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Wide eyes trail down tan skin. Midnight darkness swallows them, street lights pinning the two boys under its intense gaze on the vacant city street.
“Akechi.”
The brown-haired boy looks away at that, quiet shame filling his throat instead of a proper response.
“Akechi.” Ren repeats, desperation lacing his voice, oh so carefully. A soft challenge, but not too pushy. Like he’s scared the man in front of him will disappear if he raises his voice too loud. Like he’ll wake up.
Akechi winces at his want.
“What?” Akechi looks at him sharply then, finally breaking.
Ren smiles. Akechi is really here, standing in front of him. After the Phantom Thieves defeated Maruki, he thought he would never get to see Akechi again. He grieved his death, knowing that he would disappear with the rest of that fucked up world. But, here he is. Standing in front of him. Right outside of the jazz club they always went to. How.
How is he alive?
“You’re alive.” Ren says stupidly, staring at him with a smile on his face, like he’s the happiest man in the world at this simple fact.
“..Yup.” Akechi says begrudgingly, popping the ‘p’ with sass.
Ren walks up to him then, and Akechi looks pathetic, still looking down at the cold sidewalk.
Ren's smile quickly turns to a grimace as he starts to take him in.
And then he slaps him.
Ow.
“Why didn’t you tell me!?” He looks angry. Oh god, he looks angry. Akechi is cowering. “You’ve been alive this whole fucking time!? I grieved you, Akechi! It’s been two years! And I find out your fucking alive by bumping into you!?”
“What the hell was I supposed to say, Ren?! I-” Akechi huffs, trying to get a grip. Ren is looking at him like he’s crazy.
“What are you supposed to say? I don’t fucking know, Akechi, how about start with ‘Hey Ren, your good friend-who you love and cherish-isn’t actually dead, and you don’t have to cry at his grave every fucking week for a year!” Ren bites out, hot tears starting to roll down his face. Akechi’s widened eyes observe him, this is the first time Akechi’s seen him so.. emotional. Wait. What was that about his grave?
“You.. you visited my grave? Weekly?” Akechi is in disbelief. He didn’t think Ren cared that much. Why did he care that much? “You sentimental fool! Why!? I’ve never been anything but cruel to you, and you still mourn me!?” Akechi's eyes dart back and forth, almost scared of this. Of Ren.
Akechi has to bite his lip to not scream when Ren embraces him.
“I missed you, Akechi.” Ren says simply. Like it’s the most obvious and simple thing in the world. That’s the power of his words, really. To make things feel so simple. Even though they aren’t. Akechi pushes him off.
“Don’t.” He says coldly, copying Ren’s simplicity, almost mocking him. Akechi’s eyes look sharp and bratty. Ren chuckles, Akechi’s threat bouncing off of him so casually, like it doesn’t matter. Akechi is feeling way too dizzy at all of this.
“Oh, but I did. And I will. Come home with me.” Ren… challenges Akechi. Akechi is going insane.
“What.”
“Come home with me. Let me make you coffee. Please.” Simple. Soft. Curt. One word powerful enough to make Akechi’s resolve weaken.
“..Fine. Whatever.” Akechi says, not even sure why he agreed. Goddamnit, he shouldn’t do this. But Ren always has had this effect on him, to make him act so simple-minded and stupid. To dig out his forever spiraling thoughts and sip them like a hard seltzer, swirling them all in a glass like he enjoys the smell. It leaves Akechi so… weak, and pliable. Like no one else has even been able. Like he’s sitting on a throne of gold in Akechi’s mind, and Akechi is nothing but a dog who worships him. Akechi scowls, trying to suffocate those thoughts so they die. Immediately.
“Just.. Don’t burn the coffee.”
Because apparently that’s something Akechi cares about.
His mouth tastes like bile when Ren takes him by the hand as they walk home.
The cafe is closed as they get there. The time is late, creeping into the AMs. As Ren turns on the lights and locks the door behind them, Akechi is rushed with nostalgia from the years that passed. He almost looks fondly at the seat where Ren offered him coffee so many times before, but he’d punch himself if he allowed that kind of sentiment for those dark times. He sighs.
“So. You’ve got me here. What now?” Akechi has a somber gaze in his eyes. When Ren looks at him with a sympathetic smile he wants to glue down his eyelids so he can’t read him so easily anymore.
“Show me your true form.” Ren has the audacity to joke. He always does.
“...Fuck off.”
“Fuck on?”
“That-” Akechi finally goes from mildly irritated to annoyed. “That doesn’t even make sense! Seriously, Ren, why the hell did you bring me here? I’m a bad person. There is no reason for me to stay in your life. You shouldn’t be friends with someone like me.” He hates how pathetic his own voice sounds.
“Why-” Ren sighs. “-are you so goddamn stubborn.”
“Why are you so goddamn stupid? I don’t need your pitiful friendship so you can feel better about yourself. You can’t save me, Ren. Stop trying.”
“I don’t want to save you. I don’t pity you. I-”
“You’re lying. Stop lying to me!”
“I'm not lying, Akechi!” Ren almost growls out his words as he pins the shorter man against the glass door. His eyes are set, and stubborn. But so are Akechi’s.
Their chests heave in rhythm. Joker bares his teeth. Akechi’s heartbeat stutters.
“You, Akechi Goro, are my friend. I want you to be my friend, because I like being around you. The only pity I feel for you is that you won’t allow yourself to accept this.”
“But.. why? After all I’ve done.. I shot you. We shouldn’t-”
“I forgive you.”
“What!? You’re crazy!”
“This is my truth, Goro.” His name pistolwhips him into silence. “I want you in my life. Please, don't deny me of this.”
Those fucking eyes of his. They’re intoxicating. Another thing that weakens his resolve.
“Ok.. F-Fine… This doesn’t change the fact that you’re crazy, though.”
Ren’s stern face breaks into a smile at this, and he hugs Akechi. He whispers “You’re mine.” in Akechi’s ear, teasing him. Akechi goes beat red and slaps Ren’s chest, punishment for his stupid sense of humor that he uses with far too confident of a smile.
Ren tugs his hand softly, and brings him to the coffee bar. Akechi lets himself be simple, if just for a moment, as he sits down and lets Ren make him coffee again.