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Goro still felt the aftermath of Maruki's last spell in his bones. It hurt - with an unpleasant tingling sensation marching through his body. But when he took a deep breath, he felt the ache dissolve.
Fuck, Maruki . Maruki, Yoshizawa-san, the lack of Phantom Thieves and Akira’s distraught expression before their defeat flashed in front of his eyes.
They lost. The Thieves did not respond to Akira's call and Sumire stayed in her delusional fantasies. So of course they lost - Goro had taken a more daredevil approach, but he wasn't stupid. Just the two of them could not fight the therapist alone.
Maruki won… and he was…
“What the hell?” he muttered, when he realized that something was crushing him. A body weighing the same as him.
“Uh, sorry…” Akira realized what happened as well and jumped off him. The ex-detective sighed with exasperation and sat up.
They weren't in Odaiba. Nor were they in a city at all.
Both teens laid on the beach. With a very murky sand and cloudy sky. The sound of seagulls and unnaturally peaceful waves reached their ears.
“If it's another mind fuckery of his I'm going to hurt him even more.” Goro began.
“Well, it probably is pointless. We're outside Tokyo.”
“Aren't you observant…” the brunette added and dusted off the sand. His orange jacket and jeans were back on him. As well as Akira's gray coat and his school uniform pants.
“But it's definitely his job.” Goro concluded.
“I expected to wake up next to human Morgana…” the raven scratched his neck “but it was also nice.”
“You woke up next to human Morgana?” Goro echoed.
“What, are you jealous?” Akira chuckled nervously.
“No. Fuck off” Goro retorted and averted his eyes “we should do something. Standing on a beach will do us nothing.”
So, in complete silence, Goro and Akira walked on the beach. It was cold. Chilly enough to force Goro to button his jacket. Akira also covered himself up.
They had to be in the real world, as much as it could real in Maruki's reality. That wasn't afterlife if the January's cold still had reached their noses and fingers. The teen was sure he already had red face from the cold-
“Ha, a boat” Akira noticed the lone wooden boat first, while Goro was too busy analyzing the weather.
It was stuck in the sand, resting against some boulder. The raven turned towards Goro with hopeful eyes “maybe we just have to escape from here? It could be a mistake in his reality…”
“I don't think so.”
“Let's just check this out then.” Akira added, cheerfully. Lunatic .
Inside the boat were three boxes - one filled with random vegetables, one with fish and one with some soda pops in glass bottles. A weird kind of food ration, Goro thought. He squatted next to the boat.
“Can we use it to go back?” Akira questioned “with the supplies…”
When Goro touched the boat, the planks dissolved into sand. They were fortunate for the boxes, because their food would end up on the dark and wet beach.
“Oh…” Akira spoke intelligently.
“It would seem so escape won't be that fucking easy.” Goro said through gritted teeth.
“Then… should we explore the land? Maybe he left a hint as to what we should do” Akira added “and grab the food. I feel like we're going to need it.”
Goro sighed and nodded, knowing that the raven was right.
*****
The only thing he and Akira found - on a land where only tall grass seemed to exist, was a building. A shiny limestone lighthouse. So of course - both of them explored it with caution.
The lighthouse had a small kitchen with retro appliances, one bathroom and one bedroom - with two separate beds and wardrobes. Both of them realized that their own clothes were there, seemingly teleported to the building with their owners. Making it another sign of the madman's interference.
There was also a library, hidden underneath the many stairs to the top, filled with poetic and romantic books as well as one desk.
Everything was perfectly suited for the two of them. Minus the books. Goro scoffed at the idea of picking any of them.
Of course, on the top was the room where the big lantern stood. With complete instruction on how to operate it - presented in pictures and simplified text. From that perspective, both teens could see that they were on a lone island.
Between one of the steps in the guide, was a letter glued to the wall. Goro immediately ripped it from there.
“There’s a letter.” he signaled to his rival and grabbed it. Akira nodded and stepped closer to him, peering over his shoulder.
Goro began to read it out loud.
‘Dear Kurusu-kun and Akechi-kun,
I am truly sorry for how everything turned out.
But I am not cruel. If I had to be completely honest - I admire your resistance and resilience to my vision. Truly. And while it pains me to leave your wishes unfulfilled, I could never take away your accountability and awareness of the situation you were put in.
Therefore - as a middle ground I grant you a sanctuary of peace where you two can rest from the world’s burden, but remain fully aware. The only thing I want for you is to do the daily task of lighting up the lighthouse’s lantern. You will be rewarded for it.
I shall talk to you once I feel you two are ready to talk.
Take care of yourselves,
Takuto Maruki.”
The last sentence could mean anything. A month, a year.
An eternity.
“Hm…” Akira grabbed the letter from the brunette’s scrawny hands, before he could rip it apart.
“Bastard.” Goro muttered. His fingers gripped his arms instead. The top of the building wasn't isolated from the wind coming from the waves, but he felt anger firing him up.
Just what kind of punishment was it? Maruki was afraid of them even being in Tokyo?
“Well, are you up for becoming a lighthouse keeper?” Akira asked. Completely serious.
“Wait, don't tell me you're going to do the things he asks?” Goro felt baffled.
“Well, I don't know. Do we have any alternatives?”
“I'm going to examine the island” he declared with an irritated tone and added “feel free to be a lighthouse keeper…”
Akira gave him a troubled grimace in response.
*****
Akira was the one who took all the responsibilities on the island.
Because of course he did.
The raven would wake up in the early morning, pick up food that had been delivered to them in another small boat (they quickly realized that it was the only source of the food they would receive) and cook them breakfast. Sometimes dinner too, if he felt like it. Before Goro had even woken up.
Then he would make sure that their surroundings wouldn't get dusty and dirty. Later he would either read a random poetry book from the library or write something on the sheets of paper Maruki left for them. Akira found them on the desk once.
And of course - he lit up the lantern every evening. But no boat ever had passed the island, so Goro still felt as if it was pointless.
Besides the two of them, there was no sign of life at all. They could hear seagulls but not see them. They could see waves breaking, signaling that something swam underneath them, but no sea animal resurfaced.
While the ex-detective, occasionally, helped Akira out with mundane tasks, he preferred to walk around the island. Trying to gather his thoughts and maybe search for some imperfection in their imprisonment. But besides a beach, grass and some rocks, he hadn't found anything. Not even any reminiscences of the construction site for the lighthouse.
As if Maruki just manifested out of thin air. Which was probably right
“Akechi, could you light it up today?” Akira asked, when he found him on the beach.
Goro was investigating a rockier part of the island - with so many sharp and dangerous boulders to walk on. He wondered if it was possible to cross it. Could Maruki put a limitation on their small island? Why would he do that?
“Why?” he glared at the raven. Akira was completely wrapped up in his coat and scarf, with only his gray eyes sticking out. They matched the color of the cloudy sky.
“Because I have something to do tonight.” he stated.
“What would it be?” Goro asked, unamused.
“You'll see. But I have a plan.” Akira just smiled mysteriously and left back to the lighthouse.
Goro did not light the lantern, still deeming it stupid.
*****
“It's your fault.” a deep voice said.
Goro glared at his forsaken companion from underneath his pillow. He, to mute the sound of seagulls screeching, hid his ears from it. To get at least some sleep.
Perfect reality his ass.
“What?” he grunted.
“Did you light the lantern?” Akira asked, sounding actually irritating.
“Fuck no…” and thus, Goro turned on his other side. Away from the raven fuming at him.
“You did not and now I am out of paper… he punished me.”
“He punished his golden goose in Metaverse’ research?” Goro commented with a raspy voice, very amused “how scandalous.”
“Goro.” Akira warned.
“Listen, Kurusu, the last thing I want is to appease a madman's rules-”
“So you don't get it…”
“What? That you want to write messages in bottles?” Goro retorted “so fish can read them?”.
“I have a plan with them” Akira interrupted him firmly, looking very insulted “one that will surely get us out of there.”
“Do you?”
Akira nodded.
“So could you cooperate next time?” he asked with a more pleading tone.
Goro blinked, sluggishly propping himself on the bed. It was so early the night sky barely hid outside.
But he nodded as well, because what else could he do?
*****
“Akechi, could you go retrieve the food?” Akira asked, once Goro stepped down into the library.
“And why should I do that?” he retorted.
“I am writing.”
Ah, right. Akira had been writing constantly. He found a new hobby of writing letters and puting them in the glass bottles left from their dinners. Like a real castaway.
“This time I am thinking about Hifumi. She has a lot of connections in the media so she could probably bring our case to the TV.” the other teen explained before Goro could ask.
“Mhm…” and Goro highly doubted that any letter Akira wrote reached any of his dear confidants.
“Could you also be a dear and cook something?” the raven queried too. Making the brunette's eyes widen. With panic (because he could not fucking cook) and with insult.
“I am not your housewife.”
“I have been cooking for us without any issues.” Akira deadpanned, piercing Goro with a judgemental look.
“I suck at cooking.” he defended, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I am sure you're fine. Just try some easy recipes. I can write something while you are out.” Akira smiled condescendingly.
Goro huffed and stormed outside to get their daily food ration.
*****
Akira did not take the punishment well. While Goro tried to distract himself with the task of lighting up the lighthouse himself, Akira just wrote letters.
Multiple letters a day - which he put in the glass bottles their beverages were contained in. Then, ceremoniously, he would throw them in the sea, hoping that somehow they would reach someone. Someone who would be interested in saving two random teens from a stranded island.
There wasn't anyone.
“Who is it now?” he asked, exasperated. Goro was… cooking breakfast, while Akira was sitting at the table, completely endorsed in his messages. So he had to keep him alive.
Although he was convinced that if he left Akira alone, Maruki would keep him alive regardless. It was just nice to have something more to do than just the lantern.
The raven completely ignored his responsibilities, leaving Goro to take care of the whole lighthouse alone. From doing something with the food the sandy boats delivered to lighting up the lantern.
“Sojiro. Again.” Akira replied abruptly, glancing up. For a second, he kept a very tense eye-contact with Goro. But as quickly as it began, it ended. Akira wrote another word with his pen.
“And they still haven't responded.” he narrowed his eyes on the younger boy.
“They will. You'll see.” Akira reassured him. Goro tsked and grabbed the pan with a fried egg on it.
He then put it on Akira’s plate and sat down in front of him, beginning their everyday routine of a pitiful breakfast. No matter how much Goro tried, it was always bland.
“Thanks” Akira replied and took a bite of his meal, not even sparing a glance at Goro. So immersed with his letters “you're getting better at this.”
“Fuck off…” the brunette muttered and averted his eyes as well.
*****
Goro stood on the balcony, while resting his weight on the railings. This time, miraculously, Akira helped him out with lighting up the lantern. So it meant today's letters were shorter and he had time to actually exist in real time with the ex-detective.
The raven stood beside him and observed the ocean. Or sea. Goro still wasn't sure where exactly Maruki had put them.
“The sky is clear.” he commented nonchalantly.
Indeed it was - the pink hue of the setting sun was the only thing that was bringing out Akira's facial features from the approaching darkness. Goro scrutinized him and his glasses, noticing the happy mood the raven was in.
He could not share that sentiment.
“Right. Rare occurrence, isn't it?” Akira answered “a beautiful break in the constant stagnation.”
“I'm thinking about making a wine out of the fruits we got” the brunette said instead. Because it was true. Due to his constant presence in the kitchen, where he struggled less with the cooking, he thought about other possibilities “so maybe the stagnation will be more bearable. Without pretty sunsets.”
“Do you know how?” the raven questioned with genuine perplexity.
“No. But I have no idea what to do with the rest of my free time.”
“Goro Akechi, the certified winemaker” Akira chuckled “you can just read the books.”
“Like fuck I will read them.” Goro smirked a little. Maybe this time he could hold a longer conversation with Akira for his own appeasement.
“Come on, they aren't that bad…”
Akira's hand landed on his, making the boy almost recoil. Almost, because the blessing of having his hands covered by the leather gloves spared him from an honest fluster.
“Maybe you can write something?” Akira offered with a small grin.
“What exactly? I don't have anyone to write” the brunette rolled his eyes “unlike you, I don't have a bunch of syncopaths or friends to talk to openly.”
“Yeah…” Akira trailed off and glanced towards the horizon. Goro watched his face form a perfect mask of neutrality. Although he could see something troubled in his cloudy eyes.
Suddenly, Akira shouted “look, look! There is light!”
“Huh?”
“There is a city! Maybe it's Tokyo!” Akira beamed. He then grabbed Goro's shoulder and shoved him in front of himself. So that the brunette could see the same thing “I told you, the letters will reach someone!”
But when Goro stared into the spot Akira was pointing towards, he saw nothing.
*****
“Goro…"
The teen stirred in his sleep. Instantly he got alarmed by Akira's presence standing over him.
“Yes?”
“C-can I… sleep next to you?” the raven haired boy asked meekly.
“Huh?”
“I can't fall asleep…” Akira explained quietly “I am afraid you're going to disappear if I finally close my eyes… and then I will be alone .”
Oh…
Goro exhaled and scooted closer to the wall, making space for Akira to lay down. The raven followed and actually clinged to the boy.
“Goodnight, Goro” he muttered “thanks…”
“Yeah, g’night…” he mumbled and rested his head on Akira's.
*****
When Goro returned with their new food supplies, he found Akira hidden away in the small library. With many books and some dictionaries he wasn't aware of being in the handpicked collection of literature.
“Had you actually slept?” he demanded and put the basket on the desk. Startling the raven.
“I didn't…” Akira looked at him.
His gray eyes were encircled by tired darkness. Goro had never seen Akira so disheveled.
“I am thinking about encrypting them. Maybe using some codes used by the navy.”
“That's so fucking pathetic, Akira” Goro huffed “nobody had fucking responded in ages. For how long are you going to keep up the charade?”
Instantly, Akira furrowed his eyebrows at him. His lip quivered a little.
“You'll see! Someone has to respond! Even if it'll take ages…” he raised his voice.
“Yeah, and we spent like a year at this fucking island” the brunette barked back “did you even see a single boat passing by? Because I sure didn't during my work here.”
“What are you saying?” Akira narrowed his eyes on him.
“That I am now the only one who treats the lighthouse seriously, while you write your fantasies to nobody.” Goro concluded coldly.
“Fuck off.”
“You’re delusional.” Goro said. And that was final. He grabbed his coat and left him be with the basket of food.
The ex-detective stormed out of the lighthouse and just marched away. The tall grass caressed his legs, while the fresh air filled his lungs. But it did not calm him down.
Goro decided to take a path he hadn't ever considered. Yet. Following the murky sand, he ended up in front of the mysterious rocks forming a barrier.
Fuck it , he thought. He could pass them anyways. And Akira probably couldn't. So he would be alone there, without disturbance from his rival.
He needed it.
Swiftly, he jumped on one of the boulders. Then to another, then another - trying to use the techniques he learned in his rock climbing classes. It was a difficult task, because once he almost slipped. But with enough focus he managed to pass them, wondering if Maruki had truly restricted the area or if he was too much of a coward to check it out.
Behind the stones was the beach. Again. But Goro could not expect anything else. He sighed and walked further, noticing that this part of the island had more pebbles. Shiny, colorful…
Goro gasped at the sight in front of him.
Many bottles - broken or whole, spread around the sand. Between them, sheets of paper with ink bleached by the sun.
The teen stopped. Maybe his heart stopped too.
They never left. Akira wrote hundreds of letters and they never left.
Maruki… god, you fucking cunt . Goro felt tears of anger threaten to spill from his maroon eyes. With an anguished grimace he stood over the many unread words.
He just sat at the beach and began picking up the scarves of Akira's letters. Some of them were too ripped and blurred to decipher, but the ones he could read were gut wrenching.
‘Futaba! I know you would be able to track me and Goro.’
‘Ryuji! Could you pass this letter to Makoto? I am safe and sound with Akechi, but we're stuck on an island.’
‘Makoto, would your sister be able to help me out?’
‘Nijima-san, it would appear me and your late assistant are in trouble.’
‘Hifumi, I am sorry to ask you for help, but I need it. Really.’
‘Iwai, do you have any contacts in the harbor?’
‘Sojiro, please. I can't pay you enough if you search for us.’
‘Morgana, please, help us.’
But the worst one was one of the freshest. Akira could have written it the previous day with how well the ink was preserved.
‘Goro, I am so sorry. I don't think the letters work anymore…’
The brunette grasped the last piece of paper between his fingers and kept it next to his chest.
“Akira…” he whispered, feeling so small against the view of the never ending ocean.
*****
“I'm sorry” Goro said, when he returned. Akira wasn't at his desk. He was actually cooking something with rice, from what Goro could see. But the delicious smell could not distract him from his current task.
“For what?” the other boy queried.
“I… I treated you too harshly.”
“Just like everyday?” Akira chuckled and turned the stove off. From what Goro could tell, he was finished with the dinner.
“No, I…” the teen hesitated “...your letters aren't stupid.”
“Oh…” Akira finally looked at him. And whatever explanation Goro had planned disappeared with their soft eye-contact. He couldn't bring himself to say the truth…
“I think I understand why you write them now” the brunette concluded, trying not to sound so damn dejected “so, keep writing them.”
…because he was even more pathetic.
Akira scrutinized him with something sorrowful and hopeful at the same time. But then he gifted Goro an actually honest grin that had no business being this endearing.
“Thank you.”
When the raven approached him, Goro just anticipated the kiss on his lips. As well on his cheek, jaw and neck.
And many others that Akira left on his body that chilly night.
If Akira did not find his precious sheets of paper in the morning, he did not mind. The raven just held Goro in his arms for the entire day, not even moving from the singular bed they now had.
*****
“I was thinking about writing a letter as well.”
Akira looked up from the many drafts of messages. Goro chewed on his lip, uncertain.
Ever since they… moved their relationship further, he wasn't sure how to operate in it. Relatively - it was the same. With a lot of bickering and deep conversations, but with additional hand holding or fucking. But it still seemed unnatural to Goro.
“Oh. Sure!” Akira beamed and offered him a pen and a paper.
“Thank you.” Goro nodded and kissed Akira's temple as a gesture of small gratitude.
The casual affection was still so weird for the brunette. But… if it would help both of them stay sane… He hoped.
“May I ask to whom you're going to write?” Akira asked, intrigued.
“No. I don't know to whom yet” he lied “I think I will think about it on the top.”
“Of course.” and thus, the ex-detective could walk up the stairs to think about his letter alone, on the top of the lighthouse.
But Goro knew exactly to who and what he wanted write.
So he began, feeling the pleasant breeze turn into something bitter.
‘Maruki. You fucking bitch.
I can't believe you would be so vile to let Akira run himself down so much. With so much pain and suffering inside his own head. While I understand why I was banished here, I don't understand how you could boast about being moral and almighty and at the same time hurt someone so precious as Akira.
I know you're reading this. All of this. Otherwise the scraps I had found wouldn't be so convenient. So let me get one thing straight;
Don't you dare ever to contact us. Don't even come close to the island, if you respect him. But I doubt you do anymore.
Sincerely,
G.Akechi.’
When he and Akira went to send the letters to the void of endless water, they did so with their hands entwined.
*****
When Akira threw another bottle in the sea, watching it float away from the beach, Goro exhaled. It was another day of the windy weather and foggy clouds with no promise of a single ray of sun.
They spent another day at the beach, not even trying to do any other tasks. The lantern was always lit up, the lighthouse was pristinely clean and the food did not need preparation - with them being served any meal they could want.
The only thing they could do was writing letters or enjoying their own miserable company. So that day, Akira decided to have a small picnic. Maybe they would fall asleep there, maybe they would do something more .
The brunette didn't know. He knew that the next day would bring them exactly the same.
“Goro…”
“Hm?” the brunette looked up from one of the many stones he grew familiar with too. Akira sat down next to him.
“Would it be selfish of me to say that I am glad it is you?”
“I think it's not up to us to decide” he replied “he put us here.”
“Yeah…” and Akira leaned against him, resting his head on Goro's shoulder “... I don't think anyone else would keep me sane.”
The ex-detective hummed affirmatively.
“We're rivals, aren't we?” he commented flatly “of course I am keeping you on your toes.”
“Mhm…” the raven chuckled and hid his face in Goro's arm “he’s not coming, isn't he?”
“No.” the brunette shook his head “I don't think so.”
Goro took Akira's hand in his own, and joined their fingers. Feeling how roughened the skin became from probable years of writing. He closed his eyes and let the chilly breeze blow his hair.