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Akihiko was no stranger to sleeping with Shinjiro, they did so when they were children’s in the orphanage when Akihiko had a nightmare, or after Miki died and he could only find comfort in the arms of the other boy, who despite his tough demeanor whispered reassurance to Akihiko in those dark moments.
Of course, they got older. Suddenly sleeping together when they’re barely teenagers going through puberty was awkward, especially when Akihiko realize that the feeling he suddenly developed every time he looked at Shinji was something more than friendly. And even though Akihiko wished every night to be able to sleep with Shinjiro’s strong arms holding him close, he wouldn’t dare ruin his friendship with Shinjiro, he couldn’t loose him as well.
Then they joined S.E.E.S. with Mitsuru, and were fighting monsters none of them would have ever believed to be real if they hadn’t been awake during the dark hour and the whole world seemed to turn dystopian. Fighting along side with Shinjiro was everything, they knew each other’s moves and what the other was planning with just once look. None of them worried because both of them knew they had each other’s back, they were a great team.
A night after a hard fight as the dark hour was nearing its end, they were both thrumming with adrenaline and excitement when they met each other’s glance. Akihiko nor Shinjiro could recall who made the first move, but somehow their lips met in a kiss, it was awkward and they had no idea what they were actually doing but that kiss was everything. It lasted only a few seconds and as they smiled at each other when they pulled away, Akihiko thought it was heaven.
Of course all good dreams come to an end when Shinji left. No matter how much Akihiko begged him to stay, cried and yelled for Shinjiro to not leave them, to not leave him, but he still did, he left Akihiko crying with a kiss on his lips and a promise that they weren’t over.
They never broke up, they snuck around like kids in the dark alleys to make out whenever they could and Akihiko would constantly try getting Shinjiro to come back, and every time he said he wouldn’t, Akihiko would try harder. After three years Akihiko finally got Shinjiro to come back to S.E.E.S, of course it was because Amada had joined but a win was still a win. It felt just like the old times, despite not being active alongside them, Shinjiro fought well, he could keep up and it was like he never left, and Akihiko was the happiest he had been in a while.
Then Shinjiro was bleeding in his arm and Akihiko was screaming at the others to do something while he put pressure onto the bleeding wound. The dark hour wouldn’t be over until another ten minutes and they needed to keep Shinjiro stable to get him to the hospital. Makoto was the one who had the idea to use their Persona’s healing abilities. Takeba, being the healer out of them, was the first one to quickly react, pulling her Evoker out, the ringing of the gun going off echoing throughout the alleyway as she summoned her persona, Isis.
Akihiko did the same, telling Iori to put pressure on Shinjiro’s wound as he summoned Polydeuces, ignoring the blood staining the evoker from his hand. While Akihiko wasn’t a healer, Polydeuces could still heal a single target, and nobody else mattered but Shinjiro in that moment. Mitsuru did the same thing beside him, similar to Akihiko she could only heal a single target with Penthesilea.
Between the three of them using their persona’s, Iori and Makoto putting pressure on Shinjiro’s wound, and Fuuka immediately calling the emergency number the minute the sky turned black, Shinjiro was somewhat stable when he was taken to the hospital.
Akihiko never left Shinjiro side when the hospital said he would be fine, he’d barely sleep those days no matter how much everyone, including Shinjiro who threatened to ‘kick your persistent ass” when he woke up the next day. Still, it wasn’t until Shinjiro was given the clear and was allowed to return to the dorms that Akihiko finally slept, soundly in the arms of his boyfriend who he almost lost.
Akihiko doesn’t know what he would have done if Shinjiro had actually died, and he din’t want to think about it, not ever if he had too. Shinjiro was finally okay, whatever the drugs he had taken to suppress Caesar had done to his body had been healed by the combine power of Akihiko’s, Mitsuru’s and Takeba’s persona’s, and Akihiko wasn’t planning on leaving Shinjiro side in a while.
That’s how they found themselves one early Tuesday morning. Akihiko always woke up early, it was part of his nature now, he’d get up and go on a morning run before getting ready and heading to school. Today though, Akihiko just wanted to lay just like he was, his head against Shinjiro’s chest, rising and falling softly with his breathing, and the strong arms holding him against his body. Akihiko loved every moment they got to have like that, where they could wake up or fall asleep in each other’s arms, knowing the other is right beside them, alive and well.
They had two hours before school started and they’d both need to head out. That was something new, Shinjiro had finally returned to school after fully recovering, saying he needed to make do of their promise.
(And if anyone asked, Mitsuru and Akihiko would deny the tears in their eyes when Shinjiro showed them his return slip, or the hug they all shared a minute after that)
Shinjiro normally din’t wake up as early as Akihiko, preferring to get an hour or so more of rest before getting ready, then leaving with Akihiko when he got back from his run. And if he did wake up when Akihiko did, he’d stayed at the dorm and make breakfast, usually fixing enough for their friends as well.
Akihiko fixed his gaze on Shinjiro’s face, he looked to relax when he slept, a sight only Akihiko got to see. Shinjiro din’t really let himself relax around other, then again neither did Mitsuru or even himself, is partly because they are the Senpai’s of their team, they need to seem more collected than they actually were half the time for their underclassmen’s. Though truthfully, Shinjiro and Akihiko were only ever truly themselves around each other, that was a fact everyone knew.
Akihiko pondered what he should do as he traced every detail of Shinjiro’s face, though he din’t ponder for very long when he felt the arms around his torso tightened, and a gruff voice that made Akihiko blush ever so slightly spoke. “Go back to sleep Aki…”
Akihiko hadn’t even realized Shinjiro had woken up while he was lost in his thoughts. “Sorry, din’t mean to wake you up” he whispered quietly, his own voice rough from waking up. Shinjiro sighed and open his grayish-brown eyes that Akihiko loved getting lost in.
Shinjiro stared into Akihiko’s own gray eyes, who he swears sometimes seemed to glow in the darkness of the room, and smiled. “I’ll forgive you if you go back to sleep” it was a suggestion Shinjiro knew Akihiko would agree on, he could see it in his face that he was still tired, even if he denied it to go on a stupid jog.
Akihiko stared right back into Shinjiro’s eyes and thought about it for a moment. His body wanted nothing more than to do just that, and after a minute Akihiko sighed as he slumped back into the warmth of Shinjiro’s hold, feeling the rumble of Shinjiro’s chest as he chuckled above him, one of his hands coming up to tangle itself into Akihiko’s short silvery hair.
“We still have to get up soon” Akihiko reminded Shinjiro as he closed his eyes. “Yea, but not right now” he heard. As Akihiko felt his body succumbed to slumber, he mumbled a few final words as he fell right back to sleep.
“Love you Shinji…”
“Love you too Aki”