Archive of Our Own ^beta

“…Y’didn’t bring an umbrella by any chance…. Didja, ‘Kira?”

“For once? No. And I know you didn’t, Ryuji.”

“Wh— hey! Maybe I actually did bring one, have you ever thought of that!?”

“Did you?”

“…No.”

The sight of his boyfriend’s smug grin sent a begrudging spark of light-hearted annoyance through Ryuji as the two of them stood under the shielding of the gates of Shujin, stuck watching the harsh pitter-patter of an upcoming storm’s strong rain. The darkened clouds bellowed overhead, crackling with that all too familiar electricity that slithered through the very depths of Ryuji’s soul. But instead of wielding it with the strength of a destructive captain, he had to surrender to its beck and call. The weather was a plight, and so was their lack of protection.

Students passed with frenzied fervor— the classic excitement of school letting out and murmurs of upcoming plans fizzled through Ryuji’s ears. It served as a healthy reminder that he too, had his own plans that were in the works. Except now those plans were effectively dead in the water due to the unexpected rainstorm that appeared solely to fuck with him. He had a whole day in the works— just two guys hitting up the arcade and eating at Ogikubo afterwards. They were waiting for Okumura to have a change of heart so their limited downtime in-between palaces felt especially crucial to Ryuji. Him and Akira hadn’t gone on a date in forever and Ryuji was starting to feel like a bad boyfriend for neglecting his romantic duties. Or at least, that was what Ann advised him when he let the lack of dates slip from his usually loose lips. But with the rain pouring down as hard as it was, they had to reschedule entirely.

They’d be lucky to be able to even get home in one piece without catching a cold.

“Y’sure Morgana didn’t pack anything in y’er bag?” Ryuji kicked a small pebble near his foot, accidentally hitting the back of a boy’s knee who was walking down the steps in front of him. He tossed a quick apologetic look and was only met with the typical scowl sent his way. “Actually, where is that mangy cat? ‘S weird that I ain’t hearin’ any annoyin’ noises.”

“He’s with Haru. You know how fond of her he is. He’ll never admit it but I think she’s his favorite,” Akira hummed, taking an extra few seconds to resume his thorough search in his bag. His endeavors were fruitless though and he came up with nothing.

A wide grin emerged on Ryuji’s face from what he heard. It was all teeth— sharp and sneaky with excitement to boot. “So that mean I finally got you all to myself, yeah? No irritatin’ cats or bad guys needin’ a thrashin’?”

“You always have me. But our you-know-what is cancelled because of all this.” Keeping his words vague due to where they were, Akira reached a hand out past the small over-head concrete covering, the cold wet splashes against his palm serving as evidence for his statement.

“Since when has a lil’ bit of rain stopped us? Let’s just have it at Leblanc!”

“How romantic.”

“Y’er killin’ me over here, ‘Kira. I thought it didn't matter where we were, what mattered was that we were together.”

Akira took a second for Ryuji’s words to register before he let out a playful laugh— there wasn’t any real heat or judgement behind it, but what he said went against crass image to the point of hilarity. “Where’d you learn a line like that? Oh wait… You’ve always been pretty poetic. What was that thing you told me? Being free is how you feel when you talk to me?”

“H-Hey-! Man, you can be a real jerk sometimes.” Ryuji stuffed his hands in his pockets and used his body weight to shoulder check Akira, keeping his strength usage low but firm enough to get him off balance. He could feel the tips of his ears burn with embarrassment even though he knew this was their typical back-and-forth. He meant what he said anyways, he didn’t care for where they were hanging out as long as they were side-by-side. Ryuji could somehow find entertainment rummaging through a gross junkyard if it meant an opportunity to be with his best friend.

His huffing and puffing was cut short when he felt a pair of lips he had felt countless times before grace his cheek. Ryuji looked over at Akira, his face reddening with each passing second, before he ultimately deflated. Akira had won once again, he knew exactly what to do to get Ryuji to relax and forgive him for all the merciless teasing.

“Don’t worry, I checked before I did that. I think we’re the last students left at school, it seems like everyone’s gone,” Akira quickly reassured before he gripped his book bag tighter. “We can’t stay here though. We’re just gonna have to make a break for it.”

The concept of running out into the rain wasn’t the most alluring prospect. Being rained on wasn’t a new experience either— the fireworks festival was the first instance to come to mind— but it still sucked. Nothing felt worse to Ryuji than the uncomfortable way wet clothing clung to damp skin and the chill that would make its residence in the body. But it wasn’t as if they had any other choice. The only perks would be getting to see his ridiculously hot boyfriend all soaked with his messy hair dripping with water and glistening droplets running down his thin and smooth neck-

Forcing himself to snap out of that dangerous line of thought, Ryuji gave a dramatic and begrudging groan. “For real? This shits’ totally gonna suck. Alright, let’s do this.”

The both of them took a quick and steady inhale before pushing themselves down the stairs with careful haste and booked it down the shortcut alleyway that had been a redefining section of the area for them. Akira raised his book bag over his head for measly shielding while Ryuji took off his uniform blazer entirely and held it above himself. Each footstep that met the water-logged surface of the ground echoed splashes and soaked their shoes almost entirely through. It was a disgusting feeling— socks were flooded and the wet material made running heavier than it should’ve been.

They were getting stares from strangers when they got to the main city, ducking and weaving random civilians so as to not bump into them. But in their hurry held something a bit more joyful. Something Ryuji couldn’t keep to himself. Falling in pace to run next to Akira instead of his first place position, his cheeky grin returned tenfold and he could see the quizzical nature of Akira’s flickered gaze before it returned back to the area before him.

“Bet we look real dumb runnin’ like this. It’s kinda funny to think about, right?” Ryuji snickered, a bit amused by their situation. He could feel his bright yellow t-shirt start to stick to his skin, the fabric becoming denser and thicker from all the water it was absorbing. His spiky yellow hair had droplets flying off with every bounce in his step— and his best friend wasn’t faring much better. His glasses were blurry and stained, he watched him attempt to wipe away the rain residue every few seconds with failed attempts when it came back moments later.

“Yeah, probably— Ryuji, watch out!”

Ryuji’s reflexes were too slow and before he could understand just why Akira had called out to him so desperately he felt a surge of cold, slightly dirty road water splash all over him, covering him head-to-toe completely. There were no survivors in his demise, he was thoroughly soaked and he knew his bag and items were beyond saving. The two of them stopped running— the incident taking all of their attention as they turned their heads to watch the car that had splashed Ryuji speed off without a single ounce of care or concern.

“Watch where y’er goin’, asshole!!” Ryuji shouted, shaking his fist high up in the air in hopes that he’d get seen in the rearview mirror.

“…Guess we don’t really need to hurry out of the rain now.”

“Don’t you just mean me? Y’er still all good-“

When Ryuji turned back to face Akira, he was stupefied to see the other with his bag down and a goofy lopsided grin on his damp face. He looked outright ridiculous— extremely attractive, sure, but more-so ridiculous. Akira was allowing the rain to soak him just as badly— and the gesture made Ryuji’s heart nearly jump right out of his chest. It felt so intimate— the mere idea that they should be suffering just the same was endearing as all hell. If one was in such a sorry state, the other would match it— that was just how they worked as a unit. Even if it was a really stupid idea.

He couldn’t help but let out his own chuckles which turned into full belly cackles. “Y-Y-Ya look— so stupid! Pfft— haha! W-We need to get’ta some windshield wipers for y’er glasses!”

“Do you think those exist? Oh, maybe I can make one at my workbench.” Akira amusingly played along, using his dense sleeve to try and wipe some water off once again. When Ryuji’s laughing fit died down, he gave a last snicker before approaching Akira with his blazer. It was his turn now to try and help out his boyfriend, their close proximity making both of their blood run warm through their bodies.

“Here, I gotcha,” Ryuji said with a gentle tone. He decided that the best method to combat the blurriness would just be removing the glasses outright. It felt as if the world slowed when he finally slid the glasses off and he got to get a good glimpse of Akira’s frameless face. He nearly forgot how pretty and long his dark eyelashes were and how wide his deep grey eyes were. Ryuji was mesmerized for a moment before the hushed yet sharp whispers of passers-by watched the highly personal scene unfold in front of them.

Giving a harsh and totally unsubtle cough as a reaction to remembering where they were, Ryuji pocketed Akira’s glasses. “I’ll keep these for now. No point in ‘em anyways when ya don’t even need ‘em in the first place.”

“But I can’t see without my glasses. Ryuji? Where’d you go?” Akira began jokingly walking in the opposite direction of where they were supposed to be going, his arms outstretched and were waving around to feign blindness.

“Y’er a terrible actor y’anno! Get back here,” Ryuji snorted, grabbing ahold of the back of Akira’s now dark-white turtleneck to stop him in his tracks.

“I’ve been told otherwise, actually.”

“By who, the shadows?”

“You’ve seen my interrogations. Is that not acting in a way?”

Ryuji rolled his eyes at Akira’s antics and with a lasting tug to the turtleneck, he let go and pointed towards the correct course of where they needed to go. “I’ll race ya to Aoyama-Itchome! Last one there pays for our next date!”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad deal… But you’re on.” The second the last word rolled out from Akira’s mouth, Ryuji watched him take off like a speeding bullet and gawked at the growing distance between the two.

“Come on! I didn’t even say go yet! Y’er a cheat!” Ryuji took off after his boyfriend in his own blaze of quickness— the numbing throb of his bad leg reminding him of his disadvantage in the race. He didn’t even mind if he lost or not in particular, being able to spoil Akira was some of his personal favorite highlights of life, but when it came to anything athletic he couldn’t help himself but get competitive. It was his field after all— undefeated and unmatched. And even though he wasn’t at his full capacity and never would be again… He still enjoyed the burning sensations of pushing himself and having someone with him to help spur him to work harder than his limits would allow.

By the time they reached the station, they were bent over in a heap against the walls inside. Neither of them were sure who won, it got hard to keep track of when they entered the ginormous crowd heading into the station’s depths. But for once, Ryuji didn’t mind about a winner in a race. He was just happy to have Akira by his side as he ran. There was a trail of puddles and watery footsteps that led to where they were positioned at and as Ryuji bent over with his hands on his knees, he heard rustling next to him which caught his attention.

“W-Whatcha up to there? I really don’t think an umbrella is gonna pop out, ‘s too late for one anyways…” Ryuji panted, the words were difficult to get out on account of how out of breath he was. The heat of exercise didn’t mix well with the chill of his soaked condition— he felt too hot and too cold and he couldn’t do much to fix his awful state of being. He wiped the accumulating sweat off of his forehead and stood up proper, leaning against the wall of the station and propping his leg up behind him.

Akira stayed silent for a second, clearly focused on his task at hand before he let out a deep sigh of exhaustion. “All my work is done for. Maybe if I copy what I can on extra sheets, Kawakami-sensei will let me off the hook.”

“Y’er seriously worryin’ about somethin’ like that? You should be more worried if we’re gonna be allowed on the train or not,” Ryuji teased.

“We’ll be fine… Hopefully.”

Thankfully enough, they were fine. When they entered the train of Aoyama-Itchome, they were packed in like sardines. Ryuji definitely wasn’t complaining though— having Akira pressed into his chest without any gaps between them was like heaven. He didn’t even need to make excuses for such close proximity— he wouldn’t get weird looks for essentially cuddling up to his boyfriend in public thanks to the awful over-capacity storage of the train. But he couldn’t be happy for too long because he saw a hint of discomfort in Akira’s features.

“Hold on, this might free up some space for ya,” Ryuji spoke up, raising an arm up to hold one of the hand grips. It freed up just a tiny bit of room for Akira and the gratitude in his eyes as he looked slightly down at Ryuji was worth everything to him. He watched as the black-haired boy nuzzled into the slot between where his arm was raised and his chest, making himself as comfortable as he could. “Better?”

“Much. Thanks, Ryuji.” Akira allowed his hand to secretly move behind Ryuji, squeezing at his waist privately as an extra showing of gratefulness before letting it hang off loosely.

Ryuji couldn’t help but bite down an oncoming giddy smile. Akira knew just the right ways to make his legs feel like jelly. He had to steel himself in order to not melt into the puddles of water pooling underneath their feet. “Since our date ain’t really happenin’ like we wanted… Y’got anythin’ ya wanna do when we get to Leblanc?”

“Well…” Akira trailed off, keeping his head close to Ryuji’s face to keep their conversation to themselves. He saw the small hairs on the back of Ryuji’s nape rise when hot breath met the round cartilage of his pierced ears. How amusing. “We could watch a movie? I got Love Possibly on DVD.”

“Love Possibly? Yuck. Who am I, Ann? Hard pass.”

“So you don’t want to pretend to watch it as an excuse to make-out?”

Akira’s hushed and husky whisper sent shivers down Ryuji’s spine and he could’ve sworn he saw stars just from the way he spoke alone. He wasn’t sure if the hand grip’s moistness was from the rain water or from surprise sweat but he wasn’t in the right state of mind to really look for an answer. His face flushed a deep crimson and he turned his head the opposite way from Akira so he could get some semblance of sanity back in him.

“I-I mean— I ain’t say all that…” Ryuji croaked, stumbling over himself while sinking under the entertained grin that Akira was shining on him. “But damnit-! Stop bein’ a tease!”

“My bad.” Akira sounded completely unapologetic despite his words, but it seemed as if he was deciding to be merciful as his face backed away slightly to give Ryuji a bit more breathing room. He looked like he was about to explode after all. “I have The Cake Knight Rises for you.”

“…I ain’t against Love Possibly for that other reason,” Ryuji grumbled under his breath.

“Thought so.”

But there was slight gnawing in Ryuji regarding their plans. Even though he liked how mundane he and Akira could be, he felt a bit sulky. “When the weather’s better… Let’s do somethin’ big. Like, somethin’ impressive.”

“Hm? How come?” Akira questioned, his coy attitude disappearing from the subject change.

“It ain’t every-day ya get a hot ass partner who deserves some fun. We’re s’pposed to be livin’ it up, y’anno? And… Guess I don’t want ya gettin’ bored on me.”

“Oh, Ryuji…”

Even though the chill of their wet clothes froze them down to their bones, such an admission of concern was warming Akira’s heart. Ryuji knew it was a stupid worry to have, they had enough excitement with their double lives as Phantom Thieves, but they still had to live in their real world and the real world had consequences to it like in the Metaverse. He didn’t want Akira to get tired of the same routine when their youth should’ve been spent making memories and having a blast.

Ryuji felt the hand that lingered on his waist still squeeze the damp area comfortingly and he would’ve spoken up if not for the sudden lurch of the train car sending him and Akira careening into the train door. He felt squished like sardines and with his face smushed against the glass, he tried his best to shift back in his boyfriend’s direction. But with their bodies pressed right up against one another, he felt something gently glide against his cheek once again. Akira had managed to sneak another cheek kiss in before readjusting himself to stand back up properly, tugging Ryuji softly along so their prior positions were taken up again.

“You and I-“ Akira knocked their heads together weakly, almost as if he was a cat nudging his owner lovingly, and gave a crooked smile. “Are gonna talk about this more when we aren’t about to suffocate to death in public.”

“‘Kay.” Ryuji nodded obediently. He thought that instead of worrying and fretting, the best use of his energy would be focusing on getting to Leblanc. They still had more trains to ride on and then they’d have to run back through the dreary streets. Hopefully Sojiro wouldn’t get too mad at them for making such a mess upon arrival.

Thankfully the rest of the train ride went smoothly and after passing through the Ginza line and using Shibuya Station to get to Yongen-Jaya station, the two of them were finally encroaching the cramped and all too familiar backstreets. The rain had somehow gotten worse and the streets and sidewalks were becoming slightly flooded. It was enough to cover the soles of their beat up shoes and yet they were unconcerned with the terrible rainstorm. Instead, Ryuji watched Akira do something he had never done before.

He extended his hand out to Ryuji with an offer and the most easy-going grin he had ever seen from the other.

“Dance with me.”

There, despite looking like two drowned rats, Akira was the most beautiful thing in the world to Ryuji. The prior fluff to his dark black hair had collapsed and straightened down into heavy loose curls that flattened over his face and eyes. He had unbuttoned his blazer due to the stiffness of the soaked fabric and the droplets that ran down his neck and skin made him glisten like some model off of a photo shoot. There was a small tremble to his body, an indicator of the cold that seeped in, but he didn’t let that bother him. Akira didn’t let anything bother him. He had single-handedly taken away Ryuji’s breath— stolen it right from his lungs like the thief he was and he was there struggling to recover from the loss. He blinked a few times, trying to ground himself back into reality.

The notion of dancing in the semi-public streets where rain met asphalt and concrete was a tad bit embarrassing, but whatever Akira wanted, Akira received. Ryuji would do anything to grant whatever he desired— and if that just so happened to be an impromptu dance session in the midst of a storm, he’d do it without hesitation. It explained why he took Akira’s hand so easily— their palms fitting together perfectly like the gloves they dawned in the alternate reality.

“Anythin’ for ya, ‘Kira.”

Ryuji found himself being tugged closer, following footsteps backwards further into the backstreets as their laughter twinkled and intermingled in the damp icy air. Ryuji was less than elegant— unlike his flashy yet poised other half, he had the agility of a thumbtack and found it hard to keep up with anything Akira was doing but he had the determination to at least try— for Akira. His eyes made a habit of looking downward at his feet to keep in hypothetical time, but when he felt a delicate hand under his chin, lightly guiding his face back upwards to face Akira head-on, Ryuji knew he just had to trust in his own movements.

”Just keep looking at me. I don’t like it when you look away,” Akira softly teased, an etched fond expression blatant on his features. “I got you.”

”Yeah… Ya got me.” In more ways than one.

Akira took the lead but instead of a proper formal dance, they kept their hands joined but their arms and bodies extended— circulating and jumping around too sporadically to be considered tasteful and professional, but energetic enough to pretend it looked half-way decent. Ryuji and Akira couldn’t care less about form or proper procedure. Their dance was a whirlwind of synchronized chaos as they kicked and stomped on the water below, splashing it every which way while on-lookers gave them judgemental glances or wistful looks of encouragement to enjoy youth while it lasted. Their combined laughter grew louder in volume before it turned into whoops and hollers. They were taking up space in the world and they were doing it without remorse. After years of shame and suffocation, Ryuji had found a place that would never dim his light and that very place was right next to Akira and he knew Akira had shared the same sentiment of him. 

A twirl under the arm here, a shimmy of the feet there, they fell deeper into the environment and unknowingly made their way closer to Leblanc. The rain provided an enchanting experience that Ryuji was sure to store in his most precious memories. The genuine joy emanating from Akira was a sight Ryuji hadn’t seen in quite some time— the other was usually bogged down with an insurmountable amount of responsibilities. Whether it be his countless jobs, his control over the Phantom Thieves’ funds, the overseeing of equipment and items, balancing his social life and being the overall figurehead for a worldwide influential movement… Akira usually never had time to simply live in the moment and breathe without something weighing him down. Ryuji promised to himself that he would never be one of those burdens on his boyfriend, not when he had too much going on already.

Suddenly Ryuji got a spark of confidence and he yanked Akira dead-on towards him, earning a solid yelp of surprise in the process and as the two of them moved closer, he tucked his arm under his waist and allowed gravity to help dip him downward— his hair nearly brushing the pools of water that littered the street. Ryuji heaved slightly, breathless from the beauty in his arms, staring up at him with his big grey eyes once again. The two of them remained silent, the frigid air grew warmer with their heavy exhales. Their faces were mere inches away and for just a moment, they forgot about where they were. Ryuji was sent into a world where it was only the two of them— everything else faded away and became irrelevant. He could’ve sworn that Akira leaned closer in, almost as if begging for their lips to finally collide like they were destined to.

But instead he got a pinch to the nose and a light reminder about their surroundings.

”You’re getting too into the moment, big guy. Stay aware,” Akira playfully chided, wagging his finger in mock disapproval while his amusement grew deeper from Ryuji’s dumb-founded and dazed expression.

”Y-Y’er the one that started this whole thing! ‘S not my fault that you looked like an effin’ angel,” Ryuji huffed. His compliment must’ve surprised Akira because it was the leader’s turn to look just as dumb-founded. Ryuji felt a small swell of pride from such an accomplishment.

Akira shook himself from his momentary stunned state and gave a few taps to Ryuji’s shoulder as a cue to let him go. Ryuji followed the cue immediately and helped him stand upright properly. “You’re smooth when you wanna be, aren’t you.”

”Y’er just now noticin’ that? It ain’t like I’ve been tryin’ to tell everybody I am all these months.”

”It’s because you try too hard,” Akira lamented. “You’re only smooth unintentionally, trying too hard doesn’t work for you… But I noticed. I always notice things when it comes to you, even since the very beginning.”

That rendered Ryuji temporarily speechless— which was an achievement by its lonesome. Then, his expression turned flustered and bashful as he scratched at his neck sheepishly. “See, now y’er just tryin’ to one-up me on the smoothness. Y’er the charmer between us anyways.”

”You’ve charmed me.”

God— Akira was gonna kill him. He was going to be his cause of death— the phrase ‘death by Kurusu Akira’ would be plastered all over his gravestone when he went down six feet deep into the earth. Ryuji felt like smoke was shooting out of his ears from how overwhelmed he was becoming. He started swatting at the air abruptly, almost as if he was trying to shoo away all his strangling embarrassment.

”Q-Quit it! Y’er gonna give me a heart-attack and then who’s gonna be your boyfriend when I’m dead and gone!” Ryuji shouted, scrambling and scratching at his head with self-conscious distress.

“First of all, volume. Second of all… Hmm…” Akira actively hummed loudly in pretend-consideration before pointing up to the air as if he had his biggest ‘eureka’ moment. “Akechi.”

Hearing that sent Ryuji into a dramatic spiral as he covered his ears and shook his head violently in vehement disapproval. ”GAH! Knock it off, ‘Kira! Anyone would be better than that uptight asshole! I know you picked him just ‘cause he pisses me off the most!”

”Maybe,” Akira said humorously. He strolled over to Ryuji, approaching him with careful platitudes and peeled his hands away from his ears. “I’m kidding. Take a breath, you’re gonna scare the residents.”

”Yeah yeah, I know…” Ryuji’s words trailed off as he got another decent look at Akira’s affectionate gaze. “…You’d never go for him though, right? Akechi?”

Akira covertly lowered their hands between their shivering bodies, squeezing tight with the intent of never letting go. “Not when my entire world is in my hands right now.”

”Y’er so sappy, has anyone told ya that yet?”

”Yeah. As well as that I’m a good actor.”

Ryuji let out a loud groan as he unwove one of his hands from Akira’s to push his face away in playful incredulousness. It prompted a small giggle from his boyfriend and as he turned to face away from the humiliation of such a call-back, Ryuji perked up when he noticed the homely sign of the cafe they hijacked all too often. They had finally made it to their destination after far too many distractions.

“If y’er the actor, come up with an excuse so that Boss’ yellin’ mood ain’t in action for us.” Ryuji watched Akira blink stupidly and before he could open his mouth to make his own excuse, he was dragged into Leblanc. 

The bell on the door announced their presence and the bitter yet welcomed sting of coffee wafted right into the pair’s faces. Sojiro’s back was turned to the two teens but when the bell rang accompanied with the loud squelch of water-logged shoes alerted him to potential customers, Ryuji watched his face drop in real time as he surveyed the situation before him.

”What in God’s name happened to you two!? And why the hell did you bring it in here! Even the cat doesn’t make as much of a mess!” Sojiro said in near hysterics— immediately making a bee-line for the bathroom in order to grab the mop and bucket. When the cleaning supplies were acquired, he pushed them in the direction of Ryuji and Akira with a frustrated expression. “You make a mess, you clean it up.”

Ryuji and Akira passed a look at one another as they nervously took the mop and bucket respectively. “We just… Ain’t got our umbrellas. It was sunny when we left so we thought we were in the clear, sorry Boss.” Ryuji weakly explained. Akira gave a small bow to show his own apology.

Sojiro’s exasperated sigh made the two of them feel as if they were being scolded. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head before running a hand down his tired and aged face. “You both are just lucky there weren’t any customers when you came in. When you finish cleaning, go take a bath. You’re gonna catch a cold if you stay in those sopping wet clothes. Got it?”

”Got it.” Ryuji responded for the both of them.

Sojiro carefully maneuvered past Akira and Ryuji and gave them a final look as he opened the front door of the cafe. “I need to go grab some ingredients from my house— look over the shop for a bit while I’m out. Akira, keep an extra close eye on your… Friend, he’s like a walking hurricane.”

”I always do.” With a final nod of affirmation, Akira waved goodbye to his foster-father and ignored the lowly growl seething off of Ryuji. There was an undercurrent mumble of ‘I ain’t that bad’ that curled under his lips before he leaned against the countertop. Akira set the bucket on one of the unused tables and leaned the mop handle against the countertop near where Ryuji was.

”We should prob change first, yeah? Cleaning ain’t gonna work if we keep draggin’ water all over the place,” Ryuji reminded, holding his soaked blazer that was absolutely dripping egregiously all over the floor.

With Akira’s agreement, the two of them quickly headed up the stairs of Leblanc into the tidied yet dusty attic where one of them resided full-time. Something about the space felt like a second home to Ryuji— in actuality, it practically was. He spent so much time there between hangouts and Phantom Thieves meetings that he was surprised he didn’t have his own makeshift bed to sleep in. Although, he wouldn’t even want that— he’d lose out on the privilege of sharing a bed with his boyfriend and there weren’t worse fates than that to him. Simply being within the space was enough to calm all of Ryuji’s nerves. Each section of the room had its own memories and experiences attributed to it— each side told a new story of Ryuji and Akira and frankly it had become one of his favorite places in the entire world to be in.

His newly revived sentimental mood was cut short though when he heard a small kitten-like sneeze from nearby. Whipping his head in the direction of the noise, Ryuji’s concern sparked like a flame when he watched Akira sneeze again into the back of his fist.

”Oh shit, y’er sneezin’. Hey, ‘Kira— you feelin’ alright? Boss was right, y’er really gonna catch a cold like this. C’mere.” Ryuji didn’t give much of an option anyways. After taking out Akira’s glasses from his pocket and putting it on the table that housed his television, he ventured back over to Akira’s side, dumping their book bags on the ground, and began peeling his clothes off without a second thought. If the two of them hadn’t had certain experiences with one another, a gesture like that would’ve sent Ryuji reeling.

Akira’s little squeaks of surprise endeared Ryuji but didn’t dissuade him in the least. Once the black uniform blazer hit the wooden floor with a hefty thud next up was the iconic turtleneck adorning his chest. It was rare to see him just in the turtleneck, but it was a very acceptable sight nonetheless. Akira’s frame was lean and cut— slightly boney but the shirt helped accentuate all the right places and hugged his particular frame very well. It was impossible not to stare.

”I’m fine. You’re gonna get a cold too-“ Akira stopped mid-sentence when he looked up from his undressing. He felt an intense stare— non-obtrusive but very much noticeable. He wasn’t surprised at the gawking from his boyfriend, but it was hard to not grow bashful from it. “You’re staring, love. Hurry up, it’s freezing in here.”

”Shit- yeah sorry, m’ bad.” Scrambling after being called out, Ryuji quickly grabbed the hem of the damp and sopping turtleneck— the action of even grabbing it sending a stream of water flowing from where he tugged— and he pulled it off with one fell swoop. Discarding it haphazardly with the blazer on the floor, Ryuji gave a low wolf whistle at the half-naked beauty in front of him. 

Akira rolled his eyes and playfully covered his chest as if he was a maiden being exposed to leering eyes. “I knew this was your goal all along, pervert.”

”Aw, shaddup. I always want ya but it ain’t gonna be when we’re like this. Finish up y’er belt and pants, I’ll grab y’er pajamas for ya.”

Ryuji’s next venture was into the cardboard box at the bottom of the shelf where Akira stored all his clothing. He had gotten into it multiple times before, the routine of grabbing things for his partner was second-nature by this point so he found the needed items with ease and stood back up to hand it over to Akira. “Think I left some of my own clothes here for whenever I sleep over.”

”Or you could just wear mine. You look better in them anyways,” Akira suggested with a curled grin. With their similar heights they matched vertical-wise but horizontally-wise there were some issues. Ryuji was a lot more bulked up than his counterpart and that made the fabric of Akira’s shirts and pants tighten up over his body with strain.

”Y’er not slick, I know what ya wanna see,” Ryuji teased. Without much thought, he grabbed a random long sleeve and sweatpants from the pile in the box and began to strip himself. The material was just as tight as he remembered, it was rather hard to move in but it accentuated all the areas Akira liked to ogle at, so he’d put up with the mild discomfort if it meant he’d have Akira’s eyes on him.

While he was preoccupied with that, he felt a sudden soft material grace his face and a beauty right beside him. Akira had brought towels for the two of them to do the bare minimum and wipe their faces and hair down before their venture to the bathhouse together. He was as sneaky as always because Ryuji hadn’t noticed his absence or appearance at all— it was frightening how quiet Akira was when he wanted to be.

Ryuji passed a quick thanks and rubbed his hair with ridiculous force, earning a sharp scoff from Akira who took the towel back and clicked his tongue with slight disapproval.

”Don’t be so rough, if the bleach doesn’t make your hair fall out the way you dry your hair will.” When Akira took over, the movements became a lot more gentle and had a lot more genuine love put into it. It was enough to make Ryuji’s heart cry at being treated with such raw care.

Ryuji gave a satisfied hum and allowed his eyes to flutter shut to enjoy the moment. “Sorry, ‘s a habit, Lemme dry y’er hair after?”

“Definitely,” Akira agreed. “But there’s something I also wanna bring up.”

“…Yeah, ‘m aware. Just… Lemme explain first, yeah? Might make it a bit easier to get it.” Ryuji’s hands naturally raised to softly grasp at Akira’s wrists, halting his drying and getting him to lower the towel and look at him in the process.

Akira gave an understanding nod. “Of course.”

Ryuji took a breath— he wanted to get his thoughts collected first before he spoke— which was a rarity for him. He was often the opposite of well-spoken but he knew Akira would understand him regardless. “Well- ‘s just that… Y’anno… With everythin’ we got goin’ on, we ain’t really gettin’ to go out on big dates. Most of the time we’re hangin’ out here. Not that that’s bad-! Agh, ‘m messin’ this up.”

“It’s okay. Take your time.”

“…I ain’t wantin’ you gettin’ bored on me, ‘s all. Like I said before.” Ryuji’s voice petered out the longer he talked, his voice weakly fading until it was nothing but a blip of surprising insecurity and nerves.

Ryuji felt soft hands grasp at his cheeks, catching his attention and silencing him in one fell swoop. He watched Akira’s glittery eyes never leave his— not for a single second. His stare was unwavering and commanding, refusing to be ignored and refusing to back down. “I like the mundanity, Ryuji. I need it, actually. More than you know.”

“H-Huh?” Ryuji croaked with confusion.

“We’re constantly changing Japan and the world now. We’re doing things no regular person should and it’s so intense and exhausting. The moments where we’re just doing nothing but lazing around… They mean everything to me. Because for once I wouldn’t be Akira the criminal or Joker the leader of the Phantom Thieves, I’d just be me… Akira.”

“A-Akira-“

“Sssh, I’m not done yet.”

Ryuji’s mouth shut tight and he could only marvel at the boy in his view as his boyfriend continued.

Akira leaned in slowly but didn’t bridge the gap— he simply rested their foreheads together and allowed their noses to brush every so often in a gentle kiss-like fashion. “Sure, amusement parks and buffets and huge celebrations are fun but doing high-energy things constantly would lose its excitement. Plus, just existing next to you? Being with you in any capacity? How could I ever get bored of that?”

Ryuji wasn’t sure how to really respond to such an overwhelming proclamation. He knew Akira’s standards weren’t egregious but there was a feeling that settled in Ryuji’s gut that told him he wasn’t doing enough to keep him happy. That such an amazing boy who could arguably land anyone he wanted chose Ryuji of all people meant he had to make that choice as worth it as he could. But then he started feeling silly about the insecurities because of course he’d pick him— there was no one alive on the entire planet that fit Akira as well as him. 

If he wasn’t worth it, Akira wouldn’t be cradling him like the treasures they routinely stole. 

“All I want ‘s for you to be happy, ‘Kira,” Ryuji’s voice quivered, hoping and praying that Akira would never let go of him.

”I know. And I’m most happy when I’m with you. You know how feeling free is like being with me to you?” Akira watched Ryuji give a weak nod before he shifted inward to press the sweetest kiss to the skin under Ryuji’s eye. “I feel safe when I’m with you. Being safe is how I feel when I talk to you.”

”I love you too much.”

”I love you more.”

Safety was a privilege that Akira had forfeited all his life from what Ryuji knew. His folks back home were the worst of the worst— constantly disregarding their only son and having him fend for himself without any support. Then his world turned upside down from a false charge and his permanent record was forever stained from an incident laced with noble intentions. With a ruined reputation and no real support system, safety was something that Akira had started to view as a luxury instead of a given. Being informed that such a luxury in Akira’s eyes was felt with Ryuji made him almost weepy. The two of them gave each other what they had sought after all their lives, it was almost poetic how functionally needed they were to each other.

The intimate atmosphere clung to them like the prior rain-filled clothing they wore until Akira shattered it when Ryuji felt the towel’s presence return to scratch and rub at his head frantically. “Bah—! Didn’tja say not to dry my hair like that!?”

”Yeah, but I’m doing it for this reason-“ Akira backed up a step to give them a few inches of space and as he removed the towel entirely, his cheshire grin came back swinging. “You look like you got a lion’s mane now. You’re my fluffy boyfriend.”

Ryuji’s hair was all puffed up, akin to a dandelion weed, and he blinked dumbly for a few beats before yanking the second towel from Akira’s hand to chase him down to exact his own revenge. “Two can play at this game! Y’er gonna get it!”

”Catch me if you can!” Suddenly Akira bolted from Ryuji, running around the room with an insane amount of elegance as he avoided all of Ryuji’s dives and grabbing attempts with ease. He hopped up on his bed and when Ryuji rushed him with his towel, he actively jumped over him as if they were playing leapfrog. It left the blond shell-shocked for a moment and Akira took the advantage to get a decent gap going. His bare feet took him towards the staircase and Ryuji followed, sliding from the velocity of motion.

They booked it down the stairs and Ryuji caught a glimpse of Akira looking behind his shoulder, laughing without a care in the entire world before his features turned alarmed and his foot swung out from underneath him, forcing him to come crashing down on the still-wet floors of the cafe. Ryuji instinctively tried to reach out to catch him but his own attempts ended in failure as he slipped on the water, falling right on top of Akira and hearing a loud ‘oof’ from the boy underneath him due to the heavy impact.

”Owwww… Shit, you good down there, babe? We totally forgot about the mess.” Ryuji grumbles of pain lessened as he shifted to hold himself up with both arms, his boyfriend caught underneath him as the aches of combined falling thrummed through their systems mercilessly.

“I’m okay. Are you?” Akira’s eyes slowly opened and when he saw Ryuji nod to his question, he took in the sight above him with indulgence. “I don’t mind when you squish me with your entire body weight. I’d rather go out like that, honestly.”

”Y’er so weird.” Ryuji knew Akira was deadly serious too. He couldn’t even judge either, Akira made him just as weird by proxy.

”And you’re hot. Help me up? Sojiro-san is really gonna blow up if we don’t get this finished.”

“‘Kay. ‘N after that, bathhouse?”

”Definitely.”

Instead of helping Akira up normally, Ryuji hopped up on his feet and pushed his arms underneath his nimble frame to hoist him up in a bridal-style carry. Akira made a noise of surprise and immediately clung his arms around Ryuji’s neck for extra safety.

”How’d you know my favorite place is in your arms?” Akira dramatically put the back of his hand to his forehead, pretending to be faint for an excuse to be picked up.

”Wasn’t hard to figure out. Y’er obsessed with ‘em.” Ryuji smiled. “Maybe too obsessed, actually.”

“There’s no such thing as being too obsessed.”

Ryuji let out a soft scoff before setting Akira down fully. They wrapped their retrospective towels around their necks for future use and passed a nod of solidarity for their upcoming work. Ryuji grabbed the mop from where it laid against the countertop and pointed at the empty bucket. Akira understood, taking the bucket and heading into the small back kitchen to fill it up with water and wood-appropriate cleaning solution. After he was finished with his own task, he grabbed the extra mop from the bathroom and joined Ryuji near the front of the cafe. He placed the bucket down carefully and stretched out his body to prepare for a strenuous cleaning session.

”Make sure to clean with your whole body, if you don’t your arms will get tired first,” Akira recounted, Morgana’s mopping tips at the forefront of his brain.

Ryuji nodded once more. “I know, I help my ma clean around the house once in a while. Leave it to me.”

”Maybe I should call you for housekeeping instead of the maid service.”

”Ya still use that!? Dude, why?”

Akira gave a knowing wink and placed his index finger over his mouth. “Can’t tell you, it’s a secret. But don’t worry, it’s nothing bad.”

Ryuji let out an exasperated noise and shook his head with disbelief. If Akira said not to worry, then he trusted him. But why the hell was he still using something like that… He felt a poke of the top of Akira’s mop handle hit his side and he let out a loud yelp from it. “W-What was that for!?”

”You were getting into your head. I’ll explain later if you promise to keep it a secret. For now, we need to focus on one thing at a time.” There was a hint of Joker riding Akira’s words, a gentle yet firm redirection of his teammate. They were supposed to be working so someone had to be the person to take charge and that person was always meant to be Akira. Plus, Ryuji knew it was hard to argue against him when he used that cadence— why would he ever want to go against his leader’s word?

The two of them got to work mopping the gross water residue off of the cafe floor, indulging in idle chatter about nothing of importance in the meanwhile to keep themselves entertained and motivated. It didn’t take very long as they went from the front of the shop up to the attic, cleaning all traces of their rained-on excursions until anything that was left was simple wetness from their mopping exploits. They collected their damp uniforms off the ground and returned to the first floor of the cafe, Akira dumping out the water from the mops and returning them to their stored section while Ryuji hung around near the door.

The doorbell chimed and he nearly jumped out of his skin from who had reappeared out of thin air. Sojiro’s skeptical face held expectations and as he set the bag of groceries on the countertop nearby, he looked around with an inspecting eye to make sure the boys did what they were supposed to. Akira and Ryuji passed a knowing glance between them and when Sojiro let out a small gruff, Akira let out a sigh of relief. They had passed his foster-father’s inspection. He has gotten really good at deciphering all of Sojiro’s ‘Sojiroisms’ (as he deemed it) so Akira knew they were in the clear. He shook off the raindrops from his umbrella, hanging it up near the Sayuri, Sojiro shuffled past them and returned to his usual spot behind the wood countertop.

”Alright, good work. I’ll handle everything else, you two hurry up and get cleaned.” Sojiro shooed the duo away. “It stopped raining so you don’t need your umbrellas this time. Get your laundry done while you’re at it too.”

”Sir yes sir!” Ryuji gave a light-hearted salute and was quick to grab Akira’s wrist to pull him back out into the backstreets once again. 

The air was thick and dewey— it made the entire backstreets smell of freshly washed concrete and static, the clouds had only begun to start parting to reveal a sunny sky above. A rainbow barely peeked through, almost as if it was forcing an appearance just for Ryuji and Akira. After taking a turn into the little crook that belonged to the laundromat and the bathhouse, Ryuji let go of Akira’s wrist, scratching the back of his fluffy bleach-blond hair with consideration.

”Let’s just have our laundry runnin’ while we take our bath, yeah? We’d knock out two things at once.” Ryuji turned his gaze to see what Akira thought of his suggestion. He watched him attempt to push the bridge of his non-present glasses in response before pausing at his realization. Ryuji couldn’t help snorting from how ridiculous his boyfriend looked.

”There’s a chance our stuff might get stolen. I always stay with the laundry when I wash the armor we get from the Metaverse.” Akira explained, shaking his head slightly.

“Who’s gonna steal two high-school uniforms? Especially Shujin uniforms? Think ‘bout it, ‘Kira.” Ryuji actually had a point… And with the lack of a rational cat around, it was that much easier to go along with his antics. Akira took a few seconds to think about it himself before ultimately sighing in agreement. No one would take random students’ uniforms. Ryuji had won this round.

Akira guided Ryuji into the laundromat and tossed in a few hundred yen coins lying around inside of pajama pockets amounting to the usual four hundred and they watched the machine spring into life with a harsh vibrating roar. When that task was taken care of, Ryuji eagerly grabbed ahold of Akira’s hand and tugged him out of the laundromat and towards the bathhouse. He felt a bit bad that he couldn’t pay but it wasn’t as if he had his wallet on him. His wallet must’ve been a mess too, he had to thoroughly inspect the damages later when he had the time.

When they entered, they noticed just how absent the bathhouse was. Not many people decided to come in the middle of the day, especially when it was raining as hard as it was before. It was in their favor because they could be as lovey-dovey as they wanted to be. Ryuji’s eagerness only grew from the opportunity and he continued to drag Akira around like a ragdoll— this time into the locker rooms to change and wash themselves properly.

The second Ryuji set foot into the warmth of the bath, he let out a loud noise of satisfaction that reverberated through the small area. Akira chuckled behind him, slipping in and letting the water submerge him until it got to his mid-chest. Ryuji sank even deeper with only his nose and above peeking from the water. Ripples were sent with each small movement the duo made and the heat of the bath evaporated the chill from their adventures in the rain. It was just what they needed after the disappointment of their ruined plans and the giddy excitement of playing in the rain like children.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself a bit too much there, Ryuji,” Akira chimed in, amused at his boyfriend’s impromptu fish-mode.

Ryuji responded with gurgles, bubbles popping and forming from his mouth pushing out air. He pushed himself back up to sit properly, wiping the bath water from his face and nudging Akira with his shoulder. For some reason, the bare skin to skin contact made the water even hotter. “Duh, why wouldn’t I? Havin’ a whole bathhouse ‘ta ourselves is hella rare! I ain’t gotta hold back or nothin’.”

“Oh yeah? And what do you mean by hold back, exactly?” Akira poked, wanting more from Ryuji’s thoughts.

“I meant this-!” Ryuji suddenly pounced on Akira, his hands immediately finding his waist as if he were magnetized to it, and his fingers began to waggle and scratch at the exposed skin. He heard Akira’s bark of a laugh and felt his attempts to push him off, the water beginning to splash every which way from their quick and clumsy actions. Akira tried to escape Ryuji, moving around the bath in order to get away from him but his efforts were in vain as Ryuji attached himself like a suction cup and wouldn’t get away.

The blond boy finally got his partner in a corner, effectively trapping him with his arms hoisted on the walls to keep him there. He huffed, out of breath from a mixture of exertion and the thick steam threatening to cut off his air supply. It made it harder to breathe, and it seemed as if he wasn’t the only one breathless between the two. Akira panted himself, their eyes locked in on an intense gaze that crackled with extra charged energy. There was a reason for the madness though, Ryuji’s mouth morphed into a wicked grin, as if he had just won a huge reward.

“C-Caught ya,” Ryuji exhaled, pushing his head in closer while Akira stared at him in awe.

“Wha-?”

“Remember? Y’told me ‘ta catch ya. ‘N now I did. What’s my prize?”

Akira was stunned into silence for a moment, clearly taken off guard by Ryuji and it made his heart beat faster than its ever beaten. He looked exceptionally good with water dripping down his face and the flex of his arms raised up near Akira’s head. He couldn’t help but trail his eyes down his dripping chest, admiring the sculpted physique until he met where the water cut off at his waist. Ryuji noticed the staring and tried his best not to squirm under his gaze, it was as intense as it usually was.

“…You’ll get it later when we get back to my room, promise,” Akira finally croaked, his face reddening. He knew the cause and couldn’t blame it on the heat of the bathhouse. If he wasn’t sitting, his knees would’ve given out from what had unfolded. 

“Sweet.” Ryuji’s wicked grin only grew wider before he pulled away entirely with an air of accomplishment floating around him. “That was payback for all the teasin’ y’did all day.”

“You’re a cruel man…” Akira playfully frowned.

“Yet you love me anyways.” 

Akira looked as charmed as Ryuji felt— and when he felt his other half move forward to rest his head against his chest, his body responded accordingly and he immediately wrapped his arms around him. The flush of their bare bodies made the moment much more intimate as they allowed each other to simply exist as they were. Ryuji adored the physical contact Akira sought after— he really had changed from when he first arrived in Tokyo. He’d flinch or be standoffish whenever anyone would greet him with any form of contact— but thanks to Ryuji breaking down his walls over time, their touches had been almost expected. Akira often raised his hand to indicate he wanted it held or pressed into Ryuji like a pet craving attention. More often than not, the rowdy boy was the one to initiate but that didn’t mean Akira wasn’t just as into it as him.

“You know I’m only who I am right now because of you, right?” Akira started speaking in such a painfully adoring tone that it made Ryuji’s heart twist.

“Where’s this comin’ from?” Ryuji asked, bringing his boyfriend even closer into his body with the arms around him curling tighter.

Akira attempted to move his head higher to get a better look at the boy above him. “Just thinking out-loud is all.”

“Well I think y’er wrong ‘bout that.”

“Bold claim when it’s my own feelings but go on, explain.”

“I think you were always like this, but like… Way more subdued, y’anno?” Ryuji caught a glimpse of Akira’s curious expression, egging him to continue the train of thought. “‘S just… You were always kind. Ya tried savin’ that lady from gettin’ assaulted for Christ’s sake n’ ended up in this shitty position. You prob always had this shit in ya… But I’ll take some credit in helpin’ bring it all out.”

Akira paused, Ryuji’s words circling in his brain before finding himself in agreement once again. “That’s… Probably a better way to look at it, actually. It makes you even more impressive, you managed to bring out the person that was snubbed out. I get to learn about a whole new person and what he’s like because of you. You’re incredible.”

“Not as incredible as you, man. Y’er crazy awesome… Lettin’ someone like me into y’er life. I ain’t too good at the mushy stuff but meetin’ you was the best thing that coulda ever happened ‘ta me.”

A pair of lips pressed against Ryuji’s and he instantly melted against Akira as if he was in his natural habitat. The bathhouse got even hotter in temperature as the two of them worked with each other in tandem. Out of everything Ryuji had experienced in his short time on the planet, kissing Akira was one of his all-time favorite things to do. They had perfected their pace with one another— their lack of prior experience had vanished when they got comfortable with one another. Akira’s lips were plush against Ryuji’s slightly cracked ones, adding extra texture as their mouths took precedence. Ryuji made sure to not press specific areas too close or else they’d end up with an incident they couldn’t immediately fix— he kept his arms solidly around Akira’s lower waist while the other cradled his face in his moist palms.

Ryuji felt Akira nip at his lower lip, a cue that he picked up on immediately. He opened his mouth a bit wider and allowed Akira to take a hold of his bottom lip between his teeth with a light tug. It earned an airy exhale and Ryuji found himself quickly submitting to Akira’s beck and call as usual when his tongue bypassed the entrance and made its home inside of his mouth. Ryuji’s lungs burned from the heat of the water mixed with the lack of air in his lungs but he ultimately ignored it to focus on just how good Akira felt against him. It was a necessary sacrifice that he was willing to give up. He was getting inebriated just from the kiss itself and as he deepened it, he bullied Akira back a few steps to press him back against the wall once again for a solid surface to rely on.

Soft noises of lips smacking and hums of satisfaction echoed throughout the bathhouse and the two of them were so engulfed in one another that they nearly missed the sudden rattle of the door and an abundant amount of wet feet slapping on the tiled floor. It startled Akira and Ryuji who separated from each other as quickly as they were on each other. They heaved, out-of-breath once again but instead of silly tickling being the cause, it was a heedy needy make-out session.

Soon enough, a group of older men found their way into the bath— rowdy and loudly talkative about their boring day-to-day office jobs. Ryuji and Akira took a hint— their bathing was finished and they needed to get back to the attic in Leblanc. It was a risk to be as attentive towards each other in a semi-public place, but it was too difficult to keep their hands to themselves. They snuck out back to the locker room without being noticed and took their time in changing.

After finishing up the laundry, Ryuji fell in step behind Akira as they finally returned to his room with matching levels of exhaustion. They had barely done anything and the sun was still relatively high in the sky, but the events of the day and the warmth that still radiated off their skin made them grow weary and tired. Ryuji haphazardly tossed his now clean uniform on top of the cardboard box and flopped dramatically on Akira’s bed with a heavy sigh. Despite the new direction to the day, he still had fun simply being with his boyfriend. They had made the most out of their bad situation— but that wasn’t much of a surprise when Akira could turn any disappointing scenario into something wonderful. Ryuji shifted in bed, letting his back lay flat while he made space for Akira to tuck himself against his side like he usually did. He watched him search through his collection of books and accoutraments until he located his rented copy of Love Possibly with success. The blond delinquent impatiently patted at the cold, empty spot right next to him, earning yet another eye roll in the process.

”Hurry up, ‘Kira! ‘M gettin’ cold over here,” Ryuji whined, forcing a physical and dramatic shake of his body.

”Didn’t we just get out of the bathhouse?” Akira’s eyebrow raised in slight disbelief as he waved the disc around scoldingly. “Don’t be so impatient, this’ll take just a second.”

Ryuji let out another exaggerated and elongated whine at that response. “A second takes foreverrrrrr… ‘M gonna be an old man by the time ya get here. ‘S that what y’er into? Old gross wrinkly men?”

”Oh yeah, totally. I love playing with all that saggy skin. You won’t be able to get me off of you.”

“Y’er normally like that anyways, ‘s not much of a change there.”

”Har har. Scoot over more, you know how small my bed is.”

Doing as he was told, Ryuji moved until he was flush against the wall of the attic to allow Akira as much space as he desired. The bed hardly moved when he was joined— it wasn’t much of an actual bed after all. Instinctively, Ryuji pulled Akira’s back close to his chest and lazily looped one arm around his hip while the other propped his head up on his hand with his elbow acting as support. Akira hustled into his spot, laying down and not minding the inability to see the movie that began to play from the tiny television that was quite the distance away from where they were positioned. Neither of them really cared, they just needed background noise while they cozied up to settle in for the rest of the day.

”This ain’t half bad of a date day, y’think?” Ryuji idly spoke, marking unconscious circles into the patch of skin revealed from Akira’s long-sleeve pajama shirt. “I mean… I had a lot of fun, ‘s all.”

Akira tiredly agreed, letting out a small yawn in the process. “Mhm. I told you we could make anything fun when it’s just the two of us. Even getting rained on was fun, although I could’ve done without the ruined school assignments.”

”Eh, just get Makoto to use her school council prez role ‘ta help ya out. Or Kawakami, Ann told me ‘bout the weird coincidences where she or a teach steps out n’ you slack off durin’ it.” Ryuji really did wish he was in the same homeroom as Akira— not being part of the same class felt like he was missing out on precious Akira time. He could imagine the two of them passing notes or him having his butt saved when he was forced to answer a question. It could’ve made their school-life romance that much sweeter.

”I’ll figure it out. I’ve always been able to keep my grades up, unlike a certain someone over here.”

”Shaddup! As long as ‘m passin’, that’s all that really matters, right?”

”And I’m proud of you for that.”

Akira turned slightly and raised himself to press a brisk kiss to Ryuji’s jawline before settling back down where he lay prior. “I think I’m gonna remember this day for a long time. Maybe even forever.”

”Yeah… Me too, ‘Kira. As long as y’er with me, we can take on anythin’.” Ryuji followed Akira’s path— he bent down and pressed a long and adoration-filled kiss to the top of Akira’s fluffier-than-usual dark hair.

”Couldn’t have said it better myself… Although you’re paying for our next date since you lost our race earlier.”

”I ain’t lose shit! Y’er the one that lost!”

The two of them went silent before they were sent into a fit of giggles and chuckles, melting into one another further as to leave no gaps of space present. But once the laughs subsided, Ryuji’s mind recalled something just as important as who’d be responsible for their next date payment. “Hey- where’s my prize at? Y’promised me a prize!”

Akira had a faux-dawning moment as the realization pretended to hit him like a truck. “Right, your prize. Here you go, Ryuji.”

He then promptedly made his throne on top of Ryuji, sitting on his lap without even a second to waste. Ryuji’s eyes widened at the action but he was all the more attentive and receptive to whatever Akira might’ve been planning. He didn’t have to wait long because the view of Akira shortened and he felt the familiar pair of lips return to its rightful place against his again.

When they separated, Akira and Ryuji stayed absurdly close to one another. He could feel the trickster’s hot breath against his skin, especially when he spoke.

”How was that prize?” Akira hushed, walking his pale fingers up Ryuji’s bicep and resting his palm right against the nape of his neck.

”’S good… But I want another. Catchin’ someone like you is a real big victory.” Ryuji’s smirk appeared with haste and he could see the way Akira’s eyes went half-lidded with enjoyment from his greediness for more.

”I think I can cover that. We had plans for Love Possibly anyways, didn’t we.”

”Damn straight.”

And when their lips met for the third time, they knew they’d be in for an even longer day in together.