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Sometimes Ann is welcomed by various piles of gifts sitting in her private dressing room.
Since her rise to fame in her modeling career, her fans occasionally send her gifts and fan letters to her agency in the hopes that she would get them. There were bouquets of flowers, fan letters, magazines with her on the cover in hopes of her signing them, and even boxes of chocolates! (It's well known to everybody that Ann has a big sweet tooth.) Ann's mood always brightens up whenever she sees this in her dressing room. She's always been appreciative of her fans' support.
Every once in a while, gifts from a certain someone slip by and are included in the pile of gifts from fans. Sometimes it's a bouquet of freshly cut roses, other times it's a neatly wrapped homemade meal in the guise of a gift box. He always found a way to get creative. He might play coy about it whenever Ann would mention it to him, but she knew better. She knew that Akira was the romantic type.
No matter how many years have passed up until this point, Ann and Akira were still going strong. Together they've endured high school, secret plots and conspiracies, a very brief, yet poignant stint in juvie, college, having their relationship be a long distance one several times throughout the years, mundane arguments, pursuing their respective careers, stumbling on the path to their respective careers, both of them having overeager admirers, and of course, the one thing that binded the two of them together aside from love… phantom thievery. It's a wonder that the two of them haven't gotten married yet. Futaba once made a bet that they would elope after graduating high school, but that was one of the few bets that she's lost. Ann didn't sweat it too much, while Akira just simply laughed it off.
Of course, the thought has been on Ann’s mind. She did want to marry Akira someday. She loved him, and he was the only one that she could imagine spending the rest of her life with. And long ago, back in high school, Akira did admit that he wanted to get married someday. Ann kept that little nugget in the back of her mind. That vague hope that it was going to end up being the two of them on that aisle grew stronger and stronger over time. Knowing Akira and his romantic ways and dramatic flair, Ann could definitely see him outdoing himself on the actual proposal. She was willing to take matters into her own hands if it came down to it, but… she had a feeling that if she waited, it was going to be really special when it would finally happen.
Luckily for her, today was going to be special indeed.
When Ann took a break from today's photoshoot and headed to her dressing room, she was met with a beautiful bouquet of roses inside a glass vase. It was placed in front of the vanity mirror, so it was easily the first thing that grabbed her attention. When she approached the vase, she noticed something poking out within the flowers. It was a card, black and red, with a little stylish logo that Ann recognized very well.
"A calling card?" Ann questioned, quirking a brow, before she giggled to herself. This was 100% Akira's doing. She just knew it. Who else would send a calling card to one of the original Phantom Thieves? She carefully took out the card from the bouquet, feeling that it was a little thicker that she remembered it to be. (He probably bought this one for cheap. The calling cards of the Phantom Thieves became a commonplace card style over the years.) She then flipped it over, reading the message written on it:
"To Lady Ann Takamaki, the alluring model of Tokyo.
You have effortlessly stolen the hearts of many people worldwide through your beauty and your soul. Thus, I have decided to steal a treasure of yours without fail. Within this calling card, you will find the location of where this heist will take place. If you believe that you can outsmart me, then come face me. I shall be waiting.
Signed,
The Phantom Thief, Joker."
"Pfft… Oh my god…" Ann snickered, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. As she was trying to hold back from laughing, she noticed a little something that was attached to the calling card. Ann picked at the rim of the card and saw that it actually split apart and opened something up. Within this calling card was a RSVP to a rather luxurious restaurant in Tokyo. Seeing that made Ann laugh even harder, so much so that she was doubling over with little beads of tears forming in her eyes.
"Oh my god, he's such a dork!" she laughed.
A dork indeed… but she loved him dearly. Him and his dramatic antics. Now, this brings up an important question: What was she going to wear to this so-called heist?
The restaurant that Akira made an RSVP in was within the Tokyo Skytree. It was particularly known for its French and Japanese cuisine, and a killer view of the city. If there was any place to have a romantic evening, it would be that one. Since Joker was putting all this work into this 'heist,' Panther had to reciprocate in kind.
"What can you possibly steal from me, Joker?" Ann mused as she playfully tapped her cheek. "You stole my heart a long time ago."
-----
Evening finally fell, and Ann entered the restaurant with style.
Her long blonde hair flowed proudly as she walked, the loose waves of her hair bouncing against her back. The dress she chose for this little date was a strapless baby blue number, sleek in material and form-fitting to her shapely body. Ann topped it all off with blue studded earrings, and some white stiletto heels that were about three inches in height. With all of the work that he’s done in order to pull this off, Ann wanted to make sure that she was going to wow her Joker when she met up with him at the restaurant.
Ann reached into her purse and flashed the RSVP to one of the receptionists that were standing at the entrance. A waiter was eventually called and he gladly guided her to her table. Ann noticed that he was guiding her to a more private section of the restaurant floor. It looked like a VIP section, if Ann had to guess. If so, Akira was definitely pulling all the stops this time. Suddenly, the waiter stopped walking and stepped aside, gesturing towards the direction where Ann's table was. Ann simply smiled and thanked him for showing her the way. As she walked, she felt the anticipation growing in her heart. What exactly was Akira planning?
She looked down at her feet for a moment, and noticed something unexpected… rose petals. Tiny rose petals were scattered across the floor, making a path to a particular table near the large windows with the scenic view. Ann followed the petals to a table with neatly placed silverware and plates and a basket of roses placed at the center of the table. There, standing in front of the windows nearby, was Akira. And Ann couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.
Akira was well dressed for the occasion, dressed in a fitted black suit with a red blazer underneath. His eyes were glued to the window as he stared at the city below with a thoughtful look to his eyes. One of his hands was tucked inside his pocket as he leaned against the railing that was placed around the windows. Ann briefly wondered how long he was standing there like that. She didn't know if he was just bored while he was waiting for her, or if he planned to do that pose from the very beginning. Both options were viable, but knowing how much work Akira must have done to put this dinner together, Ann wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.
Either way… he looked absolutely gorgeous doing it.
"Hey there, handsome," Ann called, her tone playful. "Mind if I sit here?"
Akira turned his head when he heard Ann's voice, and he paused at the sight of her. He had a stunned look on his face as he looked her up and down. His lips parted as if he was going to speak, but nothing came out. He turned his head away and faked a cough, feeling embarrassed over his reaction. Ann couldn't help but giggle to herself at the sight of this. Oh yeah, she got him good.
“Cat got your tongue, mister?” Ann teased, closing an eye at him. She was definitely enjoying this.
"Heh… Hello, beautiful," Akira greeted. He ran a hand through his dark curls as he approached her with a smile. "Glad you could make it."
"Of course I was gonna come! I got your little challenge, after all," Ann said. As Akira drew closer to her, Ann happily wrapped her arms around him and leaned in for an eager kiss. The kiss was brief, but warm, especially when Akira reciprocated in kind. Ann had a bright smile on her face as she broke away, practically beaming over him. "...Oh, and the flowers too! They were beautiful." Ann then added.
"If you think you liked that present, you're going to love what I got planned." Akira hinted not-so-subtly.
"Oh? Does this have to do with the treasure you're going to steal from me, Joker?" Ann asked, eyeing him. "What are you going to steal? My heart? You've already got that."
"I do, and you stole mine beforehand. Now, I have something else in mind…" Akira then took one of Ann's hands and lightly kissed the back of it, looking at her with a twinkle in his eye.
“Such a tease… you’re not gonna give it up easily, are you?” Ann laughed.
“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Akira said, forming a wry smile.
“Shoulda known.” Ann sighed, shaking her head at him. Akira simply chuckled under his breath as he moved to offer Ann a seat at the table. Ann smoothed out her dress and sat down, gladly taking up his offer. Once she was settled in, Akira moved around the table and took the seat across from her.
“You’ve really outdone yourself this time.” Ann commented. “Roses, a calling card, and dinner with a view? You’ve done a lot of romantic things over the years, but this is definitely up there.”
“I spoil you. I know.” Akira said simply.
“You do,” Ann replied back. “Though now I gotta wonder what else is going on in that head of yours, since you’ve obviously got something else up your sleeve. Is something gonna be waiting for us at home?”
“Maybe… or maybe not. Try guessing a little closer on site.” Akira hinted.
“On site?” Ann repeated, furrowing her brows. “Ohhh… you got the restaurant to do something special, didn’t you?”
“...Keep guessing, babe.” he quipped, shaking his head.
“Oh, come on! That was ‘on site’, wasn’t it?!” Ann huffed.
“It was. You’re a little warmer, but you’re not quite there yet.” Akira said, smiling innocently despite his coy tone.
“Hngh… I hate it when you do that…” Ann grumbled under her breath.
“Liar. And you do it too, you know.” Akira pointed out.
“Y-Yeah, I know that! Sometimes you’ve gotta play along to defend yourself against a total tease!” Ann sputtered, defending herself.
“It helps that you have fun doing it. I know you do.” Akira said, resting his chin against an open palm.
“...Okay, yeah. I do. Our playful banters are too fun.” Ann admitted, idly tracing her finger around an empty wine glass.
“...Let’s drop the guessing game for now. I want to catch up while we eat,” Akira said, signaling for one of the waiters nearby to take their orders. “For example… was I the only one who sent you roses today?”
Ann smiled as she leaned back into her seat. “You were.” she answered. “I did see a few more fan letters and photographs that my agent brought in on break, but they weren’t sitting in a vase in front of my mirror with a calling card in them! So your gift definitely stood out the most today.”
Dinner continued on without a hitch. Ann and Akira swapped stories about their day over French and Japanese cuisine with a glass of wine. Ann then proceeded to have fun with the dinner by trying to pronounce the french names of the various meals on the menu, much to Akira’s amusement. At some point, Akira allowed her to take a bite out of his food by holding out his fork and feeding it to her. Ann happily took the offer, of course. Eventually they both finished their meal and drinks, and Ann in particular was feeling very satisfied.
"Mmm… that was good…" Ann hummed merrily, dabbing the corners of her lips with a napkin. "We should definitely come here again sometime. I mean, the Skytree is always pretty amazing with the neat views, but there are good places to eat like this one too."
"...We can work that out." Akira agreed, nodding as he pushed his empty plate aside. "I don't mind being a little fancy once in a while.
"Right? I can even take the check next time, if you want." Ann then offered. Between the flowers, the restaurant meal, and the special touches that he was allowed to do, this must've cost a fortune for Akira to pull off. For Ann, it wouldn't be a problem. For him? It would be a lot harder. It made her appreciate all the lengths he goes to make things special for her, but she also didn't want to have him struggle for her sake.
"I'll keep that in mind." Akira said, nodding again.
"Great!" Ann said cheerfully. "So… is this all you got for your little 'heist'? If you were gonna steal my hunger, you definitely did it."
"Hah! Not even close. We haven't even gotten to the main event yet," After he said that, Akira rose up from his seat and walked around the table to get to where Ann was sitting. Once he stood beside her, he bent over in a bowing motion and offered her his hand to take. "Come with me."
"To where?" Ann asked.
"Higher up," Akira said, gesturing his head up at the ceiling. "It's time I pull off this heist and steal that precious treasure of yours."
"Hehe, I'll keep playing along." Ann laughed, shaking her head. He's really running the old thievery theme to the ground this time. He must've planned something huge if the dinner wasn't all there was to it. Ann took hold of Akira's hand and rose up from her seat. Once she scooted the seat back under the table, she then linked her arm around Akira's, ready to go wherever he wanted to take her.
"So… lead the way, fearless leader." she said.
"My lady." Akira replied with a smile.
-----
They went higher and higher up the skytree, arms linked together lovingly as Tokyo became a city of lights below their feet.
Ann's eyes grew wide at the sight of the city as she walked through the spiral corridor, getting an unbelievable view through the glass windows. She saw tourists and visitors alike taking pictures of the city below, but she also noticed that Akira looked straight ahead. His pace was easy as he walked with her, and she recognized that glint of anticipation in his gray eyes, but he wasn't excited about the view outside. No... it was something else. Does it have something to do with that 'heist' he kept hinting at? Ann couldn't help but wonder what was going on in that head of his. What was he planning here?
Eventually they reached the end of the skywalk, opening the way to the second observation deck. Fewer people were in the lounging areas of the deck compared to the skywalk itself, but Akira looked unfazed as he guided Ann to a more secluded spot on the floor. There, she had a higher and more beautiful view of the city through the glass windows. The city lights seemed to glow endlessly against the darkness of the night sky, and she looked on in awe.
"Beautiful…" Ann sighed dreamily. "We're so high up… sometimes I forget how pretty Tokyo looks at night. It's so gorgeous…!"
"It is," Akira agreed. "It's not quite the same, but it kind of reminds you of being on a ferris wheel, doesn't it?"
"This view is way higher than any ferris wheel I've been to!" Ann laughed, shaking her head. Despite her brief laughter, Ann leaned her head against Akira's shoulder as she stared off into the dark horizon. "But I do get what you mean. When we're high up like this… it feels like we're standing at the top of the world. I've seen so much of it through my life and career at this point, so I know that the world's a big place. But when I'm with you, Akira… it's the best feeling, standing over the world with you. It's like…"
"...There's no one else that I'd rather be standing here with, right?" Akira finished.
"Hehe… yeah. You get it," Ann giggled, nodding at him. "You know, that reminds me of something that happened a long time ago. Do you remember the first time you took me on a ferris wheel?"
"Seaside Park. How could I forget?" Akira said, smiling warmly. "That's where we had our first kiss."
"Yeah…" Ann said, smiling as a light blush appeared on her cheeks. "Back then, I felt so happy just being there with you. I didn't see any scenery, 'cause I was only looking at you. Out of all of the people in the world, after everything that happened to me up to that point, I was so glad that you were the one who was there with me."
"Ann…"
"Now… I do see the scenery, and it's so, so breathtaking. The world is truly beautiful, and it holds so many different and beautiful things within it... But even then, you're still the most beautiful thing I see. Being with you is still the happiest thing for me, and it's times like these that I remember… that I'm so glad to have met you."
Akira's warm smile grew as he closed his eyes, sighing dreamily as he reached into his pocket. "...That's what I wanted to hear."
"H-Huh? It is?" Ann asked, perplexed.
"It is." Akira answered. "And it's time to reveal my biggest heist yet."
Ann still looked confused, but Akira simply kept his warm smile as he turned to face her. He unlinked his arm around hers, opting to take hold of her hand instead. As Ann turned and faced him, he took a small breath and exhaled… before putting on his proudest face.
"Ann Takamaki, I've lured you up here… to steal your hand." he stated.
"My… hand?" Ann repeated. He couldn't possibly mean…
Akira took a step back and took out a small velvet box from his pocket. Then, while keeping eye contact with her, he got down on one knee as he held on to her hand. Ann gasped loudly at the sight, completely taken off guard. He did mean it…!
"Ah… Akira…!" she gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand. It’s happening! It’s really happening!
"Ann… you are the color to my world," Akira began, his voice warm and tender. "My life has become so much brighter since you've been in it. If I am your light, then you are mine."
"Oh my god…" Ann murmured, feeling like she was going to cry. She could already feel her eyes watering up with tears.
"We've stayed by each other's side for so long now, despite all odds. I know that things could've been so different when we were teenagers, but… I'm glad to be standing on top of the world with you. Here and now. And I want to continue to stay by your side, till death do us part."
"Akira…"
"So, what do you say?" As Akira asked that question, he released Ann's hand in order to open the velvet box in his hand. Inside of that box was a pink diamond ring. It had a pale pink hue to its color, with the diamond itself having a pear-shaped cut. Thanks to that cut and that color, the diamond looked more like a cherry blossom petal in her eyes. The band was rose gold, with two little diamonds placed on both sides of the center diamond. The little wedges holding the small diamonds in place looked like thorns against a beautiful rose. Everything about this ring… was truly fitting. Ann could hardly believe what she was seeing right now…!
"Yes…!" Ann excitedly said, nodding vigorously.
"I didn't even ask the question yet." Akira chuckled.
"Hurry up so I can say yes!" Ann chided, practically bouncing where she stood. Akira kept chuckling at her for a few more moments, before he eventually collected his nerves and spoke.
"Ann Takamaki…" Akira said, his expression softening into a warm, loving gaze. "Will you be my partner in crime for life?"
Ann nodded vigorously again, her hands clasped together as her tears ran down her cheeks. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! A thousand -- no, a million times yes!!" she exclaimed. "Get up and kiss me, you fool!"
Akira’s smile immediately grew at the sound of her excited answer. When he rose up from the floor, Ann threw her arms around him, wasting no time in showering him with affection. Akira laughed happily before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Their tender kiss lasted for a long while, neither of them caring who would happen to see them in that secluded corner of the observation deck. Ann’s tears of happiness continued to flow as she remained in that kiss, feeling over the moon. They eventually broke away for air, only for Ann to surge forward and capture Akira’s lips again, reluctant to let him go. Akira lifted his free hand up to gently cup her cheek, feeling the trails of her tears under his thumb. When they broke away for good this time, they remained in close proximity, still feeling their hot breaths against their lips. Akira gently wiped at Ann’s tears with his thumb, while Ann was gazing at his gray eyes lovingly, lost within their warmth. Her eyes shimmered despite her tears, and they shone brighter than the city lights below their feet.
“I love you so much.” she said tearfully, her voice strong with emotion.
“I love you too. With all of my heart.” Akira replied warmly, his voice holding all the love he had for her. He leaned in for another soft kiss, still wiping away at Ann’s tears as his lips gently pressed against hers. When they parted this time, Ann’s face was beaming as she smiled from ear to ear.
“...We’re getting married. We’re actually gonna get married!” Ann cried, her excitement reaching a whole new level as she bounced in Akira’s arms. How could she not be excited after being subjected to a beautiful proposal? “Ah, the ring…! Put it on me, Akira!”
“Gladly.”
Akira brought out the velvet box once more, opening it to reveal Ann's new engagement ring. Once he opened the box, he took out the ring, put the box in his pocket, and held out his hand for Ann to take. Ann, still wiping away the rest of her tears, rested her left hand against Akira's open palm. With a warm smile, Akira slid the ring on Ann's ring finger, finally making it official. Ann held her hand up to look at the ring, and giggled weakly as she admired it.
"It's so beautiful…" she voiced.
"As beautiful as my future wife." Akira replied smoothly, bringing Ann's hand down just so he could kiss the back of it.
"Your wife…" Ann murmured, testing the word her tongue. It felt so weird, and yet… so right. "Your wife…! Hehe, I want to shout it to the moon! I'm gonna be your wife!"
"I wouldn't have anyone else." Akira murmured softly.
“Oh my god, everyone’s gonna flip when they hear about this! I’m so gonna call Shiho tomorrow!” Ann announced excitedly. “And then I gotta call Makoto, and Haru… and Futaba’s definitely gonna flip when we tell her. And of course we’re gonna tell the boys! Though you’ll probably have that covered. I can practically hear Ryuji freaking out already, and Yusuke will be so happy to hear this! And I guess Morgana will technically be the first to know, huh? Since he lives with us.”
“He’s the only one who knew what I was doing.” Akira explained. “We’ve kept this under wraps for months.”
“Months!?” Ann gasped, completely shocked. “Whoa, he definitely kept it a secret, then… He didn’t give me any clues at all.”
“That’s what you need to do in order to pull off a heist, remember?” Akira mused, resting his other hand on top of hers. “And I consider this a success.”
“‘Steal your hand…’ Okay, that one was clever.” Ann giggled, shaking her head. Now that she knew what all of this planning led up to, it was so obvious now. Freshly cut roses, a calling card, leading her up to the Skytree for dinner and taking her to the higher observation decks... it was obvious that Akira was planning to propose. Ann felt a little silly that she didn’t catch on to all of that, but at the same time… the surprise was beautiful, and one that she wasn’t going to forget.
“...Hey. Let’s head home,” Ann suggested. “I’m gonna tell everyone about our new engagement… tomorrow. But tonight… I want my future husband all to myself. After all that he’s done for me, I wanna show my Joker how much I love him.”
“My lady, my future wife… my Panther… I’m yours for eternity.” Akira promised. With that final promise, the newly engaged couple shared one last kiss within the observation deck of the Tokyo Skytree, all while the rest of the world was shining brightly below their feet.
A future together as husband and wife… that was a life that Ann and Akira looked forward to.