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Akira hadn't thought seeing him in person would affect him as much as it does. After all, he's had two months to mentally prepare himself for this moment.

And yet, the sight of Goro Akechi, alive and in the flesh, perfectly put-together and looking like he was made to sit under the studio lighting, makes him feel... some kind of way. Unsettled, for sure, knowing what he knows now. Then again, there's a part of him that hasn't stopped feeling unsettled since he first (well, perhaps first isn't accurate) jolted awake to find himself on the train to Yongen-Jaya again. In one piece. Not bleeding out on the ground with a megalomaniacal pseudo-god bearing down on him. And, most importantly, as the only one with any recollection of all they'd been through.

It doesn't take Akira long to come to the most logical conclusion: That somewhere along the line, he screwed up. Somehow, it hadn't been enough, and now he has an opportunity to fix it—which would be a lot easier if he were to have some notion of what, specifically, he needs to fix, or even if this is a one-time deal.

At first, he tries copying his previous motions as closely as possible. People always talk about their regrets like they would change them in a heartbeat, given the chance, but the thought of altering the timeline as he knows it is overwhelming. The more Akira steps away from his previous path, the less accurate his existing knowledge may become, the bigger the chance that he may miss something important from the first time around.

That reasoning goes out the window pretty quickly. Akira finds that he can't watch Shiho Suzui jump off that building again, can't go through hearing that agony in Ann's voice a second time when he can so easily prevent it. So he stops her. It's what the Phantom Thieves would do. And things change... but not in a way that affects the flow of events in any profound way. Ann still stumbles after them into the Metaverse and finds the conviction to awaken her persona, somehow. He's not sure how it works out, but it does. What Akira does know is that fate is what you make of it. If he believes in his teammates, they'll end up where they need to be.

But for all of that, he still wavers as they're leaving the recording area. Up until now, the decisions to change things have been easy. Akechi, on the other hand... where to start? Is it even salvageable? Akira's not certain, but when he thinks of their last meeting in Shido's palace, Akechi's remark about the possibility of them meeting a few years earlier, the sounds of gunshots echoing from the other side of the bulkhead—he can't not try. It's not years, but maybe this handful of months will be enough.

Akira lets Ann go ahead with a nod, sliding his hands into his pockets as he tries to maintain his usual casual demeanor. Any moment now...

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"If I trip, you'll just have to catch me." How he manages to deliver that line as smoothly as he does while the eye contact sends his heart racing again is a mystery even to Akira himself. This really was like stepping right into a pit of quicksand; the warmth threatens to tug him right back down towards the mattress.

No. No sinking, no disappearing under the covers all day. There's a little twitch of his fingers near Akechi's hair as he reminds himself of what he has to do, a quick inhale as he collects himself, and then—

"I'm getting hungry." As Akira speaks, he slowly detaches himself and slides the rest of the way off the bed, finally getting to his feet. The churning in his stomach is probably due in part to hunger, but other factors are definitely at play. "Mind if I take up the bathroom first?"

Akira's ability to maintain his composure no matter the situation never ceases to amaze. Akechi's not bad at it himself, but he feels like Akira is both more consistent and more natural about it. He's a little envious, and for once that envy isn't accompanied by simmering contempt.

The faint twitch of his fingers and the abrupt shift back to the subject of breakfast takes Akechi off guard, but not to the extent that it interrupts his good mood or prompts him to do more than blink. He's somewhat hungry himself (or at least, he will be by the time breakfast is done) and he's well aware of the growing risk that they'll just stay in bed all day if they don't get up soon.

"Go ahead." Akechi finally pushes himself upright, absentmindedly lifting a hand to pet his hair back into place. He has no intention of leaving it like that all day, but a few more minutes won't bother him. For now he'll busy himself with turning on the heater again (though not as high), pulling open the balcony curtain (though only partway), and checking his phone to see if anything important happened while he was asleep (though nothing has).

With a nod, Akira heads into the bathroom. It only takes him a few minutes to get cleaned up (including combing his hair down to its usual level of disarray), but when he exits back into the main space of the apartment again, he feels no more collected than before.

"All yours," he announces, looking to Akechi. "I'll get started on breakfast."

It may only be his second visit, but there's something nice about the familiarity (and domesticity) of inviting himself to step into the kitchen and begin rooting through Akechi's fridge and cabinets. Just as he said, there's a much more complete catalog of ingredients at his disposal. A small smile settles unconsciously over Akira's face as he gathers the vegetables and gets to preparing them.

Akechi doesn't dawdle before slipping into the bathroom, though as usual he both takes a bit longer and emerges looking more composed than Akira. He does feel more composed, but the thoughts weighing him down right now aren't nearly as heavy.

Akechi's kitchen is barely large enough for one person so he knows better than to try to offer his help. He doesn't retreat all the way to the apartment proper, however, instead lingering in the 'hallway' connecting the two so he can start going through his closet. He's wondering what Akira's plans are for the day, but the first thing he should check is...

"Are you heading back to Leblanc after this?" He's pretty sure Futaba and Sojiro will miss him after a while, assuming they haven't noticed already.

Omurice is no curry and Akechi's kitchen is no Leblanc, but he moves comfortably enough, fueled by experience as he prepares the various components of the dish. Akira hears the bathroom door open in another part of the apartment, drawing his attention briefly. Akechi doesn't make an appearance, but his voice drifts into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I should check in." Futaba surely knows where he is by now, but he owes them a real explanation for his disappearance last night. Yesterday was rough for all of them, Sojiro included. "What are you going to do?"

There was talk about a party at Leblanc later, but he's never sure if Akechi will accept invitations like that.

The question about what he's planning to do gets a thoughtful hum from Akechi, though he stalls for a bit more time by pausing to pull his outfit for the day out of the closet.

"Takamaki-san was insistent that I join the party at Leblanc, so I'll be stopping by there later this evening." Ann had, in Akechi's opinion, adjusted to the idea of him being part of the Phantom Thieves faster than anyone besides Akira, so he always feels a little more inclined to acquiesce to her benign requests.

Part of him still expects the invitation to be suddenly withdrawn, however, so he keeps his tone casual, like he doesn't especially mind either way.

"Aside from that, I'm only planning on lunch - and catching up on studying for my entrance exams." Something needs to actively worry about again, now that the world isn't on the verge of ending.

So he'll probably find out with the rest of them. Guilt begins to rush in, but Akira pushes it away. He can't tell him beforehand; if he does, Akechi will try to stop him. He knows it. Here's hoping that he'll be able to understand why Akira had to keep it a secret.

He lets that part of the response slip by, focusing instead on the latter portion as he gets the onions started on the stove. "Not much longer for those..." With everything that went on, it's understandable that Akechi would fall behind and also unsurprising that he wouldn't compromise on his performance even after all of that. "How are you feeling about them?"

And... the invitation isn't redacted. Then again, why would it be? Akechi pushes the thought aside and pushes his closet door closed, finally moving towards the kitchen so that he can at least talk to Akira directly.

"Less prepared than I'd like, but still fairly confident." He shuffles his clothes from one hand to the other as he muses. "I scored well on the mock exams and studying has always come somewhat naturally to me." Which is true, despite the enormous amount of effort he puts into school. He may not be the natural genius he played at being, but he's still clever enough in his own right. "I'm sure Niijima-san and Okumura-san will be busy themselves." This might be the last chance any of them get to really relax with the rest of the group for the next month or so.

Hearing the pad of his feet coming into the room, Akira peers over his shoulder. "You'll do fine." He's sure of this. Akechi is smart, clever in a much more natural way than he is. It took a lot of studying for him to get to the top of his class, a feat he never accomplished back home. "You all will."

Akira shifts his attention back to the pan, dumping in the chicken. "It's going to be weird." No more Metaverse, no more Phantom Thieves, just... everyone living their lives.

Akira's comment on the matter of his (and Makoto and Haru's) results gets a grin out of Akechi.

"When you say it so confidently, I feel like I've got no choice but to believe it." Not that he wouldn't believe it otherwise, but as usual there's something magnetic about Akira and the things he says.

Which is perhaps why Akechi's thoughts are more easily pulled towards the future than they might have been otherwise. He has his own plans to assist with the investigation into Shido, though his are much less drastic (and likely much less help) than Akira's own, but even that won't last forever. Thinking about what comes after that, and then after that... it's exciting, despite the predictable low spots.

"It will be strange - especially if you move back to your hometown." It's a depressing thing to think about, but they've discussed the prospect and the possible solutions to it once already. No sense in avoiding it now. "I hope you're already planning to spend your entire summer break in Tokyo." Because the rest of the team might riot if he doesn't.

If he can impart at least a bit of confidence (not that Akechi is lacking it where schoolwork is concerned), then Akira is satisfied. He smiles faintly as he nudges around the contents of the pan to keep them cooking evenly. Well, he'll be more satisfied if this turns out well. Having received Akechi's confession hasn't dampened his desire to impress him in the least.

"I'm planning on it." He's not counting on being a free man, as that would be incredibly optimistic with the list of crimes they read off to him last time, but that means that he will definitely be in Tokyo for the summer. One way or another. Still, he'll allow himself to daydream as he continues, "You should come to the beach with us next time. A festival, too."

There are so many things he wants to do with Akechi—places to see, sights to show him, activities to try...

If Akechi were aware of the way that Akira is constantly managing to lie without actually speaking a false word he'd be impressed. He has no suspicions, however, so he accepts his words with a guileless lack of hesitation.

"Joining you for a festival sounds fun." The trip to the beach, too, but the idea of a festival grabs his attention more readily. "Though you'll have to forgive me if I don't trust your takoyaki recommendations, this time." He uses the plural form of you here, even though the takoyaki incident at Shuujin's festival had been entirely his own fault. If he's going to acknowledge something so embarrassing he can't take all the blame.

"My takoyaki recommendations?" Somehow, his voice manages a cross between incredulous and amused as he glances back at Akechi. "I'm pretty sure you walked right up and ate it before we could say anything. I was going to eat that one, you know..."

Although... well, now that Akechi knows about his time-traveling journey, the fact that he knew about the takoyaki and still allowed Akechi to eat it anyway is exposed. Oops. He can't help that Akechi's reaction to it was so priceless that he wanted to see it a second time around at his expense.

"And I'm pretty sure you knew exactly what was about to happen and didn't try to stop me." He actually didn't make the connection until just now, but now that he has he's not going to let it slide. "Your silence counts as an endorsement, even if I didn't realize it at the time."

Then again, maybe it would have seemed suspicious for the leader of the Phantom Thieves to extend that sort of help to their self-declared number one enemy. That's not the part that really has his attention, however.

"Were you really planning on eating it?"

Oops, called out. Akira tempers his smile down and turns back to the pan. Looks like it's almost time for the veggies.

"I couldn't give myself away." A flimsy excuse but one playfully offered all the same. This quiet sort of banter in the calm of Akechi's apartment puts his heart somewhat at ease. "And yeah, I was. I was curious about how spicy it was going to be."

He's nothing if not adventurous.

"Too spicy." He can admit to that much. Akechi drifts a little closer, watching Akira cook over his shoulder without looming or crowding into his space. "But if you're disappointed you missed out, I know of a restaurant that prides itself on its spicy dishes."

Akehci never actually went himself, but it's not like he hates spicy food. He'd be more than willing to go if Akira is interested - and he has proper warning, this time.

Another restaurant to visit together? Sounds like a potential date. They may not be able to visit for a while, but Akira's heart warms all the same.

That affection shines in his eyes when he glances over his shoulder, meeting Akechi's easily at this proximity. "What if I just want to go with you?"

That sort of statement isn't exactly odd or unexpected. Akira has always (baring a few understandable exceptions that Akechi is ignoring right now) been straight-forward about expressing his feelings - when he finally gets around to doing it, at least. So it's not really weird or even something he hasn't heard before, but...

Well, it's nice to not be told that his company is worth having for its own merits, but to also believe it. Akechi's smile softens, the amusement from earlier replaced by warm affection.

"Then I have plenty of other recommendations, too." And more importantly: "I'd be happy to take you somewhere new every single day for months, if you wanted."

The fondness in Akechi's gaze sinks right into him and wraps his chest in a gentle pressure. Akira's never been a particularly greedy person, content with his dusty attic and old TV and milk crate bed even with heaps of money at his feet, but this—

He wants more. So much more.

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he turns back to the pan. "I'd like that," he responds as he adds in the vegetables and mixes them into the other contents.

"Then it's a date." Or 'dates', as it should turn out to be. "It can be something to look forward to once exams are over." Akira will be heading home not long after that, but there should still be more than enough time for them to visit a few places. And when Akira comes back in the summer maybe they could even go back to one or two of them and try the new seasonal dishes--

Alright, that's getting a little ahead of himself, and even though Akechi didn't say anything out loud he can't help but feel a little embarrassed by his own enthusiasm. He distracts himself by finally stepping around Akira and digging out plates and utensils for both of them. He can tell that breakfast is close to being ready, and while it's a little awkward with clothing tucked under one arm he can at least help out by taking care of this part. His kitchen isn't that cramped.

Even if Akechi doesn't voice all of those thoughts, Akira gets the sense that he's excited about these plans. The ones he can't deliver on. The aromas drifting from the pan in front of him suddenly seem a lot less appetizing.

The sound of utensils clinking and shuffling draws his attention back over his shoulder. "You can go change, Goro. I'll take care of the rest." The food won't take much longer now, so he can probably have it served up by the time Akechi finishes getting ready for the day.

"If you insist." He got as far as actually getting the plates down, so he at least sets those aside rather than putting them back up. Even though it's happened once already, it's still a little weird to leave the entirety of the meal prep to someone else in his own home.

Still, he makes himself leave it at that. He disappears back into the bedroom and changes without any fuss or fanfare, as even gets as far as making the bed when Akira finally announces that breakfast is ready (or simply emerges with it). He perks up and doesn't hesitate to drift closer, though he takes care to not get in the way.

"It smells incredible." He's actually excited for food, which even he notices is a little surprising. "Are you certain Sojiro-san won't let you expand the menu beyond curry?"

It's hard to relish in how strangely domestic this feels when Akechi's excitement hangs in the back of his head. Hiding it from him feels so wrong, but he doesn't have a choice. He only has to pretend for a bit longer. Just a little bit.

Once the rice is done, the omelettes are quick to cook. Soon enough, he has both servings plated up and even takes care to decorate each with a poorly drawn approximation of their masks in ketchup. Questionable art aside, it looks much better than his last attempt.

"I think I've got a ways to go before I could convince him. You know he's a tough judge." He's carried the plates out to the living area to meet Akechi, passing his over before heading to the couch.

"True... Something else to work towards."

But never mind that. Akechi takes his plate and only manages to offer a brief thanks before he's distracted by Akira's ketchup artwork. Is that...? It is. Akechi lets out a surprised puff of laughter, following after Akira to make himself comfortable besides him.

"Taking lessons of Kitagawa-kun?" Actually, Yusuke would probably do something much more detailed and grand, not to mention so time consuming that the food would be cold by now. Still, Akira's inexpert doodle is charming enough that Akechi actually goes digging for his phone before he starts eating. Akira will either never do this again or only get better with practice, so Akechi wants to immortalize this moment.

That subtle noise that spills from Akechi's lips makes it worth every bit of effort. Although tiny, the laughter sinks into him and nurtures the warmth in his heart until it pushes back against the dark cloud of anxiety and dread.

"Not sure I could keep up with him..." Akira remarks quietly as he flops down onto the cushions. But as he starts to consider it, the motion catches in the corner of his eye, drawing a wide-eyed and curious gaze. Oh. As silly as it is, knowing that Akechi approves of it enough to snap a picture makes him feel like the first night he managed to replicate Leblanc's curry with near perfection.

"Come here." He pats the cushion right next to him, urging Akechi closer. "It's a pair, so you should get both of them in it." A set that shouldn't be separated, much like his heart urges now.

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