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He could still hear that laughter echo in his head; The rapid cackling, gasps of breath between burst, tears working their way forward, It disgusted him now.At this moment he regretted calling Akira by those names as now he felt truly bad for the actions he had committed on that day.Shut the hell up you piece of shit! Those exact words kept making themselves present within his mind and it made his stomach churn, It was sickening to remember he once thought of the phantom thieves like that.Truly, it was something he just couldn't stand.
Goro Akechi, The ace detective of japan, was someone who wore a mask for safety. Too scared to remove it and show who he truly was as a human being and not for the name he was known as. The real Goro akechi, The child longing for someone to love, was just simply scared and wanted someone to help.Masayoshi shido, A piece of filth not worthy of the title 'father', denied his attachment to his son and discarded him like leftovers.Once he was done he didn't need him anymore and so Akechi became a pawn for him to use at his will; Both Robin hood and Loki at his side, Goro was an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Knowing this hurt Goro more than anyone could imagine but he did what any child would craving attention, He listened to his father hoping at some point his choice would give him the result he craved.
Sometimes a part of him wishes he would of dropped dead by his own bullet on that day just so he wouldn't have to regret his choice.He knew he had so many chances to abandon Shido and join the phantom thieves but, much like a child, he was too scared to disobey his father. He craved to see affection in those eyes, the eyes he inherited, The eyes he hated seeing in the mirror every single day.If given the chance to re-do every mistake, Akechi would take it; He'd correct every harsh word, every lie, every time he never turned his back to Shido and walked away.The phantom thieves would be the only thing he'd leave be for now, They were more his family than the shit of a father.They cared and were the only ones there to save him despite Loki's rampage; Shido would never.
The exact moment he woke up Akechi wanted to run away, to change his name, face, and overall look. Anything to run and get away from the grip Shido had on his life and perhaps, That would be his only chance to and he turned it away.He had the one thing in life he wanted most and he denied it, At that time he wasn't sure why but he felt at home at Tokyo like his heart and mind lived there. He visited that shady clinic Akira talked about, Dr. Tae takemi, looked over him and promised to keep every bit of this a secret.No Goro Akechi checked in, Goro Akechi no longer existed to people who didn't really care, for all they know he never existed in the first place. Truly a phantom fit to roam the streets in a hidden charm none would question for his name would only be whispers and mumbles, People would ask ' Hey what happened to akechi-san' and no one would have an answer. He couldn't have it any other way.
Returning to LaBlanc was quite a shock for the two who resided there; Sojiro Sakura, The owner, was quite surprised to see a phantom enter. Face covered in bandages to hide an injury from only months ago, A lone red eye staring from a mop of unkempt brown hair, and that signature smile to tell him just who arrived.The other, Akira Kurusu, seemed to be in his attic prison dubbed his room so at the current time he was unaware of just who arrived.
"Do you want me to get him?" Sojiro had always been kind but perhaps that was just because of his placement with the law. Even now, Akechi had removed his detectives badge and discarded that life, Sojiro treated him with the respect he didn't deserve.
With a simple shake of his head Akechi had answered the kind mans' question. Yes, he did crave to see Akira after such a time but he knew, at the current level of tension between them, the idea may do more bad than good. The note they left off on was quite sharp and dark but who's to say it wasn't what they needed; Akira had genuinely been the first human he trusted with his life and he knew that's why he entrusted the thief with his own flame of hope. The promise, to take down Masayoshi shido, was one he knew would be carried out even if it came from the mouth of a boy, living or dead.
He hadn't a chance to sit upon one of the stools at the bar before Sojiro had already placed a cup of coffee before him. The brew was one he typically got at LaBlanc and he wasn't sure why the man had prepared it so quickly. It was almost as if he knew Akechi would be arriving, "Are you perhaps psychic, Sojiro-san?" He laughed in an attempt to make himself seem friendly, he didn't want to provoke him too much.
"Why do you ask that?" Sojiro's answer was as straight forward as he expected, A response like that would be simple.
"You already had my favorite coffee brewed before I had the chance to even sit." The smile on his mask he wore seemed innocent enough but Sojiro Sakura wasn't one to be fooled. With both Akira and Futaba Sakura living among him, He knew when a smile was forced or emotions were faked.Taking a gentle sip of the coffee, Akechi could hear the floor boards creak above him and that made his heart want to cave in upon itself to run.Every fiber, every strand of his coward like DNA was screaming out him to run, to look for the escape he craved but...He knew if he turned back now, everything he worked so hard for would be thrown in the garbage and back with Shido. He'd be no better than his deadbeat beast that he dared to whisper the name father in hope a connection that just wasn't there.I'm not, and never will be, Masayoshi shido.He told himself as he sipped at his coffee, nursing it like you would a cup of water with the flu.
Thumping signaled someones decent down the stairs and that is when, Goro Akechi, wanted to regress back into his childlike was of thinking and wanted to run. He wanted to do the one thing he taught himself to do and that was to run and never look back.A shaking hand brought him back to a sort of consciousness as he slowly placed the small cup upon it's equally small place, Gazing up with his one eye he saw the look within Sojiro's eyes.It wasn't a look of disappointment like he had expected but one of hope, Sojiro genuinely cared of Akechi and that broke him just a little bit more than he hoped. He had been nothing but terrible to these people going as far as to lie right their faces, to rig cases in his favor, and he even shot Akira. That guilt would ever hang heavy on his heart and chain his arms and legs together like that of a prisoner but now, Now, he felt free. No shackles or ball to weigh him down, he felt weightless as if he could be on his own for once in his life. He was no longer The son of the senator, the wondrous ace detective, Now he was just Goro akechi. He was just a normal scared teenager afraid of being something he looked dead in the eye everyday.
Footsteps stopped as Akira had finally reached the bottom and Akechi refused to turn his head to gaze at the leader.I shouldn't have came here. Why did I do this...? Why did I let Dr.Takemi talk me into this. He told himself as his shaking hands rattled the cup and it's companion plate.From within just the edge of his vision he could see Akira just standing there doing absolutely nothing like a deer in headlights; Why hadn't he moved? Was he waiting for Akechi to run away or to do something? Maybe he was waiting for the next gunshot, The real shot that would end his life right here and there.Thinking in such a manner churned his stomach into even more of a tizzy, the coffee mixing with his own anxieties made him want to just die of any sort of cause. His body urged him to do anything it could to escape but those shackles, Those damn shackles, came back at the worst moment.With legs simply to heavy to run, Akechi did what he could and mustered up what mask he could, let it be Robin hood or loki and faced Akira.
"You're alive." He remembered those words from that day along with the wide grey eyes of Akira, tears threatening to spill from behind those big lenses.Those moments seemed almost unreal for he held no hostility as he rushed to hold him close and tight like one would a friend they hadn't seen in quite a time. He acted as if it had been years when really only a month or so had passed; He wondered why Akira had missed a traitor like him this much to hug him and mumbled how much it ment to know he was alive, damaged or not. A traitor shouldn't be treated with kindness, Akechi wanted to tell him this but when he opened his mouth to retort he found himself silent as the day he had promised him.As seconds turn to mintues, Akechi realized something and smiled at his new train. Akira was his one and only friend, A friend he willingly 'died' for.Perhaps one might have called the promise an unbreakable blood oath.
A spark, one so tiny and insignificant, lit the tiny fire of hope within his heart on that evening.With a swift movement Joker had reveled his true self, ripping that mask right off his face to expose who he really was. Watching him during the heist of Sae Niijima was a treasure in his own for he got to see of the leader of the devious phantom thieves really worked.Shadows, beings of never ending guilt and torment, wore masks to face the public so maybe they were not too far from being one of those inhabitants of just simple palaces. But at this moment he begun to feel just the same as a shadow, Having their mask ripped from their body and exposing the true nature within their murky hearts. True faces were exposed as they remembered who they really were and that they weren't just some being existing to be destroyed.As Akira flawlessly ripped his mask free, Tears began to shimmer in the lone red eye and had stained the shoulder he had been resting his head upon. It seemed the Akira had begun to pick up on the tiny hiccups and had rubbed small circles into his back.
Sojiro seemed to read the aura of the room without a flaw and allowed himself to slip out of the store, undetected. Now the two boys had been left alone to deal with the issues that flowed heavily through the small cafe; Moments passed as the two just held one another, enjoying the comfortable silence of the coffee scented abode. Goro had been the first to pull away but yet he continued to keep his face hidden as an attempt to hide an injury Akira was already aware was there.But the phantom thief didn't pry and Akechi was truly thankful in the moments that he didn't question, that he didn't prey on a weakness that was exposed.He had now sipped at the chilled coffee and had forced it down as he refused to meet Akira once again, "I would like to apologize, Kurusu-san."
"Akechi, You can call me by my first name. You haven't done anything to hurt me." He was ever so great at lying and he knew that.I've hurt you in more ways than a human should be capable of.
He had to control his guilt induced anger, he couldn't snap and break out in front of Akira again.Not again. Never again.So as an attempt to direct that anger, Akechi balled up his fist and dug his nails into the soft fabric of his gloves.Even with his gloves protecting his blood stained hands he craved to feel his own nails shed his own blood, he wanted to feel the pain he knew he deserved but he stopped just before the point of injury. "I shot you, Akira. I shouldn't even be here for what I've done to you and your fellow thieves; I know I should be dead in the ground, I don't even deserve to be alive." During his moment of self confession he could feel his voice crack and waver as his body and mind slowly succumbed to full grief.
Strong hands gripped his shoulders and that caused him to look up, to meet those normally empty grey eyes, now full of concern and care."You shot a cognitive version of me, Akechi. It wasn't the real me and you know that." One hand had moved from his shoulder to hold the face of the sulking boy sitting upon one of LaBlanc's many stools. A thumb stroked his cheeks to calm him and to wipe tears but he wanted to believe more was hidden behind sweet words and kind actions."What you killed was what you thought of me so th-"
"That's the problem!" The moment he shoved him away he absolutely regretted it as the shock in Akira's eyes solidified his decision.When he had smacked into the stool and bar, Akechi just stood from his own seat."I understand that it wasn't you but like you said, It's what I thought of you! I thought of you as this...this conniving piece of shit who would do anything to win!" Tears were present now as he had begun to loose his temper, Fist slamming against wood causing his cup to cling against it's plate."But now...Now I see that's not how you really are and..." I can't take it.I can't take that you're this kind person when I've only thought of you as trash.I was so disgusted with my failure that I killed you.But he couldn't say it, he couldn't admit it to himself for it just hurt too badly.Trying to run, Akechi covered his face and didn't care if he ruined his bandages; Let them fall off he thought, Let them show Akira how broken he truly was both physically and mentally.
"I don't care what you thought of me, I just care what you think of me now. Now and then are two completely different things." From the force of the push a few of the brewing machines had been knocked over but Akira didn't bother to fix them."If you still think of me as a piece of shit then fair game, it's understandable, I've done some bad things by definition." Why is he tearing himself down for me? He isn't a terrible person like I pegged him; He's so much more, He helps people change for god sakes! So why...Why can't I speak up...?Walking forward he continued to speak, to tear himself down, to tear that palace to shreds right before his own eyes."I mean even what I did to Shido was bad; He was doing some pretty shady shit with the woman and I did what I thought was good and pushed him away.I buy weapons and model guns, Get medicine from a shady back ally doctor, and I use the tactics a shogi queen taught me to think of strategies for heists." Stop doing this to yourself.
He hadn't realized he had screwed his eye shut so tightly until he felt the arms of Akira around him once more.He was running, he was doing the only thing he knew how and that was to run like a child."You aren't the person you think you are and I'm not the person you thought I was ." Those words still echoed in his head like he had only heard them just moments ago but within that moment they were loud and present like someone who wanted to be known. Though taller, He had lowered his head to sink into the shoulder of his comp- no, his friend - and quietly wept. The words Akira had spoken, You aren't the person you think you are and I'm not the person you though I was , clicked to him. Just months ago, In June, Akechi thought him to be nothing but a disgusting phantom thief committing crimes just for himself and for no one else but that could have been further from the truth. In truth Akira had been helping may others, First Ryuji Sakamoto all the way to Himself. He was truly a saint with shadowed wings preferring to stay behind the curtain during his performance. Akira Kurusu was truly the spectacular gentlemanly thief.
After the epiphany the pair traveled away from LaBlanc's main bar and up into Akira's only tiny personal living space.To be honest he wasn't completely surprised with the lack of free space between desks, a bed, and what appeared to be a countless amount of gifts he had assumed came from the other thieves."Take a seat anywhere, Akechi." Even with the countless times he had been called that within these past moments the name felt wrong, like it shouldn't be muttered by human tongue. He believed himself to be scum after all, Human speech shouldn't be tainted with such a foul name but yet...
Taking a seat upon the, what looked like, freshly made bed Akechi had fiddled with his hair."Akechi almost doesn't sound correct...You shouldn't call me that af-" Cutting himself off, He just looked at his hands now gripping at the material of his pants.He assumed this whole encounter would of played out so much more hostile than this; Toxic words being fired like the bullet he shot that day.Never in a million years would he have assumed Akira would have been this accepting of his actions and so willing to help him change.I feel on edge here...I shouldn't have come here.
"Do you want me to call you Goro? If Akechi doesn't sound right, Then how about your first name?" Those words, Those statements are what truly made Akechi realize how he felt. Every bit of anxiety or any bit of darkness still clinging to him felt washed away. A rush of heat danced on his cheeks causing them to flush red,How could he ask that so casually? It isn't as if my name is soft but...Before he had a chance to respond, Akira had just given him a little chuckle.
I don't mind. "Why are you like this?" Akechi had mumbled that to him, avoiding his gaze just like he had moments ago in the cafe."Why are you trying to hard to make me feel this way? Every feeling I had towards you months ago was forced or fake, All part of robin hood's mask, I needed you to trust me. Why are you trying so hard to peruse something that never existed?" His own words ached and tore at the heart that was already wounded from years of abuse but he had to speak the truth, He couldn't lie now. Lying had only hurt him but yet the truth had done the same but he found the truth, Robin hood, hurt far less than deception, Loki.Many people believed that being lied to hurt less, to spare feelings, but yet that was far from the real truth; Being lied to only brought more pain as weeks or even, eventually, years passed of constant deception only to be ripped of the feeling of what you believed to be true. Being told the truth was the only answer worth hearing, Rip the band-aid off as quick as possible, is what he believed anyway.
"Because I feel like those feeling weren't fake or forced." Taking a seat to Goro's right, to make sure he could still see him, Akira carefully just brushed the hair out of his remaining eye."I want to believe that back then, before Shido had his tight grip on you, that you were actually trying to get to know me."
Pulling away, to flee from Akira's calm moves, Akechi just simply stood to run.Quietly backing off and away from the bed he just continued to destroy what hope Akira had, "They were and you know that. I had no concept of how friendship or a healthy family relationship worked so what makes you think I was trying to get to know you? I was doing it for my own personal gain!" I can't lose my temper here; Not again."I had one goal and that was to stop and eradicate the phantom thieves! I believed all of you should rot in prison like thieves should; I pegged you as the ones who caused the breakdowns. I tried shifting my crimes to you so how can you believe I'm as innocent as you paint me to be?! You know the people I killed, S-So how can you treat me like a citizen who's done no wrong?!" I can't stop myself.
"Your hands might of pulled the trigger but his loaded the gun. If Shido hadn't added himself to the equation, You would have never taken those shots."
"How can you be so certain?! Who do you know I wouldn't?! I killed you wi-" I have to get him to change his mind.
"Goro, I know you would never do it. I know you wouldn't because you don't want to be like him."Reaching for his hand, Akira continued, "Pulling the trigger and firing that gun of your own volition would make you no better than Shido and you know that. I know you well enough, after the events in his palace, that you would never want to stoop as low as him." It seemed to be an ability of his, To read emotions so carefully and without flaw.Even now, Akira could read his thoughts perfectly. It was true, He wasn't wrong, He did fear of becoming just like Masayoshi shido and pulling the trigger would make the two one and the same.Both outcomes would show the results of terrible human beings so there was no exit from hell; Both were destined to burn, One would just arrive there sooner than the other."There is no human worse than shido and you would never, ever, strive to be that low."
Tears stained his flushed cheeks as his walls finally broke down in front of the other youth.How could Akira be so certain when he, himself, could not? How did Akira have the power to feel as if Goro wouldn't pull a gun on him right then and there?! But the growing pressure on his hand told him that he had been squeezing his hand. For comfort or reassurance, He couldn't quite tell.Watching Akira stand, while still holding his hand, caused his heart to practically explode out either out of anxiety or just overall fear.Taking the jump, Akechi closed the distance and just hid himself in Akira's shoulder just sobbing uncontrollably. Never in his entire existence had he met someone with this much faith in him; Akira had tried his damnedest to make himself out to be the villain of the story and to make him the hero. He had tried everything to discard Loki and to save Robin hood, To save that mask of light and Justice.
Perhaps thats why he was sobbing so greatly right now for Robin hood was the mask he wore when he met Akira. That shining light ment so much to the both of them and maybe it was worth saving."Why do..." A hiccup broke his voice but Akira let him continue, "Why do you have so much faith in me?" The gentle patting on his back told him the other boy was trying to comfort him, to keep him calm so he could talk.
"It's because I care about you, Goro." The whisper against his hair brought a dark flush to his face, painting his skin crimson.His heart, Thumping hard against his chest, signaled his nervousness; Even during his life as the ace detective he had girls who claimed he was 'bae', Whatever that meant, and definately recived letters of affection but even though he did appiracte them he felt no true...feeling towords them.But now, with Akira, he felt something fluttering in his chest at every soft touch or calm words."I've always cared about you, Even back then." Feeling the grip soften on his hand, Goro leaned back from his shoulder to look at Akira and that's when he felt the soft brush of fingers against his cheek."Goro, I care so much about you because...I love you."
His breath stopped dead in his throat as Akira's voice reached his ears.He loves me...Never in his life had he had someone so openly admit their feelings to him, Hell, no one ever cared about him beyond his line of duty. Everyone know him as Goro Akechi, The ace detective, and not Goro Akechi, the kid who just wanted someone to genuinely care.With both his heart and breath in his throat he couldn't find the strength to speak so he just carefully slipped his left hand over Akira's.There was some affection in those pale grey eyes and he caught the reflection of his own scarlet one, two colors of void and anger now filled with something atone to admiration.Akira Kurusu, Ace leader of the phantom thieves, loves someone as low as me and I..."I-I...um..." Damn, Why am I stuttering now of all times. That perfect television face I worked for is crumbling before me."I Love you too." He blurted out before his mind had any chance to set up a road block and the moment it slipped out to the open world, He knew his flush had spread and Akira had a dusting on his cheeks.
"What was that? I didn't hear it."
"Don't make me say it again please...It's embarrassing and you know it."
Akira just chuckled and the sound went straight to Akechi's heart; Why was he so infuriating? Why did he, of all humans on the planet earth, have to get caught up with him? The heart truly is a mysterious thing. I would be lying to myself if I wasn't glad but I still have to wonder. What makes him so god-awfully special to make my heart like this? Every part of him knew what made him special for it wasn't just his good looks or charming personality, It was everything about him. Akira kurusu was truly a remarkable man of all standards, He didn't stand out but he blended with the crowd. He had a face that you could forget but felt like you knew, His smile was bright, his eyes despite looking cold were quite warm to everyone, that fluffy mop of black hair atop his head was something quite normal but on him it looked unreal and special, and just his overall being was spectacular. He wasn't 'special' or 'unique' because in the normal view he was just another plain face ready to vanish into the crowd and to be never seen again but to Goro, He was a beacon. A beacon of hope ready to save any who dared gaze upon him and he had been lucky enough to peruse that light and had gotten caught in it's rays. That was why Akira Kurusu was special.
"If you feel comfortable would you..." Now embarrassment was attacked to Akira's voice and Goro loved it. He had seen if enough times to know what he was asking for: A kiss. A seal to the envelope that would be their new relationship.
Taking a breath, Goro leaned forward to the point their noses where touching.Hoping that was all he needed as a signal, He closed his eyes and waited for any sort of contact. The soft skin of lips pressed against his made his head spin. The situation itself seemed so unbelievably unreal that he felt if he pulled away it would have never had happened and he didn't want that to happen.As the kiss continued he wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands, so he just wrapped his arms around the other's waist to hold him close.When it broke the two kept their foreheads close together, to just savior the moment, but that's when Akira smiled.
Eyes fluttering open, the right side of the world blind to him, Goro smiled at what bit of limited sight he had. Lying in front of him had been Akira, deep into sleep and muttering something not even remotely understandable, and just that sight alone told him that his life hadn't been a dream. The boy, who fell head over heels in love, was currently asleep before him with his bright ring glittering in the ray of sunlight that managed to catch it. It was times like these when he was truly happy he woke so early in the morning for now, He could catch the most peaceful state of his husband.
Brushing a small curl from his face, Goro just smiled and chuckled quietly when Akira mumbled something in a sort of 'response'. His own ring, glimmering too when it caught light, reminded him of those times only just a few years ago and it made his heart swell. His life had been in such a drought when he was from a child to a teen and nothing seemed to make it better, no amount of feeling could fill it, for they were all faked. Nothing about the old Goro Akechi was real for he was his own cognition, Using a mask to portray a fake feeling to gain the trust of others. But now, After Akira stepped into his life, This Goro akechi was completely real. Nothing was ever faked, feelings were all true, and it felt amazing.
Goro placed a soft kiss to his husband's soft alabaster cheek and just smiled against it, taking advantage of his sleepy state.Whispering gently against his cheek, "I love you." When Akira's eyelashes began to flutter open Goro kept going, "You are truly the best thing to happen to me."
"Hey..." Akira mumbled, his voice still weak from just waking up."I thought we..." A yawn, "Already said our vows." That made Goro flush, his cheeks being painted a shade of pink only he was capable of. Something unique to only him which is what made him just cherish his husband more.
"W-We did but I just wanted to remind you." Plopping his head gently back on his pillow, He just held up his left hand. Waking up every morning to an amazing husband and constantly being reminded by the silver ring on his finger was true bliss. Something like this would of been completely out of the question only years ago but now, he couldn't see his life anywhere else. Even Morgana was still an element in their lives along with the other phantom thieves and he loved it and there was absolutely nothing he would change about it. He loved the mornings he woke up with Morgana sleeping happily on his chest, the afternoons he spent laughing with his friends in Haru's lovely cafe, and nights he spent alone with Akira.
"I love you too."
He wouldn't change it for the world.