Just Desserts

He was back. It was hard to believe, he was back.. Was it all a dream in the end? He almost wants to believe it, but the long hair that falls over his shoulders as he sits up on the bed of his old apartment is proof it's very much real.

The gentle pink ombre to it is only a further evidence to his return, as well as the ring he sees on his finger upon reaching forward to find purchase on the sheets and turn around properly.

He can hardly believe it, why, he finds himself unable to stop a laugh, a pure, joyous sound that fills the room easily. He already knew what to do, him and Akira made a promise back in that city, and they were guaranteed it coming true. Goro knew what to do, exactly-

Did...

Did the door just open?

Shocked, he turns to his side, facing the bedroom door and sure enough, it seems his laughter was noticed by no one other than..

Himself?

His eyes widening in disbelief, though he was used to much stranger, he finds himself at a brief loss for words, only a single word coming out. A name to confirm if this was all real and not yet another weird experiment.

"Goro..?"

Just a moment ago he was here, checking his paperwork and now he's sitting with the most blank stare, as if his world was crushed, as if nothing but that single thought in his head mattered anymore.

He sits in silence for a moment before turning his head to face the bartender, no less bewildered but at least looking somewhat more composed as he intertwines his fingers to rest his chin upon them, speaking soon afterwards.

"Say, Kurusu, have you ever seen 'Santa Clause'?"

That effect is what brings him to that cafe in the less populated part of the town, what compels him to smile in a way that barely feels forced as he waves a greeting to the bartender.

That boy, the torn in his side, the ache he hopes to drown in blood soon enough.. Is the same reason he feels welcome the moment he steps into the establishment. Damn it.

Leisurely making his way to the usual seat, Goro sets his briefcase to his side at the bar and offers that well known smile with a tilt of his head once he's all settled himself.

"Good afternoon, I'll have my usual if you don't mind. And.." Approaching this as a casual thing to be shared between them, as he must, he lowers his voice somewhat, in turn making it softer and more gentle. "Would it be a bit too much to ask that you indulge me with a conversation for a little while?"

It's Yan back after a decade and craving some good ol' Akechi angst cause I just want to ruin myself I Guess so

              akira mumbled a response under his breath, something incomprehensible yet evidently quite flustered if the pitch of his voice was any indication. his disaster. why did that sound soappealing? ( much more than it reasonably should have. )

               ❝ you know, sometimes i do actually make those. wise decisions, i mean. just don’t gettoo used to them, okay? ❞ a shiver ran down his spine at the gentle fingers dragging through his hair, and it took every ounce of willpower akira had not to go limp and boneless right then and there. ( sometimes he really was like a cat. a bit too much. ) ❝ i get what you mean, though. ❞ his voice was softer as he continued, almost as if he was afraid someone else would catch him in this moment of vulnerability— catch a side of him that was raw and honest and gentle, exclusively reserved for a select few.  ❝ just— you know. i’m happy like this. ❞ he got evenquieter. ❝ sitting down sounds great, but i don’t wanna pull away… ❞

              still, akira forced himself to, and reached into his pocket to pull out a piece of folded paper. ❝ okay, okay. i have the names written down, alongside a list of their crimes. i tried to rank them in order of importance, but i think ultimately that decision should fall to you. ❞ he held it out with a satisfied smile, before moving to sprawl himself out gracelessly across the couch.

               ❝ extortion, arson, assault… ❞ akira recited from memory, with a satisfied smirk. ❝ it’s amazing what you’ll dig up once you talk to the right people~ ❞

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Another chuckle under his breath, another moment of Goro feeling ever so grateful for everything. Yes, it was such a small thing, having someone at home waiting, someone who trips over their words and brings a smile to his face, but if that’s what you’d consider a small thing.. Then Goro supposed he indeed doesn’t need much in life, for this is all he could ever ask for.

“You’re not the only one then, but we’ll have time to hold each other to our hearts’ content when we’re done here, okay?” He promises with another one of his famous smiles, except this one feels real compared to the porcelain one he feeds to the media. He follows Akira to the couch, taking a seat next to Akira’s head. In case the other boy may opt for resting his head on Goro’s lap.

He attentively reads through the list before he looks at his companion with a small smile yet again. He at least had some idea of who’d be a priority.

Despite the smile and reassurance, Sami knew by now to take what he said with a grain of salt. When it came to himself especially. She casts a small squint his way, trying to figure out just what he was hiding, though she had a feeling she already knew. With a sigh, she undid the rope on her belt, slowly starting to take the safety gear off.

“I’m not going into Mementos tomorrow. Not until you actually rest for a damn moment a let whatever injuries you get from the Shadows heal. I may not know what you got, but getting hit by fire, lightning, ice, and all that other shit has to leave marks.” Her voice was more hushed talking about this, but it raised back to a normal level as she stood up with a small grunt of discomfort from her back, “I’m gonna go on the treadmill now. If you need me, look either there or the indoor pool. Later, Snake.” With that, she started to walk off, calling him by the ever so pleasant code name she had given him.

Now, that just won’t do. Goro was just fine, see? He doesn’t need to rest, no, not yet. If he can still move, he doesn’t need it. That’s how he always functioned, and he won’t stop because of Sami’s concern. If anything, that’s just what makes him smile widely as he stand up with the usual pep in his step.

“Please, it’s nothing some ice won’t fix! I’ll be just fine by sunset, it’s a promise!” He really doesn’t know whom he’s lying to by this point. Was it Sami, to reassure her? Or was he lying to himself so he could push himself further, to do what he needed to,

“Oh thank God…” She muttered under her breath, slowly attempting to retrace her steps down. Finally, her torture is over, and she can do the treadmill then cool off in the indoor pool. Away from Akechi. For the most part, she was doing good with climbing down, despite her heart thudding like a drum in her chest when she had to look down.

Until she misplaced her foot about three feet above ground, and her subsequent panic caused her to lose grip and fall with a small shriek of fear. Her only solace when she landed on the padded safety mats with a grunt of pain was that she brought the brunette down with her. Thankfully, it wasn’t that big of a fall, and the only real pain was from her sudden adrenaline petering out. And her pride being cracked. Sami just groaned a bit when she sat up, rubbing her back to ease the slight pain, “Dammit… Sorry, thought I had a better foot hold.”

Akechi was careful, as always, but there was also the fact he was just a little bit higher up compared to Sami. And that little difference is what led to him being rather violently pulled down, losing his grip on the wall and falling down onto his back.

For a moment, he felt air being knocked out of his lungs. The fall was soft, yes, but the sudden impact against the numerous bruises covering his shoulders and upper back made the detective hiss as he bit back any more pained noises. She can’t know, she can’t.

              ❝ i’ve been waiting to hear that all day! ❞ came the teen’s response, accompanied by the faint sounds of some video game in the background. he seemed to finish whatever battle he had been locked in by the time goro entered the room ( the words prey slaughtered lighting up the screen with an eerie glow ) which gave akira just enough time to shoot to his feet and head over to greet him.

              ❝ i missed you! ❞ were the first words out of his mouth, almost painful in their honesty and enthusiasm alike— something that seemed to embarrass him, if the dusting of pink that colored his cheeks was any indication. ❝ i mean… my day is so much better now that you’re here— wait, no. that sounds even more sappy. uuugh laaaame. ❞ he ran a frustrated hand through his hair, blush darkening. ❝ you know, i’m just… gonna hug you now before you realize what kind of disaster you’re actually dating. ❞ and so he did.

               ❝ i— i wanted to try something nice and make you dinner ‘cause i knew you had work today, but then i realized it’d probably turn into us cleaning the kitchen. ❞ akira mumbled, without pulling away. ❝ so that’s a bust. oh, but i did do some research today… i have names. how’re you, though? ❞

“I missed you too.” He says, his voice softer and less excited, yet full of affection before he chuckles just a little bit at Akira becoming shy like he often did when he says something overly affectionate with such vigor. Frankly, Goro finds it rather endearing. He is one of the only people that gets to see this Akira, Akira that trips over words and seems uncertain, Akira who lets his emotions surface.

And that warms his heart more than anything.

His one arm wraps around Akira’s waist in an embrace while the other takes to moving behind his head, his fingers running through those curly dark locks as the two held each other. This.. this was worth coming home to. “But you’re my disaster, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

Vague as always, Goro “open-up-to-me-but-i-won’t-say-shit-about-myself” Akechi. Sami sighs with the thought, forcing herself to follow much more slowly than she probably should. Way to high, way to high, get me down get me down get me DOWN AKECHI-

“Uhh, don’t you think we’re high enough for today…? I know I’ve done some shit but… I’m still not all that good with heights.” She easily avoids the subject with the much more pressing matter of the fact they could fall at any moment. And even though she has tough bones that haven’t broken once in her life, she’d rather not take the test of if they can handle a good ten feet drop, at least. At least her fear and concern isn’t specifically to not talk about her reasons, they’re very valid and very existent.

“You think so? Hm..” He pretends to ponder it for a moment before he slowly starts making his way down, careful not to allow any accidents that would lead to both of them falling. As much as he loved to unnerve his companion sometimes, he would rather not risk any broken bones before their next trip to the metaverse.

“Akira, I’m home!” Goro exclaims with a smile as he bends down to take on his shoes, pushing the apartment’s doors closed in the process. It has been a rather tough day, considering work he had to tend to instead of class today, so he was pretty certain his roommate and his lover would be home by now.

Slowly, the detective unbottons his suit jacket, leaving it hanging on the coat hanger before heading into the living room with that smile of his never fading. He wanted to see Akira, and god knows he wanted to hug him after all of this.. or just have coffee together. Both sounded very good at the moment.

“How was your day? Anything of note?”

She follows carefully, wanting nothing more than to just push him off for laughing like that but making herself be the better person for once. Just like Momma taught her. It’s getting very clear she’s uncomfortable with going this high, but at the same time, jumping would be even worse.

“Oh, don’t get-” Sami’s biting comment stopped before it could fully get out. Like she was realizing that what he just said was pretty metaphorical and wasn’t just out of his ass. Her only reason for doing this was to protect the man that had abused her. Not to find some justice like the others. She couldn’t care less. She didn’t have those weird Personas her teammates had. Hell, the only good thing about her was her aim. But that was why couldn’t leave them.

“Yeah, sure. That’s selfish as hell though. What, I’m only doing it to keep myself and my deadbeat dad alive? Not that good of a reason to do what we do.”

“We’re all selfish with our motives at the end of the day, Burnett.” He says, but he will not elaborate further, he never does. He would never let his selfish motivations be known, not to Akira, not to Sami. After all, they had no need for knowing such things, right? It didn’t matter to them as long as he was their reliable leader, and a lover in Akira’s case.

Rely on each other, work as a team, bullshit. I know why I’m here, just to be another pawn in your god damn game. It was bold thoughts from someone who knew she was getting too close to them, even if that wasn’t very close at all. It was just a business, not a team, she had to keep telling herself that. If this was all she had though, was it really so bad? They cared about her. They saved her.

Yet, despite her hateful internal monologue, she reaches an arm out to catch him when it looks like he’s about to fall.

Then all her fear and sudden care about his safety is gone when she sees it was all just fake, just to get a reaction out of her. Sami scoffs and climbs up a few more rocks, a bit slower this time as her route runs out, “God, you’re such a fake prick… You’re lucky I don’t wanna fall, or I wouldn’t have tried to catch you.”

“My apologies! I was merely proving my point.”  He laughs then, and he laughs so innocently that one could never think this is a man who doesn’t even blink as he pulls the trigger, but that was just Goro Akechi for you.

The other’s attempt to catch him, however, isn’t unappreciatiated. It’s a good first step, Goro is certain. In due time, perhaps she really will be ready to catch their fall, as they will hers.

Why am I even doing this? Just say you’ll do the treadmill and leave. Do you not remember anything from middle school? Her thoughts are scolding her left and right as she scans the colorful rocks next to him, trying to find something that would be easy to start with. He’s going to push me off, even if it costs him something. She pulls herself up onto two lower steps to his right, finding two hand holds easily. Do it to him first.

Sami pushes the darker thought away with a few more planned steps up, feeling a small pit of fear as she felt herself get further from the ground, even if not much. Heights were never her thing. She can only hope that Akechi doesn’t see her tight grip on the fake rocks she was grabbing. “Akechi, how the hell is this team building? Why do we even need that in the first place?”

“It’s simple, really!” He speaks with a chuckle as he takes a few steps up, moving slowly but steadily. “See, with work like ours, we need to be able to rely on each other. We are entrusting our lives to each other as a team, after all. And.. “

He lets his foot slide off suddenly, and for a moment it seemed as if he would fall before he regains his balance, grinning at his teammate.

“If one of us falls, we all will.” He lets it hang in the air for a little while before chuckling again as he keeps going with ease. This was fun, he’ll admit.

Sami just hummed a bit when given the gear, quickly figuring out how to put it on and adjusting it to her body. She looks reluctant, and Akechi’s clear enthusiasm doesn’t seem remotely shared or gained, but she attaches the rope to herself anyway. Cool, if she’s going down, she’s taking him down with her. His words turned a bit bitter in her head, twisting her thoughts into Yeah, look at you guys now. Killing with almost no mercy… And I’m starting to fall into it too.

With a sigh, the blonde made the few steps need to get up to the wall, waiting for the more experienced to go first, “Hope you got tough bones, detective. We’re gonna be falling a lot.” Not the most positive thinker, is she?

“I can take a few falls as long as you try your best.” As long as no falls force a lot of impact onto his shoulders or ankles and wrists, that is. In that case, this team building session will have to be cut short. Much to Sami’s relief, he figures.

He stretches out a little, takes a deap breath and reaches for the first artificial rock that seems trusty enough and grips it firmly before taking a step up on one of the lower rocks, taking good care to keep his grip firm.