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Amuro Tooru’s apartment burning down was not part of the plan.
It’s a short-term rental Rei’s been using for several months now to build credibility as his new alias before he marries Akai and moves in with him; perhaps the universe thought the lease wasn’t quite short enough. That, or he’s just incredibly unlucky to have moved into a building with an aspiring arsonist.
Either way, he finds himself out on the sidewalk staring at the wreckage far too early in the morning to be dealing with something of this caliber, exhausted after having just returned from his shift at the bar.
Instead of taking some time to rest his overworked brain, he begins mentally cataloging everything he had in the apartment. His clothes, aside from what he’s currently wearing, and an emergency change of clothes in the duffel bag in the trunk of his car, are gone, as is the celery plant he’d been growing. He doesn’t have many sentimental belongings as a rule, and the few he does have are currently in Hiro’s possession, with one exception: his guitar, one of the first non-essential things he ever bought for himself, just so he could play alongside Hiro, now also lost to the fire.
It stings to know it’s gone, but it can be replaced.
All of the things he uses for his real job – his badge, his laptop, a handful of important documents, and his gun – are also with Hiro, either for safe-keeping or left over from the last time he’d been actively working on something for the PSB.
His first priority will be to buy at least a few new outfits to replace some of the ones he lost, and he also needs to sort out a new rental, but at least those are the only immediately pressing matters. The situation could be a lot worse, all things told.
The arson inspector, Yuminaga, takes some time to question him and get his alibi – he was at work, yes it can be confirmed by his coworkers and surveillance cameras – then asks him to stick around for a bit while they continue the investigation, to which Rei agrees easily. He has nothing to hide (at least not with regards to this case), so there’s no reason to make things more difficult.
Part of him is interested in the case, the detective side of his brain wanting to sift through all the evidence and puzzle it out, but he’s also very tired. Instead, he decides he should probably call Hiro and let him know what happened, though, just as he’s about to pull out his phone, a quartet of teenagers, presumably on their way to school, stumbles onto the scene.
They’re entirely unremarkable, is what he would like to say. Unfortunately, he vaguely recognizes three of the four: Kudou Shinichi, the teen sleuth who recently helped the MPD catch the bomber that injured Hagi seven years ago, the Suzuki heiress, and a girl he’s never met before but who looks far too much like Akai for her not to be his little sister. The last girl in the group isn’t immediately familiar to him, though something tickles in his brain he can’t quite place.
Kudou stops as soon as he sees the rubble of the former apartment building, Akai’s sister – Sera Masumi, he recalls from what Akai told him – following suit just a step behind him. The other two girls share a look of fond exasperation, before Suzuki says, “Shinichi-kun! Masumi-chan! Now isn’t the time to get distracted by a pile of rocks!”
“You guys go ahead,” Kudou replies offhandedly, his attention on the crime scene rather than his friends. “We’ll catch up later.”
“Shinichi!” the unfamiliar girl scolds impatiently. “You can’t skip school!”
Sera gives her a reassuring smile. “Not to worry, Ran-san! We’ll wrap this case up quickly and be at school on time, I promise!”
Rei holds back his amusement at her enthusiasm, trying not to draw attention to himself, and takes his phone out to call Hiro, hoping he’s not calling while he’s in the shower.
Hiro answers on the third ring. “Figured you’d be in bed by now,” he says in lieu of a proper greeting.
“I wanted to be,” Rei replies dryly, “but turns out I don’t have one of those anymore.”
“What? What does that mean?”
Not without some humor at the situation – it’s inconvenient, yes, but it’s also absurd – Rei answers, “My apartment burned down while I was at work.”
Apparently, that answer shocks Hiro to silence for a moment. “Wha– Are you– No, you said you were at work, so you’re probably fine. Is everything gone?”
“Everything,” Rei confirms. “And it looks like arson. Because I was a resident, I have to stick around for a while in case they need to question me further.”
“Yeah, makes sense. Do you need anything that I can bring you right now?”
Rei shakes his head, though Hiro can’t see him, and keeps an eye on Kudou and Sera. So far, they don’t seem to have paid him any mind. “Not right now. I’ll need to buy clothes and find a new place to live, but that will have to wait until later.”
Hiro, wonderful best friend that he is, says, “Alright. I’ll fill Akai in, so you don’t have to worry about that part. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks.” Relieved that he won’t have to handle the conversation with Akai – not yet, anyway; he’s sure it’ll happen soon enough – he hangs up and refocuses on the pair of teens still hanging around. They take a while to get an overview from Yuminaga, who seems surprisingly friendly with Kudou, and about the time they start to talk to one of the other suspects, the sound of a car engine catches Rei’s attention.
Turning his head, he spots a familiar red Mustang parking down the street; he doesn’t even try to fight the tiny grin that takes over his expression as Akai gets out of the car and makes his way toward Rei; no point hiding it when they’re supposed to be lovers anyway. With Akai’s sister hanging around, it’ll help sell their story.
“Are you alright?” Akai asks as he pulls Rei tight against his chest. A soft, fluttery feeling settles inside Rei as he leans into the embrace.
With an amused huff, he says, “I’m fine, Akai. I wasn’t even here when it happened.” A gentle kiss to his hairline sends Rei’s heart thumping away in his chest; Akai’s dedication to the boyfriend act is as impressive as usual. “Your sister’s here.”
He feels Akai turn his head slightly. “Ah. So she is.”
The problem with being wrapped up in Akai’s arms, aside from them very much being in public, is that Rei really is very tired, and Akai is quite warm. So, if he sags into Akai’s arms more than he normally might, it’s just a consequence of his exhaustion. He can probably be excused for that.
“You need sleep,” Akai says, rubbing Rei’s back.
“Mm. But it can’t be helped right now; I’m technically a suspect. Besides, where would I even sleep? My car?” He’s done it before, but he’ll be the first to admit it’s not exactly comfortable.
“Move in with me.”
Even though it probably shouldn’t, given the endgame for their entire fake relationship is marriage, the request startles Rei. He pulls back to give Akai a questioning look.
“It doesn’t make sense for you to go through the trouble of moving into another temporary apartment,” Akai explains. Seeing Rei’s expression, though, he adds, “But if you’re not ready for that, then it can just be until you find a new place. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Unsure why he’s so thrown off by Akai’s suggestion, Rei frowns, mostly at himself. “No, that makes sense. It just feels… fast. I guess.”
“Like I said, if you’re not comfortable…”
“What about a trial run, then?” Rei counters. “We’ll try living together for a couple of weeks, and if we can’t stand it, then I’ll find a new place.” Though, if they can’t stand living together even for a few weeks, that’ll pose even more problems down the line; but that’s a bridge to be crossed if they come to it.
Akai smiles softly at him, which Rei takes as agreement, before his eyes dart over toward the scene. “Ah. Here come the detectives.”
Amused at his grim tone, Rei says, “They’re teenagers, not executioners.”
“Aren’t they the same thing?” Akai asks, raising an eyebrow. One of his hands falls away from Rei, though the other stays firmly on his back as they face the pair.
“Are you Amuro-san?” Kudou asks Rei, eyebrows furrowed.
With a friendly smile, Rei answers, “I am.”
That response only seems to further confuse Kudou, who, much to Rei’s amusement, follows it up with, “Are you sure that’s your name?”
“I am Amuro Tooru,” Rei repeats, suppressing a laugh. “What can I help you with?”
While Kudou eyes him suspiciously, Akai’s sister jumps in. “We have some questions for you about the apartment fire, Amuro-san!” she says, glancing only briefly at the way Akai’s arm is still around Rei. “If you don’t mind answering them.”
“Certainly. I’ll help however I can.”
What follows is several minutes of questioning: his whereabouts at the time of the incident, what exactly his job is, and, weirdly, his favorite color, which he finds himself unable to answer – he’s never really thought about it. All the while, Kudou gives him increasingly confusing looks, as though he’s trying to piece together entirely different information than what is being presented.
Finally, Sera caps it off with, “Did you happen to know the landlord’s son?”
Rei thinks for a moment. “Oh, Kaito-kun? Yes, I’ve spoken to him a couple of times. Sometimes on my days off, I come downstairs to water the plants in the garden, and he goes to school at the same time.”
“You… water the plants?” Kudou repeats, sounding as if he’s just tuned in to the conversation. Suddenly, his eyes widen. “I’ve got it!” Then, like an excitable puppy, he takes off back to where Inspector Yuminaga and his men are speaking to the other suspects, Sera trailing behind at a slightly slower pace, giving Akai another strange look before she leaves.
Rei turns to Akai and grins, slipping out of his grasp, and doing his best to focus on anything except for the overly fond gleam in Akai’s eyes. “Well, don’t you want to hear their deduction?”
Ten minutes later, the case is wrapped up, the arsonist caught and taken away, and the way he addresses Akai has suddenly become more confusing and embarrassing – because, as it turns out, Kaito-kun has been referring to Rei with a far too similar moniker.
Hiro can never find out about this; Rei will never live down being labeled Akai by a child who doesn’t even know of his (fake) boyfriend.
“Shuu-nii,” Sera begins slowly, glancing between Rei and Akai. “How long have you known Amuro-san?”
“A few months,” Akai lies, and if his sister picks up on anything, she doesn’t react to it.
She frowns, more thoughtful than upset. “You’re… friends?” There’s something vulnerable in her expression, as if Akai’s next words may leave a deep impact.
“We’re dating,” Akai answers simply.
Sera’s eyes widen, her breath quickening ever so slightly. Concerned, Rei asks, as gently as he can manage, “Is there something wrong?”
“No!” she gasps, though her face says otherwise. “I – of course there’s nothing wrong with you two dating.”
Attempting to give her a reassuring smile, Rei says, “I’m glad you feel that way, but that isn’t what I meant. Are you okay?”
“I…” Sera starts, but stops immediately. She looks to Akai. “Does Mama know?”
Rei watches as understanding dawns on Akai’s face. “No,” he answers. “You can tell her and let me know how she reacts.”
A moment of – something – passes between the siblings, as if they’re speaking their own language, one that Rei isn’t privy to, before Sera nods. He’s seen similar behavior between Hiro and his older brother before, and, not for the first time, he ignores the sting of loneliness inside him.
“I’ll do that,” Sera says resolutely.
“While you’re at it, tell her he’s moving in with me,” Akai adds, and Rei has to physically cover his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing at Sera’s overly dramatic gasp. “At least temporarily.”
“Shuu-nii, you haven’t even told her you’re dating someone. She’s going to yell at you.”
Akai, seemingly unconcerned with the prospect, merely shrugs. “That’s nothing new from her.”
Sera sighs, like she’s used to his behavior, but she’s hardly scolding him. Instead, she seems almost pleased by how unbothered he is. She grins as she says, “You know this is why you aren’t her favorite, right?”
“Masumi, I haven’t been her favorite since before Shuukichi was born.” Quirking his eyebrow at her, he puts an end to the conversation there. “Don’t you have school to be attending?”
Her eyes widen in surprise and she pulls out her phone to check the time. “Shinichi-kun, we have to go! I promised Ran-san we’d be on time!”
As Kudou is dragged away by Akai’s sister, he glances back, giving Rei one last suspicious, questioning look. “Are you sure-”
“Let’s go!” Sera orders, cutting him off.
Akai turns to him as the teens disappear around the corner. “We can pick your car up later, once you’ve had some sleep, but do you need anything from it now?” Rei shakes his head, and they turn toward the Mustang, Akai’s hand finding Rei’s back again for a moment, warm and steady. “Do you know that kid?” Akai asks as they walk, sticking close by Rei’s side even after his hand has fallen away.
Rei hums, questioning, and tilts his head slightly. “Which kid?”
“Ah. Kudou. He seemed to know you.”
“I’m not sure,” Rei answers truthfully, even as his mind conjures strange images of flaming fish and demons. “It’s possible we’ve met.”
It’s equally possible, however, that his tired brain is making connections where there are none – after all, he knows of Kudou Shinichi, if nothing else.
Apparently satisfied enough with that response, Akai lets the subject drop. The drive back to his place is quiet enough for Rei to doze off to the purr of the car’s engine, completely missing the fond, sappy little smile on Akai’s face.
“The bedroom is through here,” Akai explains, leading Rei through his small apartment. The tour is unnecessary – the apartment is small enough, and Rei’s been inside before – but he gives it anyway. “I’m sure you’re exhausted; I’ll get some clothes you can sleep in.”
Rei nods silently as Akai rifles through his dresser for spare sweats and a t-shirt before handing them over. “Thanks.”
Akai smiles at him again, that same soft smile from when they first saw each other earlier that has Rei’s heart thumping harder in his chest, and brushes Rei’s hair out of his face, tucking some behind his ear. “Let me know if you need anything, or if you get hungry.”
“I’ve seen your kitchen,” Rei counters, somewhere between teasing and derision, smothering any stray feelings he certainly isn’t having. “I’m taking you to the grocery store later.” At least cooking for Akai is something he can do to feel like he’s not just a long-term house guest; he’s seen the way that man eats when left to his own devices.
Akai snorts, but doesn’t object. “Sleep first,” he urges, not that Rei feels the need to disagree. He leaves shortly after that, giving Rei privacy to change and climb into bed.
Wearing Akai’s clothes, sleeping in his bed, Rei’s head on the pillow that still smells faintly of Akai’s shampoo (he assumes; he hasn’t spent a lot of time analyzing his fake boyfriend’s hair care routine) – it’s a special kind of torture that Rei tries to push out of his mind. Just because he can admit, in the privacy of his own mind, that Akai Shuuichi is an objectively attractive man, doesn’t mean he needs to be weird about it.
Sleep comes quickly, thankfully, so he has no time to dwell on his situation.
He awakes in the early afternoon, having only slept for a short while, feeling more refreshed than he expected. Voices from the other room indicate that they appear to have company. He listens for a minute, trying to place them – Akai and Hiro he recognizes, but there’s also an unfamiliar woman.
Dread forms a pit in his stomach as he recalls their conversation with Akai’s sister earlier – specifically, that she might tell her mother about Akai’s now live-in boyfriend. Surely, she wouldn’t just drop by unannounced, though… right?
Then again, Akai had just stopped by his office one afternoon to propose marriage to him for the purposes of a case, so Rei quickly reassesses that thought. If Akai’s mother is anything like him, she would absolutely just stop by without warning.
Shit. He’s not really prepared for any more sudden meetings with Akai’s family today – especially the mother he’s indicated he doesn’t really get along with.
So, he has two choices. One: he can stay in bed, pretend to still be sleeping, right up until she leaves. Akai probably wouldn’t even begrudge him that.
But it kind of feels like the coward’s way out, and just the thought of leaving Akai out there with her alone (even if Hiro’s there, too) causes guilt to form a pit in his stomach, given that he knows he’s the reason for the impromptu visit.
Two: he can get up and meet his future – temporary – mother-in-law.
He knows without even really thinking about it what his answer will be. And surely she can’t be that bad, right? She’s Elena-san’s sister, after all.
Rei debates, momentarily, whether he should change back into his work clothes before showing his face, but quickly decides against it. Although meeting Akai’s mother while wearing his clothes isn’t that appealing a prospect, at least these are clean, and don’t smell like the bar. Surely he can be forgiven for not looking his absolute best, given the circumstances.
He checks his hair in the mirror to make sure he doesn’t have terrible bedhead, then pauses at the door when he hears Akai’s voice again.
“—and if you called ahead, I would’ve told you today isn’t a good day for a visit,” he says, sounding more exasperated than Rei’s ever heard from him.
“You would tell me that any day,” the same woman from earlier replies, stern. “If you had your way, I would never see you.”
“It’s never a good time.”
Rei stifles a snicker at Akai’s blunt delivery, then pushes his Amuro mask to the forefront and pulls the bedroom door open as quietly as he can, so as not to disturb everyone else – not that that’s of any use. He has barely a moment to take note of a serious-looking blonde woman sitting primly on the couch, and Hiro leaning against the kitchen counter, before Akai is in front of him, taking his face in his hands and pressing a gentle kiss to his temple.
“What are you doing awake already, Tooru-kun?” he asks, inspecting Rei’s face as if looking for signs of his earlier exhaustion. “It’s only been a few hours.”
Rei takes his cue from Akai and lets his eyes fall closed, smiling gently as he forces himself to relax. “You worry too much, Shuuichi. I’m feeling a bit better now.” Akai’s first name feels almost foreign to Rei’s tongue; he’s only ever been Akai or, on the occasions when he’s tested all of Rei’s patience, Akai Shuuichi. Never Shuuichi alone.
(Shuuichi-san is also an option Rei rules out immediately, without even a moment’s consideration; Akai hadn’t even liked being called Akai-san back when they first met. It was the first thing about his colleague that intrigued Rei – at least, if he ignored those sharp green eyes that seemed to see right through him.
And he does ignore them. Constantly, even years later.)
The next kiss is feather-light against his lips, drawing him out of his thoughts with a tenderness that Rei’s never been shown by anyone before. It’s disconcerting in its unfamiliarity, but not unwelcome. If not for the fact that he’s still acutely aware of the other people watching them, Rei might even lean into it, against his better judgment, and kiss Akai back.
However, there are people watching them, which is enough to unsettle him further, and keep him grounded at the same time. “We’re not alone, Shuuichi,” he reminds him quietly, opening his eyes to meet Akai’s, and pushing very lightly against his side.
Not that Akai would have any reason to kiss him when they are alone – but his mother doesn’t need to know that.
Akai gives him a cheeky little half-grin, which Rei will continue to stubbornly deny has any effect on him, and lets his hands slide away from Rei’s face as he takes a step back.
Hiro, who hasn’t moved from his spot, looks far too smug when Rei catches his eye, so Rei puts on his best Amuro smile in greeting, and says, “Good to see you again, Morofushi-san.” He swallows a laugh at the barely-there wrinkle of Hiro’s nose, and turns his focus to Akai’s mother instead.
Sera Mary is, even at just a glance, clearly a force to be reckoned with. Sitting straight-backed, with her hands clasped in her lap, her gaze steely as she scrutinizes him, she’s the picture of a perfect, proper Englishwoman. The only thing really missing is a cup of tea – but Rei’s not sure there’s any in the apartment anyway; he hadn’t seen any during his cursory examination of the kitchen earlier, and he knows Akai doesn’t drink the stuff.
“Well, Shuuichi,” she begins before Rei can think about how to start a conversation with her, “are you going to introduce us, or shall we just stare at each other in silence?”
Rei bristles at her tone – authoritative, with just a hint of condescension; something he’s all too used to being directed at himself – hackles raising in defense of Akai before he realizes it’s even happening. “I am perfectly capable of introducing myself,” he says, forcing his Amuro persona back in place to help soften the bite in his words. He even gives her a smile, and hopes it doesn’t look as strained as it feels. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Sera Mary-san. I am Amuro Tooru.”
She lifts her chin just a notch at him, though he can’t read in her expression what that might mean. “And what is your relationship with my son?”
“Why are you asking questions when you already know the answer?” Akai cuts in, annoyed.
Rei reaches for him, resting a hand on his arm to calm him, and justifies it in his mind as him being an attentive partner. “It’s alright. She can ask me what she wants.” They had prepared for this sort of questioning, after all. “We’ve been dating for three months.”
Sera-san narrows her eyes at Akai. “Three months, and you’ve already moved him in?”
Unbothered, Akai shrugs. “Extenuating circumstances. You know his apartment burned down today.”
“You barely know him. It seems an unwise decision to make so hastily, even given the situation.”
Rei takes that opportunity to give Akai a break from his mother’s clear disapproval. “I agree that it was sudden,” he says, calling on his worries from earlier. “I hesitated to even agree to this, but we made a deal. We decided this would be a trial run, and if we realize in a couple of weeks that we’re not ready to live together, then I’ll move out.”
The look Akai’s mother gives him is one of deep suspicion; she makes no move to hide it. “How did you and Shuuichi meet?”
“He and some friends came in to the bar where I work about five months ago. And then he kept coming back, with and without his friends,” Rei explains, throwing in a warm smile for good measure.
Of course, the friends in question are actually Rei’s friends, but Sera-san doesn’t need to know that. They had been all too glad to help out with Rei and Akai’s little scheme, especially if it meant harassing Rei while he was at work. And they seem to have taken a liking to Akai in the process, which Rei counts as a bonus. Purely because Akai could use some friends, and for no other reason.
“That’s how I met Morofushi-san, too,” he adds, nodding at Hiro, who grins to hide his grimace.
“After the first time, Akai kept dragging us back so he could hang out with the cute bartender,” Hiro chimes in gleefully. “I’m glad things have been working out for them.”
Next to him, Akai huffs, looking away in embarrassment, calling Rei’s attention to him. He looks almost… flustered. He sells it well; there’s even a hint of a blush on his cheeks.
It’s a surprisingly cute look on him.
Sera-san seems less than impressed, however. “How like your father you are,” she says with no small amount of bitterness. “Going soft over a pretty face.”
Normally, being dismissed as just ‘a pretty face’ would anger Rei – and it does bother Akai, if the way he tenses is anything to go by – but his mind catches, instead, on her tone. Knowing what he does about their family, her bitterness doesn’t make a lot of sense to him. As far as he’s aware, there shouldn’t have been any animosity between Akai’s parents, so where is her anger coming from? Is it just her sadness over her husband’s death?
“Is that so bad?” Akai asks, his tone more neutral than Rei expected. “I don’t mind letting my guard down around the person I care for.”
Sera-san hums her disdain and looks to Rei. “I assume you share similar nonsensical sentiments?”
Rei hesitates. He shouldn’t – he knows hesitating here will make it seem like there’s a crack in their relationship – but he can’t help himself. Sentimentality has never been his strong suit, accustomed as he is to putting distance between himself and others, though, between Hiro and their other friends, he’s getting better about it. He’s not like Akai, who can seemingly just show affection freely – though, perhaps it’s easier for Akai because it’s fake. He can say he cares for Tooru-kun because he doesn’t, and kiss Rei around other people because it means nothing.
His mind drifts back to a morning a couple years ago, now, when Akai had just come off of several all-nighters in a row, lukewarm coffee in hand, his eyes losing their battle to stay open, running directly into Rei in the hallway at headquarters. Akai’s rushed apologies, when he realized he’d accidentally spilled his coffee all over Rei’s previously-white shirt. The way his lack of sleep was catching up to him, apparent in how Rei had to stop him from taking off his own shirt right there in the hallway to give to him.
Rei had put his foot down, then, and demanded that Akai go home and sleep before he hurt himself or someone else, as if he had the authority to decide that. But their supervisors agreed, and even gave Akai a couple days off to recover, and Rei took it upon himself to drive Akai home.
When Akai returned to work a few days later, the rush of relief Rei felt at seeing him back to his normal, obnoxious self had been – jarring. He hadn’t even realized he’d grown to care for Akai at all until it hit him over the head.
After that, a sort of camaraderie grew between them that hadn’t been present before – which is to say that Rei began tolerating Akai’s presence more; Akai had never shied away from him in the first place. And Akai, having apparently noticed the change in Rei, started hanging around more: bringing him hot tea (green, despite Rei never having told him a preference) for the inevitable late nights, or having friendly competitions with him at the shooting range, or even requesting Rei for assistance on his cases that needed more than just himself.
With that in mind, maybe it’s not so surprising that Akai chose him for their current mission. And, just maybe, he’s being unfair to Akai by thinking that Akai doesn’t care for him.
But that’s neither here nor there, at the moment, because Akai’s mother is still waiting on an answer from him… and he has none. He may not be the overly sentimental sort, but he is supposed to be in a loving relationship with her son, and he suspects, even despite her demeanor, it wouldn’t leave a good impression if he told her that he’s still trying to figure out the whole feelings and showing affection thing.
So, he does what he does best and fakes it. He forces a smile that he hopes is believable – or, at least, that any awkwardness can be explained away by nerves about meeting his partner’s parent – and says, “Shuuichi is very dear to me. It’s important to me that he knows that.”
It does nothing to lessen Sera-san’s scrutiny of him. “Have you lived in Japan your whole life?” she asks.
Rei’s eyebrows draw together in confusion. Unsure what that has to do with anything, he answers, “I have.”
“I thought as much. Your traditional upbringing is apparent, even despite how you try to change for Shuuichi’s sake.”
For better or worse, it’s a testament to how naturally he lies that he doesn’t immediately laugh in her face for that; his childhood was hardly what anyone would call traditional. Still, Amuro Tooru is normal. He is not Furuya Rei right now. “I see.”
“You are aware, are you not, that there are people who will never fully accept you, no matter how closely you align with their values?” she continues as if he he hadn’t spoken at all.
For a moment, he wonders if she’s speaking of herself, implying she will never accept him, but something in her tone suggests it’s more of a warning for the future – as if, instead, she’s speaking from her own personal experience. Being a blonde half-blood likely did her no favors when she married into an elite, old money Japanese family; is she trying to warn him away from making that same choice?
“Respectfully, Sera-san, I never let bullies scare me away when I was a child,” he replies, straightening his posture and looking her directly in the eye. “Why should I start now?”
To his surprise, that earns him an actual reaction from her: just a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. It lasts only a second before it’s hidden away.
She stands, then, and smooths out her dress. “I will be leaving now; Shuuichi, walk me out.” Giving Rei and Hiro one last nod each – and holding Rei’s gaze for a few seconds longer than he feels necessary – she turns and sweeps out of the apartment.
“I’ll be right back,” Akai assures Rei quietly, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his head, despite the fact that his mother wouldn’t see it, then leaves, too.
As soon as the door closes behind them, Hiro turns to Rei, his face serious. “Please never call me ‘Morofushi-san’ again.”
Between his stress from meeting Akai’s mother, and the look on Hiro’s face, Rei finds himself unable to hold in his laughter any longer. “And what should Amuro Tooru call you, then?”
“Anything else,” Hiro replies emphatically. “Hearing you address me so formally just makes me feel like my brother.”
“Well, with any luck, the next time I have to call you anything besides ‘Hiro’ will be far enough away that a difference in our familiarity would be believable.”
Hiro’s eyes sparkle in a way that Rei definitively does not like. “It would make sense to be friends with your lover’s friends.”
Oh, here we go, Rei thinks with an audible sigh. Hiro never misses a single opportunity to tease him, so why should today be any different? “Go ahead,” he says, resigned. “Get it all out before he comes back.”
“You’ll be happy to know that you two make a very convincing couple. Even I believed it.”
Rei gives him a flat look as he sinks onto the couch, exhaustion seeping back into his bones as the adrenaline of the afternoon begins wearing off. “I’m so glad.”
The corner of Hiro’s mouth quirks up, but he drops the teasing there. “You handled his mother well, I think. She’s intense.”
“She’s… protective. Of Shuu-” Rei stops, then corrects himself. “Of Akai.”
“You should probably just stick to calling him by his name. You don’t want to slip up around the wrong person,” Hiro points out, but his smirk undercuts any of his logical reasoning.
“That is for me to discuss with Akai. What are you even doing here, anyway?”
“Like he’d ever tell you no. I’m here because your boyfriend called me and asked if I could pick up some groceries so that you have one less thing to worry about today. Seems like he didn’t want to leave you alone too long in case you needed something.”
Warmth fills Rei’s chest, threatening to take him over, though he does his best to smother it before that can happen. He scoffs in an attempt to save some face, even if it’s pointless in front of Hiro. “He really is dedicated to the boyfriend act.”
“Yeah, that’s what he’s dedicated to,” Hiro mutters dryly, before adding, “We picked up your car, too, so it’s here for when you need it.”
He does need to go clothes shopping today, so that’ll be helpful. “Thanks, Hiro.”
Akai returns seconds later, and, after pausing to swap out his shoes at the entrance, joins Rei on the couch. “Sorry about her.”
“You don’t need to apologize for her,” Rei says, resisting the urge to smooth out the frown lines on Akai’s forehead. “She didn’t give you too hard of a time, did she?”
“She’s fine. I know how to handle her,” Akai reassures him, then gives him a small nudge. “I think she has a new favorite person, though.”
“That shouldn’t even be a surprise. It’s just a pattern with your family at this point.” says Hiro, entirely unhelpfully, and with far too much glee.
Akai frowns in confusion, looking to Rei for explanation, and Rei sighs. He can only imagine that Hiro’s including Akai himself in that list, but that’s the least of his worries. Nothing about this day has gone as planned, and he’s not really in the right mindset to tell Akai about his past with Elena-san.
But maybe an abridged version will suffice for now.
“I knew Elena-san when I was a kid,” he explains, without really explaining anything at all. “That’s why I’ve been looking into-”
His words are cut off there by a yawn he fails to suppress, and Akai, who can likely fill in the blanks on his own, focuses, instead, on Rei’s exhaustion. “You should get back to sleep,” he says, reaching up run a hand through Rei’s hair.
“I have things I need to do,” Rei argues, but doesn’t push him away. His protests have no effect on Akai, though he’s not really surprised.
“Anything that can’t wait another few hours?”
Rei thinks for a moment, tries to find something, and comes up short. He says nothing.
“Thought so. Get some sleep.” When Rei doesn’t immediately move to get up, Akai frowns again. “I will drag you to bed if I have to.”
“And that sounds like my cue to leave you two lovebirds alone,” Hiro announces abruptly, his grin absolutely savage. “Have a good night!”
Rei barely has the energy to roll his eyes at his best friend as he puts on his shoes and takes his leave. Instead, he just releases a deep breath and falls back against the couch cushions. “He’s going to be absolutely insufferable the entire time. You know that, right?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that’s the best friend’s job,” Akai replies with a small smile.
“Yes, and he takes it very seriously.”
Akai chuckles, more amused than anything. “And if you wanted him to stop, you wouldn’t react. Now, come on. Off to bed with you.”
Rei, choosing to take that order as the implicit threat it likely is, drags himself off the couch with a tired exhale. Ignoring the way he immediately misses Akai’s hand in his hair when it disappears, he shuffles back to the bedroom and crawls into bed.
Sleep comes just as quickly the second time around.