Chapter Text
“Now welcoming to the floor, our special guest, Prince Goro Akechi.”
As his name was announced, the prince gracefully walked through the large oak doors. All eyes were on him. Some of the young women attending the party swooned as they watched him seemingly float into the ballroom. Known for his good looks, his quick wit, and his dazzling personality, Prince Akechi was a key guest for any royal celebration. Everyone wanted a chance to dance with him, but he showed no interest, even passing on a dance with the young, bright Princess Kokoro Mishima whose birthday the ball was for. Instead, he made his way to the quiet Prince Yuuki, the birthday girl’s older brother who seemed completely disinterested in the festivities of the night.
“Good evening, dear prince,” Prince Akechi greeted with a bow and a charming smile before offering his hand out to the other. “Care to dance?”
Yuuki wasn’t one for celebrations. He didn’t really know how to dance, or how to talk to people, or really anything about these events. For a prince, his charm was incredibly low. As such, he spent most balls and other parties off to the side of the room, unnoticed by most guests. Still, somehow tonight’s special guest took note of him, and even offered him a dance! A very handsome and charming prince, with the whole party falling at his feet, and he wanted to dance with Yuuki of all people? There had to be a mistake. No way he meant to talk to some barely worthwhile prince most people didn’t even notice half the time.
“This is my sister’s party, not mine,” he said. “I think you meant to offer this dance to her.”
“Oh no, I know who I offered. I would like to dance with you, and you alone.” Prince Akechi flashed another smile.
Being given such a dazzling smile sent light blush across Yuuki’s cheeks. Someone finally took note of him, and not only that, it was a handsome, charming prince. It almost didn’t seem real. Anyone at this stupid ball would kill for this offer, and yet, Prince Akechi noticed him out of all the guests. Was he being mocked? Did someone put Akechi up to this? There was no way anyone, especially not someone so handsome, would ever take note of him, and yet, here he was, with quite possibly the most handsome person in the room offering a dance to him. Still, as much as he wanted to accept...
“I really don’t dance. I don’t even know how,” Yuuki admitted. “I’d probably just stumble over your feet.”
“And if I told you that’s a risk I’m willing to take? What would you say then?”
Those words only served to make Yuuki blush more. Why was someone so pretty so insistent on dancing with him of all people? As nervous as it made him, he didn’t want to reject the offer. It almost felt like he was under some sort of spell. Prince Akechi was so enchanting, and he’d probably never get this chance again.
He smiled as he took the other prince’s hand. “One dance won’t hurt, will it?” As soon as he took Prince Akechi’s hand, he was whisked away onto the floor. The pair laughed together, and for once, Yuuki felt like he might enjoy at least a small amount of the night.
“So, might I ask what such a lovely prince was doing all on his own in the corner?” Prince Akechi asked as they danced together.
“Well, to begin with, most people don’t seem to notice I’m there,” Yuuki explained. Kind of a sore subject, but he couldn’t blame anyone for that but himself. He wasn’t the kind of person people wanted to notice.
“I’m certain that’s not the only reason. Why do you not make an attempt at getting noticed?”
“I never really liked these fancy events to begin with. They’re boring and stuffy, and I hate dressing up for them.”
Prince Akechi hummed in agreement. “The life of royalty is rather ‘boring and stuffy,’ isn’t it? Perhaps we could find our own fun?” The mischievous grin on his face was an intense contrast to his usual princely smile.
Yuuki raised an eyebrow. “Our own fun? What do you mean?”
“Meet me in the garden in an hour. You’ve charmed me already, and I’d love to get to know you better.”
Someone wanted to get to know him? Found him charming? Wanted alone time with him? What? Was this real or some sort of cruel joke? Once again, despite his worries, he found it impossible to say no. “I’d love to. You’re uh... really charming too.” God, admitting that sounded so stupid.
As the song finished and their dance came to a close, the pair pulled apart, and Prince Akechi placed a gentle kiss on Yuuki’s hand. “Until then, dear prince.”
Yuuki woke up to the startling feeling of cold and wet. He sputtered as he sat up, and glared at the figure hovering over him. “Kokoro! What the hell?!”
“Dad told me to wake you up,” his sister defended. Unlike Yuuki, she was fully awake and ready for the day. Hair in the pigtails she always wore, blue extensions going over her shoulders, uniform on; she was ready for the day. “Maybe you should wake up to your alarm and I wouldn’t have to splash you!”
As he looked at his phone, Yuuki groaned at the “missed alarm” notification. He stayed up so late being excited about seeing Goro, he didn’t get to sleep until his body forced him to. He didn’t even recall his alarm going off. How deep asleep was he for that to happen? He needed to focus on getting ready for school before he was late.
“Well, now that you’ve done your job, can you get out so I can get ready?”
Kokoro ran out of the room, and Yuuki got up and headed to his closet to get dressed. He only got as far as getting his binder on when he found himself staring at his own reflection. He never had the most athletic body, and lost what little form he had in the months since the end of the volleyball team. It wasn’t that he was out of shape, but he certainly wasn’t in shape either. He gave up on his athlete’s diet and regular exercise, and now he looked... almost pathetic, if he were to be honest with himself.
Every detail of his body stood out to him like red marks on a quiz. He flexed and... nope. No arm muscle. Just sad and flabby. He put on a bit of weight, and it made the curves he hated so much even more clear. He also lost the small amount of tone he had in his legs, and the weight that didn’t go to his stomach went to his thighs. It was a little depressing, but no matter how much it was upsetting him he couldn’t bring himself to look away. It was like looking at a car wreck. A curvy, dysphoria-inducing, self esteem killing car wreck.
He missed having at least some muscle; what little he did have before was kind of validating and made him feel more masculine. Maybe he should get back on working out? It’d suck to do it alone though. Goro probably wouldn’t be interested. Shiho could still barely walk without aid. Besides, she moved so far when she transferred, he couldn’t expect her to make that long of a trip regularly. Ryuji might be interested. Akira had mentioned going to the gym with him before. Yeah. That sounded like a plan. Ask Ryuji. Hell, maybe Akira could come as well. The more moral support the better, right? Once that decision was made, Yuuki realized he spent so much time staring at himself that he wasn’t even dressed in time to leave with his sister. He was so going to be late.
Once he put on his uniform, Yuuki headed to the kitchen to grab his breakfast. He didn’t really have time for one of his dad’s homemade breakfasts, so he grabbed a granola bar and an apple before heading out to catch the train. After everything that happened, being at the station brought back memories of his first few interactions with Goro. The selfie, talking every day, eventually becoming close friends, only for things to shatter completely. But they got a new start. Pretty soon, they might be able to meet up every day again like they used to. They would be meeting at the Aoyama Itchome station outside of school when the school day ended, and then they could properly resume their friendship.
Most students were already at school, and adults already at work, so the train wasn’t too crowded, and Yuuki was lucky enough to get a seat. He struggled to stay awake through the entire ride, stuck in a seemingly never ending pattern of nodding off and snapping himself back to reality. He only barely stayed awake enough to hear his stop being called, and had to drag himself off the train. If he couldn’t wake himself up soon, it was going to be a long, long day.
The start of the day was a bit rough to stay awake through, but as time passed his excitement began to keep him awake. Just a few more hours. A few more hours and you’ll get to see him. You can get through this. You have to be wide awake when you hang out, so wake up now. By lunch he was wide awake, able to keep his head up and eyes open. Once lunch started, Ann approached his desk and sat in the seat in front of him left free by a classmate leaving for lunch with their friend.
This became the routine for them since the “death” of the leader of the Phantom Thieves (the reality of which Yuuki tried not to think about too hard). In the short time since the event, he and Ann became rather good friends. They hadn’t really talked any more than in passing before, and at first Yuuki felt like he was just a rebound lunch buddy, but Ann seemed so kind and genuinely interested in talking to him. It left him wondering why they hadn’t become friends before.
“You know, I saw you dozing off today,” Ann said. “Did you get enough sleep last night?
Yuuki winced. Was his lack of sleep really that noticeable? Maybe he could still play it off so he wouldn’t have to make Ann worry about him. If he was being honest with himself, Ann’s concern over his condition was a bit of a shock. Sure, they were friends at this point, but he didn’t think they were close enough for her to take note of something as simple as dozing off in such a way. He couldn’t make himself a burden, after all.
“I slept.” Not entirely a lie. Two and a half hours of sleep is still sleep. “What made you ask?”
“Like I said, you were dozing off. Akira mentioned before how bad your sleeping habits tend to be.” Ann frowned and looked at Yuuki in a way that told him there was no way out of the mortifying ordeal of a concerned friend.
The truth was embarrassing to admit. Yuuki didn’t want to seem like some overeager child that got all excited about a damn sleepover. He tried to think up an excuse, but he was still a bit too tired to think up something on the spot. “Well. You see uh. The thing about that is. It’s really just. Hang on, give me a second.” Why did his brain have to shut off now of all times?
“Yuuki.” Ann’s tone was one of a parent concerned her child is hanging out with the wrong types of people, rather than someone scolding their friend for his poor sleeping habits. “Akira said you tend to push yourself too hard. I just want to make sure you’re not overworking or anything.”
There was no way out of this. If Yuuki kept dodging the question, Ann would only worry about him more. Admitting the truth, no matter how embarrassing, was better than making his friend concerned. “It was just last night,” He admitted. “Goro gets out of the hospital today, and he’s going to stay the night. I was so excited I could barely sleep.” It occured to Yuuki he never told Ann about visiting Goro despite how much of his life it consumed. It was just so stressful not knowing when Goro would wake up, and later seeing him trapped like a bird in a cage; he didn't like to think about it too much, let alone talk about it during lunch of all times.
Maybe Yuuki's lack of desire to talk about Goro with Ann was for the best. At the mention of his name, she looked away and bit her lip lightly. “Oh, right. You were visiting him when he was in the hospital too, weren't you?” She asked in a more hushed tone.
Yuuki could take a hint. It’s no surprise Goro was kind of a sore subject. Even if he had saved them in the end, he did betray the Thieves, and it was his fault Akira had to fake his death and why he had to pretend to be back home. If it weren’t for all that, Ann would be able to eat lunch with Akira instead of Yuuki. He couldn’t blame her for being tense at the mention of the person that attempted to kill their friend.
If he was being honest, Yuuki had a lot of trouble processing his own feelings on the situation. Akira told him everything, and he seemed to be forgiving, but was it right for Yuuki to just let go of it like that? Did Goro's sacrifice really just completely erase his other actions? Was it fair for Yuuki to just let go of it like that? Did it make him a bad friend?
“Hey, are you still there?” Ann waved a hand in Yuuki’s face, and he realized he’d gotten lost in his thoughts for a bit.
“Oh, s-sorry! I was just. Thinking about things.” He sighed and looked at his lunch, which he realized he hadn’t even touched yet. He got so caught up in the conversation he forgot it was even lunch time.
“About Akechi, right?” She saw right through him. Like a psychic. Or like someone who could take context clues based on the conversation they were previously having. “I’ll be honest. A lot happened and I don’t think anyone knows how to feel about it. It probably looked like I was upset with you for mentioning him... Sorry about that.” She perked up and smiled at Yuuki. “Here, to make up for it, you can have my dessert!” She said before placing a cupcake in Yuuki’s lunchbox. “It’s all yours!”
“Oh no, I couldn’t!” Yuuki quickly returned the cupcake to its rightful owner. “I haven’t even touched my actual lunch. I can’t even think about my own dessert right now, let alone someone else’s.”
“Well, you can still eat it after you finish your lunch!” The cupcake was once again handed off to Yuuki. “I should probably cut back on desserts anyways.”
“I’m fine, really!” And back to Ann. “I shouldn’t take someone else’s lunch.”
“I’m offering it to you!” Ann insisted as she gave the treat right back to Yuuki.
Defeated, Yuuki let out a sigh. Ann was being so stubborn. They would be here for the rest of lunch if he didn’t cave in. “Fine. I’ll take it if you want me to take it that badly. But I’m saving it for last in case you change your mind!”
Ultimately, Ann never changed her mind, and the cupcake went to Yuuki. Though he wasted most of lunch with his worries and racing thoughts, he managed to finish everything before class resumed. He got through the rest of his classes without dozing off, and practically dashed out the door and to the stairs, slamming directly into someone walking by as he did so.
“Hey! Watch where you’re-!”
“Sorry! Sorry, I- Oh uh. Hey Ryuji.” Yuuki’s flustered apologies were cut off as soon as he realized he hadn’t bumped into anyone who would hurt him for it. “Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was running. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, fine. You should be more careful though. Coulda knocked us both down the stairs.” Despite his scolding words, Ryuji smiled and pat Yuuki’s head. “You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good, just glad it was you I bumped into and not some angry asshole that would knock me out or something.” Yuuki said as he playfully swatted at his friend’s hand. “Oh hey, I wanted to ask you something.”
“And I want to answer you something.” The grin on Ryuji’s face that formed as he was speaking slowly dropped. “Wait, that sounded dumb. Can I try again?”
“Nope. No time for retries.” The pout on Ryuji’s face as he was denied earned a soft chuckle from Yuuki. “I was just wondering, would you want to go to the gym together sometime? I think I’ve let myself go too much since... everything that happened, and I kind of want to try getting active again.” So I’m not consistently made aware of my body’s severe lack of testosterone.
“Oh hell yeah!” Ryuji gleefully clenched his fist. “I’ve got a great place we can go to. Akira and I already go there pretty regularly. The more manpower we have the better right? Harder to slack off when you’ve got two buddies watchin’ you work. Though, it’s probably better to wait and let him join us when he doesn’t have to hide all the time.”
Yuuki hid his excitement over his contribution to the group being considered ‘manpower’ behind excitement over working out with friends. “Awesome! Can’t wait! I’ll make sure to stay on track with both of you!”
“You free tomorrow? Akira might not be able to come, but I’m sure we can get plenty done with just the two of us!”
“I can’t actually,” Yuuki said, laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head. “Goro’s staying the night with me tonight, and we planned on spending tomorrow out too.”
Any joy or excitement in Ryuji’s face and voice dropped, just as it had with Ann, “Oh right. Forgot you two used to hang out.” He sighed and looked to the stairs. “Well hey, I actually... gotta go now. Mom needs my help with some chores at home. We can talk about the workout stuff later. See ya.”
There wasn’t any of Ryuji’s usual enthusiasm in his goodbye, it was as if he lost all interest in Yuuki once he mentioned Goro. This... wasn’t going to get in the way of his friendship with the Thieves he had managed to befriend, was it...? Strangely enough given the circumstances, Akira was the least bothered when Yuuki mentioned Goro. He almost seemed supportive of their friendship, in fact! He was the one to tell Yuuki about Goro’s condition, and about the things that had happened that led to his hospitalization. Ann and Ryuji both seemed so upset about Yuuki so much as mentioning hanging out with him. Did they hate him for being so forgiving?
No. He wasn’t going to let his doubts ruin his excitement. He and Goro would be friends again, Akira was the most wronged here and he didn’t seem to mind at all. Ann and Ryuji and all the other Thieves would have to learn to deal with that, plain and simple. He was going to enjoy his renewed friendship without guilt.
...Okay, with minimum guilt.
Once he cleared his mind of any negative thoughts regarding his excitement about the next couple of days, Yuuki made his way down to the station.
He was going to enjoy his weekend, whether his other friends liked it or not.