stealhearted | are you hurting the one you love?

Well. At least let me keep doing it for awhile, okay? [ Akira leans back into Goro's weight as they walk, and leads him to the cage that has the leopards, which are very shockingly... laying in the sun and purring. ]

I'll never stop taking care of you, but I'll stop fussing quite so much.

[This is a frustratingly stressful conversation for him.]

[He barely notices the leopards, as a result, expression pinched and posture folded, but he stays leaned into Akira.] ...I don't think I have a choice. I don't hold that against you, to be clear.

Okay. Thanks. [ Akira offers it back, and then lifts their joined hands to point at the leopards. ]

They're just big Morganas.

..., Morgana is not leopard-colored.

[But he leans and smiles, just barely.]

Nah, but he sleeps in the sunny spot on my bed all the time. And this spot in Leblanc that Boss hates because 'you can't have a cat on the counter' but he never makes him get off. [ The leopards are not doing anything particularly interesting, so most of the other passerbys tend to take a couple photos and then move on -- Akira lingers, though.

Cute. Fluffy ears. ]

I'm sure Morgana argues that he is not a cat every time. Shame Sakura can't understand him.

[He isn't supremely focused, but it's fine.]

It's for the best. [ Akira can only imagine if Sojiro could hear Morgana's half of the conversation sometimes... though he's pretty sure there's a rumor going around that Akira can actually talk to cats, given the way he interacts with his bag Morgana. Whoops. ]

Even in Maruki's world, when he had a human form, he'd sleep curled up on top of me, and I'm pretty sure he tried to sleep on the counter. One day he'll have to admit he's a cat.

[He snorts at the visual of Morgana in his bizarrely pretty human boy form sleeping curled up on top of Akira.] He's only..., partially a cat, I suppose?

He's like... a catboy. [ Akira trails off for a long time in the middle of this before he draws his conclusion like it's the most obvious conclusion he could possibly come to. ]

One could say you're not terribly dissimilar, [He offers, offhandedly almost as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud.]

... like, nya? [ Akira offers, doing the paw thing very cutely. It doesn't quite match the slightly wide eyed look he offers Goro -- or maybe it does; cats always look vaguely surprised at everything. ]

[At first he looks a bit like he's swallowed something sour, or his stomach hurts, or both, as he tries to keep from laughing, but he fails and reaches out to push the paw gesture away, smiling toothily.] Stop, you are so embarrassing. [He loves one embarrassing cat boy.]

[ Oh no, Goro is really cute when he laughs like this. Akira was momentarily afraid the joke had landed poorly, but he's started to recognize Goro's "I'm emotionally constipated about positive feelings specifically" face. There's still some relief when Goro breaks out into laughter.

It's really, really cute. ]

I don't think cats can have coffee, so I can't be a true catboy.

[He's self-conscious beyond words about his smile and his laugh, because he doesn't know how to look or feel genuine with either, so fairly shortly after he pushes Akira's nya-hand away he follows it, pivoting and curling into his collar to hide the way he keeps right on smiling. Akira can probably still hear it in his voice, at least.]

Probably no curry for cats, either, but I've never had a pet so I'm not an expert.

Morgana eats curry, but he's only partially a cat... maybe he gets out of being sick because of it? [ Akira leans in so he can lace his fingers through Goro's again, trying not to stare too openly at him because he knows it'll attract more attention than either of them are ready for. ]

You're also pretty catlike, you know.

[Entirely overwhelmed, he pulls Akira by his hand to the side so they aren't standing in anyone's way, and sinks into a crouch beside him, grumbling.]

You can't keep doing silly things like this, you're making my face hurt. [From smiling entirely more than he's used to, obviously. How dare you.]

I'm just helping you build muscle. It's good practice. [ Because being around Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves tends to be an experience with a lot of laughter, no matter what they wind up going through. It's nice, all things considered; for all the pain they've all been through... they're all still able to have a good amount of joy.

It helps that Goro has come back to life. ]

[Joy is not... something Akechi is used to or adept at. He tugs on Akira's hand a moment before he uses it as leverage to stand up again, splaying his free hand over his face to try and hide the remaining smile.]

Practice for what, should I be fearful?

Practice for being happy more often. [ Akira doesn't say it in an accusing way, or even a negative way -- it's like it's a hope for the future he's almost a little quiet about, a little afraid to say outloud.

He wants them both to be happy.

It feels like too much to ask from the universe. ]

Especially since Ann seems to have made it her mission to re-befriend you.

[His hand goes back into his hair and he fidgets, squeezing Akira's hand absently in something of a self-conscious gesture.]

I'm certain I won't be any good at this, but I can't seem to dissuade any of you.

We've got a whole life ahead of us to practice at things. [ It's terrifying and open and Akira thinks that they both are going to be entirely different people in ten, twenty, fifty years.

God, he wants to marry Goro. No, slow down, you can't think about that yet, Akira, you're sixteen, he tells himself firmly. ]

[His expression, and then his posture immediately following, pinch and shrink in on themselves. Akechi Goro has never thought long-term about having "a whole life", ahead of him or behind him. Suddenly having that now is enough to make him nauseous.]

...you don't know that. [So of course, he tries to put out the fire before it's lit.]

I believe it, though. [ Akira tugs Goro over, taking him to the next exhibit -- it's a little less crowded by children interested in the animals. ]

I believe that we're both going to live obnoxiously long, healthy lives, surrounded by people that actually like us.

[He's pretty sure he isn't fully capable of going an entire day without thinking something sour of himself, and today is no exception. He bites his tongue to not spit out his thoughts at Akira, because he doesn't deserve his ire, but he grumbles, huddled to him as they make their way to the next exhibit.]

Has anyone ever told you you have an irrational sense of optimism?

It's kind of a recent thing. I used to be pretty negative. [ Akira offers Goro a smile, because that's probably hard for Goro to believe -- but he didn't know Akira when Akira was in the middle of being prosecuted for assault, when his entire carefully constructed life was falling apart and he was getting yeeted onto a Tokyo train with a single box of belongings like it was all he was worth. ]

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