i couldn't help but fall for you || Takuto Maruki x Reader

you are being too reckless

You made a habit of frequenting Odaiba. Though you took care to keep away from Takuto's Palace, you enjoyed Circe's presence, which was stronger in that area. From the surface looking in, you were sure it was a pitiful sight: you, confiding in your Persona, as you truly didn't have anyone else who could fully understand your predicament. There was Ren and his friends, who were always so kind and welcomed you into their group with open arms; in actuality, their goals for taking Takuto on were wholly different from your own. You sought to bring him back from his pedestal before he harmed himself in whatever way he could with his actualization powers—they, on the other hand, only wanted their own reality back. They wanted to choose their futures and fates for themselves; it was admirable indeed, and maybe you wanted the same thing. You could only think of Takuto, though: how he must be toiling away in his Palace, day-in and day-out, with little to no sleep, no eating, and no breaks. He looked more tired than you'd ever seen him, even at the peak of his time spent working on his paper. His eyes sunken, his face thinner, his movements stalled—he was killing himself for the sake of everyone else.

Circe would be there to assure you your plan would come to fruition. She explained a few basic things about this world, and how to use your power in the best way possible. You had a lance at your side, and she taught you how to swing it properly. You had a gun—not a real one, she warned—she taught you how to shoot it without hurting yourself in the process. She showed you proper footwork, how to maximize damage so you wouldn't be deadweight to the more experienced team, and she praised you for how quickly you caught on to her teachings: Takuto would be proud of you for coming so far in such a short period of time, my child. And it invigorated you—you were confident she'd known you'd be empowered by those words. She eventually brought you to Mementos in Shibuya, where you used her instructions on the various weaker Shadows. It was a taxing effort, especially without a navigator, but you and Circe managed. You were certain that without her knowledge on herbs and their medicinal uses, you would not have survived.

You did all this training without the Phantom Thieves' knowledge; as you were waiting for Sumire to recover, you were restless. Countless times, you thought to go back into his Palace yourself, but if your ventures into Mementos were of any indication, you could not do it alone. It took weeks of daily meetings at Leblanc, of calling Sumire on the phone to check up on her condition before she decided she was finally ready. Sure, you were impatient, but you completely understood why Sumire was so hesitant about going back. That place revealed all her deepest and darkest secrets—one that she repressed from herself so heavily, in fact, that she willingly took on Kasumi's name. It was a painful realization, one that took tremendous heart to face (and to keep on facing) by infiltrating the Palace again.

Just a few days before Takuto's deadline, while Ren, his friends, and you were chatting in Leblanc, Sumire walked through the doors, the chime of her entrance cutting through the conversation like a knife. She hung her head low, the air of guilt around her tangible and weighing her down, but she was in front of us, nonetheless. You didn't know if Cendrillon spoke to her like Circe did you—but maybe it was Cendrillon who subtly encouraged her to come here.

"Sumire!" Ann called out, starting to her to make sure she was steady. "Are you alright?"

Sumire nodded. "Mm, I'm okay. I apologize for taking so long, but I think I'm ready now."

Makoto, who sat next to you in one of the booths, was in a bit of a daze. "A-Are you sure? There's no rush, you know. We still have plenty of time."

"I don't want to stall this any longer," she insisted, "If everyone is free today, can we go?"

"I'm okay with that." you quickly replied, and everyone agreed as well. You took off to Odaiba, where Sumire stayed close to Ren's side. Akechi did as well, straying himself from the rest of the group. You felt most comfortable at Ann's side, who, along with Haru, encouraged you, little by little, and in their own special ways.