Life with Akechi
Content Warnings!
This writing includes intentional characterizations that point towards emotional and sexual abuse as well as prostitution. However, they are never specifically named or given a large role in the story. Additionally, though these characters have had sex in my writing, any and all sex has been removed from this document and placed in a separate document for interested parties. Violence, body fluids (vomit, spit, and blood), as well as suicidal ideation all appear, primarily in later chapters. Some chapters will have more specific content warnings.
Chapter 1. TV Station (We're in Akechi's house now):
Summary - Akechi invites Ren to navigate the world of live television, a glimpse of exactly what it means to be Akechi. Unable to let an opportunity to one-up Ren go, Akechi turns the medium into an emotional minefield, in a challenge to see if Ren can keep his cool.
Chapter:
“Ren,” Akechi said, over voicemail, “I’m doing a special on the Phantom Thieves tonight and I told my producer that you’d cohost. Come to Shinjuku at 5:30. Akechi.”
“What a dick,” Ren muttered, shaking his head. He’d do it, of course, the TV studio Akechi worked at was where they first met after all, but he’d have to lay down the law some day. Until then, though, he’d comply.
Half an hour later, Joker made his way into the studio. Akechi sat in a makeup chair behind the studio stage, combing his hair. Joker watched his lungs inflate and deflate, slowly settling down. Akechi was stunning under the harsh light. It wreathed him like an angel. Ren chuckled quietly to himself before stepping out of the shadows and into the room where Akechi sat.
“Oh,” Akechi looked up from the mirror, “when did you get here?”
“Just now,” Joker shrugged, “should I be getting myself done up too?”
“No, no,” Akechi waved the idea away, “honestly, I shouldn’t be doing anything myself but its habit at this point. You’ll be more than fine on your own.” He paused, “thank you. For doing this, I mean. I’ll make sure to repay the favor.”
“Oh,” Joker smiled, “sure, of course. It’s nice coming back here. It reminds me of how far we’ve come.”
“Yeah,” Akechi responded quickly, returning his gaze to the mirror. “We’re on in twenty so do whatever you need to do to get ready.”
“Sounds good. I assume it’ll be our opinions on the Phantom Thieves’ justice, like it was the first time?” Ren asked.
“Yeah that's the plan. It’s only a half hour so we shouldn’t need to do too much talking. Just keep it light,” Akechi smiled, standing from the chair and heading towards the stage. “Oh, and Ren,” he walked backwards, facing Ren. The stage lights slowly crawled up his face, changing it as they went, “try not to steal my spotlight.” At once Akechi oozed charm, giving positive notes on the set and the lights to the director, telling a joke and laughing when it was reciprocated. Joker was almost impressed with how indistinguishable it was. A wry smile crossed his face and he followed on stage.
“Hello,” Joker exchanged pleasantries with the director, “I’m Amamiya Ren. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Good to meet you too, kid,” the director clapped Ren on the back, “I understand you were one of the winners of the sweepstakes to talk live with Akechi. Let me tell you, I’m glad it's you and not some chick. You know how they get about pretty boy over there,” he guffawed, pointing to Akechi.
“Haha,” Ren managed a laugh, off guard “yeah. Honestly, I forgot I put my name in the lottery but you can’t turn down an opportunity to get your name out there.”
“Smart kid,” the director chuckled, “I’m glad to hear that kids these days still know what it means to pull themselves up by the bootstraps. Alright, go get ready. We’re on in five.”
Joker made his way over to the yellow armchair opposite to Akechi. Neither exchanged glances with the other as the clock wound down. Then, there was: “on in five, four, three, two, one. We’re live.”
At once, the lights flared, brighter than they were before. Akechi flexed into a smile, clean, with no teeth, and expectantly watched stage left. There, a young woman wearing a tight maxi dress appeared, waving happily into the camera. “Good afternoon Japan!” she said in a cheery voice. Akechi stood from his seat and the two greeted each other politely. Joker caught on and did the same.
“Welcome everyone to our question and answer segment with Detective Prince Akechi and a guest picked from thousands of fans who submitted their names for the lottery. Would you please introduce yourself?” She asked happily, directing the camera’s attention onto Ren.
“Good afternoon!” Joker exclaimed, overly enthusiastic, “my name is Amamiya Ren. I’m… a high schooler, a senior living in Yongen-Jaya! I’m, I'm eighteen years old and I look forward to our conversation today.”
“It’s always wonderful,” Akechi spoke up, snapping the camera to him, “to find intelligent young people these days. I don’t mean to speak too soon, but I believe that Ren is one of them, even if he is slightly formal,” he giggled. “I am so excited to talk about our subject today.”
“And what is our subject today, Akechi?” The woman asked brightly.
“Why, the Phantom Thieves, of course. They’re a real hot button issue these days, as I'm sure we’re all well aware. I’d love to know, Ren, what your opinion on their popularity is.” Akechi volleyed back.
Trying not to ponder for too long, Joker began to speak, “well Akechi, I’m a phan of the Phantom Thieves, I think that’s obvious,” crickets, “that, uh, being said, it can be worrying sometimes. As they get more and more popular, I’m scared that we may see a major crash if they fail to keep up with their increasingly daring stunts.”
“My!” Akechi smiled happily, clapping his hands together, “it’s rare to hear such a balanced opinion from a self proclaimed phan. Indeed, I have to agree with you. I must say, though, that I am worried about exactly what a potential crash may mean. If the Thieves are unwilling to concede their popularity and attempt a stunt they cannot accomplish, or worse, one with major casualties, we may be in for a nightmare scenario.”
“It’s a fine line,” Joker nodded, “Still, I have faith in their abilities. Akechi, if you could, what would you suggest the Phantom Thieves do now?”
“Hm,” Akechi sat in false thought, “if I could influence them in any way… I’m sorry Ren, but I’d have to ask them to stop what they are doing and turn themselves in. Thus far they have linked themselves to the death of former Okumura Foods president Kunikazu Okumura, as well as theoretically an unlimited number of other crimes. None of this is to mention the fact that their tampering with the minds of their targets threatens the safety of privacy throughout the world,” he turned to address the camera, “I understand it may be hard, but I sincerely ask you to stop.”
“Ren,” the woman spoke, startling Ren slightly, “what are your opinions on the Thieves leadership?”
“That.. is an interesting question. I do believe that the Thieves are a team running under a leader, they would have to be given their efficiency and efficacy, right?” he glanced at Akechi, “Well, my point is that no other organization has been able to do what they have done in the time they have done it. That necessitates a strong command. As for my actual opinion, I believe that he or she is acting with good, strong intentions that form the backbone of the group. Despite their unusual methods, they do seem united in the idea of changing people’s hearts for the better and I think their leader is the reason why.” Ren explained, slowly getting more confident as he spoke.
“There,” Akechi butted in, “I must disagree with you. I find the Phantom Thieves leadership to be.. naive. Their leader seems to hold this idea that the world can be changed by singular strong willed individuals, acting against the grain, who resist oppression. This is the mentality of a child, a weak and unimpressive grade schooler who cannot stand up to his bullies without playing dirty. That is the kind of person helming the Phantom Thieves. I believe he is unstable and emotionally inept.” Joker's fingertips dug into the arms of his chair, “His handling of the Medjed situations proves this to be the case. The one time they were called out for their rampaging, they threw a tantrum, leaving everything until the last moment and the people of Japan to suffer. No,” he exploded from his chair, lost in the passion, “the Phantom Thieves are nothing but a time bomb, waiting to explode, and every day that we allow them to act without restriction, they threaten the people of Japan with the fallout. Ren, if you truly believe that the leader of the Thieves is the emotional backbone, as you put it, then I ask you this. Why would you willingly support a group whose emotional backbone is so transparently immature, and ruinous? Why do you give your trust to a man who wields the power to topple nations like a petty child holding a gun?” He huffed on one second intervals, out of breath from it all. “I’m sorry everyone,” he smiled bashfully, “I let myself get distracted.”
“What an amazing argument Akechi,” the woman gushed, “I hate to cut you off, but that’s all we have time for today! Thank you to Amamiya Ren for coming out. Have a great night everyone!”
The lights shut off and Akechi’s face slowly faded from serious and committed to blank. Joker sat still, looking out into space. Though the lights and sounds were gone, he still felt every beat rattle in his skull and every light burn into his eyes. He was.. hot. Sweating all over. His shirt felt like it was digging into his skin. He wanted to stand, to look around, to see Akechi again, agh hot, but he just couldn’t. That was until a familiar shape, silhouetted in the dim light, passed over into his vision.
“Hey,” Akechi said in an unrecognizable tone, quiet and tired, holding out a hand to help Joker up, “thank you, again.” Joker saw Akechi’s eyes, just barely through the dark, looking away. The hand floated for a second in no man’s land, before Joker grabbed it and stood from the chair.
Chapter 2. Painting (They're Pitiful):
Summary - Akechi allows Ren to see an unimportant painting he made in his spare time. It turns out that there was more meaning than Akechi could have ever bargained for.
Chapter:
It was a lazy Sunday in Leblanc. Joker laid in bed, slowly sifting through pages of a comic book. Akechi, from the couch on the other side of the room, watched as a ray of sun passed over Ren’s face, bathing him in warm light. It was a pleasant, isolated moment. The air hung still. Maybe that was why Akechi spoke up.
“Joker,” he stated flatly, a serious expression on his face, “can I talk to you about something and ask you to keep it private?”
“Hm?” Ren replied, sitting up in bed, “Oh. Yes, you can. What is it?”
“I’ve-- I've been painting recently,” Akechi admitted quietly, slowly running circles in the loose fabric of the couch.
“Oh?” Joker paused before smiling softly, “that’s nice.”
“Yeah…” Akechi trailed off.
“Would you let me see sometime?” Joker continued.
“...” he paused, “Okay.”
In a dark corner of Madarame’s former house, tens of canvases lay abandoned and scattered across the floor. One remained, proudly standing, catching muted sunbeams from the center of the room. It was a completely fine painting though rather unimpressive considering Akechi. Colors blended and blurred together; greens, blues, and oranges all strained toward a whole they couldn’t quite reach. Two harsh black squares sat in the foreground.
Akechi stood behind Ren, fingers curled slightly, waiting for a response as Joker took it in.
“It’s pretty,” Joker stated firmly, “I’m not sure what it is though.”
“Oh?” Akechi muttered, “I thought it was obvious. It’s just a landscape. Some backwater town in rural Japan. I forgot the name of it a long time ago,” he paused, “there are two people,” voice catching, “a son... and a mother.”
For the first time since they met, Joker watched as a single tear slipped out of Akechi’s eye and down his cheek. “God damn it,” Akechi grumbled, frustrated, rubbing at his eyes, “stop it already,” he ordered, though the tears would not listen, “come on, stop. Stop it! Just, ugh, stop. Stop it, stop it,” his voice cracked, “stop it. Stop it. Please stop it. Please stop it, please just stop. Please. Please, I ca--,” his breath shallow, “I don’t want to do it anymore. Please don’t make me. Please.”
His arms fell to his sides, the fight gone. Silence settled over the room. Akechi looked up and caught the expression on Joker’s face.
“Don’t give me that look,” he spat, hastily wiping the last of the tears away, “I know that face, god damn it. It’s the same face Yusuke made when I asked him for supplies. It’s the damn same face Yoshizawa made when she walked in. It’s pity,” his jaw clamped like a vice.
Joker simply stared at the painting, though, “No. It’s not pity. I was thinking about that backwater town. It’s too bad the name didn’t stay,” he paused, voice dropping low, “I would have liked to go back someday.” He reached out, and touched the painting softly.
Another pause, longer. Hesitantly, Akechi faced the painting too, “Oh,” he said, vision trailing out into the landscape, “Yeah. Me too.”
Chapter 3. Darts (Why does the point feel so good?)
Summary - Every time Akechi tries to assert control, Joker just can't help loving him more and more. In the spark of competition, they find their rhythm.
Chapter:
After another second of silence, Akechi picked up the canvas and slotted it against the corner. It lay there, painted side up, still facing outwards into the room. Before Joker could smirk, Akechi had walked out without looking back to see Ren slink along behind.
“Let’s go play darts,” he said, turning toward the train station, “701, as usual.”
“Alright,” Joker caught up, “Sounds fun. I’m getting a lot of Akechi time today, aren't I?” He grinned, tauntingly.
“Darts is boring without a little competition,” Akechi shrugged, “don’t let it get to your head.”
“Hm,” Ren thought, passing through the turnstiles, “nope. I think I will. It’s hard not to be proud when you’re the only one who can keep up with the great Goro Akechi.”
“Pssh,” Akechi exhaled, hopping in on Joker's card, “keeping up was hyperbole. You’re just the only one who’s in my league. Hm,” he thought, snagging a seat out from Joker, “maybe that is something to be proud of.”
“So you admit that it’s a real compliment?” Joker pushed through people to stand by Akechi, “awww! you’re making progress, babe,” he exclaimed, loudly.
Akechi, unimpressed, stung back, “E-excuse me sir?” He tapped nervously on the shoulder of a nearby man, “this th-thug has been harassing me for the last hour. W-would you please stand between us until my stop?” He pulled a 5000 yen note out of his sleeve. This was all the man needed to see in order to step in, quickly shoving Joker out of the way and into the crowd.
“Thank you so much sir!” Akechi thanked the man, before turning to relish in Joker fading away, accenting the blow with a tight, prim wave goodbye. A few minutes later, both arrived in Kichioji and departed at the station. Joker trailed behind, shoving through the crowd to catch up.
Before Joker could complain, though, Akechi butted in, “Can you believe he treated you like a thug just because I said you were?” He teased, walking towards the parlour, “Though, you do kind of give ‘hooligan.’ I suppose it’s just what comes with being a criminal. Hm,” he tutted, smirking, “well, nothing to do about it. Let's play darts.”
Akechi led the way inside, skipping up the stairs, letting Joker follow. When Ren got inside, Akechi had already paid, chosen a board, and begun playing. Joker walked up to the board and stood in quiet amazement as Akechi landed a third bull.
It wasn’t the bulls themselves that impressed Ren, but the grace with which he threw. Each throw was precise, darts gliding through the air like birds, a tenth of an inch off at most. They struck exactly one second from the last, perfectly landing in the center. This allowed Akechi to pick them up with one hand in a swift motion. Ren watched him walk from the board, vision narrowing into Akechi’s boastful face, until he drifted upwards to the eyes. Eyes like a pool that Joker could swear he saw himself drown in. “Ah, of course,” Joker thought to himself, chuckling as Akechi held out the darts, “You couldn’t resist, could you? Well, I don’t mind. Strut as much as you’d like. Just don’t get mad if I do the same.” He flung a dart at the board, wild and passionate in its flight. Bull.
Chapter 4. Coffee (Tip your waiters):
Summary - A cold winter morning ushers the two to a quiet cafe. Ren learns that every gesture means something when it comes to Akechi. No matter how small.
Chapter:
It was early in the morning but Ren was up. Deciding to leave the shackles of his room, he got out of bed, and left for the day. His breath was visible as he stepped out the door and onto the streets of Yongen-Jaya. It was bittersweet watching the weather turn cold. Was the allure of coziness worth the threat of cabin fever?
At the end of the alley Goro Akechi leaned against the wall. He wore an elegant woolen scarf and a large fluffy hood. Joker watched Akechi take a long draw of a cigarette, a habit Joker had never seen him indulge in before, before he tossed it into the snow. The bell rang as Joker let the door close, catching Akechi’s attention. He was surprised, though, it seemed, to see Ren.
“Oh.” He muttered, scarf hiding a blush, “good morning.”
“Akechi?” Ren smiled, curious, “what are you doing here?”
“Honestly, I didn’t know I was in Yongen-Jaya,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes, “I’ve been out all night.”
“Detective work?” Joker offered, joining him on the corner.
“Yes.” Akechi stated quickly, flatly, “I could use some coffee. Wanna find some?”
“Sure, it’s early enough,” Ren grinned, “Leblanc?”
“Ah,” Akechi wavered, checking around the corner, “I prefer to not stay still for too long. I know a place in Shibuya. Come on.”
“Okay,” Joker agreed, before they walked off to the station together.
The cafe was small and cozy, giving Joker the feeling that everyone somehow knew each other there. Akechi had no trouble leading the two to an open table.
Before they sat, Ren butted in, “Sorry, I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Give me a sec.”
“Alright but hurry up,” Akechi grumbled, brushing his fingers against his collarbone as if taking inventory. The bathroom was nice, uninteresting to all standards, but cozy and warm. Joker made a mental note. It seemed Akechi had a type.
By the time Ren was finished, two cups of coffee sat on the table. He watched Akechi pull three 1000 yen notes out of his coat to hand to the waitress. He thanked her with the same perfect cadence he used on television, and then exhaled sharply when she walked off. Joker watched Akechi flip through the notes twice, before folding it and neatly slotting it away.
“They work fast here, that’s why I like it,” Akechi said, sipping slowly as Joker sat down, “I guess it’s not that impressive; it’s just coffee. How much effort could it really take?”
“More than you’d think,” Joker noted, shuddering before taking a sip himself. To his surprise, the drink was delicious. He hadn’t even ordered himself and yet everything was to his exact liking. Cream and two sugars, Hawaiian Kona blend, steaming hot. All perfect for the winter afternoon. Had he told Akechi his order? No, right? Joker slowly took another sip and hummed happily, almost involuntarily. Out of the corner of his eye Ren swore he caught a faint smile flicker across Akechi’s face. How long had Akechi been looking at him?
“Thank you,” Ren smiled, watching Akechi’s eyes drop to his cup, “for the coffee. It was delicious, exactly how I like it.” He paused, “you really didn’t have to, you know?”
Akechi blinked, then scoffed. “Don’t read too much into it,” he looked away callously, hands tightening around his cup, “she was here and you weren’t so I took care of it. I hate waiting, that’s all.”
Joker paused for a moment, examining as Akechi stared him down from across the table. His lips were chapped from the cold and it looked like he’d chipped a nail. It was quite warm inside but he wouldn’t take off his coat. Faint wisps of sweat and cigarette smoke clung to him. Joker smiled softly, enjoying the last sip of his coffee, “Ah. Okay.”
Another short silence, as each contently finished their drinks. Ren stood up first, grabbing his coat and throwing the sleeves over his shoulders. Before Akechi could do the same, though, Ren spoke.
“Hey. Come over to my house tonight. I wanna see you.”
“...” Akechi looked out the window, away from Joker. “Fine.”
