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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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It's the first time Akechi hasn't been able to find someone in the Metaverse, and it's enough to send him into a mild panic. The thought of failing and, more critically, what that failure will do to his standing with the rest of the Conspiracy makes me nauseous. He overstays his welcome in the Metaverse by several hours, and when he finally staggers through his apartment door well after midnight he knows he's lucky he makes it all the way to the bed before collapsing.

Admitting the next day that he couldn't track down Kobayakawa's Shadow is the most nervewracking thing Akechi has ever done - and then he finds out that, in essence, everyone else already knows. In a case of truly unlucky timing a request to handle Kobayakawa had been put on the Phantom Thieves' website and, apparently, been handled entirely before Shido even gave his final order to proceed. Kobayakawa was confessing while Akechi was on his assassination mission, and an alternate plan to handle him is already in place when Akechi calls to announce his own failure. By the end of the day Kobayakawa falls victim to a highly unusual and highly messy subway accident that is 'coincidentally' highly beneficial to Shido's plans. His confession never sees the light of day.

Akechi would like to take a break, but he knows that making himself visible somewhere far away from a murder is vital. So he forces himself to go about his daily business like nothing is wrong, but his mind is racing. Now that the excitement has passed his mind keeps tripping over two details.

First, that Kobayakawa is - was - the principal of Shujin Academy.

Second, that the request was accepted and completed within just a couple days.

Akechi is certain, now more than ever, that the Phantom Thieves are students at Shujin. Or at the very least, their founding members are. Otherwise why target a teacher from there first, or be so quick to handle a request to target the principal? It brings him back to one of his earliest suspicions, but this time it only stirs worry instead of interest. Before he's always considered what to do if a theory turns out to be wrong, but now he wonders what he's supposed to do if this one turns out to be right?

The sudden request from Akira inspires another emotion Akechi isn't used to associating with, to put it simply, his only friend: unease. His inexperience with interpersonal relationships doesn't help, nor does the fact that he doesn't even know what to start assuming about such an ominous message. Instinct tells him to bail immediately.

But instead he responds that he'll come by as soon as he can, and within just a couple of days an unexpected cancellation of plans (courtesy of Sae, of all people) leaves him with a free evening. It's short notice, but he messages Akira shortly before school ends to let him know that he's finally free. He makes his way for Leblanc just a few hours later.

He has no idea what to expect, he realizes - even less so than usual when Akira is involved. But he shows up all the same, stepping through Leblanc's door with a subdued but far from unhappy expression.

Waiting to see Akechi is trying, but Akira is accustomed to keeping his inner turmoil under wrap. He's the calm one, the collected one, the one everyone looks to when they need their faith renewed. Even so, his demeanor still takes a hit. He's just the slightest bit more quiet and distracted than usual, enough for those closest to him to pick up on. Everyone attributes his dampened mood to Morgana's absence, which definitely hasn't been helping. Akira isn't one to mope, though, so the days pass almost as productively as usual while he keeps his nerves on the backburner.

They don't stay there for long. When Akechi finally announces that he'll be coming, it throws his brain into overdrive. He ends up offering to help at the café for the afternoon, willing to take anything that'll keep him occupied during the wait.

He's just finished cleaning up after the previous customer when Akechi enters. Seeing him is as much a relief as it is a fresh match to the dumpster fire his head has been. "Hey," he offers, his usual greeting.

Sojiro gives his own and slides off his stool, ready to get started on Akechi's usual, but Akira cuts him off. "Actually, he's just here to check out some books I got." It's not his best excuse, that's for sure, but Akechi is definitely sharp enough to play along. Sojiro regards Akira with an analyzing look, quiet for a moment before he shrugs and returns to his seat. "Alright. You've been at it for a while, go take a break."

Akira unties the apron and slides it off, leaving it behind the counter before he steps out and towards the stairs to the attic.

Well that's an obvious lie.

But Akira is right: Akechi knows how to play along. Once he's returned the greetings he makes sure to thank Sojiro for his offer and give him a winning but entirely fake smile. And then he's... following Akira up to his room.

It's a normal thing for friends (no, friendly acquaintances) (no, friends) to do, but Akechi finds himself feeling both weirdly apprehensive and weirdly excited. So he's silent as he climbs, smile fading as he refrains from making any of his usual jokes or chatter. While part of him is worried he's about to walk into a bad situation for himself specifically, he's surprised to find that he's mostly worried about why Akira called him here. Even from this brief interaction Akechi gets the feeling he's not himself, but is it alright to ask? And even if it is, should he ask? What if can't do anything about is? What if he can? What if--

Akechi's so wrapped up in his thoughts he doesn't even notice when they reach the top of the stairs, and he shows no signs of zoning back in if he's not interrupted.

And here it is: Akira's humble little slice of Tokyo, a dusty hodgepodge of furniture and items stored from the cafe and gifts and souvenirs. It's not the first time he's had Akechi in his bedroom, overall, but it certainly feels like a new experience right now. He'll just chalk that up to having it be the two of them rather than something like a team meeting.

It might seem like he's brought Akechi up here to escape Sojiro's listening range, and that is true, but he's honestly more worried about avoiding the bugs Futaba planted in Leblanc. He might not be sure where this is going to go, but Akira does know that he doesn't want it on tape. Maybe if he were concerned for his safety, he'd feel differently. He's certain Akechi wouldn't murder him in his own home, though.

He glances back as he steps into the bedroom proper to find Akechi with that glazed-over look he tends to get whenever he's deep in thought. "... Hey," Akira speaks up, trying not to startle him. "You can sit down if you want."

Akechi blinks when Akira speaks, finally realizing that he's actually in Akira's room. It's... not much, is it? It's actually pretty big - Akechi's entire apartment is only a little larger - but it certainly is run down and mismatched. Still, the personal touches stop it from feeling as bland and lifeless as, say, Akechi's own apartment. Once again, he can only think that it suits Akira perfectly.

He nods at Akira's offer and take a seat on his small couch, setting his briefcase on the floor and sliding it out of the way. He wants to ask immediately why Akira called him over, but instead...

"They must be interesting books, if you called me over so urgently." Instead he makes another joke, though his tone is so calm and his expression is so neutral it might seem like he actually believes that's why he's here.

The joke seems to break some of the tension that's simmering under his skin, enough that Akira actually cracks a small smile. "I actually do have some, if you're interested later."

His expression fades back into something more neutral as he pulls out the chair from the desk and lowers himself onto it. Normally, before taking a leap, literally or figuratively, Akira would feel a pulse of adrenaline. There's definitely a wave of something hitting him, but it's not the usual excitement.

This has to happen, though. Their first infiltration of Okumura's Palace is creeping up. Sometime after that, Akechi will discover their identities, and… something about that doesn't sit right with him. It made sense when they were just acquaintances, but who knows it would do to an actual friendship (that's at least what Akira would like to believe this is) for Akechi to find out without ever hearing it from Akira's own mouth. It's not like he hasn't felt guilty about the constant lies, even with the dishonesty stemming from his own sense of self-preservation.

"I have to come clean about something," he starts, leaning his elbows on his knees, although his eyes stay leveled towards Akechi's. This may not even come as a surprise to Akechi. Akira knows that the profiling once led him practically to their doorstep; he has to have at least suspected Akira before, if only in passing. "I'm a member of the Phantom Thieves."

It's not like Akechi didn't have his suspicions already. It's not like he hasn't considered what to do if he's right. It's not like he's not half anticipating it when Akira says he needs to 'come clean'.

But still.... still, when he actually says the words Akechi's jaw drops. Even if he's been suspicious, even if he's been open about his suspicions, this is the last thing he expected to hear. The last thing he wanted to hear, he realizes. For once in his life he didn't want to be right. He wants to be totally off base, wants Akira to be just a normal if unusually astute high school student. The Phantom Thieves are his enemy, a group of pests he's already resolved to either utterly crush or flat out kill. They're the biggest threat to his plans, whether they realize it or not.

Akechi closes his mouth and leans forward, unconsciously mirroring Akira's pose as he props his elbows on his knees. He takes it a step further, though, lacing his fingers together and resting his forehead against his hands. Dozens of memories flash past him at once. All the times Akira has played dumb about his connection to the Phantom Thieves; the attempts to dig for information that seem so obvious in hindsight; how easily Akira had 'guessed' at the similarity between the changes of heart and the mental shutdowns.

And just when Akechi thinks he can be angry about that he remembers how Akira had helped him with the Kawanabe case; how readily he'd expressed genuine sympathy for him, even knowing Akechi was his enemy; all the times they'd simply spent time together without a single word about the Phantom Thieves spoken; how painfully happy it had made him to hear something as simple as I want you.

He feels like he's just been knocked over and tumbled around by a wave, with no idea of which way is up and no idea if that's even the direction he wants to go. But eventually he ends up speaking before he realizes it.

"You have to realize how dangerous it is to tell me something like that."

He honestly isn't sure what to expect, a feeling that's both terrifying and refreshing all at once. So many thing until now have been the same or similar enough that they're rarely surprising. But this whole thing with Akechi is new, something he can always count on to provide fresh experiences, good experiences, and, well—Akira may have just smashed that to bits if he's been reading Akechi wrong all of this time. He's pretty sure he's not, though.

"Yeah," he admits, wishing that he could catch a glimpse of Akechi's face. It's impossible to tell what's going on beneath the surface. "That's what kept me from it until now." Akira realizes the extent of the danger much more than Akechi knows. "But I'm sick of lying to you."

That much is true. It doesn't help that he's still withholding things. Part of him wants to spill everything, to give it all up and to place his absolute trust in Akechi. But Akira doesn't know if he's going to get another shot at this, and the literal fate of the world hangs in the balance. He has to play it smarter than that and not take a blind risk just because Akechi does funny things to his priorities.

If Akira had said anything else Akechi thinks he could have salvaged this situation. If Akira had given him any other reason, or even the same reason but worded slightly different, Akechi thinks he could have figured out what to do. Figured out how to get rid of the Phantom Thieves after all. Figured out how to keep his revenge on track. Figured out how to keep everything from falling to pieces.

Once again, though, he's left with no idea what to do.

Akechi finally sits back up, but his expression is a composed mask again. For now, at least, he needs it to be.

"You should stop." He knows that's impossible the second he says it, but he has to try. "You have no idea what some of the people you've threatened are capable of." Revealing that Akechi knows that much about this country's inner workings - or that he knows anything at all about it - is incredibly dangerous and foolish to the point of idiocy - but he has to try. For the sake of both of them, he need to make Akira give this up before he goes too far.

It takes a moment to register that Akechi is trying to reason with him. That, in itself, feels important. Too bad it couldn't possibly shift Akira off this track.

"I know what they're capable of." A murder in an interrogation room, broadcast as a suicide. But in this timeline... "Kobayakawa, the principal of Shujin—we changed his heart. I'm sure you already know how that turned out." There's no doubt that Akechi's aware of the details of the incident. "Someone made sure his confession wouldn't get out."

Akechi's expression may be carefully blanketed, but his own is carrying the regret from playing the part he did in Kobayakawa's death. "I can't stop," he states, no room for argument. If they were to stop now and allow these things to continue to happen, they'd be no better than all of the people who stayed silent while Kamoshida terrorized the school.

Ah. That's right, isn't it? Akechi drops his gaze, feeling frustrated and, annoyingly enough, guilty. It's clear that Akira is upset about how that situation played out, and Akechi is keenly aware of the role he played in it.

Worse, he can hear Akira's resolve in his tone. This isn't someone who can just be talked out of his decisions. Not after so long, and not just because someone like Akechi asked. Talking him down is out of the question, but maybe he can work with a different angle.

"Then why trust me?" He looks back up again, unable to keep the wary skepticism out of his expression. "What makes you think I won't expose you immediately?"

"I just do," he replies without hesitation, voice softer. It's a strange concept, trusting someone he knows is lying to him even now. Akira wouldn't be doing this if he didn't have some amount of confidence in the bond they've formed. "You care about justice, don't you?"

That much, he knows isn't quite accurate. But that's still the angle Akechi is playing, and honestly? Akira likes to think that if he hadn't gone so far down the wrong path, Akechi actually would care about doing what's right, would stand for the same ideals that the Phantom Thieves do. It could just be wishful thinking on his part, but...

"You know how bad it is." Akechi admitted as much just a moment ago. "We can do something about it." They might be the only ones who can do something about it.

Edited 2019-03-13 13:28 (UTC)

The guilt that had merely been simmering until now suddenly boils instead. He doesn't care about justice. Even if his plan for vengeance against Shido can be called that, 'justice' has never been his motivation. He's never cared about lying about it before but, like with so many other things, Akira complicates the situation.

"That's idiotic." Which is a harsh thing to say, maybe, but it's true: trusting Akechi with this situation is tantamount to suicide. Or rather, it should be. If he'd been told this even as recently as a month ago Akechi is certain he still could have proceeded with his loosely laid plan to eliminate the Phantom Thieves. But now... "And if I say I'm going to turn you in anyway - then what? You can't do anything from jail."

His tone is clipped, brittle, and harsh, though he's not even sure how he can begin explaining why he's angry.

"Probably not," Akira agrees, probably much easier and calmer than he should be when being threatened with prison. Although, prison would be the least of his worries. He has no doubt that things would take a similar turn as before. "If I'd even make it there."

It was always a possibility that Akechi would just use this confession to further his own agenda. Still, Akira can't help the tight squeeze of sadness in his chest now that it's being brought up. He wanted to believe that something had changed, that maybe Akechi has seen something that he hadn't until too late last time.

But maybe something is different, if Akechi is trying to talk him out of it and getting angry at him when he can't.

"Sorry, I put you in a tough position," he speaks up again, sitting up and running his fingers through his hair. Akira does genuinely feel bad. There's no way he can decipher what's going on in Akechi's head, but he can at least see that there's some kind of turmoil there. "You would've found out eventually. I... didn't want it to not be from me."

The prospect of how he may have reacted if he'd discovered it on his own makes Akechi feel cold. Worse is the thought of what might have happened if he hadn't realized the truth until after he killed Okumura. And what is he even supposed to do about that, anyway? How can he advance his own goals and keep the Phantom Thieves (or even just Akira) out of the crossfire?

Isn't the only way to let the Phantom Thieves win this next conflict? Win in a way that isn't his fault, but his superiors'? Okumura's survival would be another setback for the conspiracy, but not enough to derail their plans. It's likely already too late to put an end to Shido's aspirations, so maybe... That thoughtful expression of his creeps back in, but it passes quicker than usual. He doesn't have time to weigh every single option carefully.

"Three weeks." Akechi stands so suddenly that even he seems a bit startled. "For three weeks, I won't get in your way." Not as Akechi, and not as an assassin. He shoots Akira a quick look, then leans down to pick up his briefcase. "I don't know who you're planning to target next, but you should do it quickly and quietly. Three weeks from now--" He falls silent, uncertain. He wants to say he'll go right back to chasing after them, the same as always, but... "... Three weeks from now, I don't know what I'll do."

Akira's head snaps towards Akechi, surprise written into his features. On the surface, it sounds like a promise not to turn him in. But Akira knows better, knows that there are other ways Akechi could get in their way.

That's... a lot more than he was expecting a moment ago, faced with the sharp edge of Akechi's voice. He could ask for more, for Akechi to admit his own secrets and join up with them, but Akira knows that's unrealistic. This, he can at least work with.

"Thanks, Goro." Where he'd debated over the name last time, it slips out naturally now. "Really," he adds, and although a smile doesn't quite reach his face, there's warmth to the words.

They're just taking turns catching each other off guard today, aren't they? Akechi blinks, unused to being addressed by his first name. He doesn't fight it, though. It feels kind of nice. So even though he sighs, he doesn't look unhappy.

"You shouldn't thank someone who declared himself your enemy." Idiot, but that's also exactly the sort of behavior that makes sense for Akira. No wonder he has so many strange friends. Akechi starts to turn, ready to leave, but then he freezes.

Something about him bothers me. Akira had said that about Shido just over a week ago, when discussing potential targets for the Phantom Thieves. And now Akechi can't help but wonder if maybe he's totally off base, if they're not going to bother with Okumura at all. He looks back to Akira, unable to keep the serious expression off his face.

"When you said that 'something' bothered you about Shido, is that because you've already decided to change his heart?"

The warning only merits a shrug. It's hard to truly consider him as an enemy now, regardless of how Akechi himself views their standing. If that's a dangerous line of thinking—with Akechi keeping his cards so close to his chest, there's no reason other than gut feeling to trust that he'll really stay on the sidelines—then so be it.

He's expecting Akechi to head out, so when he instead strikes up a new vein of conversation, Akira first regards him with a bemused silence. It shifts into something more neutral once he registers the question. Of course that would come back to bite him.

How much should he admit? Will Akechi try to step in if he does say that they're going to change Shido's heart? Akira doesn't have much time to debate, so he ends up walking a path somewhere between truth and lie of omission, as he so often does with Akechi.

"At some point." There's a lull before he continues, "Shido's the reason why I'm here in Tokyo. He had me falsely convicted for assault." Hell, Akechi might know about his probation already if he's bothered to look into Akira at all.

Akira says they'll target Shido and Akechi thinks that he'll have to go back on his promise, because there's no chance he can let them threaten his plans.

Then Akira explains why and Akechi's barely formed plans are immediately derailed. He's aware of Akira's probation - he hadn't hesitated to dig up as much information about him as possible when his suspicions first took shape - but he still hadn't thought that someone else whose life was ruined by Shido was so close by. Like so many things with Akira it's an unexpected complication, and one close enough to home that Akechi can't keep his startled expression in check.

"I see." It feels silly that 'I see' is all he can come up with, but if he tries for something else he's not sure what he'll end up saying. Even now, he can't help but add: "Be careful. It's not just the general populace he's popular with."

There, now he should leave - and then another 'one last thing' occurs to him. At least this one is less dire, though.

"Oh - and I would like to borrow those books, if you don't mind." If he leaves empty-handed Soujiro might wonder why he really showed up.

That seems to be enough for Akechi. There's no attempt to dissuade him from targeting Shido, but Akira isn't stupid enough to take that as a guarantee that he'll just allow it. He knows how intensely personal his grudge with Shido is.

"You too," he returns the warning. They may be up against a formidable opponent, but Akechi himself is in no less dangerous a position, right in the middle of all of it. Failure to assassinate Okumura seems like it would be a huge transgression, but Akira can only assume that Akechi has a plan in place to protect himself.

When the subject of books comes up, Akira blinks. Right. Probably a good idea to complete the illusion.

"Ah..." He rises from the chair and looks around, his gaze soon settling on a few stacked on the corner of his desk: a book on chess strategy he finished reading on the train the other week, an English phrasebook he'd been perusing before the class trip, a slim cookbook of curry recipes, and a weekly manga anthology that Ryuji probably left behind. He scoops them up and brings them over to Akechi. "Here."

That's an... odd assortment of books, to be sure, but that fact alone is enough to improve Akechi's mood somewhat. At least it'll make for interesting reading. He tucks the books under his arm, thanks Akira for letting him borrow them, and promises to return them as soon as he's finished.

That last part ends up being a bit of a lie, however. It's not quite accurate to say he starts avoiding Akira, but he does make a point of being scarce while the Phantom Thieves are handling the situation with Okumura. He's both busy and 'busy' during the weeks leading up to the televised confession, and most of his encounters with Akira in the meantime are when they happen to bump into each other at the train station.

When Okumura's confession finally comes out it sends Akechi's co-conspirators into a panic, even as it allows Akechi to finally relax. He's not sure how, but the Phantom Thieves manage to keep the news of Okumura's calling card from leaking to the police, and subsequently keep Shido's group from realizing it's time to put an end to him. But missing their opportunity to blame the Phantom Thieves for murder doesn't take them out of the game. Several of Okumura's employees have psychotic breakdowns, several other people admit to their own misdeeds, and several new pieces of evidence are found. Within 48 hours a different narrative has emerged: Okumura's claims are provably false and his confession was coerced.

Akechi is surprised by how much he dislikes watching public opinion turn against the Phantom Thieves, and by how little it satisfies him to watch his own popularity creep back up in response. It doesn't take him long to decide that it's fine, however. It makes it easier to him to enact his own plans to remove the Phantom Thieves from the picture without resorting to killing them.

Step one is to become a Phantom Thief himself, and the sequence of events that make up that step are bound to be familiar to Akira. Akechi is invited to Shujin as their guest speaker, has his encounter with the unreasonably spicy takoyaki, and nearly outs the Phantom Thieves on stage before be blackmails them into compliance in private. He even feeds them the same lie about how his Persona awakened, and doesn't point out that Akira has already admitted to being a Phantom Thief in person.

The sequence of events following step one are familiar, too, but probably more upsetting. Morgana still catches Akechi in his lie; Futaba still puts the bug on Akechi's phone; and Akechi is still overheard talking with Shido about their plan to kill Akira and destroy the Phantom Thieves for good.

But Akechi doesn't realize that, and for him the single week he's spent with the Phantom Thieves so far might be the best week of his life. He's sincere about enjoying their company and finds it fascinating to watch them work. He integrates with the group better than he anticipated, and he's totally unaware that they've already caught on to his plans to betray them and are only playing along.

While Akechi is content to go with the flow of the Phantom Thieves' day-to-day methods of operating, he's never been one to let himself take too much of a backseat for too long. So after one of their regular strategy meetings has been adjourned Akechi changes things up and lingers long enough to make a simple request.

"Would it be alright if I stayed for a cup of coffee? It's been a while since I've been able to stop by." And he'd like a chance to finally return those books.

True to his word, the rest of the Okumura mission goes off without a single hitch, Akechi nowhere to be seen. Akira even lingers as the Palace threatens to self-destruct, hesitating over the fallen for of Okumura's Shadow, right up until he can't possibly wait any longer without risking his own survival.

After the outcome with Kobayakawa, he's not so naive to think that things will still work out perfectly, even with the precautions they've taken to ensure that Okumura's confession is a surprise. His concerns are justified: In a flurry of news stories, the Phantom Thieves are still painted as the villains and become reviled by the public. And that doesn't bother him as much as last time because at least Haru doesn't have to watch her father die on national television, and no matter how they paint it, he's still a changed man.

What does bother him is that nothing else really seems to change. Akechi still manipulates them into taking on Sae's Palace, and, worse of all, still plans to kill him. Futaba calls him over to listen to the recording in private, and the sympathy in her eyes is new as he once again has to listen to Akechi's familiar voice coldly detailing the process of his murder. In the end, he just shakes his head, tells her that she did good, and neatly packs away the bevy on unpleasant emotions clattering around inside of him.

Akira has clearly misinterpreted where he stands with Akechi. Maybe a few months wasn't long enough to change his supremely fucked up priorities. It's not like this is the end—the upside of everything following the same course of events is they'll still be able to dodge Akechi's plans with ease. So there's always a chance that he can keep Akechi from meeting the same end in Shido's Palace.

It still chafes, though, to have to pretend that nothing is wrong as they work together. Akira at least can mask it under a sense of professionalism, and he takes his role as leader more seriously than ever, focusing entirely on the mission and barring his thoughts or gaze from straying to Akechi any more than necessary.

Until Akechi doesn't give him a choice.

The meeting ends, and they disperse as usual, each citing other obligations. Even Morgana lets himself be scooped into Haru's arms at the promise of lunch. Akira makes a mental note to have a serious conversation with her about how her spoiling him is affecting his standards at home.

Akechi, on the other hand, doesn't head down the stairs with the rest of them. Akira busies himself gathering snack wrappers, hoping that he's just taking his time, but then Akechi opens his mouth and—

Of course, he's not going to be that lucky. There's a particularly bitter part of him that wants to say that no, it's not alright, but at the other end, there's a dumb, traitorous desire to sit with Akechi at the counter and pretend that none of this is happening and that they're still friends.

"Sure," he ends up saying after a pause, tossing the trash away and finally turning to Akechi. "Come on." And he breezes past towards the stairs, heading down to the café to get started on Akechi's coffee.

Truthfully, Akechi is kind of glad that even Morgana heads elsewhere for the afternoon. Much as he's used to Akira and his 'oet cat' being a package deal, the idea of having had an eavesdropper to so many of their conversations thus far is a little uncomfortable. This is a nice change of pace even if, thinking back, he realizes there are plenty of times when Morgana wasn't present, too. Interesting.

He takes his usual seat at the counter, waiting for his coffee with his typical calm air. When Akira turns around there's a slight change to the scenery, however. The books he'd lent Akchi several months ago are stacked nearly in front of him, in the same condition they'd been in when Akechi first borrowed them.

"Sorry it took me so long to return them." He'd finished them all weeks ago. "But I enjoyed them. The chess book in particular gave me some interesting things to consider when we continue our match." Maybe they can actually do that today.

Working behind the counter is relaxing in its familiarity. Slowly pouring the water over the grinds, Akechi's presence in his perphieral, he almost can pretend that this is taking place a couple of months ago. Akira indulges in the quiet, letting the silence hang until he's finally presenting Akechi with his coffee and then sitting down to nurse the cup he made for himself.

He'd forgotten about the books until they're sitting on the counter. Continuing their match does sound like an idea, but first...

"Even the manga?" Akira doesn't bother trying to hide his skepticism. It's just hard to reconcile the Akechi in front of him, always so carefully poised to appear like an adult, with the image of him with his nose in Weekly Jump.

Ah, busted - but not really. Akechi grins.

"It's not usually my taste." He can easily admit to that much. "But it was interesting to see the sort of things you read in your spare time - even though I think you must have originally gotten the suggestion from Sakamoto-kun." He's only really known them for a week now, but things like that are easy for him to pick up on.

Regardless, he's not really here to talk about manga. Now that the idea has occurred to him...

"It's been some time, but if you don't have other plans I think we could finally finish our game."

( for fabrications )

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