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Akechi silently followed Maruki from a distance, hoping the counselor didn’t notice him.
He’d been out at the Kichijoji jazz club for the evening, much like he’d used to do before his betrayal of the Thieves back in November. He’d been alone; Muhen, either noticing Akechi’s expression or else just taking pity on him for coming alone, had chosen not to charge him for his drinks. Hating how everybody seemed to want to be overly kind to him lately, Akechi had then left the club and boarded the first train to Shibuya---and it was there, in the station, that he saw Dr. Maruki Takuto on his way to Yongen-Jaya.
On his way to Akira.
Akechi couldn’t help it. He followed.
Just as he’d expected, Maruki exited the train at Yongen-Jaya and began making his way out of the station. Akechi, adjusting his scarf slightly, wove through the crowd after him, making sure to stay at least eight feet behind the counselor at all times without losing sight of him. Inconspicuous trailing of the man became more of a challenge once they were in the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, but not impossible; after all, Akechi had grown up learning when and how to become invisible to the people around him, and paired with a few years of stealth training from working under Shido, he had become extremely good at it. It helped that almost everyone had gone home due to the snow, which meant that Akechi could stay in the shadows near shops without risking unwanted questions from the shopkeepers.
At one point, Akechi wondered if Maruki knew he was being followed by the person who most wanted him dead.
But Maruki never turned around and never said anything, so Akechi just kept following him in silence until they reached the door of Café Leblanc. Maruki entered the café quickly; Akechi stayed outside in the shadow of the awning, listening carefully.
“Sorry for the last-minute visit, Kurusu-kun,” Maruki said from inside the café.
Ah. So Akira had been waiting for him.
“How’s Yoshizawa-san holding up?” the counselor asked, tone light. “I’ve been concerned about a potential relapse, considering her...difficulties with accepting this reality.”
“She’s just fine,” Akira said, and Akechi noticed he sounded rather tense.
“...you know, I would love for that to be the truth,” Maruki said. “But, you know, people can’t maintain their strength forever.”
Akira did not answer this time. Akechi could imagine his expression: itching to argue on behalf of Sumire, but determined to keep the conversation civil.
“So...getting down to business...I just wanted to confirm with you, one last time---is there no way for us to reach an agreement besides fighting?”
“We can’t accept this reality,” came Akira’s reply, voice hard. “That will not change.”
“The reality I created may be distorted, from your point of view,” Maruki continued, “but it’s a reality in which everyone is happy. If you stay, you’ll never again have to suffer the pain of loss, or of having people and things stolen away from you!”
“Like you have?” Akira said easily.
Maruki made a small exclamation of surprise, then said quietly, “So...you saw what happened with Rumi. I’m not the one who suffered--- she is...but she’s still living a wonderful life right now, in this world you call a ‘distorted reality’.”
Morgana’s voice: “But she still doesn’t remember you, right? And you’re fine with that?”
“She may not be in my life anymore, but at least her own life is a happy one now.”
That’s right, Maruki would be able to understand the catlike creature. Akechi sometimes forgot that it was Maruki himself ruling the Palace and interacting with the Thieves, rather than a Shadow.
Tone light again, Maruki said, “I’m not just doing this for her. I want all of you to live just as happily as she is. But for Rumi’s happiness to last, I have to move on. After everything that’s happened to her---to me---I can’t just drag her into it.”
“Doc....” Morgana murmured.
“My stance will not change,” Maruki said, and Akechi quietly sighed to himself. “Strange circumstances led to my gaining this power---but I now recognize it as being wholly inevitable. This is something that only I am capable of doing. I promise that every person alive will be happy in the world I create. So, let me ask you this: after really considering every option, do you have any doubts about your views, Kurusu-kun?”
A few moments of silence. They felt like hours.
Please say no, Akechi prayed silently. Please say no. Please, please say no---
“What are you getting at?” Akira said quietly, and Akechi noticed a dangerous edge in his voice.
Maruki cleared his throat, then said, slightly louder, “I suppose it’s more accurate to ask, ‘Do you two gentlemen have any doubts?’”
Shit.
“You’re here, aren’t you?” Maruki called. “...Akechi-kun.”
That was it, then. Nothing left to do but face it head on.
Akechi opened the door to the café and entered, shutting it quickly behind him.
He took in the scene quickly---the trio were seated in one of Leblanc’s booths. Maruki’s back was to the door; Akira, across from him, stared at Akechi as he entered, gray eyes widening significantly. The catlike form of Morgana was on the booth beside him, also staring in shock. Maruki and Akira both had hot mugs of coffee in front of them.
“Akechi....” Morgana finally said, breaking the silence.
“You caught me,” Akechi said, voice flat.
“Oh, it was just a hunch,” Maruki said. How the hell is his tone still so light? “This issue doesn’t only affect you, Kurusu-kun. It involves you, too, Akechi-kun.”
“Both Akechi and me?” Akira said, gaze switching back to Maruki. “What do you mean?”
Akechi tore his gaze away from the Thieves’ leader, looking at the ground instead. This, he knew, was more of a reveal than anything else he could have done, but if Maruki was going to say it anyways---
Morgana seemed just as confused as Akira. “What do these two have to do with...?”
“The relationship you two share is very unusual,” Maruki said, leaning forward. “A detective and a phantom thief. Despite being enemies, your relationship isn’t based on hatred or ill will of any kind. And that’s why I found it so tragic when I learned what had happened within Shido’s Palace.”
Akechi remembered as if it were yesterday. The cognitive version of himself, pointing a gun at him; the Shadows surrounding him; the engine room door separating him from the Thieves he’d tried to kill; the bullet wound in his side....
---“You bastard!”
“So, my final enemy is a puppet version of myself....”---
He stole a quick glance at Akira, and could tell based on the young man’s expression alone that he was recalling something similar.
“Say, Kurusu-kun...didn’t you regret the way things ended with him? You two came to such a deep understanding of each other, and yet you had no choice but to leave Akechi-kun to his fate,” Maruki said with a hint of regret. “That’s why I created a reality where you two could have a fresh start together.”
Akechi still wouldn’t look at Akira, but he didn’t need to; he could hear Akira’s sharp intake of breath the moment he realized what Maruki was saying.
---“I’ll hold on to your glove.”
“Heh...after all this, that’s what you have to say? Seriously, you really are....”---
“That would mean the Akechi in the real world is....” Morgana said slowly.
“Get what I’m saying?” Maruki said. “I didn’t want to tell you like this, you know. I didn’t want to make it seem like I’m holding him hostage.”
Akechi longed to scream at him, But that’s exactly what you’re doing!
Oblivious to Akechi’s internal fury, the counselor continued, “But no matter what you may think of me, I just want all of you to accept this reality and move on with your happy lives.”
This time, Akechi couldn’t stop himself.
“And that matters how , exactly?” he said.
He knew Akira was looking at him---he could feel those stormy eyes staring at him in shock and confusion---but he did not stop.
“Don’t tell me you think dangling my life before us is going to have any impact on our decision,” Akechi said, eyes narrowed. He was glaring at Maruki now, barely keeping himself from unleashing his full anger on the man right there in the café.
“So you knew,” Akira whispered. “The whole time, you knew , and you didn’t tell me?”
“Well, I lacked conclusive evidence,” Akechi said, finally turning his gaze toward Akira, “but after I fought against you all in the engine room, I had a gap in my memory---a gap that ended when I met up with you again. There were also the cases of Isshiki Wakaba and Okumura Kunikazu...of course I’d find all of that suspicious.”
Especially since I personally killed both of them, Akechi thought but didn’t say.
“I see,” Maruki said. “I had a feeling the truth of the matter still wouldn’t dissuade you, Akechi-kun---but what about you, Kurusu-kun? ‘You think dangling my life before us is going to affect our decision.’ That’s what Akechi-kun said a moment ago. If that’s how you see it at this point, I’m fine with it...but I’m still going to ask you, one last time: will you accept the reality I create for you? After all, you were the guiding light to my research. You showed me the way so I could make my dream into a reality. I have nothing but gratitude for you---no ill will whatsoever. That’s why I want you of all people to understand.”
Akira remained silent. Akechi looked away again, unable to take the sheer strength of his gaze.
Maruki, apparently realizing he wouldn’t be receiving an immediate reply, got to his feet and said, “Perhaps I shouldn’t ask you for an answer on the spot like that. I’ll be going, then.”
“You forgot something,” Akira finally said, pulling something out and tossing it across the table. It slid to a stop in front of Maruki, and Akechi didn’t have to look to know what it was---the calling card the Thieves had prepared right after securing the route to Maruki’s Treasure.
“Ah, that’s right,” Maruki said, picking it up. He read it silently, then nodded and tucked it in his jacket pocket. “I’ve heard your calling.”
He turned to leave, then paused.
“About my question---let’s do this,” he said. “I’ll be waiting in the Palace tomorrow, as promised. If you still haven’t changed your mind at that point, we’ll meet there---but if you don’t show, I’ll take it as a sign that you’ve accepted my reality. Good night.”
Without further ado, he exited the café. Akechi waited until he was certain Maruki was gone before turning to Morgana.
“I’d like to speak with Kurusu,” Akechi said, keeping his voice flat.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of emotion---irritation, maybe; or sadness---cross Akira’s face at Akechi’s use of his family name.
“Okay,” Morgana said gently. “I’ll give you two a moment. Akira, I’ll be upstairs.”
“Thank you, Morgana,” Akira said.
The cat nodded once, then jumped off the booth and went upstairs, leaving Akechi and Akira alone in the café.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Akira was collecting his thoughts, most likely; Akechi was just waiting for the argument he knew would be coming.
When Akira gave no sign of starting a conversation, Akechi leaned against the bar and said, “I hope you know by now that I have no intention of remaining in this reality.”
“You’ve made it clear quite a few times, yes,” Akira said quietly.
“Then you should know my reason why , as well. I won’t live my life under someone else’s control. I decide how I live, and no one else. If you accept this reality, you disrespect my decision---you disrespect me . Do not think that a life in this ‘perfect’ world will make me happy.”
“I know.”
“I want to hear you say it,” Akechi snapped. “Aloud. What do you intend to do?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He made eye contact with the thief again. “ What ?”
Akira was staring at him again, blinking rapidly. “Why didn’t you tell me? You---you knew you would die if we restored reality, but you still---you still walked right towards your fate without even telling us what you were doing. I just---I don’t understand , Akechi. I thought you trusted us---I thought you trusted me . Why did you keep this a secret?”
“This is exactly why,” Akechi said harshly. “Because I knew that it had the potential to change your mind about this reality. I wasn’t willing to risk that.”
“You should’ve told me, Akechi! I want to help you---”
“I just told you! I refuse to live my life by anyone else’s rules,” he snapped, and he regretted it instantly; Akira jerked backwards, clearly hurt. “That includes Maruki’s, and it includes yours.”
“I don’t want to control your life,” Akira said. “I just want you to have a life.”
“I made my choice, back in that engine room,” Akechi said. “Make yours.”
They stared at each other for a few moments, the tension between them almost tangible.
“I won’t accept this reality,” Akira finally said quietly. “We’ll fight Maruki as planned.”
Akechi felt almost all the tension leave his limbs as Akira confirmed it.
“Good,” he said. “Thank you, Kurusu.”
“Akira,” the young man corrected him.
“Whatever.”
“Just---before we go and fight him,” Akira said, “can we talk for a few more minutes? Just you and me. Please?”
Akechi hesitated, then gave a slight nod. “Okay...Akira.”
After a brief pause, Akira blurted out, “I’m sorry. I’m the reason you’re here.”
“Well, yes, I know that ,” Akechi said, surprised.
“No, I mean---each of the Thieves had one specific wish. Ann wished for Shiho’s recovery, Futaba wished for her mother back, et cetera,” Akira said. “And...my wish was you , Akechi. For you to survive. I just wanted you back, and in wishing that, I’ve pulled you into a prison. And now, to set you free, I have to let you die, again . I’m so sorry.”
“...I’m not following,” Akechi said.
“I wanted to save you,” Akira said, “because no matter what you try to tell yourself, you’re our friend. You’re my friend. And I don’t like leaving friends behind.”
If someone asked him what made him say it, Akechi wouldn’t have been able to answer---but without warning, he said, “I didn’t want you to blame yourself.”
Akira, caught off guard, said, “Wait, what?”
“I didn’t want you to know you were sending me to my death again, and feel guilt because of it,” Akechi said. “You wanted to save me. I didn’t have it in me to tell you that you couldn’t.”
“Akechi....” Akira said sadly.
Once again speaking on impulse alone, Akechi murmured, “Goro.”
“What?”
“You might as well use my given name. It all ends tomorrow, anyway.”
“...okay. Goro.”
A few more moments of silence.
“Do you want coffee?” Akira finally said.
“...that would be nice,” Goro said.
He took his usual seat at the counter. Akira moved behind the counter and pulled on an apron, then set about making a cup of Goro’s favorite brew.
“I lied, earlier,” Akira admitted quietly as he worked.
Goro tilted his head slightly. “What about?”
“The reason I wanted to save you.”
“Aren’t you the one who keeps insisting we’re friends?” he said. “After all you’ve said---”
“No, we are friends,” Akira said, “that’s not a lie. But we’re more than that, too. We’re rivals, after all, aren’t we? Like Maruki said, our relationship isn’t based on ill will or hatred. We have a bond, Goro, you and I. A real bond. A strong one.”
Goro sighed, then said, “I cannot deny that we have a connection. We’ve always had one. But, Akira, that shouldn’t affect your decision on the fate of reality as we know it. You can’t just choose a single person over an entire country .”
“I can’t,” Akira agreed, preparing hot water, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. You know that if I could, I’d choose your life over my own. I would’ve taken your place in the engine room if you hadn’t prevented me from doing so when you shut that door.”
“That was my intention.”
“You had already tried to kill me. Four times, in fact. What stopped you from letting Shido’s cognitive of you try to off me as well?”
“You were the only person powerful enough to stop Shido,” Goro said simply. “I was finally realizing how much of a puppet I’d been. But you--- you were free from all that. And you had true justice on your side. I didn’t want you to die because without you to stop Shido, the son of a bitch would’ve taken over all of Japan, and nobody could have done a single thing about it.”
“If you’d let me fight that cognitive,” Akira said, “I could’ve saved you.”
“You could’ve,” Goro said.
“So why didn’t you let me?”
“I just said---”
Akira, without turning away from his work, said, “No, that’s bullshit. I could’ve easily killed that cognitive and you know it. I could’ve killed that cognitive and the rest of the Shadows if you’d let me get that far---but the fact is, you didn’t . You didn’t let me save you. Why?”
“Because, as I keep trying to tell you, some people just can’t be saved. I was too far gone then, and I’m too far gone now. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, Akira.”
“You’re only eighteen,” Akira said quietly. “I was hoping you’d live past that.”
“I knew when I started working for Shido that I’d never be able to come back from it,” Goro said, mildly irritated. “I didn’t expect to be a free man by eighteen---I wasn’t even sure I’d be alive by eighteen.”
“But you can come back,” the thief said with a hint of desperation. “I know you can. I can help you, but you have to let me.”
“Why? Why are you so insistent about saving me?” Goro snapped. “I’m not one of your precious Thieves---I betrayed you---I tried to kill you---so why are you so focused on helping me redeem myself , when you know I don’t deserve it?”
“You do deserve it, and you are one of the Thieves,” Akira said, finally turning to face him. “And I think you know why I want to save you so badly. I care about you. A lot.”
“You shouldn’t,” the detective muttered.
“That’s never mattered to me. I can’t imagine a world without you in it, Goro. I care too much to let you go. I---”
“Don’t say it,” Goro said.
Akira sighed. “Fine. I won’t say it. But you knew what I meant. Isn’t that proof enough that our connection is something to be treasured? Something to be protected , even?”
“It proves nothing other than that you are a fool,” Goro said, “and that much was already clear.”
As he went back to making the coffee, Akira said, “Yes, I’m a fool. That is the arcana the gods granted me, after all. But all I wanted was to save the one person I care about more than any other. Is that so wrong? Is it a crime to care about one person that much?”
“...no, but---”
“Then let me care about you,” he said, sliding the finished coffee across the counter, “and let me help you find your way back.”
They both fell silent for a few moments. Goro took a sip of the freshly prepared coffee, Akira watching him intently; the coffee was perfect as usual, and Goro said as much.
“Good, that means I didn’t screw it up while I was talking to you,” Akira replied. “And in regards to your multiple attempts to murder me, it’s not like you actually succeeded, so I’m not worrying about it.”
“You should,” Goro muttered, taking another sip of his coffee.
“Maybe. But I won’t.” Akira started cleaning up the kitchen as he spoke. “It’s in the past, anyway. We can’t change it.”
I’m sure you’d find a way. “Kurusu---”
“Akira.”
“---whatever---the fact remains that I am a liar, a traitor, and a murderer. I’ve driven people insane, I’ve faked cases, I’ve stolen things and information, I’ve falsified evidence, I’ve destroyed evidence on occasion, I’ve covered up scandals, I’ve framed people, I’ve killed people---I could go on all day.”
“You’ve stolen stuff?” Akira said, raising his eyebrows. “What have you stolen?”
“ That’s what you’re focusing on?” Goro sighed. “If you must know, I stole a handgun from one of Shido’s men and at least two hard drives from the police---and before you ask, yes, I actually took the physical drives out of the computers and brought them back to my apartment. In terms of information, well, it would take hours to tell you about all that. Anyways---I’m a criminal . I know you know that. You can’t just pretend I didn’t do any of that shit.”
“I’m not---that’s not what I’m doing. I know what you’ve done, I’ve accepted it---and I’ve moved on. What’s done is done, so I’m not dwelling on it.”
“So you’re telling me,” he said, “that even despite all the terrible things I’ve done, you still care about me? You truly are quite the fool, Akira.”
“Maybe,” Akira said with a half-smile, “but I’m your fool, if you’ll let me be.”
“I never said---”
“You wanted to.”
“I didn’t. ” Goro sighed. “It’s true, though, so whatever.”
Akira’s grin widened at that. “I knew it. I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling those things.”
“If you knew how I felt, then---”
“I hate to break it to you, Goro,” he said, “but you’re not quite as good at hiding your feelings as you think you are.”
“---you never acted on it,” Goro said. “Was it because you knew who I was---knew what I had done? Or was it because you knew all along that I would die at Shido’s hand?”
“Of course I didn’t know Shido would kill you,” Akira said, looking very hurt that Goro had even considered the notion. “The rest was partly true, though, I guess. I mean, I knew who you were, yeah, but not until a few days into Niijima Sae’s Palace. And I never assumed right off the bat that you were responsible for the mental shutdowns and psychotic breaks---I wondered about it, sure, but I refused to just accept that as the truth without either physical proof or a direct confirmation from you. The main reason, though---I was just afraid. Afraid and weak.”
“My turn to call bullshit,” Goro said, eyes narrowing. “You’ve never been weak, Akira. Never. I can’t honestly say I blame you for being afraid, but you’re not weak, as much as it hurts to admit that.”
“I’m weak when I’m with you,” Akira said. “I’m selfish when it comes to you. Even when I have a mission, or a duty to protect others, I’m all too willing to abandon it to be with you. Our time together is precious to me. You are precious to me, and I hate that I can’t ever seem to protect you the way I want to. I won’t be fighting Maruki tomorrow to save Tokyo---I’ll be fighting him because I know it’s the only thing that will help you be at peace. And it hurts like hell, but I’ll do it, because I’ll do everything to make you happy. I’d find a way to get you the moon if you asked for it. Shit, I’d give you the universe if I could---”
“You already did,” Goro said quietly.
Akira tilted his head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I will never admit this again, so commit it to memory,” Goro said, “but thanks to you, I learned what friendship felt like. I learned what teamwork felt like. You helped me see the world in a new light. You taught me how to look past the predestined battle lines and find a way back from the darkness I’d buried myself in. Because of you, I now know what it means to care for a person so much that I can’t bear to see them in pain. I now know what it means to wish with all of my heart and soul that things could be different, so that they---oh, fuck it, so that you could live a life free from all the evil in this world. Killing you the first time almost broke me. I could never have done it again---because I want you to live. You gave me the universe, because in my eyes, you are the universe.”
Akira’s eyes were watering again by the end of it, and Goro could feel his face turning a deep shade of red, but he did his best to stay sitting upright and maintain eye contact with the boy he had fallen for oh so quickly.
“The fact that you’ve told me how you feel already makes you so much stronger than me,” Goro added quietly. “I can’t even say it outright.”
The thief gave him the softest of smiles and said, “You don’t have to. I know, and that’s enough.”
Goro exhaled and finally broke eye contact, staring down at the counter.
“Maybe in another life, we’ll meet again,” he murmured. “Maybe in that other life, I’ll finally be brave enough to tell you how I feel, without my impending death drawing ever closer.”
“Technically, I haven’t actually said it outright, either,” Akira said.
“No. But you’ve always been more open than I am,” Goro said. “You don’t need words. You don’t have to say anything to get your message across.”
Akira considered this.
“All right,” he finally said. “I won’t say anything.”
Then he lifted his right hand to Goro’s cheek, cupping his face so very gently, stormy gray eyes asking a silent question.
Goro closed the distance himself.
Akira’s lips were unbelievably soft and warm; they curved into a smile as Akira kissed him back immediately; Goro, eyes drifting closed, took in a deep breath of Akira’s scent, which was a delightful mix of coffee and some kind of curry; Akira slowly wrapped his other arm around Goro’s waist, pulling him closer across the counter; with their bodies so close together, Goro could feel both of their heartbeats speed up considerably as they somehow used a single kiss to express all their unsaid feelings towards each other in the shadows of a backstreet café.
When they pulled apart, Akira’s breathing had shallowed, and Goro’s face was warmer than ever.
“Wow,” Akira said, chuckling slightly. “I, uh. I definitely did not expect that.”
“Sorry,” Goro said.
“Whoa, no, don’t apologize,” Akira said quickly. “It wasn’t a bad thing. You just caught me by surprise, that’s all. It was...nice. Wonderful, actually. You’re wonderful. This, ah---this might make things a little harder, though.”
“How so?”
“I really, really want to be with you, Goro,” he said as his expression grew serious again. “But...it all ends tomorrow. The true reality will be restored, and you....”
“...will be gone,” Goro finished quietly. “I don’t...I don’t want to leave you, either, Akira. But it has to happen, for the sake of this world.”
“Stay with me tonight,” Akira said suddenly, taking Goro’s hands and covering them with his own. “This is our last chance to be together. I don’t want to waste it.”
The old Akechi Goro---the one who dedicated his life to his revenge plan---would have protested, would have made up some excuse about studying or something equally mundane. The Akechi Goro that was brought back to life by Maruki would have just walked out on the spot.
The Akechi Goro in Leblanc with Akira simply said “Okay” and followed him upstairs.