are you hurting the one you love?

[stealhearted]

psst psst [clicks tongue for akechi, sets out curry as a treat]--

Comments

[forfeited]

[Akechi would probably smack him if he called it cuddling, he is simply leeching heat from his live-in space heater, thank you. He claims the phone, squints at it, and sets it aside near the foot of the bed. It's within reach, but he doesn't want to try focusing on it, right then. He considers the question and makes a face at him.] What have I said about making exceptions, Kurusu. If I can manage the stairs I will eat later, I'll have to if I aim to survive both Sae-san and your entourage visiting. You needn't entice me with carrots.

[stealhearted]

You are my exception. [ You're going to have to get used to him fussing over you and doing nice things for you, Akechi. He does it for all his friends and it's even worse when he's romantically entangled with you. ]

I can bring food up for you. [ Yeah, he failed step one when it comes to 'not doing nice things for Akechi'. He's actually pretty sure he failed that like ten social links ago. ]

[forfeited]

And you're a pain in my ass, [He grumbles, crawling partway into his lap with just the upper half of his body. He crosses his arms over Akira's knees, lounging like a cat. At least he appears to be feeling better, since he can snipe at him.] I would prefer to eat downstairs, my body has an unpleasant penchant for rejecting food when I'm unwell. I'm not sure this qualifies as "unwell", but...

[stealhearted]

Better not take chances. [ Akira waits a beat, and then --]

I know you wanted me to go to school, so I was thinking... there's a roof garden that Haru keeps that no one ever goes to. [ Akira puts it out there, gently: it's Haru's space, so he understands if Akechi doesn't want to intrude there, but he also thinks it's probably the best bet until the range can get far enough to allow him to be at someplace nearby. ]

I could visit you at lunch. [ To make sure Akechi isn't dying and to bring him bento. ]

[forfeited]

Mmn. [He agrees, closing his eyes over and letting himself enjoy the cadence of Akira's voice-- he has always had a pleasant speaking tone. It takes him a moment to process the words he's speaking, as a result, and after "I could visit you at lunch", he rewinds and catches "roof garden that Haru keeps", inhaling slowly and angling himself to look up at him with a squint.] Wouldn't that be something you should be asking her about, not me?

[stealhearted]

If it's something you want to do, I'll ask her, but I know she'll say yes. She might just make you help with the plants. [ Haru wouldn't have it in her to say no. Akira thinks he can dodge explaining the whole truth of the situation -- Haru isn't the sort to press for details -- but she's gentle and kind, and even when she tries her best to be hard, she never quite manages it with people like Akechi.

The Phantom Thieves were always about redemption, whether they realized it or not. By changing hearts they were allowing people to have a second chance: to atone and then move forward. He thinks it's much the same for them with Akechi, no matter how weighty his sins. ]

[forfeited]

[He shifts a little, sticking his thumbs up.] These are not green, but I will do my best to not kill her vegetables, if you think it's a good idea, Leader. [He puts a specific emphasis on calling him Leader, more than a little put-upon, but it's fine, surely.]

[stealhearted]

I think it's the best plan. My teacher can help make sure no one else goes up there. [ A beat, and then, because if Akechi is using Leader on him then Akira is going to tease him --]

You looked really cute in the gym uniform. [ Which is actually very true, despite the fact that no one actually looks good in that uniform. It was endearing because it looked so bad, honestly. ]

[forfeited]

[He's glad for the umpteenth time that his hair mostly covers his ears, because he can feel them get hot at the comment about the gym uniform.] Well, good news, it would potentially be in our best interests for me to wear it again so I don't look out of place on the roof of your school. Bad news, I have no intention of modeling it for you.

[He slugs his way back out of Akira's lap in favor of laying on his side wound around his hips to continue to leech warmth, and closes his eyes over.] ...I hate how much sleeping I've done since this all started.

[stealhearted]

[ Akechi might not model it for Akira, but Akira is pretty sure Ann will take photos, so it works out the same in the end. Akira reaches down to stroke through Akechi's hair, soothingly. ]

It'll get better once we're more used to it. [ Once they know Akechi's ever-changing limits a little better, it'll be considerably easier for them to not trigger them unless they have to. Akira tells that to himself, because while he does really enjoy the proximity to Akechi, he doesn't think it's viable long term without Akechi going insane for real this time. ]

[forfeited]

[He'd started to thinking his initial claim of hating being touched was just a complete lie, until Akira's hand in his hair sparks static in his brain and he flinches, raising a hand but not quite smacking Akira away with it.] ...getting used to it is not something I look forward to.

[stealhearted]

[ Akira's hand hesitates, and then he withdraws it. He supposes that's fair, even if he wants to touch Akechi at all times. Man, why couldn't he have fallen for someone with fewer issues? Wouldn't that have been nice?

No, he decides, exasperated at himself. It was always going to be Akechi for him. ]

I mean in the knowing your limits way, not in a permanent kind of way.

[forfeited]

[He'd apologize, but he did warn Akira he didn't like being touched. It'll be a compromise for both of them, really. He lowers his hand, humming a vaguely affirmative sound, and finally opts to lay still for a while.]

[stealhearted]

[ Akira lets the silence fall, opting to scroll through his phone in the interim. It's nice when he can touch Akechi in moments like this, but -- he understands that Akechi might be at the complete peak of his limits right now, given everything else.

Akira notes, idly, that they definitely shouldn't have sex anytime soon, because Akira is kind of a post-sex cuddler.

Eventually, though, Akira gets up and stretches, rubbing a hand through his hair. ]

I'm gonna go back downstairs. I'll come get you when everyone else comes over.

[forfeited]

[Somewhere around Akira pulling out his phone Akechi falls into a light doze, and only kind-of wakes up when he stands. He opens his eyes, briefly, then blinks like he can't figure out how to keep them that way, but upon understanding he's only blinking stupidly at Akira and it's fine, just mumbles.] I'll be here.

[stealhearted]

[ Akira leans over to tuck Akechi in, his touch light and careful, like Akechi is an easily spooked animal. He presses a kiss to the shoulder that's covered with a blanket, this time, forgoing the more intimate contact in favor of something less invasive. He still feels the need to be affectionate with Akechi; he still wants to show Akechi he's loved using every possible language.

Then he heads back down to explain to Sojiro -- and Futaba, by then -- a very brief summation of the problem and wait for everyone else to make it over to Leblanc. ]

[forfeited]

[And with Futaba comes Morgana, who for the most part lives between the Sakura household and Leblanc in equal parts. His take on Akechi's state is to march his four paws up the stairs and carefully perch on the largely unconscious young man's hip, taking a nap in a perfect sphere while the rest of the Phantom Thieves assemble.]

[Cat purrs are soothing, after all. Not that he's a cat.]

[Regardless, whenever Akira returns to awaken sleeping beauty, he'll find him in exactly the same small croissant-shaped curl as he left him, with the addition of a cat sphere perched atop him.]

[stealhearted]

[ Akira goes upstairs once everyone is assembled and blinks once at Morgana -- he didn't think he'd adapt quite so readily to Akechi's presence -- and then smiles. ]

Akechi? [ He knows better than to shake Akechi awake, but he is wielding a cup of coffee to assist him. ]

[forfeited]

[It's less adaptation and more watching over something he knows Akira is very fond of. If he kept tabs on Akechi, Akira could relax knowing he was in good paws.]

[In contrast, Akechi has never had a pet, so he's baffled by the strange warm weight against his hip as Akira's voice slowly drags him out of his new foray into utter unconsciousness. He curls a little tighter inward and Morgana chirps, hopping down to stand beside him and stretch, and that has Akechi sucking in a sharp, startled breath and sitting up a little too quickly for his anything. He boggles at Morgana for about two seconds before he drops back over, still staring, and squirming his way into looking between Morgana and Akira while his brain attempts to piece together what in the actual fuck is going on.]

[Morgana looses a quiet chuckle, grooming the back of one paw.]

「 No need to look so spooked, Akechi, I was just making sure you weren't getting up to no good up here. 」

Because sleeping is so nefarious, clearly... [Slower this time, he sits up and folds his legs to allow Morgana to continue his post-nap grooming session, fixing Akira with a slight frown.] ...how long did I sleep?

[stealhearted]

A couple hours. Everyone's downstairs. [ Akira offers over the coffee cup. It's a little stronger than Akechi's normal brew, but Akira figured he could use it, given how worn out he was after the events of... Well, honestly, everything since he was brought back to life. ]

Come down whenever you're ready.

[forfeited]

[He takes it with a vague rumbling sound, nodding and immediately sipping it. Ah, sweet elixir of life, or at least elixir of faking it. He seems content to take his time for a handful of seconds, and then it sinks in that Akira said "everyone's downstairs", and the clamor from the cafe filters into the loft and he stares into his cup with the fear of God struck into him.]

[He then proceeds to take a deep breath, slowly exhale to blow the steam off the mug of coffee, and chug it, thoroughly alarming Morgana who gives Akira a fearful look and makes a sound caught somewhere between an "um" and a yowl. Akechi swings his legs off the edge of the futon and plants his feet, having no real idea if he's okay enough to even attempt this, but he offers Akira the mug back and rocks onto his feet anyway.]

[Mostly, at this point, because he absolutely refuses to go downstairs looking like death warmed over and still in Akira's clothing.] ...ten minutes.

[stealhearted]

Sure. C'mon, Mona, let's go make sure Yusuke hasn't eaten all the snacks. [ He beckons Morgana downstairs, and gives Akechi what he hopes is a reassuring smile before he descends back into the absolute chaos that is the Phantom Thieves all talking at once. When they see that Akira is alone, Ann groans, and the discussion starts up again as Akira slides into the seat next to Futaba. ]

[forfeited]

[He doesn't know what to do with that smile, but he busies himself with changing and brushing out his hair, fixing his tie obsessively and pulling on his coat-- maybe it's excessive, but he's still cold, residually. It takes him a little less than ten minutes, and he stands at the top of the stairs for a while before going down them, tapping his now-gloved fingers together as he goes. He's not ready for this, but he spent years pretending to be ready for things he wasn't, he can do this, too.]

[At the bottom of the stairs he stops and looks out over all of them, trying to ignore the strange anxious pull in his stomach making him want just as much to run back up the stairs and to actually go sit with them. It's disorienting, but he clears his throat into a hand, waving it idly to the side.]

A bit underwhelming given how you've all come to anticipate this so much, I imagine.

[stealhearted]

「 There he is! The man, the myth, the legend! 」 [ Futaba chirps, her voice a mild sarcastic drawl as she half-dabs to present him from her seat at the booth. A smile twitches at the corner of Akira's lips, and Ann rolls her eyes. ]

「 Well, it's good to see you, you know... Not dead! 」 [ Ann is a little awkward about it, but no less genuine, and Yusuke offers a vague agreement. Haru nods, her smile a little tight at the edge, but no less present for it. ]

「 Akira mentioned that you've been feeling some side effects from the resurrection process, so be sure to tell us if you need a break. I'm aware that this group is overwhelming even at the best of times. 」 [ Makoto's tone is a little rueful and a little dry, but there's something in her eyes that says that she, too, is pleased to see Akechi back, even as she has a hand under the table to rest reassuringly on Haru's thigh. ]

[forfeited]

[His hand immediately moves to rest against his neck as he is bombarded with sound and specifically, several voices. Futaba he'd at least seen previously, and she was about as meek as she was snarky. He raises his other hand to wave her off.] None of the above, really, [And then Ann is about as awkward and sweet as he anticipated, but as his eyes travel from her and her genuine expression to Yusuke's to Haru's more tight one he feels his stomach drop to his toes.]

[His expression doesn't change, but his shoulders pull a little straighter as Makoto speaks, and he can't quite see where her hand is but he can tell it's under the table, and he assumes she's either holding Haru's or something similar, so the weight of her statement isn't lost on him. He has no intention of expressing he needs a break-- he's on their time, now. He'll be exhausted afterward, but he's been exhausted since he was revived, so what difference does it really make? He owed them that much. He just wished he could figure out how to say that easily.]

[Instead he strides uneasily forward to stand as much in front of them all as he can, hands at his sides balled into fists, and folds forward at the waist to stare at his feet.] I can't claim your tolerance of me is anything less than baffling, but I appreciate it all the same. [He stands again, staring resolutely at the table to avoid anyone's gaze. Specifically, especially, Akira's.] It isn't as though any of you wanted this, or can especially get out of it, but-- [He played it cool on television for years, why is this so hard. He looks fine, if you ignore the way he's tapping his right ring finger to his thumb rapidly, but his heartbeat is roaring in his ears to the point he's not sure he can actually hear himself speaking. He lifts his gaze from the table, looking over each of them individually, and waits until he makes eye contact with Haru before he starts speaking again.]

First and foremost I find it prudent that I apologize for my behavior in the past. My transgressions against each of you, independently, and as a unit, go much farther than I can accept forgiveness for, but that doesn't change that an apology is more than due. I have... never been adept at much in the way of being genuine, so I don't expect anyone to believe that is an honest apology now, or at any time. But while you are forced to allow me to occupy your spaces, I will work toward a means of apologizing more effectively.

[He stops there, shoulders tense and knees locked, and returns to staring at the table. He should sit down, and he knows he should, but he's going to give them a chance to speak, first.]