stealhearted | are you hurting the one you love?

[ Akira blinks, looking surprised. He reaches for Goro, then hesitates, pulling back and concentrating on getting them back on land first. Once they're there, he looks at Goro, a little tentatively. ]

Did it look bad? I know I look different without my glasses, and everyone says I look softer with my hair the way it is, so --

[He's practically fluorescent, bunched up in the boat until they get to the dock at which point he crawls out and sits on his knees a minute before collecting himself, dusting off his pants as he stands up and tries to look a little less horrendously flustered.]

You-- [He gives him a perplexed look.] ...do you really not realize?

... realize what? [ Akira's -- pretty sure he's cute, but he's still a teenager, and he absolutely thinks Goro is out of his league in a lot of ways, so he's genuinely terrified Goro's going to tell him he's secretly hideous and has a forehead the size of Russia or something. ]

[Against his better judgment, he just steps back into Akira's space and puts both his hands on his face.]

...I'm only going to say this once, Akira. You are the most infuriatingly beautiful person I've ever met, and it's-- mostly infuriating because you don't even try. It's effortless, and-- [His hands move to cover Akira's heart, or thereabouts.] probably a direct display of your stupid heart. I always hated it. [A beat, and he looks away, down at the dock behind Akira.] ...or I wanted to.

[ If it's any consolation to Goro's embarrassment, Akira flushes at the compliment. He's used to getting them, sure, but not from Goro; not when it's anything he cares about. Akira isn't vain, but he wants to be attractive to Goro specifically. In every way possible. ]

I don't think there's a way for me to reply to that that won't make me sound like I'm fishing for more compliments, so -- [ Akira takes Goro's hand, raises it up and drops a kiss onto his knuckles. ]

Thank you. I really -- I always cared a lot about your opinion. I still do.

[His ears stay scarlet but keeping his eyes away from Akira makes it easier to pretend he's composed despite Akira's kissing his knuckles.]

...you're welcome. You've said before I'm difficult to impress, and you're not wrong, so-- [He curls his fingers into Akira's and flashes him a brief challenging grin-- even if he's visibly flustered anyway.] ...Congratulations on impressing me.

[Someone whistles from a short distance away and Akechi goes rigid, yanking his hand away and pivoting to stalk away from him, fluorescent all over again.]

[ Akira also flushes, but with a grin on his face like he just watched a sappy movie. That's the kind of emotion he thinks he's feeling in his chest -- a little giddy, a little in love. A lot in love. ]

I'll make sure to keep doing it. I wouldn't want you to lose interest. [ It's a little easier, to tease, to joke instead of being so deathly serious in public where they're both embarrassed and also undergoing the harrowing problem of being perceived. ]

[He glares absolute daggers at the couple responsible for the whistling, and they scuttle off in alarm, Goro taking a moment to bring the knuckles Akira kissed to his own lips and exhale in an attempt to vent some of the anxiety suddenly putting pressure on his lungs. He tucks both his hands, tangled together, under his chin by the time Akira comes to join him.]

At this stage I think I would fail if I tried.

I can't say I'm upset about that. [ Akira offers him a smaller, softer smile when he gets there, and then reaches out. He doesn't take his hand, just tugs on the belt loop of his pants since his sleeve isn't easily accessible. ]

C'mon. Let's get a drink.

[He makes a somewhat indignant sound at the tug to his belt loop, but falls into step beside him anyway.]

They've got a little cart that makes smoothies. Is that too heavy for you? [ Will a fruit smoothie fill up Akechi Goro? Akira would not be surprised, honestly. ]

You know, if you want to go bouldering or something again, I can work it into my schedule. I know you don't want to be an inconvenience, but I want you to be able to do your hobbies. [ And working out means he'll eat more, which means Akira will be less of a mother hen about food. ]

Should be all right. [And if he can't finish it Akira will probably finish it for him, anyway.]

[He hums, nodding thoughtfully.] I could see what options are available.

I don't mind going with you. It could be fun to learn. [ What he means is, Goro can teach him and he will listen with rapt attention even to the in-depth safety warnings and threats. ]

[Until he discovers freeclimbing and gives Goro several consecutive heart attacks. He blinks at him, curious.] I never figured you had an interest.

I'm interested in the things you like. [ So far, Goro hasn't really steered him wrong. Billiards, chess... Climbing sounds decently fun, as far as Akira is concerned. ]

Even if I don't like them, I want to try them. [ Akira feels like it helps him understand Goro a little better, to see the things he genuinely enjoys. ]

[He's oddly shy about that-- Akira's faith in him makes his insides squirm.] ...I'll do some research, later, and let you know my findings.

Sure. [ Akira flashes him a smile, then steps over to start surveying his beverage options. ]

Do you think we should just split one?

[He follows Akira's line of sight to the menu, expression pinching a bit just thinking about drinking an entire smoothie. He leans into Akira's shoulder, squinting.] It would lessen my chances of disappointing Takamaki by hardly eating any crepes. [And he can't deny that the idea is... sort of charming??]

What kind do you want? We could do one of the two-flavor ones. [ There's a lot of options on the menu board, after all, packed together on a small white board in different colored markers. ]

Strawberry something, maybe.

[He skims the list, shrugging gently.] Strawberry is fine, I'm not especially picky with fruit flavors.

[ So Akira steps forward to order one of the strawberry ones -- and pays, because, as he said, it's a date and he's going to treat Goro -- and then gets a couple of their cute little cookies to go along with it, on impulse. They're practically bite-size, so Akira figures they're a safe bet, even for Goro.

Once he has obtained the forbidden snack, Akira uses his third eye for the most transparently homosexual thing he's ever used it for in his life: finding a nice, discreet place to sit down where he can let their knees knock against each other without risking any catcalls. ]

C'mon. This way.

[He agreed to allow Akira to spoil him, but he still reaches for his pocket until he's beaten to it, trying to not look pressed (he mostly fails). The cookies earn a quirked eyebrow, but he follows along after him anyway, idly wishing he hadn't dressed the way he had-- the vest is bright, especially in contrast of his hair and khakis, and it's something he used to wear a lot. He's gotten a few glances with an unnerving curiosity, and if he wasn't thinking of changing before going to see Ann for crepes, he certainly was now.]

[When they sit he crowds right up to Akira's side upon realizing the secluded nature of their spot.] Truly, I love attention, but right now it is the absolute last thing I want.

You're pretty striking, even when you're not famous. [ Because Goro's fame hasn't actually declined -- if he's looked into it, his "disappearance" was less of a mystery and more of the world washing over it like it wasn't suspicious at all, Futaba having since started dropping rumors that he was alive but on a case or considering retiring or something via the message boards of the world -- and so he's fallen out of public consciousness.

It's probably for the best.

But Goro is attractive, with his hair and his eyes and his honeyed voice. Akira thinks he falls into the background easier, when it's all of the Phantom Thieves, but when it's just the two of them? ]

I don't think anyone can see us here. [ At least, that's what he figures based on the information he's getting from cheating. ]

You are biased, [He reminds, gently, but he doesn't mind Akira's attention. Or he's just resigned himself to having to tolerate it whether he wants it or not, some combination of both.] I shouldn't have dressed like this to go out, it's my own fault.

[Shifting the subject, he looks at the cookies with a frown.] What else did you get?

I think you look great. [ Which is probably what matters. And yes, biased, but -- he's pretty sure Goro only dressed up because this was a date, and they were boyfriends, and that's what you do, apparently.

It's still all a little weird. ]

They're little sugar cookies. I thought they were cute. [ They're iced like little sakura flowers -- probably leftover from when hanami season was in full swing. ]

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