Work Text:
In the original universe, after the Phantom Thieves defeated the god of Control, their leader, Ren Amamiya was approached by Sae Niijima on Christmas Eve. She asked him to turn himself in to the police to testify against Shido. Ren obliged but wanted to have one more day to spend it with his lover Makoto Niijima, the younger sister of Sae. She allowed the boy one more evening to himself, that she would pick him up tomorrow in the morning.
During their date, Makoto noticed that something was up with Ren. When she brought up the case about Shido, Ren’s mood turned into a sorrow one. Makoto wanted to ask him what was going one, but he wouldn’t tell her. Only responding by apologizing. She decided to leave for the evening and rejected his offer to walk her back to the station. She figured she could him again the next day. Little did she know, she wouldn’t get that chance.
Once she found out about the truth, she wouldn’t let this be the end of her. She used the phone he left behind to round up all his confidants in an effort to prove his innocence and grant him his freedom. It proved to be a tough fight since the country’s police department was still extremely corrupt and they had to convince the woman who was present during Ren’s first encounter with Shido (the one that got him into probation) to testify. After three months, the group finally managed to free their leader so he can spend his last month with them before he had to go home.
But in this universe, one choice changed all the events to come. One the evening of Christmas Eve, Ren had told Makoto that he was going to turn himself in instead of staying quiet. The revelation had shocked Makoto beyond comprehension. There was absolute silence between the two of them until Ren decided to break the silence with these words.
“Run away with me.”
She was seated at his couch looking for any solution until he spoke them. These four words would change her life for either the best or the worst. That’s for you to decide. He held out his hand. If she took it, they would leave it all behind. If she refused it, then he would go to jail. He promised her that they could live together for the rest of their lives. That he would stay with her forever just like he promised on their date to Destinyland. All of him will belong to her as he pleaded with tears in his eyes. So, after some thinking through tears, so many emotions, and thought clouding her mind,
She took his hand.
After that night, the two quickly were on the run. Getting their things from their homes to live their lives together.
After so much time of avoiding the authorities of Japan, hiding from the police and Makoto’s sister. It was a challenge for them to escape Japan, making their way to the States to live the rest of their lives in Maine.
Seven years pass with the two of them living in the state with Ren taking a job at a small coffee shop close to their apartment and Makoto working as a teacher for high school students. They both made it clear that they had to keep a low profile while also trying to not look suspicious. This strategy worked for them as nobody they knew seemed to suspect a thing during all these years they’ve been living in Maine. Their appearance has also changed with Makoto’s hair now reaching to her shoulders. Ren’s hair was still the same after all these years, though he did decide to ditch the glasses. He was also starting to form somewhat of a beard on his face, but that was happening for a while now and he would just regularly shave it.
And now here we find them, sitting in a bench looking at the sky with Makoto carrying their newborn daughter currently sleeping in her arms, Rina Amamiya-Niijima. Ever since she was born, both parents felt an urge to give the small child their undying love and care. That no matter what, they would protect her together as equals. Ren had bought the ingredients dinner tonight at their local supermarket, but they decided for just a to go to a park nearby to relax for a bit.
Makoto rested her head on Ren’s shoulder for comfort. They didn’t say a thing to each other for the moment. The only thing that could be heard were the sounds of the wind, the leaving being blown in the trees, and the light snores coming from Rina.
“Ren…” Makoto said breaking the silence before them. She said his name in a whisper so that she wouldn’t wake up her daughter. She felt Ren jump a little on her head.
“…It’s been a while since you’ve called me that.” he responded turning to her. She lifted her head from his shoulder so he could properly face her. She turned her head slightly with a smile.
“I know, now I just call you ‘dear, honey, or sweetheart.’” there hint of pink in her cheeks because she still wasn’t quite used to calling him those nicknames. Rina was only born two weeks ago. She turned her head so that she was facing forward, and Ren did as well to allow the silence to consume them. But in reality, she was thinking about the next thing she should say.
“It has been seven years since that Christmas Eve.” she looked down in the ground with a slight frown and furrowed eyebrows. “Did you realize?”
“Of course.” he responded gazing into the sky. A small smile was beginning to form on his lips. “That day, for me…” he trailed off for a moment before speaking again.
“No, for us. It was a huge change. Right?” he corrected his own sentence. He was still facing the sky with that same small on himself. “Even if I realize, I haven’t forgotten.”
“I can’t forget it.”
The corner of her mouth formed a slight smile, and she closed her eyes returning to the frown she had earlier. “Ren, don’t you regret it?”
The question caught him a bit by surprise. He turned his face to look at her, slightly confused at what she meant. “Regret?” he asked.
“To run away… to give up… to throw it away.” she clarified her question leaving him just staring at her with his eyes widened. She mentally pictured the friends they left behind, her sister, his family and how they were doing.
“Do you mean… if I’m angry at what I chose?” he asked for more clarification. The only response she gave was opening her eyes, telling him that yes, that was what she meant. He faced her for a moment, then to his daughter who was still sleeping in his wife’s arms. He thought about it for a while staring at the sleeping infant. After a while of nothing but silence, he gave his response.
“No, I don’t.”
“Besides…” he continued now with a look on his face that said that he was confident in his answer. He also trailed off once again causing Makoto to open her eyes to look at him curiously. “I love you more than anything in the world.”
He turned to look at her crimson orbs he loved so much with that same look. “I’m your husband…” he used his hand to move a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned her head press his forehead against hers. “And you’re my wife.”
Ren ran the back of his fingers in his right hand against her cheek with the two of them looking at each other with half lidded eyes. Since Makoto was holding the sleeping Rina with her left hand, she placed her right hand on top of his left hand which was resting in the tiny space between the two of them.
“As I promised to you that day…” he said. “All of me is yours. I serve to you… and dedicate to you. I live just for you.”
Makoto felt tears forming in her eyes, but she didn’t try to stop them. She just kept them open to keep looking at Ren. He uses the same hand that was caressing her cheek to wipe her tears. Still keeping their foreheads pressed together, Ren looked at his daughter. “Now, I’m doing my best for our daughter.”
At that moment, Makoto closed her eyes, leaned forward to press her lips against Ren’s own to kiss him. He returned the soft kiss closing his eyes as well. They held the kiss for a while before separating and looking to the park once again.
“So don’t you feel relieved?” he asked looking at her again. There was still a hint of tears forming in her eyes.
“I’m sorry.” she let go of his hand to wipe the tears falling across her face. “It’s just that I’m always uneasy…”
He tilted his head in confusion giving her some time to regain herself before continuing.
“But it’s because I love you.” she closed her eyes trying to prevent more tears from falling. “I love you so much that… I feel like that if I’m always uneasy…”
She opened her eyes again, turning her head to look at him placing the palm of her hand once again on top of his. “I’ll lose you one day.”
“I won’t ever let go of you until you stop loving me.” he reaffirmed her.
“I will never stop loving you.” she said back to him.
“So…” she started talking again while leaning forward. “Let’s be together forever.” she kissed him again with him responding to it with equal passion. Once they finished the kiss, Ren stood up from the bench and stretched his arms for a bit meaning he was ready to go home. They noticed Rina starting to move in Makoto’s arms, so yeah it was time to go back.
“By the way,” Makoto started speaking again, looking down at her daughter who was just waking up. “Where did you get the name Rina?”
“Hmm?” he looked back to his wife with a questioning look. His eyes then fixated on his daughter moving in Makoto’s arms. The names that they had picked out for her wasn’t in the list they made before she was born. When Rina was born, the nurse handed her to Ren after cleaning her up. Once Ren was holding Rina for the first time, he just casually said her name.
“Rina is of latin origin, and it means Queen, beloved, beautiful, peace.” he smiled at the two people who meant endless source of his happiness. Makoto found herself surprised because he still kept his studies up to date even after all these years. She never doubted that she’d forget them, but she would always worry. Makoto could always bring in a study session.
“I love it.” she gave him a smile in return. “If a second child is born, we’ll name them that way.”
“You’re already thinking about a second one?!” he sounded shocked. “Rina is only two weeks old.”
“I always like to plan ahead.” she giggled. Ren dropped the shocked expression and resumed the smile he had earlier. Even if it has been seven years since they had left Japan, she hasn’t changed a bit. She was still the wise, confidant, intelligent, beautiful student council president he fell in love with. Makoto was always someone who looked to the future for any possibility and then to look for the solutions for problems ahead. The person who comforted Ren in his toughest times, the one who always brought him back to his own two feet all by herself. That lovely woman was sitting right in front of him, holding their daughter in her arms.
“Well, I can’t think about that while we’re outside so...” he trailed off.
“Let’s go back to our home.” he held out his hand which immediately reminded her of that same night. She stared at his hand reaching out to her before looking back at her daughter who finally opened her eyes revealing the red orbs she shared with her mother. She looked turned to Ren who was still holding out his hand and she took it with her free one.
“Yes, sweetheart.”
Ren had picked up the grocery bags that were next to them. They two of them walked through the exit of the park going across a sidewalk that took the family to their shared apartment. Makoto was still carrying Rina in her arms to breastfeed her once she woke up, but on the walk back, Makoto still wanted to hold Rina. So Ren was carrying the bags in his left arms while holding guiding the stroller with his right hand. Makoto stopped walking and Ren noticed it when she did.
“Is everything ok?” he asked.
Makoto looked at him with a smile on her face.
“I’m the happiest in the world.”
.
.
.
.
To be continued…?