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"I've always liked you."
In the darkness of your own mind, you could hear him clearly. It was an odd sensation to feel, trapped in darkness and unable to move yet having full control over all five of your senses. You could feel the ragged floors of Mementos under your limp body, could hear Akira's own labored breathing above you, could smell the faintly sweet and tantalizing cologne Akira always put on before going out no matter the occasion, could taste the copper of your own blood on your tongue, and could see, even through the darkness, the outline of Akira's trembling figure.
"The first day I saw you, when we went into Kamoshida's Palace for the first time and had no idea what was going on, you were still so confident somehow. Ryuji was such a loose cannon and yet you could handle him better than anyone on our team, even now. Sometimes, I was scared you had a crush on Ryuji. I didn't want to lose you to him...I don't want to lose you to anyone. And maybe that's unfair to you, but when it comes to you, I honestly don't mind being selfish. That may sound terrible, but it's true."
His trembling fingers brushed against your hair gently, as though he were scared to touch you fully. The other hand rested on top of your torso, where an unimaginable pain coursed through your entire being, lacing itself into every fiber of your body. You could feel your blood pooling and spilling over from the mortal wound, and you knew it was only a matter of time before time ran out. Out of all the attacks you expected the Shadows in Mementos to have, it wasn't Megaton Raid, and you were paying the price for your ignorance.
"I think I wanted something more when you awoke to your Persona. Seeing you in your Phantom Thief outfit, watching you as you dispatched of a trio of Shadows all by yourself...you were so powerful, so passionate...so beautiful. Everyone else was like a flickering candle to your wildfire presence. As time passed, I grew more and more in love." He let out a hoarse laugh. "Ryuji knew from the start. He was such a shitty wingman, but he really did root for us the entire time. Even Yusuke started to realize...even Akechi knew."
His voice grew taut with barely concealed anger at Akechi's name, at the traitor's name. Even though you all had expected something to go awry, the fact that he would even think about killing Akira, the fact that he was content with the way things had turned out, made it all so much worse and so real. When the plan succeeded and Akira returned to you all safe and sound, a part of you knew that was the moment things would kick into overdrive. After all, you had plans to take Shido's Heart, the prospective Prime Minister electee. Whatever happened, whether you succeeded or failed, the Phantom Thieves would become known.
"You've always been one of the strongest members of the team, but not just in the Metaverse. You cared so much for everyone, especially me. When any of us had problems, you were always there. It made me almost resentful at times, irrationally so, but only because you always made it seem so easy. I was in love, but I was jealous of you at the same time. It was stupid. I wish I didn't waste so much time on those useless emotions and instead focused on what was right in front of me since the very beginning."
That was a sudden revelation you weren't ready for. You had always thought yourself to be lacking compared to the other Phantom Thieves in a lot of ways, especially Akira. Everyone seemed so successful, so brave, so strong, but all you had to your name were trophies from the golden days of track and your status as Arrow of the Phantom Thieves. Even then, Arrow was more of a hero than you could ever be, even though they were essentially you, but to hear Akira say he was jealous made all of your prior conceptions fizzle out.
"I still remember how you felt and tasted against me when we kissed for the first time, that day I got back and we were alone, but if I could go back I would have reciprocated faster than I did. I think I hurt you a little when it took me so long to respond, not because you thought I didn't like you, but because you must have thought I didn't feel as strongly about 'us.' But I did." His body tensed, and his fingers brushed against the skin revealed by the tears in your clothing. "God, I wanted nothing more than to take you right then and there. I can't believe I didn't take the time to talk to you about any of that after it happened. I should have done something...and now look at me. I'm telling all of this to my unconscious teammate because I was too damn scared of my own feelings to do anything about it when they were awake."
Shock coursed through you as a tear landed on your face, followed by another. They traced a watery path down your cheek and dripped off your jaw, splattering onto the floor like raindrops. Akira sniffled and he bowed his head pressing his forehead against yours, the feeling of skin against skin foreign and yet comforting. One hand stayed on your stomach to apply faint pressure that you could barely feel as your conscious seemed to float above you like a balloon, but the other began to move through your hair again, seeming as though he were working his fingers through each individual strand.
You weren't sure if the movements were more to comfort you as you were dying, or to comfort Akira as he was forced to watch you do so.
You couldn't bear to leave him like that, crying over your unconscious body while the hopes of being rescued by your team dwindled with every passing second. You put every ounce of your willpower into waking up despite the growing pains in your stomach and body, drawing your floating conscious back down with desperate pulls. You didn't want to wait any longer to have a second chance at making something between you and Akira blossom. And there was definitely no way in hell you were going down to some piss-poor Shadow in Mementos of all places.
"Are you really crying over me?"
You knew you'd never be able to get the taste of copper out of your mouth for as long as you lived. Still, at least you were moving and talking and breathing, which meant you were still fighting for your life.
Akira gasped and he drew his head away from yours so fast you swore the friction between your masks caused sparks. You managed to open one eye, peering at Akira through a haze of pain and agony, and gave him the biggest smile you could muster (which wasn't very big.) You could see the tears still collecting in his eyes, making them glassy and more like beads of onyx than the pitch black night you'd grown used to. He returned your smile, albeit faintly, and freed his hand from your hair to squeeze one of yours.
"Oh, thank God you're awake. I was so scared you weren't gonna wake up. Jesus Christ...why the hell are you so stubborn?"
"Because being stubborn's kept me alive this long," you replied. You quirked an eyebrow and narrowed your eyes. "I couldn't die and leave you like that, though. Really? Confessing everything to me because I'm dying instead of sucking it up and doing it while I'm still alive?"
He flinched, his jaw going slack. "You...you heard everything?"
You let out a quiet laugh that turned into a brief coughing fit, your lips growing tainted with the crimson red of your own blood. With every cough, the gash in your stomach felt like it was opening wider and wider. You were certain you should have bled out by now, but maybe God or whoever was up there hadn't had enough of your suffering yet. "Yeah. Wish you'd have said it sooner so I could think of a proper response."
"How can you be so calm about all of this?" he asked, shaking his head slowly. "I knew you were brave and stubborn, but you're literally bleeding out and I don't know where our friends are."
Ahh, right. That was how you ended up here. You didn't expect to find the Reaper of all Shadows in Mementos, and in a fit of bravery, you and the other Phantom Thieves had decided to take it on. Since Flu Season had already passed and the Reaper was in tip-top shape, you had all barely gotten out with your lives. Morgana had been knocked unconscious, leaving your group without transportation, so everyone had decided to split up to escape the Shadows and meet up at the nearest safe floor.
You hummed, grimacing as a whole slew of possibilities came to light in your mind. "Well, there are worse ways to go out, I guess. I could be alone right now."
His grip tightened on your hand. "I would never forgive myself if I knew I left you to die alone."
Your heart grew warm at his proclamation...or maybe that was just the blood loss talking. You certainly felt like your body was starting to grow feverish. "Isn't that just so sweet? I'm so glad you think that way."
"Shut up." He picked you up bridal-style and stood up, his arms secure under your shoulder blades and your knees. You instinctively curled closer to him, weakly pressing your hands against your stomach in an attempt to staunch the bleeding and keep yourself awake. Pain coursed through your body as he began to move, each step jostling you and making your wounds burn. He looked down at you every so often, most likely understanding how much pain you were in, but he kept on running.
Before Akira had confessed everything, the last memory you had was of a horde of Shadows chasing after you and Akira, and Akira holding you as he fired shot after shot in an attempt to clear a path to a safe spot. Somehow, it seemed that your luck had turned around though; you barely ran into any Shadows on the way to the safe floor, and the ones you did happen to run into were easily fooled by Akira jumping into the darkness of the corners. It was time-consuming and painful to do so, but paid off in the end as you and Akira made it to the safe floor without any further injuries.
He gently set you down on the ground and stood up, looking around. He messed with his hair, somehow managing to make it even messier than it already was. You had a sudden urge to get up and play with it; it always looked so soft. Maybe you should ask him what kind of hair products he used if you made it out of here alive.
"Shit, they're not here," he said, voice taut with tension as he began pacing. You stared at the ceiling, too exhausted to bother moving your head. Was it just you, or was the room beginning to spin? "Dammit, where are they?"
After a few more minutes of fruitless pacing, he came back to you and picked you up again. Your eyelids began to droop. "'Ey, Akira...how about I just take a quick nap? Sleep sounds really nice right about now."
"Oh, don't fall asleep," he whispered, sounding like he was on the brink of tears yet again. "I don't think I'll be able to handle another scare like earlier."
"What kinda scare?" you asked, your words slightly slurred as Akira carried you over to the escalators. If he wanted you to stay awake so badly, maybe talking more would help you do so.
"You closed your eyes and went completely quiet, and for a moment, I swore your heart stopped beating too." He began shaking a little, and you weren't sure if it was from the physical strain or genuine anxiety. "It may have just been me going crazy, but--"
He was quickly interrupted by the sound of a vehicle fast approaching. He turned and almost collapsed in relief as the familiar shape of Morgana's bus form skidded to a halt in front of him.
"Where the hell have you two been?" Ann demanded, jumping out of the bus and running over to you with Makoto and Haru close behind. "We've been worried sick--"
She barely stifled a scream as she saw you curled up in Akira's arms. Makoto brushed past her and ran to you, helping Akira set you down on the ground as she summoned Johanna to cast Diarahan on you. The others fanned out behind Makoto and all watched as your body grew fully limp in Akira's grasp, your breathing evening out and the blood flow from your wound beginning to slow as the wound stitched back up.
"Thank God," Makoto said, putting a hand on her chest and letting out a sigh of relief. She looked up at Akira, somehow seeming more exhausted than Akira had ever seen her. "We were terrified when you guys didn't show up to the safe floor thought something must have happened, so we decided to head back and search around. Thankfully, Futaba's scan worked out this time--"
"Whaddya mean, 'this time?!'" Futaba demanded, sounding scandalized.
"--and now we're here," Makoto finished. "Let's get back to the surface so they can rest properly and we can all take a break. This place is really starting to give me the heebie-jeebies."
Ryuji laughed as the others began to head back to Morgana, who was patiently waiting in his bus form with the engine stalling. "For real? I didn't think you'd be the type of person to say that, Makoto."
"Do you want me to hit you?"
"N-No, ma'am."
Akira let out a little laugh and looked down at you, your face relaxed and your chest rising and falling with deep breaths. You looked so much younger now that you were safe and sound, and he leaned down to press a gentle kiss on your forehead, not missing the way you smiled even in your sleep. Yusuke gave him a knowing smile and opened the door, helping Akira climb in and lay you down across the backseat. The others climbed into the front two rows, leaving Akira with a little privacy.
He pulled your mask off your face and began running his hands through your hair again, making sure each strand was carefully unknotted. He didn't miss the blood matting your scalp and wondered if you would let him take care of you once you all got back up to the surface.
The thought of being able to take care of you as much as you did him made him smile, and he bowed his head, trying not to fall asleep.
Thank God indeed, he thought as the entrance to Mementos began to come into view. Safe and sound.