn
and root beers before settling at a bench like kids. 
  "I can't believe that this is my last chance to be a kid," Akechi frowned, "I
spent my teens moonlighting a detective, building a name for myself as an idol,
focusing on my grades and reputation more than I focused on being young. Hell,
I don't want to continue being a detective. It's fun, but it isn't for me. My
father had me become one to hide any crimes he committed, but now he's in
prison and I can do anything I want. I have no idea what that is, though..."
  "You don't have to have everything figured out right now," Akira smiled,
"Think about things you like to do and make a career out of it. It will take
time because you haven't gotten to experience and see what it is you like—we
can go out and try new things so that you can figure it out. You have time
until graduation and entrance exams."
  "You're right," Akechi slouched against the bench, stuffing kettle corn into
his mouth, "Let's go on the Haunted Ride next." Akira nodded, stuffing their
leftover's into his bag and throwing away the drinks. 
~~~
  "WAHHHHH," screamed one of the puppets in the Haunted House. Akechi jumped,
his reflexes forcing his arm to swing and hit it right in its plastic face.
Akira laughed as he watched Akechi yell profanities at everything that jumped
out from the shadows. 
  "I'm a bit disappointed that I don't get to hold your hand and comfort you,"
Akira sighed dramatically. He could easily flirt if he acted like he was
joking. Just chill and—Oh, Akechi was laughing. Another picture for the
scrapbook. 
  "Who says you can't? I can protect myself, but what if you get scared?"
  "I'm not a woos, Honey," Akira smirked. He blushed deeply when Akechi grabbed
his hand and leaned forward. 
  "You seem to be whenever I'm around—it's very obvious when you blush, A-ki-
ra-kun," Akechi smirked back, "You don't stutter around your friends—Niijima-
san told me." Akechi continued forward, acting as if that didn't just happen.
Akira had nothing to reply with—no witty comeback, no snarky flirt... just
spluttering nonsense as his confidence slipped through his fingers. 
  "I, uh—I'm not..." Akira trailed off, trying to find the proper words to say.
Akechi laughed, the faux lightning flashed across his shadowed face with a loud
boom. Akira jumped.
  "Does the poor delinquent need a hand to hold like the pathetic pussy he is?"
Akechi held out his hand mockingly; Akira frowned, grabbing it and running
close before another puppet jumped out. He shrieked, ramming right into Akechi.
"I'm surprised that you're so afraid."
  "H-Hey! I'm normal! I wasn't a cop for two years!"
  "I only quit a few months ago—that is more than two years, you idiotic piece
of—"
  "Language, Akechi-kun. I never knew the golden boy would have such a filthy
mouth."
  "And I believe that your loud one would do much better things wrapped around
my—" 
  A woman dressed as a spirit lurched out with a wail. Akira screamed, forcing
Akechi to cover his ears and nudge Akira with a laugh. Akira knew he had to
start paying attention to the atmosphere so he wouldn't scream. Akechi pulled
Akira along through the exit with a laugh.
  "I got some good pictures of your face," Akechi smirked, holding up his
phone. Akira sighed, running a hand through his hair and looking away to hide
his blush. "I believe you should add these to your 'scrapbook'. I'll send these
to you through chat."
  Akira's phone buzzed shortly after Akechi pressed send. They continued around
DestinyLand with corn dogs and waters. Akira kept thinking about the Haunted
House—Akechi never acted that way before tonight and it seemed like Akira's
fear made him more confident and... perverted. He couldn't believe that the
mild-mannered upperclassmen could curse at him and mock him and make sexual
comments. 
  Akira thought about what Akechi told him. His lips wrapped around Akechi's
dick, the quiet ex-cop slurring out curses and telling him to go faster...
calling him a whore and giving him the same smirk in the Haunted House. Akira
groaned, feeling the daydream leave his head and descend to his other one. 
  "Are you okay?" Akechi asked, glancing back. Akira smiled and nodded, subtly
moving the bag of kettle corn. "Whatever you say. Come on, let's go on this
ride! We've nearly finished the park!"
  "Have we? I haven't noticed..." Akira took a picture, "I'm just so enticed by
you." He must have taken over a hundred over the course of the night. Akechi
laughed—a beautiful sound that Akira filed away into his mind. 
  "I see that your confidence has returned," Akechi said, "Come on, it's time
for the Ferris wheel."
~~~
  Last week, if someone told Akira that he would go to DestinyLand with Akechi
and sat with him in top of the Ferris Wheel, he would have laughed and waved it
off as a simple daydream. But there he was, taking photos of them both and of
Akechi looking over the lights with childlike joy reflected over his face.
Akira shifted his legs together, trying to ignore his little problem. 
  "I had a lot of fun," Akechi said without looking at him, "The most fun I've
had in a long time. I would love to go out with you again to... help me go out
with a bang. You've made your mark since you stepped foot on campus—my only
mark was made by popularity I didn't want. I never had any enjoyment and I
think you can help me. I'm not letting you go back on your promise."
  "Hell yeah, Akechi," Akira grinned, "Shujin is memorable for bullshit—we can
make it memorable by breaking shit... As Ryuji once put it. I'll meet you after
class tomorrow for the cookout and fireworks."
  "I'll wait impatiently."
***** Chapter 4 *****
  The next day at Shujin was a bit more unbearable for Akira. He heard rumors
about him and Akechi and, what's worse, is that Akechi actually spoke to him in
between classes and during lunch. Hell, he was used to rejection and snubbing,
but... oh boy. The final bell finally rang to signify the end of classes. 
  As expected, Ryuji was waiting in the hall, but Akechi was with him. They
were chatting about annoying rumors and sports—Ryuji enjoyed rock climbing, but
he could not grasp the concept of no harnesses. "So, you're finally lettin'
loose from all the bullshit of keepin' a face?"
  "Yes," Akechi nodded, "It seems your leader has taken it upon himself to
train me in learning that a reputation means nothing. Oh, there he is now—good
afternoon, Akira-kun."
  "Sup, dude," Ryuji grinned, "Akechi was tellin' me 'bout comin' up to that
roof with us. I super pumped to set that shit off!"
  "Oh, my god, is that Akechi-kun with Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun?" 
  They heard the whispers. Akechi tensed up and took a deep breath. "Don't
worry about them," Akira smiled, "Shall we?" He nodded, following Ryuji and
Akira up the stairs to the roof. The students all looked up with wide eyes when
they heard Akechi's voice at the doorway. 
  "A-Akechi-kun?" Makoto set down the lighter, standing up and folding her
hands, "Is something the matter..?"
  "Nope," Akira grinned, "I invited him up with us. Find a seat, Akechi, we'll
get you situated."
  "Well, well, well," Futaba's grinned matched Akira's—Akechi wasn't surprised
they were siblings. "If it isn't the perfect little Akechi-chan hanging out
with my big bro. I wonder what kind of things can stem from a date as memorable
as yours. I saw the photos—they were cute as hell!"
  "Did you... Did you hack my phone?" Akira asked, instinctively taking out his
phone and going through it. "You bugged it! Futaba!" Akechi sat next to Ann,
watching the two. 
  "Is this normal?" He whispered to the blonde girl. 
  "Yeah, actually, Futaba's protective of Akira ends up with her bugging his
phone and listening to everything said."
  "Everything?" Akechi bit the inside of his cheek. What he said to Akira in
the Haunted House was not meant for anyone else's ears. If Futaba heard... The
redhead cackled loudly, dragging everyone's attention to her. 
  "Don't worry, big brother, as long as you do my homework for a month—I won't
tell anyone what happened last night. You, too, Akechi-chan, I know what you
said in the dark." Akechi cursed himself mentally. Futaba had heard. "Don't
look so upset—you can do my work together. Just don't get jizz on my papers."
  "Futaba!" Makoto flushed, "Don't be so vulgar! That's an adult matter and you
are only fifteen."
  "S'not as bad as what Akechi-chan said," Futaba smirked, "What was it again?
Oh, Akira, your—" Akira ran over, clasping his hand over Futaba's mouth with a
panicked look. She spat into his hand and shoved him away. "Don't test me, I'll
post the recording to the school website."
  Haru dropped sanitizer onto Akira's hand with a smile, "It's always nice to
be safe from the germs." Akira thanked her before turning to Akechi. 
  "Welp, looks like we should come clean," Akira smirked, "Goro Akechi has a
filthy mouth and make explicitly sexual comments in the Haunted House and
sucking dicks—boom. Do your own homework, Futaba." Akira jumped to sit by
Akechi and started up the fire. 
  "Curry time!" Futaba cheered, crashing between Yusuke and Akira, "Hurry and
make it before I tell Sojiro that you starve me."
  "Akechi-kun, Futaba is harrassing me. You used to be a cop, press charges."
Akira whined, leaning over as he opened a box to start the curry.
  "Ah, this will be your first time trying Akira-kun's curry," Haru smiled,
"It's lovely, but not as delicious as Boss's."
  "...Boss?" Akechi tilted his head, "Who is...?"
  "It's my dad," Futaba said, "Sojiro Sakura makes the best curry ever—it was
all thanks to my mom's skills that he succeeded." She smiled pridefully with
her arms crossed.
~~~ 
  Akechi could barely stop himself from drooling at the smell of the curry.
Haru put rice on paper plates and gave them to Akira to put curry on. "And this
one," Akira blew a kiss onto the plate, "is made with love." He handed it to
Akechi. 
  "Jesus Christ," Ryuji groaned, "if I wanted to deal with your flirting, I
wouldn't be trying to eat."
  "Shush," Shiho whispered, "Let them be happy and just continue gushing over
Kitagawa-kun." Ryuji flushed, glaring at the girl. 
  "Eff off, man," Ryuji pouted, "I ain't gonna put myself out there like that.
'Sides, he'll just be confused as hell."
  "We can test that," Shiho smirked, "Hey! Kitagawa-kun, what do you think love
is?" The artist paused, his eyes wide. 
  "Well, it's a rather beautiful thing. Aesthetically, when someone can manage
to capture such beauty, it is a blessed thing in their own life." Yusuke
continued his speech, unbeknownst to the lack of listeners—save for Ryuji. 
  "It's nice to see that you're finally getting out of your apartment after
school," Makoto smiled, "It's a shame that we don't have coffee to go with
this."
  "Coffee and curry? That's a rather interesting mix..." Akechi murmured,
looking down at the plate in his hands. He clenched his jaw, trying to keep the
burning from his mind. Akechi didn't want anyone to know how weak he was to
spicy foods. He felt his eyes water the more he consumed the curry. 
  "Are you okay?" Akira asked quietly, "You look like you're about to cry."
  "Ah, yes," Akechi sniffled, "Your food is just delectable despite it being so
spicy."
  "It's regular," Akira chuckled, "Tell me, are you a lightweight when it comes
to heat?"
  "I'm not required to answer any of your questions, Akira-kun," Akechi leaned
his head to the side, "But between the two of us, I have preference for sweets
over spice." He winked, turning his head to Ann to start a conversation. 
~~~
  On his way to the train station, Akechi was stopped by two second-years from
class 2-D—two girls. He expected the normal love confession, but they just had
looks of curiosity and worry. "Is it true that you went up to the roof with
Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun?" Akechi clenched his teeth, smiling. 
  "They asked for some helped with equipment and, as a member of Student
Council, I am obligated to help." That seemed like an easy enough lie. Akira's
words rang through his head. Reputation means nothing. "Actually, that was a
joke," Akechi bit his lip, "I went up to the roof with them because I see no
reason other than reputation not to." His heart raced when the two girls gave
him shocked looks. 
  "But, they're delinquents!" The shorter one yelled, "Criminals!"
  "Um," Akechi looked to the side, "Akira-kun is a lot nicer than I had
originally anticipated... We spent time together after school yesterday and he
was very polite and kind." He forced a smile. "Please excuse me, I have a train
to catch."
  Akechi was always good at forcing smiles and coming up with excuses. That had
been the first time in a long time that he told the truth to his classmates
about his opinions. He tainted his reputation by smearing Akira's over his
platinum ranking. As per usual, Akechi felt his chest constrict when he thought
about his reputation collapsing. Years of work shattering with a breath out of
place. 
  "Hey." The voice was familiar. It was a deep, velvety tone that Akechi
recognized as Akira. He smiled as a greeting, still practiced and precise.
"Need an escort to the train? Futaba went over to Haru's, so I'm all alone."
  "Please, accompany me, then," Akechi motioned next to him, "Does she have
Morgana, as well?" Akira's bag was zipped up today. He nodded, pushing up his
glasses. Akechi didn't know what to say and Akira felt too awkward to start
anything. Finally, Akechi clenched his fist around his bag and smiled, "I have
to run by Central Street, would you like to come with me?"
  "Hm? Oh, yeah, sure—there's a great café we could eat at, or the beef bowl,
or Big Bang." Akira started rambling about the three different places and how
they all tasted. Akechi would have usually left by then, but he just continued
to listen about each place. Somehow, Akira made coffee interesting. 
  "Your friends said that you brew coffee," Akechi said, "Would you fancy
making me a cup?"
  "Of course," Akira grinned, "It would be an honor to win over the heart of a
suave upperclassman with my fantastic brew."
  "As if," Akechi rolled his eyes. He could feel eyes on him as they approached
the train station, passing Shujin students and Yusuke. 
  "Hello," Yusuke nodded, "It is nice to see you both."
  "Hey, are you going to Shibuya?" Akira asked, smiling. Akechi hoped not; he
didn't care if it was selfish, he wanted all of the other teen's attention. If
he would lose everything he built up, Akechi at least wanted attention. 
  "Ah, no," Yusuke said, "I'm waiting for Ryuji—he promised me ramen, but he
went into the bathroom."
  "See you, then," Akechi forced another smile and went to board the train.
Akira glanced at him before waving to Yusuke and following. 
  "You're in a hurry," Akira laughed. Akechi frowned, turning away with a
flushed face. The brunette turned back with a wry smile. 
  "I don't wish for the areas of lunch to be filled before we get there."
  "How about we go to Electric Town? There's a good café there." Akira's
grinned held mischief, but Akechi nodded with a frown. "Sometimes, there are
weirdos there, though. Like, NEETs and stuff." Akechi tilted his head, a
questioning look in his eyes. 
  "You have interesting tastes in restaurants if the one you recommend is
crawling with NEETs."
~~~
  "A maid café?!" Akechi asked loudly, drawing attention from a few other
people. Akira grinned, wrapping an arm around Akechi's shoulders. "Get off of
me." Akechi shoved him back before crossing his arms. 
  "They have a good food," Akira shrugged, "It's your choice on whether or not
to ogle the maids like a creep."
  "Don't assume that I would stoop to the level of Sakamoto or Mishima." Akechi
glared up at the sign before walking into the café with upmost confidence in
his movements. Akira lagged behind to watch Akechi—Futaba would say 'stare at
his ass', but she didn't have to know about that. Plus, it isn't like Akira
never stared at his ass before today.
  They sat at one of the frilly, white tables. Akechi pushed one of the bright
ribbons to the side before one of the maids sauntered over with her hands up.
"Nya~ My name is Misty, what I can get you today, Master~?"
  "We'll take the pancakes." Akira smiled. Akechi frowned—he could order for
himself! Akechi kicked Akira from under the table, expelling a whine from the
younger teen. 
  "Do I look like a child?" Akechi asked, resisting a smile, "Just be happy I
enjoy pancakes."
  "Enjoy? I saw that your paper said you were passionate about pancakes. Makoto
told me." Akira, of course, asked Makoto about it when he first heard the
rumors that Akechi didn't like sweets, but she had informed him that he drowned
his pancakes in syrup every time he had them. 
  "I suppose you were lucky to have Niijima-san as a friend and informant on
me," Akechi nodded to himself, taking a long sip of his drink while making
direct eye contact. Akira gulped, looking down at his own cup. The older teen
felt like he won something. 
  The clumsy maid stumbled over and nearly spilled the pancakes onto Akechi.
She apologized, quickly feigning her clumsiness. Akira stayed polite to quickly
shoo her away. 
  "So," Akira smiled, "What made you decide to agree to coming?"
  "Will you ask this at every meeting we have? I simply enjoy your company." 
  Akira blushed, covering it with a smile. Of course, Akechi noticed. The
brunette leaned forward, placing his head on his right hand while fiddling with
the pancakes with his left. He could lie and say he didn't enjoy it, but...
"You're bright red, Akira-kun, are you ill or... are you possibly embarrassed
that you can't come up with a suave comment?"
  "How... How can I when you have such a distracting beauty radiating from you
like rose petals?" Akira forced a smirk.
  "Did you get that line from Kitagawa-kun?" Akechi mused, "I doubt that you
could come up with something artistic—to be honest, I expected something about
coffee."
  "Well, there are no beans that could possibly compare to you, Akechi-kun."
Akira felt back in business. Akechi frowned, feeling at a disadvantage in their
little game. 
  "Carry on, please, I am loving the compliments. Perhaps, I would enjoy it
more if this took place in a more intimate situation, yes?" Akechi winked,
watching Akira blush once more and lose his composure. Akechi found a new joy
in life besides bouldering and cycling—flustering the big, bad Akira Kurusu. 
***** Chapter 5 *****
Chapter Notes
     Hi, I’m sorry for literally being MIA for over a month, but I am
     back. School has been hectic and I have a small break open.
  Later that night, Akira could barely stop grinning all the way back to
Leblanc. “You’re creeping me out, kid,” Sojiro said, “What’s going on?” Akira
sighed, grinning at nothing while sitting at the bar. 
  “I think I’m in love...” Akira smiles, “He’s so perfect... He has this long
brown hair and beautiful brown eyes that just light up when he’s happy. God, he
has dimples and I wish that he could always be happy...”
  “Is this the Goro Akechi boy that Futaba’s been telling me about?” Sojiro
smirked, “She’s right—you’re screwed.” Akira just kept smiling. “You know,
Akira, you go back to Inaba once your probation is up.“
  “Yeah, but Akechi graduates this year... Holy crap! I’ll never see him again
if I don’t man up!” Akira stood up abruptly, “It’s fine—it’s only a few months
in...”
  “Futaba says that you’ve been on dates.”
  “No, we went to Destinyland and had lunch together today... I guess we flirt
a bit and just hang out, but he’s still not being true to himself. I want to
let him be happy with his life before I try to put myself in it as more than a
friend.” Akira places his hands on the counter, groaning. 
  “Wow. I’m surprised that you’re so hung up on him—you could probably get with
anyone into dudes.”
  “I just want him...” Akira sighed, “He’s just amazing and talking to him has
just made it even more perfect...”
  Akira just laid on his bed after Sojiro closed up, a blissful grin on his
face. It was cold to have Morgana gone, but he didn’t want the cat freak out on
him for being awake. Akira turned to his side to use his phone. Ryuji had
messaged him. 
  ‘Yo dude. Can we hang tmrw around 1? I gotta talk to u about smthn.’
  Akira sent back a quick ‘okay’ before checking his other messages. Oh, Akechi
messaged him! Akira heart began racing. 
  ‘Um, I know that it is late, but could we possibly meet tomorrow
at Inokashira Park around six pm? I have a matter that I wish to discuss.’
  Akira bit his lip. Both of them sounded serious, but Ryuji and him didn’t
usually hang out for more than four hours and Ryuji was earlier. Akira agreed
to the plans and put down his phone. Sleep finally consumed him around two in
the morning. 
~~~
  “Yo!” Ryuji beamed, waving at Akira from the ramen shop. The curly-haired
teen smiled at his best friend and followed him inside. Rather than sitting at
the bar, they took a seat in a quiet corner of the shop with their food. 
  “Is everything okay? We never sit over here.” Akira tilted his head, watching
Ryuji stuff his face out of worry. “Ryuji.”
  “Uh, um,” Ryuji blushed a deep red, “I, uh, I think I’m ready to...” Akira
tilted his head even further. “I want your help with confessing that... I...
like...”
  “Yusuke,” Akira smirked, “It’s obvious, Ryuji. You’re the only person who
listens to his long art rants.” Ryuji blushed even more, grumbling and eating
more of his food. Akira laughed at his best friend. Ryuji was always
embarrassed when it came to Yusuke or his own feelings. It tooo him a while to
even accept the fact that girls weren’t his thing and that he was madly in love
with Yusuke. 
  “Shut up, dude,” Ryuji said, “I’m thinkin’ about takin’ him to the museum,
but I ain’t brave ‘nuff to ask. So, could you take Akechi and go with us? That
way, you won’t be a third wheel and still help me out!”
  “Great idea—maybe I can call the museum and inform them that romance is gonna
happen in front of Mona Lisa.”
  “The Mona Lisa is in the louvre in France, you idiot,” Ryuji glared. Akira
smirked, leaning his head on his hand. Ryuji blushed again. “Uh, sorry, Yusuke
always talked about wanting to see it in person someday...”
  “You’re almost as whipped as I am,” Akira scoffed, “Even more, actually.
Hell, you’re me before Futaba got me talking to Akechi. Pining and pining, but
too afraid to speak... You have a head start by already being friends. Buy him
a gift when you invite him—Yusuke needs new art brushes, but he’s too broke.”
  Akira placed money on the table as he stood up, “Akihabara has them, I
think.” Ryuji nodded, digging in his pocket for cash. Akira just smiled and
gave him the necessary amount for nice brushes. “I work five jobs, I can spare
yen for my best friend.”
  “Uh, t-thanks Akira!” Ryuji grinned, running to the station and leaving Akira
to walk calmly. He had to run back to Yongen-Jaya to pick up Morgana from
Futaba. 
~~~
  “Ah, good afternoon,” Akechi said to his old boss, “Have things been going
well in the department?”
  “Since you left, productivity has dropped,” the SIU Director sighed, “Are you
sure that you’re completely done with detective work? You would make a fine
Director one day.”
  “Thanks, but no thanks—I’m trying to focus more on my hobbies and interests
to find what I really want to do someday. Perhaps writing or running an
orphanage.” Akechi has never actually had a conversation with his ex-boss, but
the man seemed to actually care about how he was. 
  “I see, writing is a good escape from reality.”
  “Um, yes, actually,” Akechi scratched the back of his head, “The following
from years of detective work has made it quite simple to get in touch with
editors and such.”
  “You’re working on a novel, Akechi-kun?”
  “Yes. It tells a story of an impossible place called the Metaverse where a
team of Thieves fight against Shadows with Personas.” He shifted his feet,
debating whether or not it was appropriate to get so excited. 
  “That certainly sounds interesting—I hope to see your work published someday.
Anyway, I should be going. Although, if you ever need a job—you’re welcome at
the department.”
  “Maybe if I need a job while I work on what I’m doing,” Akechi said. He
checked his watch before deciding to go to Inokashira Park a few minutes early.
He kept away from any lingering old fans and classmates. He ended up on the
bench next to the lake as he waited for six to roll around. 
~~~ 
  “Akechi.”
  Said teen turned to smile at Akira when he arrived, his pulse picking up.
“Good evening—I hope I didn’t take you away from your busy schedule,” Akechi
said, “I was only wanting to have some of your time.”
  “We can hang out whenever—it doesn’t have to be a special occasion.”
  “Ah, yes, you’re right,” Akechi averted his eyes, “I don’t know how I can go
about with this whole ‘lack of reputation’ at school thing... I agree that I
shouldn’t care, but I have no idea how I can go about doing that. I appreciate
that you’re helping me, though.”
  “You don’t have to figure everything out,” Akira smiles, “Hell, I just go
with the flow and see what happens when I do things that I love. All you need
is to enjoy what you do and just not care about what others think. Even
pretending not to care is okay.”
  “I’m just a little afraid,” Akechi sighed, “if anything, I’m really glad that
you’re helping me.”
  “Of course, Akechi, I’ll always be here for you.”
***** Chapter 6 *****
Chapter Notes
     Wow, okay, I’ve been gone forever. Sorry.
===============================================================================
  It was dark by the time Akira woke up. He barely remembered anything, but he
came to realize that he had fallen asleep at the park. The bench was softer
than he thought, but why did it just move? Akira looked up, Akechi was staring
at the lake, a deep frown on his face. If Akira could capture the moment, he
would have. Seeing Akechi illuminated by pure moonlight made his heart race.
Never mind, it stopped the second he realized that his pillow was the
upperclassman’s lap. 
  “You’re up,” Akechi said, looking down at Akira, “You fell asleep and I
didn’t want to wake you.” He brushed a curly strand from Akira’s face. “I was
just thinking about things while I waited... I never thought that I would be
here. I always thought that I would never be able to just be myself or be
whatever I wanted to be... Honestly, I’ve only been speaking with you for a
short time, but I am extremely grateful for it.”
  Akira looked at Akechi’s smile, slowly shifting to get a better view. “I am
too,” he said, “I’ve never—I’ve never wanted to talk to someone as much as I’ve
wanted to talk to you. It makes me very happy to just see you be happy. When I
first saw you, I thought that you were just breathtaking and smart, but I knew
that I had no chance in talking to you because of my own reputation.”
  “Breathtaking?” Akechi smirked, “You’ve expanded your vocabulary while
napping. Impressive.” Akira reveled in the feeling of Akechi running a hand
through his hair without realizing it. “I wish we had met sooner, Akira-kun.
Perhaps, in a different life, we could have been happy, kindred spirits with
each other to keep us afloat. Maybe fate would not have been so hard on us.”
  “Maybe fate’s giving us a chance now.”
  Akechi laughed bitterly, “I would have killed to have you with me when I was
a kid. Someone to talk to about everything without judgement—back when I didn’t
train myself to repress everything I ever felt. I would be a different person.
Maybe, in that life, people would like me.”
  “I like you,” Akira said without thinking. He blushed as soon as the words
left his mouth. “Y-You aren’t a broken toy, you’re you. You did what you had to
in order to get by in circumstances out of your control. You don’t have to tell
me what they were, but they must have been unfair and hard if you believe that
you aren’t good enough. There’s no need for anyone to influence how you act out
of fear, I—“
  “I know, Akira-kun,” Akechi sighed, “If we knew each other before I turned
fifteen, I wouldn’t have to learn what happiness is. I’ll appreciate this short
lived joy while it lasts, but I’ll be leaving Shujin soon and Makoto says that
this is your only year in Tokyo.”
  “I don’t have to leave,” Akira blurted, “Inaba doesn’t need me—my parents
wouldn’t care and I... I would rather stay in Tokyo with you and everyone
else!” Akechi looked back at the lake.
  “I’ll never understand you, Akira-kun,” he chuckled, “we could have been
happy if fate had been merciful.”
  “We still can be, Akechi,” Akira sat up, “fuck fate—we were dealt shitty
cards and we don’t have to play the game. We can opt out of gambling our lives
and we can take it into our own hands.” He grasped Akechi’s hands tightly. “We
can make each other happy like we would have if we met sooner. It can still
happen in this life because fate gave us a chance and I’ll be damned if I don’t
take it.”
  “You really do like taking risks, don’t you?” Akechi stared at their hands,
at his gloves and then at Akira’s exposed, calloused hands. “I fear that it
will fall apart like everything else I touch.”
  Akira looked at Akechi’s gloves, taking them off slowly and staring at the
soft, scarred hands. It looked like a stab wound, but Akira didn’t ask. He held
them tightly trying to warm them. “Why not take the chance and be happy? I’d
rather let us try than regret it forever. I don’t want to look back later and
see what could have been if we told fate to go fuck itself. One of my old
friends, Lavenza was her name, told me that my chances of winning the game were
almost none, but there is a possibility open. I don’t want to let the
possibility go because I was too afraid.”
  “What are you even talking about anymore?” Akechi tilted his head. Akira
averted his eyes, tightening his grasp and shifting. “Akira-kun?”
  “I lo—I want to make this life the life you’re talking about and yearning
for,” Akira lowered his head, cursing at himself. “We are more than fate. Fate
can be changed. Ask Chihaya in Shinjuku—fate is not set in stone and a will
made of diamond can destroy it. We can be happy.”
  “I’m not meant to be happy, Akira-kun,” Akechi wrenched his hands away,
reaching for his gloves, “I’m meant to atone for my part in my mother’s
suicide. I’m meant to be perfect because I could never be as a child.”
  “You aren’t perfect!” Akira grabbed Akechi’s shoulders, the older boy looked
hurt, “You are changing who you are because you want everyone to like you. You
would be perfect if you could just be yourself!” Akechi scowled, shoving Akira
to the ground and standing up. Akira had never seen him lose his composure like
that. 
  “Shut the hell up, Kurusu,” Akechi snarled, “We can’t all be ourselves. Some
of us don’t even know who our ‘true self’ is!”
  “Akechi,” Akira said softly, “What Do you want right here, right now?” He did
not move from the ground, he sat there, staring up at Akechi with a scraped up
hand and a hurt in his heart. “Right now, without thinking about any
consequences or anyone else but yourself. What do you want?”
  “This is ridiculous.”
  “Please, Goro, just tell me,” Akira stood up, looking up at Akechi with
pleading eyes. Akechi glared at him. It was like they returned to day one.
“What is it that you want right now?”
  “I want...” Akechi turned away, tears threatening to spill from his eyes, “I
want to be happy...” Akira grasped his hand, slowly unclenchinf it and holding
it within his own. “I just want to be happy, Akira-kun. I don’t want to be
trapped within my own mind replaying the same scene over and over again like a
broken record.”
  “You deserve to be happy, Goro.”
  “I don’t know how to be happy.”
  “We can help each other with that,” Akira stepped forward, taking Akechi’s
hand and sitting back down on the bench. “We can make each other happy.”
  “For how long? Until I graduate and you move back to Inaba? Until you leave
me? I don’t want to have happiness taken away from me like that. I don’t want
you to say that you’ll be there and then leave me.” Akechi let Akira hold him
close. 
  “I’m not going anywhere,” Akira said, “I’m not going to leave you because you
make me happy too.”
  The two sat in a comfortable silence, watching the lake and listening to the
different animals. “It’s getting late,” Akechi said, “if you wish, you can stay
the night at my apartment rather than taking the train all the way to Yongen-
Jaya.”
  “Uh, thanks, Akechi.” Akira looked down at his hands, blushing. “I’m glad
that we met, you know.”
  “Me too, Akira-kun.”
***** Chapter 7 *****
Chapter Notes
     Whoa. I’m not gone for another month.
  “I’ll clean your uniform and you can borrow some clothes. Do you need to
shower?” Akechi asked, unlocking his apartment door. “I have underwear you can
use.”
  “Will they be able to fit?” Akira smirked, following the older male in. He
was barely inside the apartment when Akechi slammed the door, pressing Akira
against it with a blank look on his face. Akira stared up at him, fear and
excitement running through him. 
  “I think they’d be a bit baggy, but there’s no harm in trying, honey,” he
sneered, “Now, you can leave your clothes in the basket outside the bathroom
door and I’ll get it all cleaned up, okay?”
  “R-Right...” Akira nodded, scurrying off to where Akechi said the bathroom
was. Akechi couldn’t help but smirk at that, musing about how he hadn’t
expected Akira to be so obedient. Akechi heard him put the basket in the hall.
“Thanks, Akechi-kun!”
  Akechi began the laundry, looking at the crumpled uniform and checking the
pockets in case he left something important in them. The
underwear, surprisingly, was bright red. Akechi expected a cooler color, but to
each their own. After that, he gathered some pajamas—a Featherman shirt and
sweatpants. Akechi changed into his own pajamas—Featherman pants and a Shujin
Academy Student Council t-shirt. 
  “Akechi,” Akira peeked his head from the door, steam floating out. Akechi
left the bedroom, carrying clothes for Akira and a kind smile on his face.
Akira faltered, the change in attitude shocking him for a moment. “Um, thanks,
Akechi.”
  “No problem, I’ll order some food and we can relax for a bit before going to
bed.” Akechi was on his phone, presumably ordering food. Akira, on the other
hand, looked around the living room to see how Akechi liked his apartment. It
was clean, of course, with small trinkets littered around on display. It wasn’t
like his room, oh no, it was organized and everything had a place. There wwere
two black and white paintings hanging above the lamps by the couch. Akira
looked at the embroidered pillows—they were custom. 
  Akira always pictured Akechi as the type of person with no decor, but the
plethora of house plants and neat little items proved him wrong. Hell, he saw a
Jack Frost on his key chain and Feathermen on the shelf of the TV stand. “Is
sushi good?” Akechi asked, taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch.
Akira nodded, a smile gracing his face. 
  “Thanks for letting me stay, I’m sure you had other things to do.”
  “Besides sitting on my laptop looking for something to do? I’d much rather
have you around than that.” Akira almost blushed, he turned his head to hide
it. His eyes caught a small portrait on the side table—it was a young looking
Akechi and a woman with long brown hair and tired, caramel eyes. 
  “Who’s that?” Akira asked too fast. Akechi hesitated a moment, looking at the
picture with a distant look in his eyes. Akira said nothing—it may have been
sensitive. 
  “It’s my mom... before everything,” Akechi frowned, reaching over and turning
the photo on its face to hide it. It was quiet between them until the food
arrived. Akechi didn’t excuse himself. Akira stared down at the overturned
photo—something must have happened back then. 
  “Akechi,” Akira said, hesitating before he spoke again. The brunette didn’t
look at him as he set the food up for them to eat. “Um, could your previous
obsession with reputation have something to do with—“
  “I don’t want to talk about it, Akira-kun.” Akechi’s eyes were sharp, slicing
through Akira with a glare that could leave the devil shaking. “My personal
affairs don’t concern you. You are strictly helping me and I am grateful for
it.”
  Akira felt his heart crack. He nodded without emotion, though. To emphasize
his faux joy, he smiled through the tears brimming at his eyes. He had thought
they would have been friends by now. But no, it was almost professional, but
they had discussed their feelings at the park... Akira told himself it was
another wall that Akechi built when’ve saw the picture. He assumed that Makoto
would know. 
  “I’ll take the couch tonight,” Akechi muttered, “After we eat, we can sleep.”
Akira agreed—it was barely nine. Despite the decor, Akira felt like it wasn’t
made to be a home. Trinkets and photos, but no love filled the area. It was a
crushing negativity that surrounded the apartment. 
  There was no more lighthearted conversation. Akira stopped trying after being
shot down a fourth time. He had to admit that it hurt to be snubbed like day
one. Akira took a deep breath, trying to find something to say that would get
Akechi to stop being trapped in his own thoughts. Akechi told him that he was a
foster child, but he never mentioned being adopted. Akira came to the
conclusion that he was put in the system at an older age and stayed a foster
child, but he couldn’t decide on his mother. Did she give him up or die?
  Akira took a deep breath. “Our talk about happiness...” Akechi barely even
faltered. “You said that some people don’t know their true selves and that some
people don’t deserve to be happy. I admit that I fit in the category.”
  “What are you talking about?” He sounded angry. Akira waited another moment,
avoiding expectant eyes like the plague. 
  “My true self got me arrested is what I’m talking about,” Akira scoffed, “No,
that’s not all... Being my true self got me expelled from school in Inaba—my
parents have basically disowned me. We all wear our masks and I don’t want you
to lose your face.”
  “Some of us were never meant to have faces. And some of us don’t get the
privilege of having parents.”
  Akira held back a flinch. “I’d rather not have them—it’d be easier to be
alone than to have my holiday message being ‘don’t come home’.”
  “Stop talking, Kurusu—I’ll kick you out.”
  Akira shut his mouth, realizing that testing Akechi about family wasn’t a
good idea. He was sensitive about it, understandably. Dinner was silent
afterwards. It was unbearable for the both of them, but pride and fear
prevented any action. Akechi only pointed to the bedroom before he went to wash
up. 
  Akira plugged his phone into the spare charger before sending a message to
the Thieves’ Chat.
  Joker: I think I just fucked up. :(
 The responses were quick. 
  Noir: Oh, what happened? Is everything alright??
  Skull: ????
  Oracle: I heard everything. You’re so stupid!1!1!1 >:(((
  Joker: Unbug my phone.
  Oracle: No. I didn’t think I’d have to wingman u this much!
  Queen: What’s going on? Akira?
  Oracle: My idiot brother decided to bring up Akechi’s MOTHER and then talk
about hating family?????!?!
  Queen: Akira...
  Queen: Akechi-kun’s Mom committed suicide when he was a kid and he saw it. 
  Joker: Oh fuck
  Skull: Dude...
  Skull: Go apologize
 Akira took a deep breath, sighing and getting up. He knew that he was wrong.
He didn’t want to lose Akechi over this. In the living room, Akechi was sitting
on his phone with a blank stare. “You should be asleep.”
  “I’m sorry—for what I said...” Akira stood stiff, regret brimming at his
heart. Akechi patted the seat next to him. Akira sat down. 
  “It’s not a big deal. You didn’t know.”
***** Chapter 8 *****
  “Hey,” Akechi nudged Akira’s sleeping form. They had fallen asleep on the
couch together, but Akira was still asleep. Akechi had cleaned and removed his
glasses, so Akira looked so exposed. His curls fell over his face and his lips
were parted. Akechi bit his own, staring at the teen carefully. “Akira-kun, we
have class...” He didn’t move. 
  Akechi sighed, putting down his bag and settling on the floor next to Akira.
Was school really necessary today? He moved some of the curls from his eyes, a
smile breaking out on his face. “You’re such a heavy sleeper,” Akechi noted,
“How do you even manage to get up in time for school every other day?” He shook
him a little more, feeling muscles moving beneath his fingers. Akira’s eyes
slowly opened. “Ah, you’re awake. We have school, remember?”
  “Akechi?” Akira squinted, “I don’t wanna go..” His voice was husky, fresh
from sleep. Akechi felt warmer than before. He forced a smile and ran a hand
through Akira’s hair. 
  “Come on, I’ve laid out your uniform and gotten you a toothbrush,” Akechi
said. Akira slowly got off of the couch, stretching and cracking bones while
doing so. His hair was even messier than it usually was—all tangled and
standing up a lot more. Akira grinned up at Akechi. 
  “Can you help me get it on?”
  Akechi rolled his eyes, a blank expression on his face. “That’s far too
simple for the both of us—maybe another time with something more interesting.”
Akechi stood up, going to check on the pancakes. Akora just frowned, standing
to go change and get ready before Akechi nagged at him like Makoto. In all
honesty, he was not surprised that the two were friends. They probably made
sure the other had healthy habits, but Akira suspected that Akechi was highly
dishonest about it. Akechi's apartment felt unlived in. To Akira, it felt like
a stock image and that nobody actually lived there. Hell, the bed felt brand
new when he tried sleeping in it. Akechi didn't seem like he was lacking sleep,
but that could be due to all the concealer Akira found in the bathroom.
  Akira carelessly threw on his uniform, not even taking the time to tie his
tie. Akechi noticed, though and walked over to Akira without any expression.
"You can't show up without tying this," he said, reaching over to tie the
fabric. Akira blushed, thanking Akechi before quickly turning away with a small
smile. He couldn’t tell if they were still playing with each other. When was it
real and when was it all pretend?
   They walked to the station together—side by side. Akira’s heart felt like it
was overheating. The cool day was unbearably hot. Shujin Academy didn’t seem so
dead anymore. Of course, kids began whispering the second they saw Goro Akechi
walking and talking with the school criminal. Neither paid any mind—Akechi
 eventually sstopped them in the hallway, smilling his perfect public smile. 
   “I have to go up to the Student Council Room for a meeting—should I expect
you at lunch?” He said, watching Akira’s response closely. The younger male
shifted on his feet and turned away with a small smile. 
   “Only if you want me to, Akechi. We’re on the roof every day.”
   “I’ll see you, then.” With that, Akechi left Akira in the halls, the door of
the Student Council Room sliding shut. Akira took deep breaths, trying to calm
himself. He and Akechi have definitely become friends—there was no ‘if’ anymore
with it. 
   “Wow, you’re whipped,” an elvish first-year and self proclaimed Featherman
Expert said. Akira looked down at his sister, nudging her. “You smell like
Akechi-kun,” she snickered, “I half-expected a limp and hickies.” 
   “Oh, come on!”
   “You can’t expect me to believe that that guy isn’t a top,” Futaba kicked
her foot up against the wall she was leaning on, “And you’d let him do whatever
he wanted to you. If Akechi-kun asked you to be his bitch—“
   Akira reached over to cover her mouth—people were eavesdropping. She pushed
his hand away, grinning before sending a glare of her own towards the group of
students. “What’re you lookin’ at?” Ryuji’s voice was easily recognizable
through the buzzing halls. People scurried away like roaches. The blonde nearly
barreled into the honorary Sakura.
   “Someone’s excited,” Futaba smirked. 
   “Shut it, midget,” Ryuji turned to Akira, “Look, dude, people’re freakin’
out about ya walkin’ in with Akechi! They’re all thinkin’ that you’re datin’ or
sleepin’ together.”
   “Based on last night, I would assume the same,” Futaba smirked, “I don’t
recall knowing of anyone that Akechi’s let sleep over.” Ryuji looked at him
with wide eyes. He forgot to inform his friends that he spent the night. “I
know for a fact that you showered and wore his clothes. His clothes, Akira.”
   “Dude, you guys’re practically married!”
   “Wow, Ryuji using a word with more than two syllables,” Futaba scoffed, “I
have to get the class, see ya later!”
   The two second years parted ways. Akira braved the class of 2-D, giving
Kawakami a smile before taking his seat behind Ann. “I know the rumors,” she
whispered, “You and Akechi should be careful because some girls are planning on
going crazy. After school today, be ready to either fight someone or brace for
a jump.”
   “I’ll be fine, Ann,” Akira patted her shoulder, “I have you guys and I’m not
worried about a couple crazy fan girls.” 
   “Famous last words,” Ann rolled her eyes, “This little crush of yours is
going to get you mauled. Hell, it’s not even a little crush!”
   “I can’t help it, Ann,” he smiled, “Everything’s so much brighter with him
around. Everything is something I never want to forget.” Ann just patted his
fluffy hair. 
   “Let’s just get to class.”
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