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It’s the 14th of February, and Akira couldn’t be more anxious about it. He works the day at Leblanc to help out Sojiro, as well as to distract himself, so he can’t chicken out of his plan for later that day. Throughout a whole year spent in Tokyo, he has made friends with many interesting individuals, some of which even seemed to be interested in taking their friendship with Akira to a romantic level, but none could succeed.
It’s not that they wouldn’t have turned out to be great partners or that it couldn’t have become a serious relationship or anything, but rather that Akira couldn’t bring himself to start a relationship with people he simply didn’t feel romantic attraction towards. This might be due to his source of anxiety for today, the person he may or may not have been pining for since somewhere around June last year. The sole positive thing to come from spending time with these girls - and even women - in regard to reciprocating feelings has been that no matter how much time he would invest, he couldn’t get himself to feel even remotely similar. Thus, these unfortunate circumstances have confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that he has indeed fallen hard for the right-hand man of the former Phantom Thieves, who also happens to be his best friend, Ryuji Sakamoto.
Some may wonder how he could possibly get so stuck on some feelings for a guy who couldn’t gush about women any more than he already does, and it’s not like he has shown any sort of interest in guys, let alone Akira, either. All he really does to himself with these feelings is a guaranteed heartbreak. Akira knows that, but he can’t help it. How could he not fall for Ryuji? It’s not like it was anything like love at first sight - not like Akira believes in that in the first place - but it is hard to deny that there was something from the moment he first laid eyes upon him. Whether it was because Ryuji was the first to voluntarily speak to Akira like a normal person since arriving here in Tokyo or the undeniable truth that Ryuji was quite cute, even when soaked by the rain.
It only got worse when Ryuji tried to protect him - a complete stranger - when they found themselves in a dire situation that would most likely cost at least one of them their life. This sort of selfless behaviour was something Akira has never had the pleasure of experiencing, so he felt like it was only fair to return the sentiment. Protecting Ryuji was what allowed him to awaken to Arsène, and when Ryuji awakened to Captain Kidd the following day to protect Akira and Morgana, it was hard to deny that by then there already was a special bond formed between the two of them, despite having known each other for just two days.
From there on out their friendship would only deepen at a rapid rate. By summer break, it was hard to deny that his feelings for Ryuji have changed into something other than just platonic. Even though they couldn’t get any closer as friends, as proven by Captain Kidd changing into Seiten Taisei as their bond’s depth went as far as it could possibly go, it didn’t stop Akira’s feelings for Ryuji to keep on growing and becoming more and more complex and frustrating.
To be completely fair, Ryuji was partially at fault for said frustrating emotions. Besides being an amazing, kind-hearted, rather selfless individual with a smile so bright and heart-warming that it can light up any room and situation, he has the tendency to say certain things to Akira that amplify his feelings for Ryuji in mere seconds. It doesn’t help that Ryuji has been very touchy-feely from the get-go and doesn’t know the meaning of personal space, which has most likely cost Akira multiple years of his life by now, judging by how his heart and brain stop working properly whenever Ryuji gets so comfortably close, but this, Akira can still somewhat deal with. However, being told that talking to him makes Ryuji feel free was just plain unfair, as well as probably around the time he noticed the crush he was developing for his best friend. That being said, nothing could ever top what Akira considers to be the equivalent of a love confession followed by a ‘no homo’ when Ryuji told him that his place was right next to Akira and that Akira’s place was right next to Ryuji. Akira would have thought this to be a love confession, especially since Ryuji even seemed somewhat flustered while saying everything, and he felt the impulse to grab the other boy’s hand to close the distance between the two of them, but he is really glad he didn’t because after returning the sentiment, Ryuji had the audacity to act like that was a normal thing to say to your ‘best bro’ and just continued devouring his food.
At that point, Akira had decided to just sit on his feelings and silently pine and suffer while trying to spend as much quality time with Ryuji as possible, but after Shido’s Palace got destroyed and he almost lost Ryuji, he realized that if he doesn’t get these feelings off of his chest, he will not be able to move on and regret it for the rest of his life.
So, what better day to choose than Valentine’s Day to potentially ruin the closest relationship you have ever had in your life? At least if he is ruining everything, he can go out with a bang and showcase to Ryuji just how much he means to him. Okay, Akira was definitely being unfair towards Ryuji here. It seems really unlikely for Ryuji to take an issue with Akira being into guys, though they have never talked about it, and the most realistic outcome is that Ryuji will be letting Akira down gently, and then things will probably be awkward between them for a bit until they both acknowledge that this won’t be worth losing their friendship and bond over, and things will just go back to normal, right? Even though Akira knows that this is what is most likely going to happen, he can’t get rid of that annoying voice in the back of his mind telling him that Ryuji will be weirded out and cut off contact with him altogether. All Akira can do about this is to trust both Ryuji, as well as his rational thoughts.
“Oh right, today’s Valentine’s Day.” Sojiro’s words pull Akira out of his spiraling thoughts. How long has he been spiraling? How much time does he have left, before potentially ruining the best thing that has ever happened to him? Right! Sojiro’s talking. “No wonder there were so many guys bringing girls in here earlier. At least we get a break now that it’s noon and all those couples go eat somewhere together.” Wait! It’s noon already?! Akira’s anxiety returns and is accompanied by slight panic. Good thing that he can easily hide his emotions. The last thing he needs is to talk about it with somebody else right before having to talk about it with Ryuji. Then again, maybe he could have tried and talked to Sojiro about this, but he seems to only have experience with wooing women rather than your most likely straight best friend...
“Don’t you have anything exciting happening? I mean, you’ve been here nearly a whole year.”
Akira doesn’t know how to best respond. He decides on a half-truth. “I don’t know if I would call it exciting, I just decided to hang out with a friend.” That should do the trick, hopefully.
As expected, Sojiro raises his right eyebrow and gives him a doubtful look, but at least he doesn’t call him out on being so vague. He seems like he wants to say something but just ends ups shaking his head a bit. After a few seconds, he does say something, though it feels like it isn’t what he originally thought about telling Akira.
“Y’know, when I was young, hoo boy …” Sojiro gets interrupted by the bell of the door as Akira’s knight in shining armour steps into Leblanc and saves him from whatever awkward anecdote Akira almost had to endure.
“Yooo.” Says the blond like Akira isn’t about to take him on a date, though to be fair Ryuji doesn’t know that yet, and he won’t know that it is a date for quite some time. Akira is aware that he is being selfish here, but as he said: If he has to do this, then he at least wants to go out with a bang and make it somewhat enjoyable for himself as well.
Sojiro looks at Ryuji, now raising his other brow as well. Though it was barely visible for a second, Akira didn’t miss the break in Sojiro’s façade, and his anxiety just got worse. Seems like he might have to talk to him about this anyway at some point. Sojiro returns his gaze to Ryuji who stands in the doorway looking a bit down, but also a bit curious as to why he is here on Valentine’s Day. He probably expected Akira to spend the day with somebody he is interested in, which he is, though Ryuji doesn’t need to know that just yet.
“You alone too?” Sojiro asks the faux blond.
“Yeah, don’t remind me.” Akira’s heart breaks at the sight of Ryuji’s expression becoming even more dejected and deflated, though there also seems to be something else in his expression; something like hurt. He hopes nothing has happened to Ryuji to make him feel even worse, though the raven-haired boy is unable to pinpoint where the hurt might come from. Should he ask him about that later? No, probably not. He doesn’t want Ryuji to feel even worse by talking about what’s dragging him down. Also, Ryuji is the type of person to confide in Akira or Ann if something is bothering him once he feels comfortable enough to talk about it.
Akira turns to Sojiro. “Is it okay if we leave, or do you need the extra help?”
Sojiro looks at him with a slight smirk on his face and a knowing look. “Just go. There probably aren’t going to be much more customers today anyway.” Sojiro’s look and blatant lie actually eased Akira’s nerves a bit, and he was thankful that his guardian didn’t just catch on, but actually helped him out and doesn’t seem to be taking an issue with this. Once again, he is so thankful to have Sojiro since his parents would never be this understanding or supportive.
Akira takes his apron off, walks around the counter to Ryuji, and hugs him quickly. “Glad you could make it.” The raven-haired boy says with a small, affectionate smile on his face.
“Dude, like I’d spend today alone when I can spend it with you instead.” Ryuji says, his trademark smile forming across his face. He’s done it again. How can he keep on saying things like that and not expect Akira to either kiss him or die on the spot at the hands of an affection-induced heart attack?
After shaking his head subtly to rid himself of his thoughts, he focused on the blond in front of him and asks him as nonchalantly as possible: “So, are you ready to go?”
“I dunno, man. Don’t even know where ya want us to go...”
“I’ll explain it to you on the way to the station, okay?”
“Fine, then let’s go. Seeya Boss!” he waves at Sojiro before turning around and leaving Leblanc. Sojiro gives the bespectacled boy one last knowing look before turning back to cleaning the dirty dishes left by the previous customers.
“Don’t forget your keys since I doubt that you’ll be back before I close up for the day!” Sojiro says it with an obvious smirk plastered on his face and then turns around to clean more dishes. Akira has to fight the slight redness creeping onto his face. He makes a mental note to talk about today and everything else with Sojiro tomorrow and to also thank him.
After Akira leaves Leblanc and leads the way to the station, the blond at his side seems confused for a second. “Ain’t Mona with you?”
The raven-haired boy simply replied: “He didn’t want to be a part of – and I quote – ‘this losers’ meeting’, so he stayed at Leblanc and will go to Futaba with Sojiro later since Yusuke and Futaba just decided to meet at her place and hang out instead of doing anything extravagant.”
Ryuji seems relieved and even a bit happy by that information. “’kay, good. Don’t think I could’ve dealt with Mona makin’ fun of me today.” He lets out a slightly exasperated sigh.
Akira hums in agreement. “Yeah, to be honest, I’m glad as well. I don’t think I could’ve dealt with the bickering today. Plus, he’s always extra mean to you, and I figured that you might not be in the mood for that today.”
Ryuji smiles. “Ya know me too well, bro.” Ah yes, there it is, the b-word that more often than not feels like a punch to the gut.
After the two boys walk in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the blond decides to break it as his curiosity has taken over. “So, what’re we doin’ ‘Kira?”
Right, that was an entirely different can of beans - the adorable nicknames. Anyway, now is not the time for this. Akira clears his throat so that he can mentally prepare a bit more for what he is about to suggest. “Okay, so we don’t have to if you feel uncomfortable with the idea, but it’s Valentine’s Day, right?”
“Yeah?”
“And most of Tokyo offers special services or discounts for couples, right?”
Ryuji blinks a bit before hesitantly saying: “… Yeah? Where are ya goin’ with this, man?”
“Well…” Akira can feel the heat rising to his cheeks, hopefully, Ryuji doesn’t notice it. “Dome Town has that enormous discount for couples, and I thought we could … y’know … pretend to be one, so we can enjoy a day at Dome Town and barely pay any money for it.”
This was the first moment of truth, depending on how Ryuji would react, Akira will either go on with his plan or abort and just enjoy a platonic day with Ryuji somewhere else.
It was quiet for half a minute, though it felt like half an eternity to Akira. He was about to write it off as a joke but stopped when he saw Ryuji staring at him wide-eyed, with a clear hue of red on his cheeks. Stumbling a bit over his words, the blond tried to articulate his thoughts about the proposition. “Uh… I mean ya do have a good point, so if it’s … um … fine by you, then … sure.”
While Ryuji definitely was flustered, Akira couldn’t spot any form of distaste, disgust, or anger in his face or voice, so this was a good start at least. He can feel a satisfied smile forming across his face as he simply says: “Alright, then to Dome Town we go.”
Ryuji just nods and chuckles a bit to himself as he says “Plus, that way we can kinda stick it to all those couples without ‘em knowin’.” While not the exact sentiment Akira was desperately wishing for, at least he got his date with Ryuji, and so he couldn’t help himself but chuckle along with Ryuji at his thought.
After making it through the suffocating train ride and being pressed shoulder to shoulder against each other, the two boys make it to Dome Town. The nervous blond clears his throat to catch his friend’s attention.
“So, uh, dude … how do we go ‘bout this?”
His voice was rather low, but Akira caught on nonetheless and tries to reply calmly. “Well, I think the easiest way to go about this would be holding hands… if that’s alright with you.”
Once again, the raven-haired boy finds himself struggling to fight off the heat trying to creep onto his face. He wished it was summer again, at least back then he could blame these traitorous blushes on the heat or on the exhaustion, whenever the two of them went exercising together. When he manages to pull his gaze back to the deep brown eyes of his friend, he definitely sees nervousness, but again nothing all that negative, allowing Akira to pull himself together and put his stoic façade up once more.
“… Sure, dude… ‘s fine.”
Relieve washes over Akira’s body as he leads the blond boy into Dome Town. So far everything seems to be going relatively well, though he starts to feel some guilt building up inside him. Even though he wants Ryuji to have some fun, in a sense he is deceiving him and acting selfishly on his own emotions. Maybe he should call it quits and just enjoy the day with his best friend, but then again, he has put a lot of planning into this day and practiced what to say and how to best say it for hours.
Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if Morgana has already caught on and that this is the true reason why he is staying with Sojiro and Futaba. It is a bit too late now to just abort the plan anyway, they are already pretending to be a couple, so he’ll just have to apologize later on and hope Ryuji’s not too mad for being deceived.
“Dude? You okay? Ya’re spacin’ out a lot today; anythin’ on your mind?” Akira didn’t even notice that they stopped walking. Ryuji’s still holding his hand, and he’s looking at Akira with brows furrowed in concern.
“No, don’t worry. Everything’s alright.” The blond seems to see straight through Akira’s bullshit, maybe he can change the subject. “Just thinking about the others and if they have somebody to give chocolate to or if they’ve gotten some chocolate.” To be fair, this wasn’t a lie per se, he was interested, particularly about the blond in front of him.
It also seems to have done the trick; the worry in Ryuji’s face slowly fades and is replaced by mild frustration. “I feel ya man, like first Christmas, now Valentine’s Day … Why ain’t I gettin’ any chocolates!?” Akira can feel the frustration in the blond’s voice. Even though he had a feeling that Ryuji hadn’t gotten any chocolate, he will never understand how nobody at Shujin can see past the rumours. You only need to speak with him for 5 minutes and you would know that he is nothing like the rumours make him out to be, and even without actually knowing him, it is so confusing how nobody seems to notice his looks either.
At least he’ll get some chocolate soon, though is it even of the kind he wants? It is his favourite brand of chocolate, he made sure to double-check with Ann who has been a big, emotional support since she put 2 and 2 together in September, but will Ryuji accept his chocolate, or would he only accept it if it was given to him by a girl?
Making their way to the rollercoaster immediately, they find themselves in a long queue. “Right, called Yusuke before headin’ to Leblanc, and even he got some! Can you believe it? I mean the dude’s a freakin’ weirdo most the time.”
Akira is taken aback a bit by his best friend’s words, though it seems like he doesn’t actually mean it. Ryuji and Yusuke may tend to butt heads from time to time, but he knows that Ryuji genuinely likes and respects Yusuke. It’s probably just the frustration speaking. Nevertheless, Akira does feel the urge to jump to his friend’s defence and if he is smart about it, he can test the waters a bit more at the same time.
“He does have good looks.”
“And I don’t …?” Shit! Akira wasn’t prepared for that question. He could just tell him that he has them, but he should be careful how to say it; he doesn’t want to scare Ryuji off, after all.
“…You do …guess the students at Shujin just care too much about reputation.” He shrugs to make it seems more nonchalantly, and it seems to have worked. The slight hue of red is returning to the blond’s cheeks now. Cute
“Th-thanks, dude … yeah, ya’re probably right. Speakin’ of the others reminds me. Y’know if Mishima got any chocolate? How come ya didn’t invite him? Don’t tell me… Did he betray us?” Jackpot! Akira didn’t even plan for this to come up, but this is a prime opportunity.
Trying to suppress his excitement, he clears his throat, looks Ryuji in his eyes, and answers his question. “Kinda… he actually managed to ask out that first-year member of the volleyball team who he’s been crushing on for a while now. Don’t know if he also got some chocolate though.”
“Can’t believe that traitor!... Wait, why wouldn’t she give him any chocolate if he asked her out on Valentine’s Day?” Confusion washes over the blond’s face. Of course, Akira should have been a bit clearer.
“Well, because on Valentine’s Day girls give guys chocolate, so not sure what couples do when both are guys…” He got quieter towards the end of his sentence as the anxiety and anticipation for the blond’s answer skyrocketed. Ryuji’s brain needed a few seconds to process the revelation, followed by his eyes widening in surprise.
“Wait! Mishima’s into dudes? For Real?”
“Yeah, he... he didn’t tell you?”
“Nah, dude …not that I can blame him, though. Ain’t really seen as great in Japan, right?”
“True, though I wonder why he told me if he didn’t tell you?”
“You kiddin’ me, man? Ya’re by far the most trustworthy person any of us know. Course he’d tell you if anyone.” If that compliment didn’t make him blush, then the blond’s smile beamed his way definitely did. Why could he not stay composed around Ryuji?!
“But you don’t take issue with that, right?”
“Nah, course not. Ain't any of my business. 'sides, if he’s happy, then nothin’ else matters, right? ... Did ya think I would?” Ryuji looks a bit hurt. Dammit!
“N-no, of course not! Just wanted to make sure. I would’ve been shocked if you did.” That wasn’t a lie. As much as he worried about rejection accompanied by reactions of anger or disgust, realistically he can’t imagine somebody like Ryuji taking issue with anything like two guys dating. Even though he’ll still probably get rejected, he's at least feeling reassured that Ryuji won’t react poorly, but that he will just reject him gently, which makes Akira’s nerves calm down a bit, and he can feel his body relaxing. When did he get so tense?
Enough getting lost in thought, it was their turn for the rollercoaster. Good thing they didn’t go for the greasy food stances yet, because the rollercoaster always gets to Akira’s stomach. Then again, it is always worth the hassle to hear his best friend’s screams of joy and whooping. Despite the long wait, the ride itself lasts roughly two minutes and yet Akira can’t deny that it is still worth the wait in the end. After the exciting ride, Akira proposes the two get some food. Since the two saved money with their little scheme, they could go for the really good stuff, though the charm of the cheap food is undeniable.
Either way, it won’t be of any concern to Ryuji since Akira insists on paying for his food despite the numerous protests. The blond may have not won the war itself, but he did win an important battle; he managed to convince Akira to not go for the expensive stuff but to just buy some sweets. Akira gladly complied since he wasn’t that hungry due to his anxiety, and sweets might help calm his nerves down further. They settled on some Dango and Mochi, as well as some melon sodas for the two of them and set down on an empty bench, gleefully munching on the delicious sweets.
“Thanks for the food, man.” Ryuji smiled at him, and Akira never felt more grateful to be sitting, because he can feel his legs turning to jelly.
“No need to thank me. I invited you out here, it’s only natural.”
“Yeah…” He could feel that the blond wanted to say more, but he seemed to be struggling with his words. “Actually, thanks for listenin’ to me and buyin’ the cheap stuff. Makes me feel less bad 'bout ya payin’ for all of it.” Akira truly enjoys nothing more than the openness and direct honesty of his best friend … okay, scratch that; the blush that crept onto his face is cute enough to rival the blond’s nature. “Hey, Kira?”
“Yeah, Yuji?”
“What d’ya wanna ride next?”
“Well, that came out of nowhere.” He chuckles softly and the blond does so as well, scratching the back of his neck.
“Well, I wanted to ride the rollercoaster, and ya came with me even though I know ya don’t really like it all that much.” Well, he does like it, just less so the ride and more so the company, though that didn’t really matter since Ryuji’s point still stood. That is just so Ryuji; he has by far the best grasp on Akira, despite his stoic face and concealed emotions. Unlike with anybody else, however, it is okay since the person who can see behind his façade is Ryuji and not anybody else.
“Plus, ya did pay for our food. So, I thought it’s only fair ya choose the next ride.” A small smile filled with endearment spread across Akira’s face. This is gonna be it!
“In that case, I’d like to ride the Ferris Wheel if that’s okay with you. I always love the view, and it’s really calming.”
“… Sure. What’re we waitin’ for? C’mon Kira.”
The two boys make their way to the Ferris Wheel. Halfway to their destination, Akira notices his hand is holding Ryuji’s. When did he grab his hand? He must have instinctively grabbed it without thinking when they started to walk. Ryuji hasn’t pulled away so far, probably under the assumption that this is to continue to fool everyone else, including the security. If Ryuji asks, then he can just use that as an explanation or excuse. As they arrive at the Ferris Wheel, the two of them seem to be in luck as there are only a few couples in line before them.
“Whoo! Lucky!” The blond beside Akira exclaims his joy, gaining the attention of the other couples, accompanied by some endearing, though mostly disapproving and some slightly disgusted looks. Ryuji notices, blushes, and mumbles to the raven-haired boy “S-sorry, man. Hope I didn’t make ya feel uncomfortable with those stares.”
“Don’t worry. I’m happy to see that you’re actually excited about this, so let them stare. Not like I care.” He smiles at the blond and is rewarded with the blond’s dorky, toothy smile – Akira’s favourite.
“Man, Kira, don’t know how ya do it. Ya’re always so cool. Wish I could just ignore idiots like ya do.”
“T-thanks Yuji.” Once again, Akira feels a slight warmth creeping onto his face, but at this point, he has accepted defeat against the blond’s smiles and honest compliments.
“Next!” The person working at the Ferris Wheel entrance says.
“Looks like it’s our turn. After you, dude.” Akira sits down, and Ryuji does the same, sitting right next to him. This was it; it was time for the confession. He went over this so many times in his mind during the last weeks. It was now or never, and Akira certainly prefers anything over the latter at this point.
“Everythin’ alright Kira?” Dammit! He really needs to work on getting lost in thought less often. “What’re ya thinkin’, dude?”
Okay, here goes nothing. First, he should ease the situation. Making Ryuji laugh might be a good start. Accordingly, Akira collected himself for his most overdramatic acting, grabbing his chest before exclaiming: “My heart is empty!”
Ryuji rolled his eyes, though he can’t hide the smile forming across his face as he is trying not to laugh at his best friend’s dramatics. “Don’t gimme that…” He chuckles to himself after saying that. Going well so far. Now he just needs – “Oh, but that reminds me … I was buyin’ somethin’ at the convenience store, and the shopkeeper lady gave me this. Here you can have it, hope it helps a bit.”
After the blond winks at him playfully, Akira loses his train of thought. Did Ryuji just give him chocolate? It didn’t seem like a confession, but that wink sure made it hard for Akira to not get unrealistically hopeful. This isn’t even any sort of big gesture or anything noteworthy, but that almost makes it worse. Once again, this is so Ryuji; it’s not about any big gestures, but about all of the little ones that truly made Akira fall for his best friend over and over again. As much as he’d like to ask if this is a confession, with the state his brain is in, Akira can only manage to utter a small and awe-struck “Thanks.”
The blond boy chuckles a bit nervously to himself while scratching his neck. He then looks at the raven-haired boy. “Guess this is what you’d call friend chocolate, huh?”
“Yeah…” Of course, it’s friend chocolate! What else could it be? Why did he think this was a good idea again? Ryuji would never see them as anything more than friends. Hell, like he is anything but straight. Akira got so lost in thought that he didn’t even look at Ryuji or notice when the former athlete muttered something in annoyance to himself. Akira was too occupied scolding himself for falling for someone who’ll never return those feelings.
He hears a sigh from his right. “C’mon Kira, let’s go...” What? At that moment, Akira notices that they have finished the Ferris Wheel ride, and neither do they emerge as an actual couple, nor with a definitive rejection. In other words, this is the worst-case scenario… never mind, now it is, because of course it would rain right now! Why wouldn’t the universe taunt Akira like that? He got it. This was stupid and so was he; he didn’t need the rain to get that, but there they were. Before returning to the present with his thoughts, he feels a pull at his hand, followed by being dragged by his best friend under an awning at the backside of the haunted house.
Once he looks over at his best friend’s face, confusion washes over his own. There is a fond look on the blond’s face. Before he can even ask 'why', Ryuji speaks up. “Heh, kinda like the day we met, huh?” Of course, Ryuji would find something positive in this god-awful situation, though he doesn’t know just how awful it is for Akira.
Chuckling a bit, the raven-haired boy finds himself humming in agreement.
“Y’know that day still has to be one of the absolute best ones of my life. As ya know, I wasn’t really in the best place back then, and honestly, I would’ve dropped out if nothin’ changed, but things did change. For the better even, which sounds sappy and stupid, but things turnin’ for the better is kinda rare for me, so ’m just really glad ‘bout it. I met you, and even though I almost died in that shitty castle, I would’ve never become part of the Phantom Thieves in the first place. Kinda crazy how different things would be if we hadn’t met.”
Even though Akira won’t confess, he still wants to be honest with his best friend as he shares that sentiment. “Yeah, I was sure that life in Tokyo was gonna suck, but then I met you, and everything with the Metaverse started. I don’t know where I would be by now if none of this would have happened, but I am so thankful that it did happen. That being said, I think you are wrong about one thing.”
Flashing a small smirk at the blond by his side, Ryuji looks at him with eyebrows furrowed in confusion and eyes that reveal how hard he’s thinking about what Akira could possibly be talking about.
“Sorry man, but I’m drawin’ a blank here.”
“You said you wouldn’t be a Phantom Thief if we didn’t meet, which may be true, but I think the Phantom Thieves wouldn’t have existed in the first place without you. Not only are you a founding member, but you’re the spirit of the Phantom Thieves. You motivate each and every one of us to keep going, to keep pushing ourselves to reach new heights, to complete one more level in Mementos, to fight until one more save room appears. Don’t sell yourself so short! You tend to do that, but without you, the Phantom Thieves wouldn’t exist, and even if, then we wouldn’t have persisted nearly as long as we did.”
Akira intended to continue with his barrage of compliments and nice words, but his focus was pulled to his best friend when he heard a sniff. “… man, Kira, you sappy nerd.” Confused for a second by the reaction, Akira finds his confusion turning into full-on panic as the blond in front of him embraces Akira in a bone-crushing hug while Ryuji lets out a breathless laugh. Maybe it was for the better that Ryuji wasn’t into him, because Akira has no idea how his heart would even survive a single day with such an affectionate boyfriend. After a minute of hugging in comfortable silence, Ryuji breaks off the hug – to Akira’s dismay – and wipes his eyes with his purple sleeve.
“Thanks again, Kira. Meant a lot to hear that from ya.”
“Any time. No reason to sell yourself short when you are so essential for the Phantom Thieves. I guarantee that the others would agree.”
The blond lets out a small laugh, “Yeah, maybe …” Ryuji seems to be bothered by something.
”Speakin’ of the others, now that I think 'bout it, aren’t our girls kinda cold? I mean, we were on the same team. They shoulda at least got us some kinda teammate chocolate or something … seriously.” Even though Ryuji’s scowl pains Akira a bit, he can’t really say much. The blond has a fair point, after all.
“You’re totally right. Teammate chocolate would’ve been nice.”
Ryuji releases an annoyed groan, “All right, that’s it! From now on, I’m done with girls! Friendship all the way!” Despite it not being the scenario Akira wished for, he couldn’t help but agree with the blond. At least they had their friendship if nothing else.
“Totally, I’m with you on that. Who needs a girlfriend anyway?”
“C’mon dude, with your looks ya could get any girl in Tokyo. Don’t get how nobody asked you to spend today with them.”
Akira laughed nervously at that. “Heh, yeah …” Why can’t Akira keep his cool more easily around Ryuji?!
“Wait!... Dude! Did somebody ask ya out?!” Silence.
Akira felt extremely awkward as he saw no other option, but to admit it. “Actually … eight.” Akira gulped, unable to take his eyes off the ground.
“EIGHT?! Dude why the eff’ are you here with me and not one of the girls?”
“Well… I’m not really interested in any of them, and you are by far the person closest to me … so, I decided, I’d… rather spend the day with you since that’s kind of the point of today.” Akira fumbled with one of his locks absentmindedly, while waiting for the blond’s response. Would he get angry for turning down eight girls when he wasn’t even asked out by one girl? Or what if he caught onto the potential implications of asking Ryuji to hang out on Valentine’s Day instead of going with any of the girls who asked him? Should he just walk away? Maybe that’s for the best. Give Ryuji the space he needs, so he can prepare his words to either berate Akira or reject him. He should probably just go, but before he could do so, he hears a mumbled “Argh! Eff’ it.”
Everything after that is a bit of a blur since the last thing Akira was expecting was the blond pulling him in for a kiss on the lips. It wasn’t anything special per se. Due to the cold, their lips were a bit chapped and cold, but the emotions that started flowing once his brain caught up with what happened tuned out anything happening around the two of them. All Akira could focus on was that he was kissing Ryuji, or rather that Ryuji was kissing him! He initiated it! After melting into the kiss a bit, he felt all sorts of emotions, from giddy joy to pure bliss. Not even his wildest dreams could have prepared him for the emotions he’d feel at this moment. The boys are forced to stop the kiss and pull away thanks to their stupid lungs. Akira knew his cheeks were just as red as the ones he was looking at while trying to catch his breath.
The blond started to speak, somehow managing to turn even redder. “S-sorry Kira, kinda had to do this, or I’d have kicked myself in the ass for the rest of my life.”
Akira’s brain hasn’t recovered enough to properly reply, so he finds himself saying: “You kissed me…”
“Yeah… hope it was okay. Wasn’t sure if I was reading into things today, but I had to take the chance.” Hearing this made Akira so happy he could feel tears rolling down his cheeks.
“Shit! Sorry, dude! I didn’t mean to upset you. God, why’d I do tha-” The blond couldn’t finish his sentence as he was interrupted by the raven-haired boy’s lips pressed against his own. This time the blond was the shocked one, though he melted into the kiss much quicker than Akira did. Akira placed a hand on the back of the blond’s neck, so he could deepen the kiss. Ryuji seemed to have the same idea as one of his hands cupped Akira’s face while the other pulled him in closer by the waist. After breaking up the kiss, the flushed blond tries to formulate some words.
“Is this a confession?”
“You need another kiss for proof?” Akira couldn’t believe he was openly flirting with Ryuji now, never mind what he said before; this was the best day of his entire life.
“I’d gladly take one,” the blond said placing a small peck on Akira’s lips, “but maybe we should talk a bit first.” Ryuji’s face was filled with fondness and awe, which made Akira’s brain only melt faster than it already was.
“You’re right, we probably should.”
After a minute of regaining his composure, the raven-haired boy starts the much-needed conversation. “So… I take it I’m not the only one with a crush on his best friend?” He couldn’t help but tease the blond a bit. The situation before him was still a lot to take in after all.
Flustered a bit, the blond clears his throat before replying. “Yeah, man. Still kinda surprised ya feel the same. Didn’t think ya would.”
“What?”
“W-well, I’ve been kinda feelin’ this way since August, and after a month or so, I just accepted that you’re outta my league.” As much as he tries to suppress it, the raven-haired boy can’t keep the laughter inside.
“What the eff’ man?! I’m bein’ serious here!”
“S-sorry. Heh, it’s just funny to me. I’ve caught feelings in June – or maybe before? – but I was convinced that you couldn’t be any straighter” Now, the blond joins in with his own bubbly laughter, causing Akira’s heart to flutter as it always does in response to that.
“Fair. It’s just as I said though, ya don’t really wanna be obvious about that sorta stuff. Ya never know what people around ya might do.”
“Hard to argue with that. So, bi?”
“Yup. You too?”
“Pan, actually.”
“Wait, so ya could have anybody and be into anybody as long as they are a great person, and ya fell for me?”
“Obviously.”
“For real?!”
“For real. Is it so hard to believe that you have a great personality? Also, as I said before, you do have the looks.”
Blushing furiously, the blond seems to be at a loss for words. Before he can find the willpower to put himself down as he tends to do, the raven-haired boy chimes in to explain it a bit.
“Okay, so for starters you were willing to sacrifice yourself for a stranger, despite the fact that you would have died yourself. You’re probably the most kind-hearted person I have ever met, and you are so honest and direct, which is so refreshing. I don’t have to worry about ulterior motives because you make me feel comfortable enough to trust you 100%. Don’t even get me started on your smile, which can light up any room and any situation; you don’t know how often I’ve felt down, and all it took was your smile to lift my mood again.”
“Kira, stop it! I don’t think I can take any more.”
A soft chuckle leaves Akira’s mouth. “Okay, but you get my point, right? There is no one else I could have fallen for as long as you are part of my world.”
“Ya’re such a sap dude.” The blond chuckles himself now, before leaning in again for a kiss; it was soft and full of affection. If this was his life from now on, then that’s all he needed to be more than happy.
“Kira?” The blond says after breaking the kiss.
“What is it Yuji?”
“Sooo, are we like… a thing now?”
“Do you want us to be a thing?”
“Hell yeah!”
“Then we are a thing now.” The blond’s fist is raised to the sky, accompanied by an energetic whoop, leaving little else to do for Akira to do, but to look at his new boyfriend with endless admiration and awe.
“Shit!” the raven-haired boy says under his breath, drawing the attention of the blond.
“Everythin’ okay dude?” Ryuji looks at him in confusion.
“Yeah, I just… give me a second.” Akira quickly opened his catless bag to get the chocolate he wanted to give to Ryuji on the Ferris Wheel.
“Here! I planned to give you this with my confession, but someone had to give me chocolate first and then tell me it’s just friendship chocolate.”
“I… was actually thinkin’ of confessin’ with it, and I could just play it off as a joke if things went south, but I chickened out. Sorry ‘bout… Wait! You have chocolate for ME? For real?”
Akira looked at Ryuji perplexed, before catching himself and replying. “Oh, guess I wasn’t the only one with a plan then. As much as I appreciate the idea, don’t EVER do that to me again!”
Ryuji let out an apologetic sigh. “Promise, I won’t.”
“Okay, so here you go then.”
“Dude! That’s effin’ awesome. Man, I only got ya some free convenience store chocolate… I’m so gonna spoil you on White Day!
“Not if I spoil you more. I wasn’t sure if this was your favourite, so I had to double-check with Ann.” After handing Ryuji the box filled with chocolate, the blond’s look of endearment quickly turns into shocked realization.
“Did ya just say Ann? She knows?!”
“Yeah. I needed someone to keep me sane. Why? Is that a problem? You know she doesn’t-“
“I know she ain’t got a problem with this, but we’ve got a problem now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ya think I could keep sane without somebody to talk to?” Sudden realization hits Akira like a train.
“Don’t tell me…”
“She even helped with my idea for today and listened to me gush about you for months.”
“She is never going to let us live that down, is she?”
“No way man, ya know how she is. Can’t believe she had to put up with both of us.”
“Maybe we should get her some crepes as accommodation?”
“Probably. It’s gonna take a shit tone of crepes to make up for that though.”
The two continued their day at Dome Town, this time both of them were much more relaxed and happier; holding hands, because they want to, and enjoying it.
“Hey, Kira?” Akira looked over to see the dorkiest smile across Ryuji’s face, whatever was about to follow was going to be adorably awful.
“Yes, Yuji?”
“I guess heroes ain’t always popular with chicks, huh?” Not able to suppress his laughter, the raven-haired boy almost howled at that awful joke. After he calmed down a bit, Akira found the strength to answer.
“I guess not. But they sure as hell are popular with me.” He felt himself mirroring the dorky smile of his boyfriend before leaning in for a quick kiss. “Now, let’s get going, we still have some rides to look forwards to, my hero~”
Snickering into his hand, the blond just drags his boyfriend towards the next ride with him. As much as this day could have gone smoother for both sides, neither of them would have traded this day for anything else in the world.