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fabrications )
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...
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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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.
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"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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And speaking of which, Akechi doesn't hesitate to shift closer when ushered, leaning into Akira's personal space and sliding his plate over until it's side-by-side with Akira's before snapping the picture. He's taken enough 'artsy' photographs of trendy desserts that it only takes one try to get what he considers and acceptable shot. He leans back again once he's done, but he's still decidedly within Akira's personal space.
"A pair, huh?" He likes that, something that's entirely evident in his tone. "We do make a good team." More more ways than one now, even.
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"Almost as good as we are rivals," teases Akira. He doesn't think they'll ever stop being rivals, really; the two things aren't mutually exclusive, and the way they tend to push each other to greater heights through opposition is too good to ever stop competing over things.
For now, though, they can just enjoy this meal. Akira takes his first bite with a soft hum, satisfied with the depth of the flavor in his mouth. One would think it would come off kind of bland after months of having curry for breakfast every day, but the mildness is more refreshing than anything.
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The pace of his eating slows as he gets to the last few bites and his thoughts turn towards Akira's rapidly approaching departure. It's childish (childish in a way he's not comfortable displaying the way he is with his Metaverse 'weapons') but part of him wants to leave with Akira, follow him all the way back to Leblanc and spend as much time as possible with him. But even with zero romantic experience Akechi knows there's such a thing as being too overbearing - and he doesn't want to deal with attracting Sojiro's annoyance or worsening his already odd relationship with Futaba by intruding on their 'family' time.
(It's weird to worry about things like that beyond how they impact his public persona, but he finds that he doesn't mind too much.)
"Do you need to borrow my coat for the walk back?" It's not snowing outside anymore, he doesn't think, but it's probably cold enough for some to still be around after last night and he hasn't forgotten that Akira showed up without anything besides a light jacket.
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The meal feels criminally short even with him taking his time. Akechi's question breaks through the silence as he scrapes the last of the rice onto his fork. He probably shouldn't since he won't be able to give it back in person, but—
"Yeah, better not go getting sick after surviving all of that." Not that he actually cares about that at all. All Akira wants is to wrap himself in Akechi's presence for as long as he possibly can, even after he's left this apartment. But he can't say that, and so he offers a hand to stack Akechi's cleared plate with his own. "Here, I'll take that." He's used to doing the dishes at Leblanc anyway.
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"And I'd rather not have to answer for sending you home sick." But just as Akira is pretending (not that Akechi realizes) that's the real reason, Akechi can pretend (not that Akira realizes, he thinks) the same. He hands the plate over without any fuss, though he's suddenly caught up wondering if anyone would even know where Akira's been. He catches himself assuming they probably won't figure it out and won't be told, at least not right away. It doesn't bother him, though.
Despite his love of the spotlight, he's still a fairly private person - and besides, he likes that sort of isolation.
"I suppose I shouldn't keep you much longer..." He doesn't sound happy about it, and there's a melancholy edge to his tone, but he still makes a point of standing up and retrieving the coat he intends to loan out. "At least I'll have to get my coat back later." As if he's not already intending to show up for the party.
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"Still making excuses to come see me?" He can't help but tease, recalling a time when he had to tell Akechi that he didn't need excuses like coffee or cases to visit him. It feels so far away now, that time when hours spent with Akechi were the only ones that didn't carry a weird sense of deja vu.
Muscle memory carries him through the process of scrubbing their dishes clean, and by the time he's wiping his hands dry and coming to accept the coat, Akira is able to offer a smile. "Feels you're about to see me off to a day at the office."
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Akechi mirrors Akira's smile with one of his own, though he can't help but grin at his next comment.
"I'm afraid I don't have any lunch to send with you... Maybe next time." Though if one of them were to work in an office and the other were to regularly see him off with a meal, Akechi feels like the roles would be reversed from what they are now. Something to consider for the future, he supposes.
Akechi turns over the coat without any fuss, the reluctance from earlier no longer visible in his expression or tone. He'll be fine for a few hours, though he doesn't try to stop himself from seeking out Akira's hand to briefly lace their fingers together.
"Take care, Akira. I'll see you later."
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The sudden bump of a hand dislodges those thoughts, fingers twining warmth through his own. Take care. Akira squeezes back, heart in his throat, and uses their clasped hands as an anchor when he draws closer to catch Akechi's lips with his own.
He can't say goodbye the way he would like to, but at least he can leave him with this: a kiss that takes every drop of fervent affection and pours it into that touch. The hand in his keeps Akira grounded enough to restrain the desperation raging inside of him. It doesn't overwhelm the gesture, tinging only the edges in the way he presses in by a small step and cups a hand against Akechi's cheek, hungry for more.
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There's no desperation on his end, only languid contentment with an undercurrent of excitement to it. He's in a much clearer state of mind compared to last time, and that lets him notice the slight tension in Akira's movements, but even now Akechi's ability to read Akira is questionable at best. He mistakes desperation for simple neediness and thinks nothing of it, aside from indulging in the feeling of having such neediness directed towards him - and by someone like Akira no less.
Alright, maybe excitement is exerting more of an influence over his actions than Akechi realized. With that last thought he ends up pressing a bit closer, like he can't wait for the chance to do this again and doesn't want to let this opportunity go to waste.
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But he knows better. Even if Akechi weren't to notice his underlying feelings, it would make leaving even harder than it already is. Akira settles for edging only a bit closer and catching his fingers through the hair that frames Akechi's face, dragging down a caress that mirrors that of his lips, both in its gentleness and the way he slowly eases out of it after a long moment.
"You make it hard to say goodbye," he murmurs into the narrow space between their lips, like he wasn't the one to initiate it in the first place.