stealhearted | are you hurting the one you love?

[He reaches out to take the smoothie from him again, taking a curious sip and drawing idle patterns in the condensation on the outside of the cup.] She was student council president, of course she is. You, however, just walked into the Leadership role like you owned it, with no prior experience.

...I don't think it's smart to think about splitting up, just yet, not until we have a better idea of what we're dealing with. Navi has a much stronger ability to understand spaces we've never been, and spaces that change, besides, given we aren't sure if this place functions like Mementos.

Yeah. I wouldn't do it unless it was safe. [ Because at the end of the day, he and Goro are still the most powerful persona users in their team, and putting the two of them together away from everyone else means that they have to be certain they'll be the ones taking the brunt of any fights.

Akira is fairly certain he and Goro could have conquered Maruki's palace alone if they prepared properly. He's just grateful they didn't have to. ]

I just want a plan in case we need to. [ He offers Goro a grin. ]

Most of winging it as a leader was thinking of a lot of contingency plans for unexpected events and then having to make things up on the fly anyway.

[He hums, nodding.] It's once again unfortunate that I'm so stuck to you, given I believe we are the two hardest hitters. It would be smarter to split us apart to add to the strength of two separate groups to cover more ground.

[He tilts his head, taking his chin between a thumb and forefinger.] I wonder if the tether works any differently in the Metaverse, or the fake one besides. Might be worth testing, once we have a better idea of what we're dealing with.

[He isn't surprised Akira forms plans mostly by the seat of his pants, but he is possibly a touch disappointed.] I'd hate to know how many contingency plans you attempted in my case.

The plan that eventually worked was a group effort and I'm still not sure how it actually managed to work, it was so convoluted. [ Akira thinks it's the kind of plan only a group of teenagers could come up with, and moreover, only a group of teenagers could pull off.

Thinking about it makes something in his stomach roll with the anxiety he never did deal with about the situation, though, so he forcibly moves his thoughts. ]

I'm better at working with concrete information quickly than figuring out based on abstracts and assumptions. I... want to assume the best in people, most of the time. [ If that wasn't obvious. ]

It's easily the most frustrating facet of your personality, [He supplies easily and immediately, but with a smile that is openly fond, even if it isn't directed at Akira.]

[Akira's desire to see the good in everyone baffles him. He's been borderline neglected by his parents, was typecast as a villain in the school he was shipped off to, and still isn't entirely secure in his friendships unless he is actively contributing something to them. Yet he assumes the best in damn-near everyone, gives and gives and gives, Akechi isn't sure how he still has the energy to give. Just watching Akira offer himself up wears him out, but he supposes that's the hinge of their differences.]

[He offers the smoothie back to him. He's barely had a third of it.] I don't think I'll drink more of this, but thank you.

If that's the mos frustrating facet, I'm doing better than I thought. [ Akira offers, a little teasingly, but internally -- pleased, because Goro isn't mad about it; because there's all these little things in their relationship that Akira can use to prove that things are slowly, slowly different. That they're both learning and changing.

That they really are making it work. ]

I'll finish it. I've got a real teenage boy appetite.

[And, naturally, Akechi will try to argue it at every possible point, but he'll only have the energy to argue for so long. He sighs, nodding just to give Akira something to see that he's listening, stretching his legs out and his spine upward, fingers grasped together at his pelvis.]

[He gives the park a slow once-over, from their shady little secluded spot, not sure if he's looking for something or looking for nothing, but when he turns far enough that he's looking at Akira he curls his legs back up toward them, leaning sideways against him.] ...I don't really think I ever expected to be so exhausted by living more normally than I did before.

Being honest is hard when you're not used to it. [ Akira knows, because he doesn't lie that often, exactly -- but he wouldn't say he's exactly living honestly. He supposes most of Japan has that sort of separation between who they really are and who they pretend to be, but he thinks it's especially bad with people like he and Goro. ]

Has it been getting any easier? It's probably too soon to tell, huh...

I don't know that "easier" would be my first choice of words.

[He shifts an arm, trailing his hand along the inside of Akira's forearm until he finds his hand, drawing patterns on the inside of his palm.] Being closer to you is easier. Honesty... still isn't quite easy, I don't think.

[ Akira unfolds his palm automatically to Goro's touch, letting him trace out the patterns. These small little gestures seem like they're a way of grounding, for Goro -- to touch Akira in a casual way like this.

Akira doesn't mind. ]

It's still not easy for me, sometimes. Sometimes I think I avoid telling the truth because I don't know what the truth is.

[They're very much so a grounding point. He's learning how to be casual with contact, and Akira's pliant nature with it is doing wonders to subconsciously keep Akechi tethered. Even beyond their actual tether, it's teaching him to keep Akira's contact close, for safety and for comfort. He doesn't even fully realize it's happening.]

[He nods, humming.] I got so good at rewriting the truth to make lying easier than telling it..., The reverse is not nearly so simple.

If it's any consolation, it's hard for me too. [ Akira finishes off the rest of the smoothie, almost automatically -- it's starting to melt into juice and he doesn't want that. ]

But... I want to be honest with you. So it's worth working at. [ The way he says it -- it's not like he's dishonest with anyone else, but there's a degree of trust and intimacy with Goro that there isn't with the rest of the phantom thieves. He's trusting Goro with a side of himself he doesn't trust anyone else with. ]

[He understands that for what it is, that Akira isn't being dishonest with others, just more honest with him, and... He doesn't really like it, he doesn't think. He doesn't feel like he's the right choice, or that Akira's honesty is safe with him. It should be going to Ryuji, or Ann, or any of them, really. But he doesn't voice it, just looks a little sour for a moment, until he focuses on Akira's hand and tracing the lines in his palm with a feather-light brush of his fingertip.]

...I've not been openly honest with anyone about much of anything since I was eight. You may have to remind me.

Remind me, too. Okay? [ It's a little childish, like he's asking Goro to pinky swear over it, but -- he wants to be reminded to be honest with Goro. He wants to be able to be honest with Goro. ]

We talked about me being selfish more often, so I want you to be able to see even the parts of me I don't like, and I want you to like me anyway. [ Akira's voice is a little tight there, because it's hard to imagine anyone liking those parts of himself -- but he thinks Goro will, because he likes all the parts of Goro that Goro thinks are ugly. ]

Fortunately for you, you're an obnoxiously likable person. [He worms closer as he says this, slotting himself along Akira's side and craning his neck to barely press his lips to his jawline, only after surreptitiously ensuring no one was in a position to see him doing so.]

But I suppose I can be tasked with reminding you not to lie to me, if I'm insisting you do the same.

We'll take care of each other. [ Akira leans in after the small kiss, letting his head lean against Goro's in a quiet little form of affection. He finally stretches his fingers out to entwine them properly with Goro's, glad that their small little bench was continuing to be as private as they needed.

It's strange for Akira to say, though. To imagine someone like Goro needing to be taken care of -- to imagine Akira himself letting anyone take care of him. But that's... probably at least part of what a relationship is, Akira thinks.

That's what he wants it to be, he thinks. ]

You're stuck with me forever now.

[Akechi has absolutely no mental scope for being taken care of, he thinks. He dully remembers his mother taking care of him, but tries not to, most days, so between the two of them they have very little working concept of what it's supposed to look like. Which... in a way, does them a favor, since it means their forms of it aren't mimicry in as much of a way as others.]

[He hums, trying to sound vexed. He mostly fails.] What a terrible fate.

Yeah. [ Akira finally, finally disentangles himself enough to get up -- the drink is empty, and he's pretty sure the bench is going to leave slatted patterns on his ass if he stays there much longer. ]

...Thanks for coming with me. I know you're not exactly used to dates, but -- I've been having a lot of fun spending time with you.

[He stays seated, at least temporarily, looking up at Akira with a slight frown.]

I'm not sure how it's specifically different than usual since we're stuck together, but. You're welcome. [He's enjoying it, also, he thinks, it's just harder for him to say it out loud.]

It's different because it's a date. [ Akira says, in a very slightly duh tone, because of course there's no requirement Goro go on a date with him, there's no reason to pretend this was anything but something they wanted to do for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Akira leans in and kisses his forehead, gently, then straightens back up. ]

I've gotta find a trash can.

Most days of the week have dates and we still spend time together during them, [He makes the statement a counter, but mildly. He's mostly just being a brat.]

[But then he stands and stretches his arms over his head, wandering after him. He doesn't comment or overall react to the forehead kiss, just... smiles, maybe. Slightly. His face sort of hurts from how much he smiles lately.]

Just you wait, this marks our "first date anniversary". I'll remember it forever. [ Six months down the road like "do you remember it's our six month anniversary" like a schoolgirl.

To be fair, spending time with Goro makes Akira feel a little like a giddy schoolgirl. ]

One day it'll be "our first date since we aren't metaphysically superglued together", and we can celebrate that, too.

[He grimaces.] Oh you're going to be one of those people. A day is just a day, Akira.

I will take any excuse to spoil you. [ As long as Goro requires him to use an excuse, anyway -- he figures eventually Goro will just resign himself to the situation and allow himself to be spoiled a little for no reason. ]

[He shakes his head slowly, moving to stand closer to him and bump his shoulder into him.] I suppose I can allow that, but don't go overboard.

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